Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 87 / Friday, May 3, 1996 / Notices 19917

In contrast, immobilizing of materials

in a glass (i.e., vitrification) or a ceramic

matrix was not considered desirable

because of the cost, specialized

equipment required, lack of such

equipment on the Hanford Site, and lack

of site experience. These factors would

result in delays in implementing these

alternatives. The lack of site experience

and anticipated delays would result in

additional health and safety risks.

Another alternative would be to mix

the plutonium with uranium to produce

a mixed oxide fuel suitable for energy

production in a nuclear power reactor.

Because of the relatively small quantity

of plutonium material being considered,

it was not considered reasonable to

develop the technology at Hanford to

support this alternative.

IV. Availability of the Immobilization

Alternative

Copies of the proposed

immobilization alternative may be

reviewed at the following locations, or

may be obtained by calling DOE at 1–

888–946–3700:

U.S. Department of Energy, Headquarters,

Freedom of Information Reading Room,

Forrestall Building, 1000 Independence

Ave. SW., Room 1E–0190, Washington, DC

20585, 202/586–3142

DOE Public Reading Room, Washington State

University, Tri Cities Branch, 100 Sprout

Road, Richland, WA 99352, 509/376–8583

University of Washington, Suzzallo Library,

Government Publications, 15th Ave N.E.

and Campus Parkway, Seattle, WA 98185,

206/543–1937

Gonzaga University, Foley Center, E. 502

Boone Avenue, Spokane, WA 99258, 509/

324–5931

Portland State University, Branford Price

Millar Library, SW Harrison and Park,

Portland, OR 97207, 503/725–3690

Signed in Richland, Washington, this 25th

day of April, 1996 for the United States

Department of Energy.

Paul F.X. Dunigan, Jr.,

NEPA Compliance Officer, Richland

Operations Office.

[FR Doc. 96–11034 Filed 5–2–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Notice of Wetlands Involvement for

Refurbishment of Uranium

Hexafluoride Cylinder Storage Yards

C–745–K, L, M, N, and P and

Construction of a New Uranium

Hexafluoride Cylinder Storage Yard

(C–745–T) at the Paducah Gaseous

Diffusion Plant Near Paducah, KY

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of wetlands involvement.

SUMMARY: DOE proposes to renovate

existing storage yards and construct a

new storage yard to accommodate

restacking of approximately 19,000 steel

cylinders containing uranium

hexafluoride at the Paducah Gaseous

Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in McCracken

County, Kentucky. Construction of the

new storage yard would result in the

loss (filling) of less than one acre of

wetlands. In accordance with 10 CFR

Part 1022, DOE will prepare a wetlands

assessment and will perform the

proposed action in a manner so as to

avoid or minimize potential harm to or

within the affected wetlands.

DATES: Comments are due to the address

below no later than May 20, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to: Mr. Jimmie C. Hodges,

Paducah Site Manager, U. S. Department

of Energy, 5600 Hobbs Road, Paducah,

KY 42001. Phone (502) 441–6800.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Further information on the proposed

action and wetlands assessment can be

obtained from Mr. Jimmie C. Hodges,

Paducah Site Manager (see ADDRESSES

above). Information on general DOE

wetlands environmental review

requirements is available from: Ms.

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of

NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH–25),

U. S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585. Phone (202)

586–4600 or (800) 472–2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PGDP is

an operational uranium enrichment

facility owned by DOE and operated by

the United States Enrichment

Corporation. A consequence of the

uranium enrichment process is the

accumulation of depleted uranium

hexafluoride (UF6). Depleted UF6, a

solid at ambient temperatures, is stored

in large steel cylinders weighing up to

14 tons each. DOE is responsible for

approximately 32,200 cylinders of UF6

stored at PGDP. Storage conditions are

suboptimal and have resulted in

accelerated corrosion of cylinders and

have increased the potential for a

release of hazardous substances.

Consequently, DOE has proposed

refurbishment of certain existing yards

and construction of a new storage yard

(C–745–T).

The C–745–T yard would consist of a

concrete pad occupying approximately

43,200 m2 (450,000 ft2). The initial

construction activities in the storage

yard would consist of clearing and

grubbing the area and stripping the

topsoil. After this excavation, a storm

water drainage system would be

installed. The excavated area would be

filled with soil and gravel to achieve the

desired design elevation. A concrete pad

would be constructed on top of the fill.

The proposed site for the C–745–T

cylinder storage yard is immediately

south of existing cylinder yards at the

southern end of the plant. Of available

sites, DOE considers the proposed site

to best meet siting criteria. A different

site was initially proposed but was

discovered to encompass approximately

1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) of wetlands. In

order to minimize impacts to wetlands

in accordance with Executive Order

11990, ‘‘Protection of Wetlands,’’ and 10

CFR Part 1022, DOE’s ‘‘Compliance

With Floodplain/Wetlands

Environmental Review Requirements,’’

DOE selected the current proposed site.

Six small, isolated wetlands are

present at the proposed C–745–T yard

site. These wetlands are classified as

palustrine emergent, palustrine scrub/

shrub, and palustrine forested,

according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service wetland classification system.

Palustrine wetlands in the vicinity of

PGDP are those less than 8 hectares (20

acres) in surface area with a water depth

less than 2 m (6.6 ft) during low water.

Emergent vegetation is erect, rooted,

non-woody; scrub/shrub vegetation is

woody not exceeding 6 m (20 ft) in

height; and forested vegetation is

woody, exceeding 6 m (20 ft) in height.

The total area of wetlands directly

impacted by the proposed action would

be 0.32 hectare (0.8 acre). Under the

worst case scenario, an additional 0.12

hectare (0.3 acre) of wetlands could be

impacted by (1) construction equipment

accessing the area or materials and

equipment staged in wetland areas, if

proper precautions (best management

practices) are not followed, or (2)

diversion of flow away from a manmade drainage ditch which contains

wetlands.

In accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022,

DOE will prepare a wetlands assessment

for the proposed action. The wetlands

assessment will be included in the

environmental assessment (EA) being

prepared for the proposed action in

accordance with the requirements of the

National Environmental Policy Act.

Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on April 1,

1996.

James L. Elmore,

Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–11033 Filed 5–2–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Morgantown Energy Technology

Center; Research Opportunity

Announcement (ROA) Applied

Research and Development

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE), Morgantown Energy Technology

Center.