Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 98 / Friday, May 20, 2022 / Notices 30931 

1Fast neutrons are highly energetic neutrons 

(ranging from 0.1 to 10 million electron volts [MeV] 

and travelling at speeds of thousands to tens of 

thousands kilometers per second) emitted during 

fission. The fast-neutron spectrum refers to the 

range of energies associated with fast neutrons. By 

contrast, thermal neutrons, such as those typically 

associated in a commercial light-water reactor, are 

neutrons that are less energetic than fast neutrons 

(more than a million times less energetic [about 

0.25eV] and travelling at speeds of less than 5 

kilometers per second), having been slowed by 

collisions with other materials such as water. The 

thermal neutron spectrum refers to the range of 

energies associated with thermal neutrons. 

voting system hardware and software by 

accredited laboratories.’’ To meet this 

obligation, the EAC has created a 

voluntary testing and certification 

program to test voting systems to federal 

voting system standards. 

The program is to publish four forms. 

These are to be used to collect key 

information concerning voting system 

manufacturers and their systems, as 

well as information regarding anomalies 

in voting systems used in federal 

elections. These forms will collect: 

• The voting system manufacturer 

registration form collects information on 

the ownership, contact details for 

certain directors and senior staff, and 

the quality processes for manufacturers 

who wish to participate in the EAC’s 

Testing and Certification program. 

• The voting system application 

collects administrative information on 

new or modified voting systems that are 

being submitted for testing by a 

registered voting system manufacturer. 

• The voting system anomaly report 

will collect initial anomaly information 

as reported by voting system 

manufacturers and election officials. 

• The root cause analysis form 

collects information on voting system 

anomalies, test results, and findings. 

This information is collected to 

improve the quality of voting systems 

used in federal elections. 

Public Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the EAC to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the EAC’s 

Testing and Certification Division. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of burden for this proposed 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Please note that comments submitted 

in response to this Notice are public 

record. Before including any detailed 

personal information, you should be 

aware that your comments as submitted, 

including your personal information, 

will be available for public review. 

Respondents: State and Local Election 

Officials and Voting System 

Manufacturers. 

Annual Reporting Burden 

OMB approval is requested for 3 

years. 

Annual Burden Estimates 

Estimated Burden in hours—177 

hours. 

Estimated Burden cost—$14,871. 

Camden Kelliher, 

Associate Counsel, U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2022–10900 Filed 5–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability of Final Versatile 

Test Reactor Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Office of Nuclear Energy, 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE or the Department) 

announces the availability of the Final 

Versatile Test Reactor Environmental 

Impact Statement (VTR EIS) (DOE/EIS– 

0542). DOE prepared the VTR EIS in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to 

evaluate the potential environmental 

impacts of alternatives for constructing 

and operating VTR and associated 

facilities for post-irradiation 

examination of irradiated test specimens 

and the management of VTR spent 

nuclear fuel. The Final VTR EIS also 

evaluates the potential environmental 

impacts of options for production of 

VTR driver fuel (the fuel that powers the 

reactor). 

DATES: DOE will issue a Record of 

Decision based on the VTR EIS no 

sooner than 30 days after the May 20, 

2022, publication of the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency notice 

of availability of the Final VTR EIS in 

the Federal Register. For alternatives (or 

options) for which DOE did not identify 

a preferred alternative (or option) in the 

Final VTR EIS, DOE will not issue a 

Record of Decision until 30 days after it 

announces its preferred alternative (or 

option) in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Communications regarding 

the Final VTR EIS should be sent to Mr. 

James Lovejoy, Document Manager, by 

mail to: U.S. Department of Energy, 

Idaho Operations Office, 1955 Fremont 

Avenue, MS 1235, Idaho Falls, Idaho 

83415; or by email to VTR.EIS@

nuclear.energy.gov. The Final VTR EIS 

is available for viewing or download at 

https://www.energy.gov/nepa or https:// 

www.energy.gov/ne/versatile-testreactor. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information regarding the VTR Project 

or the Final VTR EIS, visit https://

www.energy.gov/ne/versatile-testreactor. For questions about the Final 

VTR EIS or the analyses therein, contact 

Mr. James Lovejoy at the mailing 

address listed in ADDRESSES; via email at 

VTR.EIS@nuclear.energy.gov; or call 

(208) 526–6805. For general information 

on DOE’s NEPA process, contact Mr. 

