Extension of a Revised Draft Environmental Assessment of the Urgent-Relief Acceptance of Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Extension of a Revised Draft Environmental Assessment of the

Urgent-Relief Acceptance of Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: DOE, in response to public comments received to date, has

decided to extend to April 8, 1994, the public comment period on the

revised draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for Urgent-Relief

Acceptance of Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel.

DATES: Comments on the revised draft EA should be postmarked by April

8, 1994, to ensure consideration. Comments postmarked after that date

will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for copies of the revised draft EA

should be addressed to: Mr. David Huizenga, Office of the Deputy

Assistant Secretary, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste

Management, U.S. Department of Energy (Mail Stop EM-30), 1000

Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0001. Telephone: (202)

586-0368.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the revised

draft EA contact Mr. David Huizenga at the above address. For further

information regarding the Department of Energy National Environmental

Policy Act process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director,

Office of NEPA Oversight (EH-25), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0001. Telephone: (202)

586-4600 or leave a message at (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 9, 1994, the Department of

Energy published a notice in the Federal Register (59 FR 6008)

announcing the availability of the revised draft EA and the close of

the public comment period scheduled for March 7, 1994. The Department

proposed to transport spent fuel to the United States as part of an

effort to minimize the use of highly enriched uranium in civil program

worldwide. The urgency of the proposed action arose from the need to

ensure that countries currently possessing this spent fuel continue to

support the nonproliferation initiatives of the United States embodied

in the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors Program until

an Environmental Impact Statement could be completed on the proposed

policy to accept up to 15,000 spent fuel elements from foreign research

reactors for up to fifteen years.

In response to requests from several parties to extend the comment

period, and to ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity

to comment, DOE is extending the comment period to April 8, 1994.

Comments should be postmarked by April 8, 1994, to ensure

consideration. Comments postmarked after that date will be considered

to the extent practicable.

Issued at Washington, DC, March 16, 1994.

Jill E. Lytle,

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Environmental Restoration and Waste

Management.

[FR Doc. 94-6668 Filed 3-18-94; 8:45 am]

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