[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16720-16721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8455]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Supplement to the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to prepare
a supplement to the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (SPD EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). The SPD Draft EIS (DOE/EIS-0283D) was issued for
public comment in July 1998. The Supplement will update the SPD Draft
EIS by examining the potential environmental impacts of using mixed
oxide (MOX) fuel in six specific commercial nuclear reactors at three
sites for the disposition of surplus weapons-grade plutonium. DOE
identified these reactors through a competitive procurement process.
The Department is planning to issue the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS
in April 1999. DOE will publish a separate Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register at that time. This Notice of Intent describes the
content of the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS, solicits public comment
on the Supplement, and announces DOE's intention to conduct a public
hearing. Consistent with 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4) and 10 CFR 1021.314(d),
DOE has determined not to conduct scoping for the Supplement.
ADDRESSES: Requests for information concerning the plutonium
disposition program can be submitted by calling (answering machine) or
faxing them to the toll free number 1-800-820-5156, or by mailing them
to: Bert Stevenson, NEPA Compliance Officer, Office of Fissile
Materials Disposition, U.S. Department of Energy, Post Office Box
23786, Washington, DC 20026-3786.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE
NEPA process, please contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Policy and Assistance, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-4600 or leave a message at
1-800-472-2756.
Additional information regarding the DOE NEPA process and
activities is available on the Internet through the NEPA Home Page at
http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In October 1994, the Secretary of Energy and the Congress created
the Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (MD) within the Department
of Energy (DOE) to focus on the elimination of surplus highly enriched
uranium (HEU) and plutonium surplus to national defense needs. As one
of its major responsibilities, MD is tasked with determining how to
disposition surplus weapons--usable plutonium. In January 1997, DOE
issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Storage and Disposition of
Weapons--Usable Fissile Materials Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (S&D PEIS) (DOE/EIS-
[[Page 16721]]
0229; December 1996). In that ROD, DOE decided to pursue a strategy
that would allow for the possibility of both the immobilization of
surplus plutonium and the use of surplus plutonium as mixed oxide (MOX)
fuel in existing domestic, commercial reactors. DOE is in the process
of completing the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Environmental Impact
Statement (SPD Draft EIS) (DOE/EIS-0283D; July 1998) to choose a
site(s) for plutonium disposition activities and to determine the
technology(ies) that will be used to support this effort.
Related Procurement Action
To support the timely undertaking of the surplus plutonium
disposition program, DOE initiated a procurement action to contract for
MOX fuel fabrication and reactor irradiation services. The services
requested in this procurement process include design, licensing,
construction, operation, and eventual deactivation of a MOX facility,
as well as irradiation of the MOX fuel in three to eight existing
domestic, commercial reactors, should the decision be made by DOE to go
forward with the MOX program.
On May 19, 1998, DOE issued a Request for Proposal (RFP)
(Solicitation Number DE-RP02-98CH10888) that defined limited activities
that may be performed prior to issuance of the SPD EIS ROD. These
activities include non-site-specific work primarily associated with the
development of the initial conceptual design for the fuel fabrication
facility, and plans (paper studies) for outreach, long lead-time
procurements, regulatory management, facility quality assurance,
safeguards, security, fuel qualifications, and deactivation. No
construction would be started on a MOX fuel fabrication facility until
the SPD EIS ROD is issued. The MOX facility, if built, would be DOE-
owned, licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and located at
one of four candidate DOE sites. DOE has designated the Savannah River
Site as the preferred alternative for the MOX fuel fabrication
facility.
Based on a review of proposals received in response to the RFP, DOE
determined in January 1999 that one proposal was in the competitive
range. Under this proposal, MOX fuel would be fabricated at a DOE site
and then irradiated in one of six domestic commercial nuclear reactors.
Environmental Review During Procurement Action
An environmental critique was prepared in accordance with DOE's
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations at 10 CFR
1021.216. Because an EIS is in progress on this action, DOE required
offerors to submit reasonably available environmental data and analyses
as a part of their proposals. DOE independently evaluated and verified
the accuracy of the data provided by the offeror in the competitive
range, and prepared an environmental critique for consideration before
the selection was made. The Environmental Critique was used by DOE to
determine:
(1) if there are any important environmental issues in the
offeror's proposal that may affect the selection process; and
(2) if the potential environmental impacts of the offeror's
proposal were bounded by impacts presented in the S&D PEIS and SPD
Draft EIS or whether additional analysis was required in the SPD Final
EIS.
As required by Section 216, the Environmental Critique included a
discussion of the purpose of the procurement; the salient
characteristics of the offeror's proposal; any licenses, permits or
approvals needed to support the program; and an evaluation of the
potential environmental impacts of the offer. The Environmental
Critique is a procurement-sensitive document and subject to all
associated restrictions. DOE then prepared a synopsis, which summarizes
the Environmental Critique and reduces business-sensitive information
to a level that will not compromise the procurement process. The
Synopsis will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency and
made available to the public.
Contract Award
As a result of the procurement process described above, in March
1999, the Department of Energy contracted with Duke Engineering &
Services, COGEMA, Inc., and Stone & Webster to provide mixed oxide fuel
fabrication and reactor irradiation services. The team, known as DUKE
COGEMA STONE & WEBSTER or DCS, has its corporate headquarters in
Charlotte, NC. Subcontractors to DCS include Duke Power Company,
Charlotte, NC and Virginia Power Company, Richmond, VA, who will
provide the reactor facilities in which mixed oxide fuel will be used
upon receipt of Nuclear Regulatory Commission license amendments. Other
major subcontractors include Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., Erwin, TN;
Belgonucleaire, Brussels, Belgium; and Framatome Cogema Fuels of
Lynchburg, VA. Under the contract, the team will also modify six
existing U.S. commercial light water reactors at three sites to
irradiate mixed oxide fuel assemblies. These reactors sites are Catawba
in York, SC; McGuire in Huntersville, NC; and North Anna in Mineral,
VA. The team will be responsible for obtaining a license to operate the
fuel fabrication facility and the license modifications for the
reactors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Full execution of this
contract is contingent on DOE's completion of the SPD EIS, as provided
by 40 CFR 1021.216(i).
Supplement to the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Draft Environmental
Impact Statement
The purpose of the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS is to update the
Draft by including specific information available as a result of the
award of the DCS contract. The Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS will
contain background information on the SPD Draft EIS; changes made to
the SPD Draft EIS (Section 1.7.2); a description of the reactor sites
(Section 3.7); impacts of irradiating mixed oxide fuel in existing
light water reactors (Section 4.28); Facility Accidents (Appendix K);
Analysis of Environmental Justice (Appendix M); and the Environmental
Synopsis (Appendix O).
DOE anticipates that the Supplement to the SPD Draft EIS will be
available in April. DOE intends to hold an interactive hearing in
Washington, DC in May 1999 to discuss issues and receive oral and
written comments on the Supplement to the Draft SPD EIS. The Notice of
Availability will provide specific information concerning the date,
time and location for the public hearing.
Issued in Washington, DC this 31st day of March 1999, for the
United States Department of Energy.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 99-8455 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
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