Jason Anderson at the mailing address 

listed in ADDRESSES; via email at 

VTR.EIS@nuclear.energy.gov; or call 

(208) 526–6805. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Part of the DOE mission is to ensure 

America’s security and prosperity by 

addressing its energy, environmental, 

and nuclear challenges through 

transformative science and technology 

solutions. Many commercial 

organizations and universities are 

pursuing advanced nuclear energy fuels, 

materials, and reactor designs that 

complement the efforts of DOE and its 

laboratories in advancing nuclear 

energy. These designs include thermal 

and fast-spectrum 1 reactors targeting 

improved fuel resource utilization and 

waste management and utilizing 

materials other than water for cooling. 

Development of these designs requires 

adequate infrastructure for 

experimentation, testing, design 

evolution, and component qualification. 

Existing irradiation test capabilities are 

aging and some are over 50 years old. 

The existing capabilities are focused on 

testing of materials, fuels, and 

components in the thermal neutron 

spectrum and do not have the ability to 

support the needs of fast reactor 

researchers. Only limited fast-neutronspectrum-testing capabilities, with 

restricted availability, exist outside the 

United States. To meet its obligation to 

support advanced reactor technology 

development, DOE needs to develop the 

capability for large-scale testing, 

accelerated testing, and qualification of 

advanced nuclear fuels, materials, 

instrumentation, and sensors. This 

testing capability is essential for the 

United States to modernize its nuclear 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
30932 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 98 / Friday, May 20, 2022 / Notices 

energy infrastructure and for developing 

transformational nuclear energy 

technologies that will play a crucial role 

in helping the United States reach netzero emissions by 2050 while reestablishing the United States as a world 

leader in nuclear technology 

commercialization. 

Recognizing that the United States 

does not have a dedicated fast-neutronspectrum testing capability, DOE 

performed a mission needs assessment 

to evaluate current testing capabilities 

(domestic and foreign) against the 

required testing capabilities to support 

the development of advanced nuclear 

technologies. This needs assessment 

was consistent with the Nuclear Energy 

Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA) 

(Pub. L. 115–248) passed in 2018, which 

directed DOE to assess the mission need 

for, and cost of, a versatile reactor-based 

fast- neutron source with a high neutron 

flux, irradiation flexibility, multiple 

experimental environment (e.g., coolant) 

capabilities, and volume for many 

concurrent users. The needs assessment 

identified a gap between required 

testing needs and existing capabilities. 

That is, there currently is an inability to 

effectively test advanced nuclear fuels 

and materials in a fast-neutron spectrum 

irradiation environment at high neutron 

fluxes. Specifically, the DOE Office of 

Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy 

Advisory Committee (NEAC) report, 

Assessment of Missions and 

Requirements for a New U.S. Test 

Reactor, confirmed that there was a 

need in the United States for fastneutron testing capabilities, but that 

there is no facility that is readily 

available domestically or 

internationally. The NEAC study 

confirmed the conclusions of an earlier 

study, the Advanced Demonstration and 

Test Reactor Options Study. That study 

established the strategic objective that 

DOE ‘‘provide an irradiation test reactor 

to support development and 

qualification of fuels, materials, and 

other important components/items (e.g., 

control rods, instrumentation) of both 

thermal and fast neutron-based 

advanced reactor systems.’’ 

Following establishment of the 

mission need described previously, the 

VTR Project was formally launched in 

February 2019 as a part of the effort to 

modernize the nuclear research and 

development user facility infrastructure 

in the United States. In later 2020, 

Congress enacted the Energy Act of 

2020. This legislation, contained within 

the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

directs the Secretary to provide a fastneutron testing capability and revised 

the completion date from 2025 to 2026. 

The Department is committed to 

reviving and expanding the nuclear 

energy infrastructure in the United 

States. An important step to achieving 

this goal is building the VTR in a 

manner that is protective of the public 

and the environment. DOE is 

announcing the Final VTR EIS to meet 

the intent of NEICA and to comply with 

the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

Regulations for Implementing the 

Procedural Provisions of the National 

Environmental Policy Act, which 

require agencies to ‘‘integrate the NEPA 

process with other planning at the 

earliest possible time to insure that 

planning and decisions reflect 

environmental values, to avoid delays 

later in the process, and to head off 

potential conflicts’’ (40 CFR 1501.2). 

Alternatives 

In addition to a No Action 

Alternative, the Final VTR EIS evaluates 

potential environmental impacts of 

alternatives for constructing and 

operating a VTR. Under the action 

alternatives, the VTR would be a small 

(approximately 300 megawatt thermal) 

sodium-cooled, pool-type, metal-fueled 

reactor. DOE has completed a 

conceptual design of a fast-neutronspectrum reactor based on the Power 

Reactor Innovative Small Module 

(PRISM) design from GE-Hitachi. In 

addition to constructing and operating 

the VTR, the action alternatives include 

the activities necessary to perform postirradiation examination of test 

specimens and for the management of 

spent nuclear fuel from the VTR. After 

irradiation in the VTR, test specimens/ 

experimental cartridges would be 

transferred to post-irradiation 

examination facilities where they would 

be disassembled so that the specimens 

can undergo detailed evaluation. To the 

extent practical, DOE would make use 

of existing facilities to perform postirradiation examination. Spent driver 

fuel would be removed from the VTR 

each year over its 60-year operating life. 

The fuel would be treated (to remove 

sodium that is used as a bonding 

material in fabrication of the fuel) and 

packaged in containers that are ready for 

transport to an offsite storage facility or 

repository; no fissile material would be 

recovered during this treatment process. 

Pending shipment offsite, the packaged 

spent nuclear fuel would be stored at a 

facility provided by the VTR project. 

These activities would be part of each 

action alternative. The alternatives 

evaluated include establishing the VTR 

and support activities at the Idaho 

National Laboratory (INL) or the Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). 

Idaho National Laboratory Versatile 

Test Reactor Alternative 

Under the INL VTR Alternative, DOE 

would site the VTR adjacent to the 

Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) at 

INL and use existing hot cell and other 

facilities at the MFC for post-irradiation 

examination. The MFC is the location of 

the Hot Fuel Examination Facility 

(HFEF), the Irradiated Materials 

Characterization Laboratory (IMCL), the 

Experimental Fuels Facility (EFF), and 

other laboratory facilities. Spent driver 

fuel would be treated at the Fuel 

Conditioning Facility (FCF) and stored 

at a facility constructed as part of the 

VTR project. The INL VTR Alternative 

is DOE’s preferred alternative. 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Versatile 

Test Reactor Alternative 

Under the ORNL VTR Alternative, the 

VTR would be sited at ORNL at a 

location about three quarters of a mile 

northeast of the High Flux Isotope 

Reactor. In addition to constructing the 

VTR and a facility to store spent driver 

fuel, DOE would also construct a new 

hot cell facility at this location. The hot 

cell facility would include capability 

and capacity for the initial postirradiation disassembly and 

examination of test specimens and for 

the treatment of spent VTR driver fuel. 

Several existing facilities at ORNL 

would be used to provide additional 

post-irradiation examination 

capabilities. Hot cells in the Irradiated 

Fuels Examination Laboratory and the 

Irradiated Materials Examination and 

Testing Facility would augment the 

capabilities in the new hot cell facility. 

In addition, the Low Activation 

Materials Design and Analysis 

Laboratory would be used for testing 

low-dose samples that do not require 

the use of hot cells. 

Reactor Fuel Production 

The driver fuel for the VTR would be 

a metal alloy composed of uranium, 

plutonium, and zirconium. Activities to 

produce reactor fuel may include 

feedstock preparation, as well as fuel 

fabrication. The Final VTR EIS evaluates 

the potential environmental impacts of 

a number of feedstock preparation 

activities that would be used to remove 

contaminants from the plutonium 

(called polishing) and to convert 

plutonium oxides to metal that can be 

used in fuel fabrication. The fabrication 

steps include creating the alloy; casting 

the alloy to create fuel slugs; fabricating 

fuel pins, including establishing a 

sodium bond between the fuel slugs and 

the encasing tube; and assembling the 

tube bundles that would be placed in 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 98 / Friday, May 20, 2022 / Notices 30933 

the reactor. DOE evaluates two options 

for each phase of reactor fuel 

production. The feedstock preparation 

could be performed at either INL or the 

Savanah River Site (SRS). Similarly, fuel 

fabrication activities could be performed 

at INL or SRS. 

Under the options to perform 

feedstock preparation and fuel 

fabrication at INL, new and existing 

gloveboxes and equipment would be 

used in the Fuel Manufacturing Facility 

and the building that previously housed 

the Zero Power Physics Reactor. Under 

the options to perform feedstock 

preparation and fuel fabrication at SRS, 

new gloveboxes and equipment would 

be installed in a building that 

previously housed one of the SRS 

production reactors. DOE has not 

identified a preferred option for reactor 

fuel production. 

Public Involvement 

The Final VTR EIS follows the 

December 2020 release of the Draft VTR 

EIS (85 FR 83068). The U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

published its notice of availability on 

December 31, 2020 (83 FR 86919). DOE 

accepted comments through March 2, 

2021. During the review and comment 

period, DOE held two web-based public 

hearings. DOE received comments from 

Federal and state agencies, American 

Indian tribes, and the public. In 

preparing the Final EIS, DOE considered 

and responded to the comments 

received on the Draft EIS. Responses to 

all comments are included in Volume 3 

of the Final VTR EIS. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on May 12, 2022, by 

Robert Boston, DOE Idaho Operations 

Office Manager, Office of Nuclear 

Energy, 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 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. This administrative process in 

no way alters the legal effect of this 

document upon publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on May 13, 

2022. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2022–10692 Filed 5–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings #1 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric rate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1201–001. 

Applicants: Niagara Mohawk Power 

Corporation, New York Independent 

System Operator, Inc. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation 

submits tariff filing per 35.17(b): NMPC 

Deficiency Response: Smart Path Cost 

Recovery and Incentive Rate filing to be 

effective 5/4/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5073. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1420–002. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

Amend Hybrid Resources Revisions in 

ER22–1420, Request 5-Day Comment 

Period to be effective 7/13/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/13/22. 

Accession Number: 20220513–5147. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 5/23/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1874–000. 

Applicants: Duke Energy Carolinas, 

LLC. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

DEC–NTE Carolinas II, LLC—SA No. 

491 to be effective 5/14/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/13/22. 

Accession Number: 20220513–5161. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/3/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1875–000. 

Applicants: RE Gaskell West 2 LLC. 

Description: Compliance filing: 

Gaskell West 2 Revised MBR Filing to 

be effective 5/14/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/13/22. 

Accession Number: 20220513–5167. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/3/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1876–000. 

Applicants: RE Gaskell West 3 LLC. 

Description: Compliance filing: 

Gaskell West 3 Revised MBR Filing to 

be effective 5/14/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/13/22. 

Accession Number: 20220513–5169. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/3/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1877–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

2022–05–16_SA 3829 OTP-Crowned 

Ridge Wind FSA (J722) to be effective 7/ 

16/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5070. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1878–000. 

Applicants: Sanford ESS, LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Sanford ESS MBR Application to be 

effective 6/1/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5106. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1879–000. 

Applicants: South Portland ESS, LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

South Portland ESS MBR Application to 

be effective 6/1/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5108. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1880–000. 

Applicants: ISO New England Inc. 

Description: ISO New England Inc. 

Capital Budget Quarterly Filing for First 

Quarter of 2022. 

Filed Date: 5/12/22. 

Accession Number: 20220512–5172. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/2/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1881–000. 

Applicants: Pacific Gas and Electric 

Company. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

Termination of Oakland Energy Storage 

1, LLC E&P Agreement (SA 2100 EP–27) 

to be effective 7/16/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5151. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1882–000. 

Applicants: VESI 10 LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Petition for Approval of Initial MarketBased Rate Tariff to be effective 5/17/ 

2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5187. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

Docket Numbers: ER22–1883–000. 

Applicants: Ledyard Windpower, 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Ledyard Windpower, LLC—MarketBased Rates Authorization Request to be 

effective 7/16/2022. 

Filed Date: 5/16/22. 

Accession Number: 20220516–5195. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 6/6/22. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system (https://

elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/fercgen

search.asp) by querying the docket 

number. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES