Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons Complex

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons Complex

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice to Separate the Current Reconfiguration Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) into Two Separate Analyses:

Tritium Supply and Recycling, and Stockpile Stewardship and Management.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In January 1991, the then Secretary of Energy announced that

the Department would prepare a programmatic environmental impact

statement (PEIS) examining alternatives for the reconfiguration of the

nuclear weapons complex (the Complex). The framework for the

Reconfiguration PEIS was described in the January 1991 Nuclear Weapons

Complex Reconfiguration Study (Reconfiguration Study), a detailed

examination of alternatives for the future Complex. Because of the

significant changes in the world since January 1991, especially with

regard to projected future requirements for the United States' nuclear

weapons stockpile, the Department has concluded that the framework

described in the Reconfiguration Study does not exist today.

Contributing factors to this conclusion include public comments at the

September-October 1993 PEIS scoping meetings, the fact that no new

nuclear weapons production is required for the foreseeable future,

budget constraints, and the Department's decision to prepare a separate

PEIS on Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Nuclear

Materials. As a result of these changed circumstances, the Department

is proposing to separate the Reconfiguration PEIS into two PEISs: (1) a

Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS to be completed in November 1995; and

(2) a Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS.

Stockpile stewardship includes activities required to maintain a

high level of confidence in the safety, reliability, and performance of

nuclear weapons in the absence of underground testing, and to be

prepared to test weapons if directed by the President. Stockpile

management activities include maintenance, evaluation, repair or

replacement of weapons in the existing stockpile. To define a new

stockpile stewardship and management proposal, the Department is

reviewing its nuclear weapons complex stockpile stewardship and

management activities. This review will take into account the latest

information concerning current and projected future stockpile

requirements. To assist the Department in defining a new proposal, the

Department intends to hold a public meeting in early 1995 to receive

comments on how to conduct the scoping process for the Stockpile

Stewardship and Management PEIS, and to have preliminary discussions on

potential alternatives. This will be followed by public scoping

meetings later in 1995.

In the meantime, the Department will continue to evaluate

alternatives for tritium supply and recycling in a Tritium Supply and

Recycling PEIS. While the focus of this PEIS will be on alternatives

for a long-term, assured supply of tritium, the PEIS also will include

an assessment of the environmental and institutional impacts associated

with using one or more commercial light water reactors for tritium

production as a contingency in the event of a national emergency.

Specific commercial reactors will not be identified in this PEIS.

The purpose of this notice is to provide the public with an update

regarding DOE's intentions for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

review of elements of the future Complex, and to request comments on

the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS proposal. An Implementation Plan

(IP) for the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS will be issued after

comments on this notice have been received and considered. The IP will

explain more fully the scope of the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS.

DATES: Comments, whether written, recorded on the program's toll-free

telephone number, or submitted electronically, must be postmarked or

received by November 28, 1994 to ensure consideration. Late comments

will be considered to the extent practicable. The program's toll-free

telephone number is 1-800-776-2765. Instructions on submitting comments

electronically can be found in the Supplementary Information section of

this notice.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS

proposal, requests for further information on the Tritium Supply and

Recycling program, requests for copies of the revised Tritium Supply

and Recycling PEIS Implementation Plan (IP) (when available), and

requests regarding the Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS should

be sent to: Stephen Sohinki, Director, Office of Reconfiguration, U.S.

Department of Energy, P.O. Box 3417, Alexandria, VA 22302, (202) 586-

1300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please contact: Carol

M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Oversight, EH-25, U.S.

Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, D.C.

20585, (202) 586-4600 or 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In January 1991, the goal of the Reconfiguration program was, as it

is now, to make the Complex smaller, less diverse, and less costly to

operate. At the time, the projected production levels were much smaller

than historic levels, but much larger than they are today. The document

that provided the framework for the original proposal was the January

1991 Reconfiguration Study. That document was the result of many months

of effort by a task force which thoroughly reviewed the status and

capabilities of the weapons complex against projected future

requirements. As a result of that effort, the Department envisioned

that the future Complex would consist of fewer sites, and that missions

might be relocated to achieve consolidation, greater efficiency, and

significant long-term cost savings. Indeed, as a result of the

Secretary's decision last year approving the nonnuclear consolidation

proposal (which had been separated from the original Reconfiguration

PEIS effort), weapons complex functions will be terminated at three

sites and significant cost savings will be achieved within a short

period of time.

The purpose of the Reconfiguration PEIS was to establish the

locations for the future weapons complex missions. It was envisioned

that, once future mission locations were established through the PEIS

process, project-specific environmental analyses would follow the PEIS

and cover in detail the projects necessary to implement the PEIS

decisions at each site.

Within the Reconfiguration PEIS scope, potential relocation and

consolidation of the ``nuclear'' missions of the complex (i.e.,

plutonium and uranium component fabrication and processing, weapons

assembly and disassembly, tritium supply and recycling, and fissile

materials storage) were being analyzed. In order to relocate any of

these missions at the assumed levels of production, major new

construction would have been required, entailing significant (billions

of dollars) ``up-front'' cost with a ``pay-back'' period significantly

longer than for nonnuclear consolidation.

With the end of the Cold War, the projected long hiatus in the need

for new nuclear weapons production, and the budget constraints that are

anticipated to continue for the foreseeable future, the framework

presented in the January 1991 Reconfiguration Study no longer fits

current circumstances or supports any realistic proposal for

reconfiguration of the nuclear weapons complex. Therefore, the

Department intends to separate the Reconfiguration proposal into two

parts, and will prepare a PEIS on each part. The first PEIS is the

Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS, which will address the need for

tritium. The second is the Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS,

which will address the rest of the complex.

To assist in the development of a Stockpile Stewardship and

Management proposal, the Department intends to involve stakeholders in

early 1995 through a meeting in advance of formal scoping. The goal of

this approach is to enable stakeholders to have an active role in

developing the Stockpile Stewardship and Management proposal, rather

than reacting to a proposal developed solely by the Department. The

Department expects to develop a proposal after this initial meeting,

and to issue a Notice of Intent before public scoping meetings later in

1995.

The Department currently has no capability for the production of

tritium, which decays at a rate of approximately five percent per year,

and which is required for every active weapon in the stockpile. Current

projections indicate that new tritium is required to be available in

the 2011-2015 time frame. Depending upon the alternative selected, it

could take up to fifteen years or more for a tritium source, once

selected, to begin producing tritium. Not only is planning for a new,

assured tritium supply required to begin now to meet projected

stockpile requirements, but the Department must meet a statutory

deadline of March 1, 1995, to issue a PEIS addressing tritium supply

alternatives. Therefore, the Department intends to separate the tritium

supply and recycling alternatives from the future Stockpile Stewardship

and Management proposal. The following discussion outlines the history

of the Reconfiguration program, and the current proposal for tritium

supply and recycling.

Original Reconfiguration Plan (February 1991 to July 1993)

An NOI to prepare a PEIS for Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons

Complex was published in the Federal Register on February 11, 1991 (56

FR 5590). That NOI proposed to study the options presented in the

Nuclear Weapons Complex Reconfiguration Study (DOE/DP-0083) of January

1991. A series of 15 public scoping meetings were held around the

country to solicit comments regarding the Reconfiguration proposal. At

that time, alternatives for a new tritium supply facility were being

evaluated in a separate New Production Reactor (NPR) Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS). In November 1991, however, in response to

nuclear weapons stockpile reductions which delayed the need for a new

tritium supply facility, the then Secretary of Energy announced that

the analysis of NPR alternatives would be incorporated into the

Reconfiguration PEIS.

An IP for the Reconfiguration PEIS was published in February 1992.

The IP summarized the comments received during scoping, including

incorporation of the NPR analysis into Reconfiguration, described the

scope of the Reconfiguration program, the alternatives that were to be

evaluated, and the methodology for preparing the PEIS.

Program Changes (July 1993 to April 1994)

After the publication of the original IP in February 1992,

additional major reductions in the nuclear weapons stockpile resulted

in significant program changes. As a result of these changes, a revised

NOI for the PEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 23, 1993

(58 FR 39528). Changes in the scope of the Reconfiguration PEIS

reflected the fact that the future Complex could be smaller and more

integrated than previously envisioned, and placed increased importance

on stewardship of existing special nuclear materials.

During the public scoping period from July-October 1993, many

members of the public questioned why the Department planned to analyze

new nuclear weapon facilities in general, and new nuclear weapon

component fabrication facilities in particular, given the lack of

requirements for new nuclear weapons and an otherwise limited workload.

There was a perception among many members of the public that evaluation

of new facilities in the PEIS indicated an intention to construct those

facilities in a predetermined time frame. Based upon this feedback, and

a resulting reevaluation of known and projected requirements for

weapons complex work for the next decade, the Department believes that

the lack of any foreseeable need for new nuclear weapons, together with

higher priority budget needs (both for the Department and the Nation),

make it unnecessary and inappropriate to consider most types of new

weapons production facilities, except for tritium facilities, at this

time. Moreover, the Department has been directed, both by the President

and the Congress, to establish a program for maintaining the safety and

reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing.

This new program, entitled Stockpile Stewardship, is expected to

require new diagnostic facilities and capabilities. As described above,

efforts to formulate a new proposal for Stockpile Stewardship and

Management will be initiated in 1995.

In addition, a new, separate project has been initiated by the

Secretary of Energy to consider alternatives for: (1) long-term storage

of separated fissile nuclear materials (primarily plutonium and highly

enriched uranium), whether stored for defense purposes or surplus to

defense needs; and (2) disposition of surplus fissile nuclear

materials. The environmental impacts associated with these options are

being analyzed in the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile

Nuclear Materials PEIS, currently in preparation. The establishment of

that project has further reduced the scope of the previously-envisioned

Reconfiguration PEIS.

Current Proposal for Tritium Supply and Recycling

The proposal for tritium supply and recycling includes the

evaluation of technology and siting alternatives. The Department

intends to identify a preferred technology and siting alternative in

the Draft Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS. Four different

technologies to supply tritium in a new facility will be assessed in

the PEIS: Heavy Water Reactor (HWR); Modular High Temperature Gas-

Cooled Reactor (MHTGR); Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR) [both a

large reactor design and a smaller reactor design]; and Accelerator

Production of Tritium (APT).

Currently, five candidate sites are being considered for new

tritium facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL);

the Nevada Test Site (NTS); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in

Tennessee; the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas; and the Savannah

River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.

The tritium recycling mission includes removing, separating, and

purifying tritium gas contained in tritium reservoirs from returned

weapons, receiving new tritium from the tritium supply plant, blending

the recycled tritium and the new tritium, and loading the tritium

mixture into new or used reservoirs for shipment to the Pantex Plant

for weapons assembly operations. Currently, tritium recycling is

conducted at SRS. If a new tritium supply facility were to be located

at SRS, tritium recycling would stay at SRS and be upgraded. If a

tritium supply facility were constructed elsewhere, either a new

tritium recycling facility would be collocated with it and the

facilities at SRS phased out (thus terminating the defense mission at

SRS), or the tritium recycling facilities at SRS would be upgraded. No-

action alternatives for each of the sites where tritium facilities may

be located will provide a baseline for comparison of the environmental

impacts.

Additionally, the Department intends to include, in the Tritium

Supply and Recycling PEIS, an assessment of the environmental and

institutional impacts associated with using one or more commercial

light water reactors for tritium production as a contingency in the

event of a national emergency.

While the purpose of the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS is

focused on assessing the reasonable alternatives for a government-

owned, long-term, assured supply of tritium, programmatic NEPA coverage

of this contingency option, which would only be needed in the event of

a national emergency, would ensure that the public is informed of the

Department's overall planning for meeting tritium requirements--both

contingency (until a long-term, assured source is on line) and long-

term. This analysis would be generic and would not identify any

specific commercial reactors that might be used if such an option were

ever required to be implemented.

An IP for the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS, to be issued after

comments on this notice have been received and reviewed, will explain

more fully the scope of the PEIS.

Public Involvement

The Department's initiatives for further public involvement in the

Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS are intended to provide the public

complete, accurate, and timely information, and to facilitate effective

participation in the NEPA process. The initiatives include a series of

fact sheets describing various aspects of the Tritium Supply and

Recycling PEIS as well as other program activities. These fact sheets

will be mailed to those on the program mailing list throughout the

remainder of 1994 and 1995. To provide substantial opportunities for

feedback to the Department, the initiatives include the use of a toll-

free telephone number; placement of program information, including this

notice, on an electronic bulletin board to enable comments and feedback

to be transmitted electronically; and a speakers bureau to fulfill

requests for DOE officials to speak with the public. In addition, once

the Tritium Supply and Recycling draft PEIS is published, the public

will be invited to review and comment on the document. During the

comment period, the Department will conduct a series of interactive

workshops to provide further explanation of information in the document

and to provide the public with an opportunity to present comments,

questions, and concerns, and to discuss them with DOE officials.

DOE is in the process of updating the mailing list for the Tritium

Supply and Recycling program and the Stockpile Stewardship and

Management program. A fact sheet on this notice, along with a mailback

response form, is being sent to all those on the current

Reconfiguration mailing list. The purpose of the mailback response form

is to allow individuals and organizations to indicate their continuing

interest in receiving information regarding either the Tritium Supply

and Recycling program or the Stockpile Stewardship and Management

program. Interested parties wishing to remain on the mailing list for

either the Tritium Supply and Recycling program or the Stockpile

Stewardship and Management program must complete and return the

mailback response form or call 1-800-776-2765 with the same request.

Environmental Issues

The Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS will identify and analyze

direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts resulting from the tritium

supply and recycling alternatives. These include potential impacts from

constructing and operating the proposed facilities, including: impacts

to air quality, water resources, plants and animals, land use, historic

resources, archaeological sites; socioeconomic impacts; impacts

associated with generating radiological and nonradiological wastes;

impacts associated with transporting radioactive materials; and the

potential consequences of both normal and accidental radiological and

nonradiological releases on the public and worker health and safety.

Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS Schedule

The IP for the Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS will be completed

after comments on this announcement have been considered. It is

expected to be completed in January 1995. The Draft Tritium Supply and

Recycling PEIS, which will include preferred alternatives for tritium

supply and recycling functions, will be completed no later than March

1, 1995. Following the publication of the Draft Tritium Supply and

Recycling PEIS, public hearings (interactive workshops) will be held,

and a Final Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS is expected to be

completed by November 1995.

Tritium Supply and Recycling Decisions

No sooner than 30 days after issuance of the Final Tritium Supply

and Recycling PEIS, DOE will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) to

document its decisions. The ROD will explain how DOE has balanced

environmental considerations against other relevant factors, such as

economic and technical considerations, and the Department's statutory

mission, in reaching its decision. Following the ROD, project-specific

NEPA documents will be prepared as necessary to support actual

implementation of the ROD.

Comments

All interested parties are invited to submit their comments on the

Tritium Supply and Recycling PEIS by regular mail as explained in the

section entitled ``Addresses'' at the beginning of this notice, or by

calling the Tritium Supply and Recycling toll free number at 1-800-776-

2765. Instructions will be given on how to record your comments. As an

alternative, comments can also be submitted electronically by using the

Federal Information Exchange bulletin board and following the

instructions listed below:

Modem: Dial Toll Free 1-800-783-3349. Local (301) 258-0953. (Modem

parameters set at: VT100 terminal emulation, `8' data bits, `1' stop

bit and `N' parity, 1200-9600 baud.)

InterNet: Wide World Web (WWW), URL = http:lweb.fie.com/web/fed/doe/ or

Telnet to: fedix.fie.com or Gopher to: gopher.fie.com

Hours: Available 24 hours a day (toll free: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

eastern time, weekdays). A Help Line, (301) 975-0103, is available

weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. eastern time, except Federal

holidays.

Costs: Free, no cost to users. No telephone, registration, access, or

downloading fees.

Issued in Washington, D.C. this 24th day of October, 1994, for

the United States Department of Energy.

Victor H. Reis,

Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs.

[FR Doc. 94-26786 Filed 10-27-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P