Assumption of Lead Responsibility for an Environmental Impact Statement Evaluating Container Systems for the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Assumption of Lead Responsibility for an Environmental Impact

Statement Evaluating Container Systems for the Management of Spent

Nuclear Fuel

SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its plan to assume

lead responsibility for preparation of an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) evaluating container systems for the management of

naval spent nuclear fuel. This EIS (previously titled Environmental

Impact Statement for a Multi-Purpose Canister System for Management of

Civilian and Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel) was being prepared by the

Department of Energy (DOE), with the Navy participating as a

cooperating agency, 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). DOE is halting its proposal to fabricate and deploy a

multi-purpose canister based system and the Office of Civilian

Radioactive Waste Management will cease preparation of the multi-

purpose canister EIS which was to include both civilian and naval spent

nuclear fuel. DOE will be a cooperating agency in the preparation of

the EIS for naval spent nuclear fuel.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 24, 1994, the DOE published in

the Federal Register (59 FR 53442) a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS

for a multi-purpose canister system for the management of civilian

spent nuclear fuel. Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as

amended (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), DOE is responsible for disposal of

civilian spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in a

geologic repository. DOE is also responsible for any monitored

retrievable storage prior to disposal, and transportation of civilian

spent nuclear fuel in connection with disposal or storage. As part of

carrying out these responsibilities, DOE was in the process of

evaluating in an EIS the environmental impacts of fabricating and

deploying a standardized container system to enable storage,

transportation, and possible disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

During the scoping process for the multi-purpose canister EIS, the

scope of the EIS was broadened, based on a comment by the Navy, to

include naval spent nuclear fuel. In addition to its responsibility for

civilian spent nuclear fuel, the DOE is also responsible for the

management of spent nuclear fuel derived from atomic energy defense

activities, including that from the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

(42 U.S.C. 2121(a)(3)). Since naval spent nuclear fuel is rugged, well

characterized, and compatible with standardized container system

technology, DOE determined that naval spent fuel should be included in

the EIS. This determination was announced in the Implementation Plan

issued by DOE in August 1995 under DOE's NEPA regulations. The

availability of the Implementation Plan was announced in the Federal

Register on August 30, 1995 (60 FR 45147).

DOE has advised the Navy that because of insufficient funding in

Congress' recent fiscal year 1996 appropriation to the DOE Office of

Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, DOE at the present time is

halting its proposal to fabricate and deploy a multi-purpose canister

based system. As a result, DOE will cease preparation of the

Environmental Impact Statement for a Multi-Purpose Canister System for

Management of Civilian and Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel.

The Navy has decided that it will proceed with that part of the

multi-purpose canister EIS covering naval spent nuclear fuel. This will

be done by the Navy becoming the lead agency for the EIS. DOE will

participate as a cooperating agency since naval spent nuclear fuel is

managed at DOE facilities. Unlike civilian spent nuclear fuel which is

stored in plants throughout the country, all naval spent nuclear fuel,

after removal from the reactor, is shipped to one place, the Idaho

National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), for examination and temporary

storage as set forth in the Department of Energy Programmatic Spent

Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Final

Environmental Impact Statement and in the associated Record of Decision

issued June 1, 1995. Therefore, the container system EIS evaluations

for the storage and transportation of naval spent nuclear fuel at INEL

will make use of information specific to that location.

[[Page 62829]]

The range of alternatives being considered in the EIS will not

change. Thus, the EIS does not need to go through another scoping

process as a result of only covering naval spent nuclear fuel. The six

container system alternatives being considered are:

(1) No-Action Alternative--Use of existing technology to handle,

store, and subsequently transport naval spent nuclear fuel to a

geologic repository using the M-140 transportation cask. Prior to

shipment to a repository, naval spent nuclear fuel would be stored at

INEL in water pools or dry containers, then loaded into M-140

transportation casks. At the repository, the naval spent fuel would be

unloaded from the M-140 transportation casks and placed in a geologic

repository's surface facilities for loading into disposal containers.

Following unloading, the M-140 transportation casks would be returned

to INEL for reuse.

(2) Multi-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of 125-ton multi-

purpose canisters currently being designed under a DOE contract for

storage, transportation, and disposal of naval spent nuclear fuel,

without repackaging or further handling of bare spent nuclear fuel. In

addition to the sealed metal canisters, specialized casks or overpacks

would be required for different stages of the process, such as intra-

site transfer, dry storage, inter-site transportation, and disposal.

(3) Current Technology/Supplemented by High Capacity Rail

Alternative--Use of existing M-140 transportation casks, but with

redesigned internal structures to accommodate a larger amount of naval

spent nuclear fuel per cask, thus reducing the total number of

shipments required.

(4) Transportable Storage Cask Alternative--Use of existing,

commercially available casks for storage at INEL and shipment of naval

spent nuclear fuel to a geologic repository. At the repository, the

naval spent fuel would be unloaded from the casks and placed in a

geologic repository's surface facilities for loading into disposal

containers. The unloaded transportable storage casks could be returned

to INEL for further storage and transport.

(5) Dual-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of an existing,

commercially available canister and overpack system for storage at INEL

and shipment of naval spent nuclear fuel to a geologic repository. At

the repository, the naval spent fuel would be unloaded from the

canisters and placed in a geologic repository's surface facilities for

loading into disposal containers.

(6) Small Multi-Purpose Canister Alternative--Use of smaller, 75-

ton, multi-purpose canisters currently being designed under a DOE

contract rather than the 125-ton multi-purpose canisters.

The Draft EIS will not contain a preferred alternative. Instead,

the Navy will use public comments on the Draft EIS to help identify a

preferred alternative for the Final EIS. Consistent with this approach,

the subject EIS is being renamed as ``The Department of the Navy

Environmental Impact Statement for a Container System for the

Management of Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel.''

DATES: The Navy plans to issue the Draft EIS by about April 30, 1996.

Issuance of the Draft EIS will be announced in the Federal Register. A

45 day comment period will be provided following issuance of the Draft

EIS. Public hearings will be held during the 45 day comment period. The

locations and dates of these public hearings will be announced in the

Federal Register when the Draft EIS is issued. The Navy plans to issue

the final EIS by November 30, 1996, and plans to issue a Record of

Decision by December 31, 1996.

ADDRESSES: To receive a copy of the Draft EIS, please provide your

address to: Argonne National Laboratory, EAD, Building 900, Mail Stop

1, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, ATTN: Naval Spent Fuel

Container System EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this EIS

please contact: Mr. William Knoll of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion

Program at Department of the Navy, Code NAVSEA 08U, 2531 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22242-5160, Telephone: 703-602-8229.

Dated: December 1, 1995.

B. DeMars,

Admiral, USN, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

[FR Doc. 95-29862 Filed 12-6-95; 8:45 am]

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