[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 41 (Friday, February 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11103-11104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3931]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Amended Record of Decision for the Remediation of the Moab
Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, UT
AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Amended Record of Decision.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its decision
regarding the transportation method that DOE will use to relocate
uranium mill tailings and other contaminated materials (residual
radioactive material) at the Moab milling site and vicinity properties
in Utah. In its Record of Decision for the Remediation of the Moab
Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah (70 FR 55358;
September 21, 2005), DOE had decided to relocate the residual
radioactive material using predominately rail, with truck transport for
some oversized materials. Under this amended Record of Decision (ROD),
DOE will use either truck and/or rail for all materials.
This ROD amendment is essential to give DOE flexibility needed to
expedite completion of the Moab, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial
Action (UMTRA) Project. Expediting completion is in accordance with
Congressional direction (Section 3402 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for 2008 (Pub. L. 110-181)). This ROD amendment meets
the strong stakeholder desire to relocate the residual radioactive
material as soon as practicable by accelerating the date of the first
shipment because truck shipments could start sooner since the logistics
of initiating the rail alternative would require time to safely
implement (i.e. building the hillside loadout infrastructure). In
addition long-term risks would be reduced through earlier completion,
and reducing total project costs would be reduced through greater
flexibility and competition between rail and truck transporters.
DOE analyzed several transportation methods in its Remediation of
the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah,
Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0355)(Final EIS), issued
in August 2005. An all truck option was among the
[[Page 11104]]
reasonable alternative methods analyzed in the Final EIS for
transporting the residual radioactive material. This ROD amendment
allows an increase in the quantity to be shipped by truck. All other
aspects of DOE's original decision remain unchanged, including that DOE
will relocate the residual radioactive material at the Moab site and
vicinity properties to a new disposal site 30 miles north at Crescent
Junction, Utah, and will conduct active remediation of contaminated
groundwater at the Moab site.
This ROD amendment has been prepared in accordance with the
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500-1508) for implementing the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE's NEPA Implementing
Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). Based on information previously provided
in the Final EIS, DOE has determined that no further review under NEPA
is required.
ADDRESSES: Copies of this ROD amendment may be requested by contacting
Mr. Donald Metzler, Moab Federal Project Director, U.S. Department of
Energy, by mail: 200 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81501; by
phone: 1-800-637-4575 or 1-970-257-2115; by fax: 1-970-257-2175; or e-
mail: [email protected]. This ROD amendment will be available
on the DOE NEPA Web site, at http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/documents.html,
and on the project Web site at http://www.gjem.energy.gov/moab/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this
amended ROD, contact Donald Metzler, as indicated in the ADDRESSES
section above. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, contact
Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-20,
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20585; telephone 1-202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-
2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE analyzed several transportation methods
in its Remediation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San
Juan Counties, Utah, Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-
0355) (Final EIS), issued in August 2005. An all truck option was among
the reasonable alternative methods analyzed in the Final EIS for
transporting the residual radioactive material. DOE also analyzed
transportation by rail and slurry pipeline. In DOE's original ROD,
issued in September 2005, DOE had decided to relocate the residual
radioactive material using predominately rail, with truck transport for
some oversized materials. Under this amended Record of Decision (ROD),
DOE will use truck and/or rail for all materials.
This ROD amendment allows an increase in the quantity to be shipped
by truck. All other aspects of DOE's original decision remain
unchanged, including that DOE will relocate the residual radioactive
material at the Moab site and vicinity properties to a new disposal
site 30 miles north at Crescent Junction, Utah, and will conduct active
remediation of contaminated groundwater at the Moab site.
This ROD amendment has been prepared in accordance with the
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500-1508) for implementing the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE's NEPA Implementing
Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). Based on information previously provided
in the Final EIS, DOE has determined that no further review under NEPA
is required.
Basis for Decision: Trucking will be performed primarily during
daylight hours, thus minimizing potential safety hazards. The trucking
option allows DOE more control over the schedule by giving the
additional flexibility to supplement rail transport and avoid potential
project delays.
This ROD amendment is essential to give DOE flexibility needed to
expedite completion of the Moab, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial
Action (UMTRA) Project. Expediting completion is in accordance with
Public Law 110-181, which directs DOE to complete remediation of the
Moab site and the removal of the tailings to the Crescent Junction site
in Utah by October 1, 2019 and, if DOE is unable to do so, DOE must
submit a plan to Congress by October 2, 2019, with the projected
completion date and estimated funding. This ROD amendment meets the
strong stakeholder desire to relocate the residual radioactive material
as soon as practicable by accelerating the date of the first shipment,
reducing long-term risks through earlier completion, and reducing total
project costs through greater flexibility and competition between rail
and truck transporters. This amended decision incorporates all
practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm. Although DOE
identified in its original ROD rail transportation as part of the
environmentally preferred alternative, the analyses in the Final EIS
show that truck transportation also can be conducted in a safe and
environmentally sound manner. In view of the acceleration of long-term
risk reduction at the Moab site that use of both truck and rail will
afford, DOE now regards rail and truck transportation as equally
environmentally preferable.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 25th day of February 2008.
In[eacute]s R. Triay
Acting, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. E8-3931 Filed 2-28-08; 8:45 am]
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