Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor Plants

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

Disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor Plants

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 S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants, located in West

Milton, New York. Naval Reactors is preparing this Environmental Impact

Statement to focus on the potential for significant environmental

impacts and to consider reasonable alternatives.

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. A. S. Baitinger 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 September 23, 1996 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 September 10, 1996 at the Town of Milton

Community Center at the address listed below.

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. A. S. Baitinger, Chief, West

Milton Field Office, Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of

Energy, P.O. Box 1069, Schenectaday, New York 12301; telephone (518)

884-1234. The public scoping meeting will be held at 7 pm on September

10, 1996 at the Town of Milton Community Center, 310 Northline Road,

Balston Spa, New York.

[[Page 43234]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants are located on the

Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York, approximately 17 miles north

of Schenectady. The S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants first started

operation in 1958 and 1962 respectively, and served for more than 30

years as facilities 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 S3G Prototype reactor plant was

shut down in 1991 and has been defueled, drained, and placed in a

stable protective storage condition. The D1G Prototype reactor plant

was shut down in March 1996 and is currently undergoing defueling.

Preliminary Description of Alternatives

1. Prompt Dismantlement

This alternative would involve the prompt dismantlement of the

reactor plants. All S3G and D1G reactor plant systems, components and

prototype structures would be removed from the Kesselring Site. 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 S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plant low-level waste fall

within the projections of Naval Reactors waste provided to the Savannah

River Site, which in turn are included in the Savannah River Site Waste

Management Final Environmental Impact Statement dated July 1995.

Transportation of low-level radioactive waste to the DOE Hanford Site

in Washington State will also be evaluated.

2. Deferred Dismantlement

This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S3G and D1G

Prototype reactor plants in protective storage for 30 years before

dismantlement. 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 S3G and D1G

Prototype reactor plants in a protective storage indefinitely. Since

there is some residual radioactivity with very long half lives such as

nickel-59 in the defueled reactor plants, this alternative would leave

this radioactivity at the Kesselring Site indefinitely.

4. Other Alternatives

Other alternatives include permanent on-site disposal. Such onsite

disposal could involve building an entombment structure over the S3G

and D1G Prototype reactor plants or developing a below ground disposal

area at the Kesselring Site. Another alternative would be to remove the

S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants as two large reactor compartment

packages 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.

Public Scoping Meeting

The public scoping 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. Baitinger in writing at the address provided above 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.

Issued at Arlington, VA this 13th day of August 1996.

B. DeMars,

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

[FR Doc. 96-21271 Filed 8-20-96; 8:45 am]

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