23506 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 76 / Wednesday, April 20, 2022 / Notices 

reduce resource use and worker 

exposure and related impacts. 

Under the Proposed Action, DOE 

estimates that immobilization of liquid 

waste resulting from the processing of 

29.2 MTHM SNF (without uranium 

recovery) would result in about 505 

HLW glass-filled stainless-steel 

canisters. This results in 435 more 

canisters from SNF processing than was 

analyzed in the previous SRS SNF EIS. 

In the context of the approximately 

8,400 HLW glass-filled stainless-steel 

canisters that DOE’s most recent 

estimate indicated would be produced 

at DWPF, this increase is not substantial 

(less than 7 percent), and SRS’s total 

expected canisters would still be within 

the 10,000 canisters DOE evaluated in 

the Final Supplemental Environmental 

Impact Statement, Defense Waste 

Processing Facility (DOE/EIS–0082–S, 

November 1994) and no additional 

storage capacity would be needed. 

Although a national repository for 

SNF has not yet been identified, DOE 

remains committed to meeting its 

obligations to safely dispose of SNF and 

HLW. The estimated 505 additional 

HLW canisters that would eventually 

require disposal would be more than 

offset by the estimated 1,000 SNF 

storage canisters that would have 

needed disposal if the SNF were not 

processed in H-Canyon. 

Under the Proposed Action, because 

the uranium would not be recovered, 

the fissile material concentration in the 

HLW glass needs to be as much as 2,500 

grams per cubic meter to maximize the 

amount of material allowed in the HCanyon transfers sent to the HLW 

sludge batches. Analyses indicate that 

increasing the fissile material content in 

the glass up to 2,500 grams per cubic 

meter would not constitute a criticality 

issue and would have minimal impact 

on key properties related to durability of 

the glass. Testing has demonstrated that 

the HLW glass produced under the 

Proposed Action will meet the 

performance standards of previously 

produced DWPF glasses. 

Implementing the Proposed Action 

would entail activities at H-Canyon that 

are the same as or comparable to 

existing or historical operations and are 

largely bounded by activities evaluated 

in the SRS SNF EIS. Therefore, the 

Proposed Action is not expected to 

result in substantial increases to the 

range of cumulative impacts described 

in the SRS SNF EIS. 

Amended Decision 

DOE has decided to implement the 

Proposed Action as described in the 

SRS ABD SA. DOE will manage up to 

29.2 MTHM of SNF using conventional 

processing without uranium recovery in 

H-Canyon at SRS. DOE anticipates 

processing these materials beginning as 

early as 2022, and continuing 

approximately 12 to 13 years, consistent 

with program and policy priorities and 

funding. DOE will use three dissolvers 

in order to cost-effectively utilize HCanyon and expeditiously complete the 

mission, although only two dissolvers 

would be operated at any one time. 

Meanwhile, SNF will continue to be 

stored in L-Basin at SRS, pending 

processing in H-Canyon. 

In the ROD for the SRS SNF EIS (65 

FR 48224, August 7, 2000), DOE 

identified the Minimum Impact 

Alternative as the environmentally 

preferable alternative; this has not 

changed. No environmental impacts 

resulting from operations under this 

amended decision would require 

specific mitigation measures. DOE will 

continue its current practices and 

policies to use all practicable means to 

avoid or minimize environmental harm 

and impacts to workers when 

implementing the actions described 

herein. For example, DOE will continue 

to evaluate and implement, as 

appropriate, physical modifications to 

the H-Canyon facility and process 

chemistry changes that would reduce 

personnel exposure, facility effluents, 

and waste generation. 

Basis for Decision 

The proposed use of conventional 

processing for 29.2 MTHM of SNF, 

including target materials, as described 

in the SRS ABD SA (DOE/EIS–0279– 

SA–07, 2022) and this amendment to 

DOE’s 2000 SNF ROD (65 FR 48224) 

takes advantage of existing processes in 

existing facilities. The activities 

encompassed by this amended decision 

will not incur potential health or 

environmental impacts significantly 

different from those analyzed in existing 

NEPA reviews. This amended decision 

reduces the overall cost of managing the 

currently stored SNF by eliminating the 

need for storage in L-Basin and 

maximizes near-term utilization of HCanyon to expeditiously complete the 

mission. Further, the actions resulting 

from this Amended ROD allow 

processing of the remaining inventory of 

SNF stored at SRS L-Basin, converts the 

SNF to forms that are proliferation 

resistant and can be safely stored for 

long periods with minimal 

maintenance. 

As described in the SRS ABD SA, 

most impacts would be similar to or 

bounded by those described in the SRS 

SNF EIS. While the decision 

documented in this Amended ROD will 

increase the number of canisters of 

vitrified HLW, it is not expected to 

significantly affect the quantity of 

vitrified HLW canisters requiring 

management and would be more than 

offset by the SNF canisters that would 

not require disposal. 

The actions to be taken pursuant to 

this Amended ROD strongly support 

U.S. non-proliferation policy and goals 

by permanently dispositioning the HEU 

contained in the SNF. This Proposed 

Action is consistent with U.S. 

agreements regarding receipt of foreign 

research reactor materials in which 

involved countries with the economic 

ability to do so contribute to the costs 

of transportation and U.S. receipt, 

processing, and disposition of the 

materials. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on April 8, 2022, by 

William I. White, Senior Advisor for 

Environmental Management, Office of 

Environmental Management, pursuant 

to delegated authority from the 

Secretary of Energy. That document 

with the original signature and date is 

maintained by DOE. For administrative 

purposes only, and in compliance with 

the requirements of the Office of the 

Federal Register, the undersigned DOE 

Federal Register Liaison Officer has 

been authorized to sign and submit the 

document in electronic format for 

publication, as an official document of 

the Department of Energy. The 

administrative process in no way alters 

the legal effect of this document upon 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on April 14, 

2022. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08383 Filed 4–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 2232–828] 

Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of 

Application Accepted for Filing and 

Soliciting Comments, Motions To 

Intervene, and Protests 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric application has been filed 

with the Commission and is available 

for public inspection. 

a. Type of Application: Request for a 

temporary amendment of the reservoir 

elevation requirement at the Wateree 

development. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 76 / Wednesday, April 20, 2022 / Notices 23507 

b. Project No.: 2232–828. 

c. Date Filed: January 25, 2022. 

d. Applicant: Duke Energy Carolinas, 

LLC. 

e. Name of Project: Catawba-Wateree 

Hydroelectric Project. 

f. Location: The project is located on 

the Catawba-Wateree River in Burke, 

McDowell, Caldwell, Catawba, 

Alexander, Iredell, Mecklenburg, 

Lincoln, and Gaston counties, North 

Carolina, and York, Lancaster, Chester, 

Fairfield, and Kershaw counties South 

Carolina. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). 

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jeffrey G. 

Lineberger, Director of Water Strategy 

and Hydro Licensing, Duke Energy, Mail 

Code EC–12Q, 526 South Church Street, 

Charlotte, NC 28202, (704) 382–5942. 

i. FERC Contact: Mr. Steven Sachs, 

(202) 502–8666, Steven.Sachs@ferc.gov. 

j. Deadline for filing comments, 

motions to intervene, and protests is 30 

days from the issuance of this notice by 

the Commission. The Commission 

strongly encourages electronic filing. 

Please file comments, motions to 

intervene, and protests using the 

Commission’s eFiling system at http://

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. 

Commenters can submit brief comments 

up to 6,000 characters, without prior 

registration, using the eComment system 

at http://www.ferc.gov/doc-sfiling/ 

ecomment.asp. You must include your 

name and contact information at the end 

of your comments. For assistance, 

please contact FERC Online Support at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 

208–3676 (toll free), or (202) 502–8659 

(TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you 

may submit a paper copy. Submissions 

sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be 

addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 

1A, Washington, DC 20426. 

Submissions sent via any other carrier 

must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, MD 20852. The first page of 

any filing should include docket 

number P–2232–828. 

The Commission’s Rules of Practice 

and Procedure require all intervenors 

filing documents with the Commission 

to serve a copy of that document on 

each person on the official service list 

for the project. Further, if an intervenor 

files comments or documents with the 

Commission relating to the merits of an 

issue that may affect the responsibilities 

of a particular resource agency, they 

must also serve a copy of the document 

on that resource agency. 

k. Description of Request: The 

applicant requests a temporary variance 

of its reservoir elevation requirement at 

the Wateree development. The applicant 

intends to maintain the water surface 

between 6 and 7 feet below the full pool 

elevation of 100 feet local datum for 11 

to 16 months beginning in the third 

quarter of 2022. This differs from the 

normal target elevation which is 3 feet 

below full pool (97 feet local datum) 

from March through November and 5 to 

5.5 feet below full pool (95 to 94.5 feet 

local datum) at all other times, and 

compares to the normal minimum 

elevation which is 6 feet below full pool 

(94 feet local datum) from March 

through October, and 7 feet below full 

pool (93 feet local datum) the reminder 

of the year. The applicant states the low 

reservoir elevation would allow it to 

install pneumatic crest gates on the 

Wateree dam. 

l. In addition to publishing the full 

text of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. For 

assistance, contact FERC at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call 

toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 

502–8659. 

m. Individuals desiring to be included 

on the Commission’s mailing list should 

so indicate by writing to the Secretary 

of the Commission. 

n. Comments, Motions to Intervene, or 

Protests: Anyone may submit 

comments, a motion to intervene, or a 

protest in accordance with the 

requirements of Rules of Practice and 

Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214. 

In determining the appropriate action to 

take, the Commission will consider all 

protests or other comments filed, but 

only those who file a motion to 

intervene in accordance with the 

Commission’s Rules may become a 

party to the proceeding. Any comments, 

motions to intervene, or protests must 

be received on or before the specified 

comment date for the particular 

application. 

o. Filing and Service of Responsive 

Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in 

all capital letters the title 

‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘MOTION TO 

INTERVENE’’, or ‘‘PROTEST’’ as 

applicable; (2) set forth in the heading 

the name of the applicant and the 

project number(s) of the application to 

which the filing responds; (3) furnish 

the name, address, and telephone 

number of the person intervening or 

protesting; and (4) otherwise comply 

with the requirements of 18 CFR 

385.2001 through 385.2005. All 

comments, motions to intervene, or 

protests must set forth their evidentiary 

basis. A copy of all other filings in 

reference to this application must be 

accompanied by proof of service on all 

persons listed in the service list 

prepared by the Commission in this 

proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 

385.2010. 

Dated: April 13, 2022. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08369 Filed 4–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP22–141–000] 

Great Basin Gas Transmission 

Company; Notice of Application and 

Establishing Intervention Deadline 

Take notice that on March 30, 2022, 

Great Basin Gas Transmission Company 

(Great Basin), P.O. Box 94197, Las 

Vegas, Nevada 89193, filed an 

application under sections 7(b) and 7(c) 

of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Part 

157 of the Commission’s regulations 

requesting that the Commission 

authorize the 2023 Mainline 

Replacement Project (project), which 

consists in the abandonment and 

replacement of approximately 20.36 

miles of 16-inch-diameter steel pipe and 

associated auxiliary or appurtenant 

facilities located in Humboldt County, 

Nevada, all as more fully set forth in the 

application which is on file with the 

Commission and open for public 

inspection. The estimated cost of the 

project is $47,119,897. 

In addition to publishing the full text 

of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. At this 

time, the Commission has suspended 

access to the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, due to the 

proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued 

by the President on March 13, 2020. For 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES