Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Disposal of The S1C Prototype Reactor Plant

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

Disposal of The S1C Prototype Reactor Plant

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval

Reactors) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq., in accordance with the Council on Environmental

Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and

the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021), and to conduct a public

scoping meeting. This Environmental Impact Statement will address final

disposal of the S1C Prototype reactor plant, located in Windsor,

Connecticut. Naval Reactors is preparing this Environmental Impact

Statement to focus on the potential for significant environmental

impacts and to consider reasonable alternatives.

The preferred alternative is prompt dismantlement of the S1C

Prototype reactor plant and disposal of the resulting radioactive waste

at a DOE radioactive waste disposal site. Naval Reactors also will

evaluate a deferred dismantlement alternative, where the reactor plant

would be maintained in protective storage for 30 years to allow most of

the radioactivity in the reactor plant to decay before it is

dismantled, and the ``no action'' alternative, where the reactor plant

would be maintained in protective storage indefinitely.

Naval Reactors also will examine several other alternatives. These

alternatives include permanent on-site entombment or burial, and

removal and offsite disposal as a single large reactor compartment

package.

Naval Reactors invites interested agencies, organizations, and the

general public to submit written comments or suggestions concerning the

scope of the issues to be addressed, alternatives to be analyzed, and

the environmental impacts to be addressed in the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement. The public also is invited to attend a scoping

meeting in which oral comments and suggestions will be received. Oral

and written comments will be considered equally in preparation of the

Environmental Impact Statement. Those not desiring to submit comments

or suggestions at this time, but who would like to receive a copy of

the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for review when it is issued,

should write to Mr. C.G. Overton at the address below. When the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement is complete, its availability will be

announced in the Federal Register and in the local news media. A public

hearing will be held, and comments will be solicited on this document.

DATES: Written comments postmarked by November 6, 1995 will be

considered in preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Comments postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent

practicable. Oral and written comments will be received at a public

scoping meeting to be held at the following location and time: Ramada

Inn--Bradley, October 18, 1995, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., 5 Ella Grasso Turnpike,

Windsor Locks, CT.

The meeting will be chaired by a presiding officer but will not be

conducted as an evidentiary hearing; speakers will not be cross

examined although the presiding officer and Naval Reactors

representatives present may ask clarifying questions. To ensure that

everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, five minutes will be

allotted for each speaker. Depending on the number of persons

requesting to speak, the presiding officer may allow more time for

elected officials, or speakers representing multiple parties, or

organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of organizations

should identify the organization. Persons wishing to speak may either

notify Mr. Overton in writing at the address below or register at the

meeting. As time permits, individuals who have spoken subject to the

five minute rule will be afforded additional speaking time. Written

comments also will be accepted at the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, suggestions on the scope of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement, or requests to speak at the public

scoping meeting should be submitted to Mr. C.G. Overton, Chief, Windsor

Field Office, Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O.

Box 393, Windsor, CT 06095; telephone (860) 687-5610.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The S1C Prototype reactor plant is located on the 10.8 acre Windsor

Site in Windsor, Connecticut, approximately 5 miles north of Hartford.

The S1C Prototype reactor plant first started operation in 1959 and

served for more than 30 years as both a facility for testing reactor

plant components and equipment and for training Naval personnel. As a

result of the end of the Cold War and the downsizing of the Navy, the

S1C Prototype reactor plant was shut down in 1993. Since then, the S1C

Prototype reactor plant has been defueled, drained, and placed in a

stable protective storage condition.

Preliminary Description of Alternatives

1. Preferred Alternative--Prompt Dismantlement

Because the S1C Prototype reactor plant is the only activity at

this small site and there is no further need for this plant, the

preferred alternative is to

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proceed with prompt dismantlement of the S1C Prototype reactor plant.

All structures would be removed from the Windsor Site, and the Site

would be released for unrestricted use. To the extent practicable, the

resulting low-level radioactive metals would be recycled at existing

commercial facilities that recycle radioactive metals. The remaining

low-level radioactive waste would be disposed of at the DOE Savannah

River Site in South Carolina. The Savannah River Site currently

receives low-level radioactive waste from Naval Reactors sites in the

eastern United States. Both the volume and radioactive content of the

S1C Prototype reactor plant waste would be within the range of impacts

of low-level radioactive waste that is currently received at Savannah

River from Naval Reactors sites. The DOE Hanford Site in Washington

State also will be evaluated as an alternate disposal site for the low-

level radioactive waste.

2. Deferred Dismantlement

This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S1C Prototype

reactor plant in protective storage for 30 years before dismantling it.

Deferring dismantlement for 30 years would allow nearly all of the

cobalt-60 radioactivity to decay away. Nearly all of the gamma

radiation within the reactor plant comes from cobalt-60.

3. No Action

This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S1C Prototype

reactor plant in protective storage indefinitely. Since there is some

residual radioactivity with very long half lives such as nickel-59 in

the defueled reactor plant, this alternative would leave this

radioactivity at the Windsor Site indefinitely.

4. Other Alternatives

These alternatives include permanent on-site disposal. Such onsite

disposal could involve building an entombment structure over the S1C

Prototype reactor plant or developing a below ground disposal area at

the Windsor Site. Another alternative would be to remove the S1C

Prototype reactor plant as a single large reactor compartment package

for offsite disposal.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

The following issues, subject to consideration of comments received

in response to public scoping, have been tentatively identified for

analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. This list is presented

to facilitate public comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact

Statement. It is not intended to be all inclusive nor is it intended to

be a predetermination of impacts.

1. Potential impacts to the public and on-site workers from

radiological and non radiological releases caused by activities to be

conducted within the context of the proposed action and alternatives.

2. Potential environmental impacts, including air and water quality

impacts, caused by the proposed action and alternatives.

3. Potential transportation impacts as a result of the proposed

action and alternatives.

4. Potential effect on endangered species, floodplain/wetlands, and

archeological/historical sites as a result of the proposed action and

alternatives.

5. Potential impacts from postulated accidents as a result of the

proposed action and alternatives.

6. Potential socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communities

as a result of implementing the proposed actions and alternatives.

7. Potential cumulative impacts from the proposed action and other

past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.

8. Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitment of

resources.

Issued at Arlington, VA this 29th day of September 1995.

B. DeMars,

Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

[FR Doc. 95-25219 Filed 10-11-95; 8:45 am]

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