Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste

at Yucca Mountain

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of

Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing the availability

of

[[Page 36790]]

the ``Summary of Public Scoping Comments Related to the Environmental

Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent

Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye

County, Nevada'' (hereafter referred to as the comment summary

document).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Wendy R. Dixon, Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) Project Manager, Yucca Mountain Site

Characterization Office, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste

Management, U.S. Department of Energy, 1180 Town Center Drive, MS/010,

Las Vegas, Nevada 89134, 1-800-967-3477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE is preparing an EIS pursuant to the

Nuclear Waste Policy Act, as amended (NWPA), for a geologic repository

for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive

waste (HLW) at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. On August 7, 1995

DOE published a notice of intent (60 FR 40164) encouraging the general

public, Federal agencies, state and local government agencies, Native

American tribal organizations, public interest groups, transportation

interests, and industry and utility organizations to participate in the

scoping process for the EIS. DOE held fifteen public scoping meetings

across the country between August 29 and October 24, 1995 to allow

interested parties the opportunity to present oral and written

comments. As mentioned in the notice of intent, although the 120-day

scoping period closed on December 5, 1995, DOE will consider comments

received after that date to the extent practicable. DOE welcomes such

comments, which may be submitted in writing to Ms. Dixon at the address

above. Alternatively, comments may also be submitted through the

internet and e-mail addresses identified in the ``Availability''

discussion below.

Shortly after the scoping period closed, funding to continue the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process was discontinued in

accordance with Fiscal Year 1996 budgetary reductions, until October 1,

1996 (the beginning of Fiscal Year 1997). During the interim, on July

9, 1996, to simplify the DOE NEPA process, reduce cost, and save time,

DOE published a final rule (61 FR 36222) eliminating the requirement in

its new regulations to prepare implementation plans. The elimination of

this requirement, however, did not affect the requirement to consider

public scoping comments and factor them into the preparation of the

EIS.

Although not required to do so, DOE has prepared a comment summary

document to inform the public of the results of the scoping process.

The comment summary document summarizes and categorizes comments

received during the public scoping process into issue areas, and

discusses how these issue areas will be addressed in the EIS.

As discussed in the Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS (60 FR

40164), the NWPA directs DOE to evaluate the suitability of the Yucca

Mountain site as a potential site for a geologic repository for the

disposal of SNF and HLW. If the Secretary of Energy determines that the

Yucca Mountain site is suitable, the Secretary may then recommend that

the President approve the site for development of a repository. Under

the NWPA, any such recommendation is considered a major Federal action

and must be accompanied by a final EIS. The NWPA states that the EIS

need not consider the need for a repository, alternatives to geologic

disposal, or alternative sites to the Yucca Mountain site. Therefore,

as described in the Notice of Intent, the proposed action would be to

construct, operate, and eventually close a repository at Yucca Mountain

for the geologic disposal of commercial and DOE-owned SNF and HLW.

SNF and HLW generate heat as a result of radioactive decay. The

amount of heat generated is important because of its potential for

changing the long-term performance characteristics of a repository. The

amount of heat in a repository, or ``thermal load'', can be controlled

by varying how densely SNF or HLW is placed in a repository, as well as

by selective placement of fuels that have different ages. Packing SNF

and HLW packages closely together would generate an upper range of

repository temperatures. In contrast, packing SNF and HLW farther apart

would generate a lower range of repository temperatures. DOE has

identified three implementation alternatives, based on thermal load

objectives, that would implement the proposed action. The EIS will

therefore evaluate three thermal load ranges: High Thermal Load

(emplacement of greater than 80 Metric Tons of Heavy Metal (MTHM) SNF

and HLW per acre); Low Thermal Load (less than 40 MTHM per acre); and

Intermediate Thermal Load (between 40 and 80 MTHM per acre). For each

of these implementation alternatives, DOE will include an evaluation of

different SNF and HLW packaging and transportation options.

Under the NWPA DOE is prohibited from emplacing more than 70,000

MTHM of SNF and HLW in the first repository until such time as a second

repository is in operation. Many comments received during the scoping

process requested that the EIS evaluate not only the disposal of 70,000

MTHM of SNF and HLW, but also the disposal of all existing and

projected SNF and HLW. In addition, commentors noted that in recent

planning and NEPA documents, DOE has indicated that other waste types,

such as commercial Greater-than-Class C low-level waste, may require

permanent isolation in a geologic repository, and therefore should also

be considered as candidates for disposal in this EIS.

As discussed in the comment summary document, the EIS will continue

to evaluate the proposed action and three thermal load implementation

alternatives, as well as a no action alternative. The no action

alternative will include the termination of site characterization

activities at Yucca Mountain and the continued accumulation of SNF and

HLW at commercial storage sites and DOE facilities. In addition, based

on the scoping comments received, DOE is also considering including an

analysis of the incremental environmental impacts from the disposal of

all existing and projected SNF and HLW, and other highly radioactive

waste types that may require permanent isolation, even though disposal

at Yucca Mountain of some of these materials is not explicitly

authorized.

Availability

The comment summary document will be distributed for information

purposes to those individuals, agencies, Native American tribal

organizations, and public interest groups who have requested that they

receive copies of EIS-related information. Copies of the comment

summary document may be obtained by phone (1-800-967-3477, 9:00 a.m.--

8:00 p.m., Monday--Friday, Eastern Time), by faxed request (1-800-967-

0739), from the internet at Uniform Resource Locator address http://

www.ymp.gov under the listing entitled ``Environmental Impact

Statement,'' and by e-mail by sending a request to

[email protected].

Copies of the comment summary document also are available for

inspection during normal business hours at the following public reading

rooms.

Inyo County, 139 North Edwards, P.O. Drawer L, Independence, CA 93526.

Attn: Brad Mettam (619) 872-2913

Oakland Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading

Room--EIC, 1301 Clay Street, Room

[[Page 36791]]

700N, Oakland, CA 94612-5208. Attn: Lauren Noble (510) 637-1762

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Public Reading Room, 1617 Cole

Blvd., Golden, CO 80401. Attn: Nancy Greer (303) 275-4030

Rocky Flats Field Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading

Room, Front Range Community College Library, Room B1103, 3645 West

112th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80030. Attn: Susan Barron (303) 469-4435

Atlanta Support Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading Room,

730 Peachtree Street, Suite 876, Atlanta, GA 30308-1212. Attn: Nancy

Mays or Laura Nicholas (404) 347-2420

Southeastern Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Legal

Library, Samuel Elbert Building, 2 South Public Square, Elberton, GA

30635-2496. Attn: Joel W. Seymour or Carol M. Franklin (706) 213-3800

Boise State University Library, Government Documents, 1910 University

Ave., P.O. Box 46, Boise, ID 83707-0046. Attn: Adrien Taylor (208) 385-

1621

Idaho Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading

Room, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401. Attn: Brent

Jacobson (208) 526-1144

Chicago Operations Office, Document Department, University of Illinois,

Chicago, 801 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607. Attn: John Shuler

(312) 996-2738

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office, U.S. Department

of Energy, SPRMO/SEB Reading Room, 900 Commerce Road, East, New

Orleans, LA 70123. Attn: Ulysses Washington (504) 734-4243

Churchill County, 190 West 1st Street, Fallon, NV 89406. Attn: Alan

Kalt (702) 423-5136

Clark County, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, #3012, P.O. Box 551751, Las

Vegas, NV 89155-1751. Attn: Dennis Bechtel (702) 455-5175

Esmeralda County, Public Reading Room, Commissioner's Office, P.O. Box

517, Goldfield, NV 89013. Attn: Susan Dudley (702) 485-3461

Eureka County, 1012 Monroe Street, P.O. Box 714, Eureka, NV 89316.

Attn: Sandy Green (702) 237-5407

Lander County, 500 Main Street, P.O. Box 10, Austin, NV 89310. Attn:

Tammy Manzini (702) 964-2447

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, James Dickinson Library--Government

Publications, 4505 Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89154-7013. Attn:

Reference Desk (702) 895-3409

Lincoln County, #1 Main Street, P.O. Box 90, Pioche, NV 89043. Attn:

Jason Pitts (702) 962-5390

Mineral County, 1st and A Streets, P.O. Box 1600, