[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 235 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62828-62829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29862]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Assumption of Lead Responsibility for an Environmental Impact 
Statement Evaluating Container Systems for the Management of Spent 
Nuclear Fuel

SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its plan to assume 
lead responsibility for preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) evaluating container systems for the management of 
naval spent nuclear fuel. This EIS (previously titled Environmental 
Impact Statement for a Multi-Purpose Canister System for Management of 
Civilian and Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel) was being prepared by the 
Department of Energy (DOE), with the Navy participating as a 
cooperating agency, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508). DOE is halting its proposal to fabricate and deploy a 
multi-purpose canister based system and the Office of Civilian 
Radioactive Waste Management will cease preparation of the multi-
purpose canister EIS which was to include both civilian and naval spent 
nuclear fuel. DOE will be a cooperating agency in the preparation of 
the EIS for naval spent nuclear fuel.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 24, 1994, the DOE published in 
the Federal Register (59 FR 53442) a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS 
for a multi-purpose canister system for the management of civilian 
spent nuclear fuel. Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), DOE is responsible for disposal of 
civilian spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in a 
geologic repository. DOE is also responsible for any monitored 
retrievable storage prior to disposal, and transportation of civilian 
spent nuclear fuel in connection with disposal or storage. As part of 
carrying out these responsibilities, DOE was in the process of 
evaluating in an EIS the environmental impacts of fabricating and 
deploying a standardized container system to enable storage, 
transportation, and possible disposal of spent nuclear fuel.
    During the scoping process for the multi-purpose canister EIS, the 
scope of the EIS was broadened, based on a comment by the Navy, to 
include naval spent nuclear fuel. In addition to its responsibility for 
civilian spent nuclear fuel, the DOE is also responsible for the 
management of spent nuclear fuel derived from atomic energy defense 
activities, including that from the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program 
(42 U.S.C. 2121(a)(3)). Since naval spent nuclear fuel is rugged, well 
characterized, and compatible with standardized container system 
technology, DOE determined that naval spent fuel should be included in 
the EIS. This determination was announced in the Implementation Plan 
issued by DOE in August 1995 under DOE's NEPA regulations. The 
availability of the Implementation Plan was announced in the Federal 
Register on August 30, 1995 (60 FR 45147).
    DOE has advised the Navy that because of insufficient funding in 
Congress' recent fiscal year 1996 appropriation to the DOE Office of 
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, DOE at the present time is 
halting its proposal to fabricate and deploy a multi-purpose canister 
based system. As a result, DOE will cease preparation of the 
Environmental Impact Statement for a Multi-Purpose Canister System for 
Management of Civilian and Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel.
    The Navy has decided that it will proceed with that part of the 
multi-purpose canister EIS covering naval spent nuclear fuel. This will 
be done by the Navy becoming the lead agency for the EIS. DOE will 
participate as a cooperating agency since naval spent nuclear fuel is 
managed at DOE facilities. Unlike civilian spent nuclear fuel which is 
stored in plants throughout the country, all naval spent nuclear fuel, 
after removal from the reactor, is shipped to one place, the Idaho 
National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), for examination and temporary 
storage as set forth in the Department of Energy Programmatic Spent 
Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Final 
Environmental Impact Statement and in the associated Record of Decision 
issued June 1, 1995. Therefore, the container system EIS evaluations 
for the storage and transportation of naval spent nuclear fuel at INEL 
will make use of information specific to that location. 

[[Page 62829]]

    The range of alternatives being considered in the EIS will not 
change. Thus, the EIS does not need to go through another scoping 
process as a result of only covering naval spent nuclear fuel. The six 
container system alternatives being considered are:
    (1) No-Action Alternative--Use of existing technology to handle, 
store, and subsequently transport naval spent nuclear fuel to a 
geologic repository using the M-140 transportation cask. Prior to 
shipment to a repository, naval spent nuclear fuel would be stored at 
INEL in water pools or dry containers, then loaded into M-140 
transportation casks. At the repository, the naval spent fuel would be 
unloaded from the M-140 transportation casks and placed in a geologic 
repository's surface facilities for loading into disposal containers. 
Following unloading, the M-140 transportation casks would be returned 
to INEL for reuse.
    (2) Multi-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of 125-ton multi-
purpose canisters currently being designed under a DOE contract for 
storage, transportation, and disposal of naval spent nuclear fuel, 
without repackaging or further handling of bare spent nuclear fuel. In 
addition to the sealed metal canisters, specialized casks or overpacks 
would be required for different stages of the process, such as intra-
site transfer, dry storage, inter-site transportation, and disposal.
    (3) Current Technology/Supplemented by High Capacity Rail 
Alternative--Use of existing M-140 transportation casks, but with 
redesigned internal structures to accommodate a larger amount of naval 
spent nuclear fuel per cask, thus reducing the total number of 
shipments required.
    (4) Transportable Storage Cask Alternative--Use of existing, 
commercially available casks for storage at INEL and shipment of naval 
spent nuclear fuel to a geologic repository. At the repository, the 
naval spent fuel would be unloaded from the casks and placed in a 
geologic repository's surface facilities for loading into disposal 
containers. The unloaded transportable storage casks could be returned 
to INEL for further storage and transport.
    (5) Dual-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of an existing, 
commercially available canister and overpack system for storage at INEL 
and shipment of naval spent nuclear fuel to a geologic repository. At 
the repository, the naval spent fuel would be unloaded from the 
canisters and placed in a geologic repository's surface facilities for 
loading into disposal containers.
    (6) Small Multi-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of smaller, 75-
ton, multi-purpose canisters currently being designed under a DOE 
contract rather than the 125-ton multi-purpose canisters.
    The Draft EIS will not contain a preferred alternative. Instead, 
the Navy will use public comments on the Draft EIS to help identify a 
preferred alternative for the Final EIS. Consistent with this approach, 
the subject EIS is being renamed as ``The Department of the Navy 
Environmental Impact Statement for a Container System for the 
Management of Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel.''

DATES: The Navy plans to issue the Draft EIS by about April 30, 1996. 
Issuance of the Draft EIS will be announced in the Federal Register. A 
45 day comment period will be provided following issuance of the Draft 
EIS. Public hearings will be held during the 45 day comment period. The 
locations and dates of these public hearings will be announced in the 
Federal Register when the Draft EIS is issued. The Navy plans to issue 
the final EIS by November 30, 1996, and plans to issue a Record of 
Decision by December 31, 1996.

ADDRESSES: To receive a copy of the Draft EIS, please provide your 
address to: Argonne National Laboratory, EAD, Building 900, Mail Stop 
1, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, ATTN: Naval Spent Fuel 
Container System EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this EIS 
please contact: Mr. William Knoll of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion 
Program at Department of the Navy, Code NAVSEA 08U, 2531 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22242-5160, Telephone: 703-602-8229.

    Dated: December 1, 1995.
B. DeMars,
Admiral, USN, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 95-29862 Filed 12-6-95; 8:45 am]
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