[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 218 (Friday, November 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56664-56665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-28150]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Long-Term Stewardship Study

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the public 
availability of the final Long-Term Stewardship Study. The Study 
presents and discusses issues associated with the long-term stewardship 
of DOE sites where contaminated facilities, water, soil, and/or 
engineered units are likely to remain after cleanup activities are 
finished. The Study also provides DOE's responses to comments on the 
Draft Study. DOE prepared the Study in response to a settlement 
agreement.

ADDRESSES: You can obtain copies of the Study and other information 
related to long-term stewardship from the following sources:
     Long-Term Stewardship Information Center Internet site at 
the following address: www.em.doe.gov/lts.
     The Center for Environmental Management Information, 955 
L'Enfant Plaza, North, SW., Suite 8200, Washington, DC 20024, 1-800-
736-3282 (1-800-7EM-DATA). In Washington, DC, the phone number is 202-
863-5084.
     DOE Reading Rooms (for locations of the DOE Reading Rooms 
or other public information repositories containing background 
information, please contact the Center for Environmental Management 
Information at the above address and telephone).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Letitia O'Conor, Office of Long-Term 
Stewardship (EM-51) on (202) 586-6570 or (202) 586-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Department of Energy has prepared this Long-Term Stewardship 
Study to comply with the terms of a settlement agreement between DOE 
and 38 plaintiffs [Natural Resources Defense Council, et al. v. 
Richardson, et al., Civ. No. 97-936 (SS) (D.D.C. December 12, 1998)]. 
The Study presents information and discusses issues associated with 
long-term stewardship. The Study defines long-term stewardship as the 
physical controls, institutions, information and other mechanisms 
needed to ensure protection of people and the environment at sites 
where DOE has completed or plans to complete ``cleanup'' (e.g., 
landfill closures, remedial actions, removal actions, and facility 
stabilization). Depending on specific circumstances, long-term 
stewardship could include any combination of land-use controls, 
monitoring, maintenance and information management.

Study Development Process

    In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, DOE 
followed the Council on Environmental Quality National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures for public scoping, 40 CFR 
Sec. 1501.7(a)(1)-(2), and, in general, DOE's NEPA procedures for 
public review of environmental impact statements, 10 CFR 1021.313, even 
though the Study is not a NEPA document or its functional equivalent.
    DOE identified the issues addressed in the Study by conducting a 
public scoping process, soliciting public

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comments on the Draft Study distributed to the public in October 2000, 
and considering other information from a variety of sources (both DOE 
and non-DOE) that have analyzed long-term stewardship. The Department 
received comments on the Draft Study from 50 sources, including state 
agencies, citizen groups, DOE advisory groups, private citizens, Tribal 
nations, and federal agencies. The Final Study reflects changes and 
clarifications made in response to those comments.

    Issued in Washington D.C., October 26, 2001.
David Geiser,
Director, Office of Long-Term Stewardship, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-28150 Filed 11-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P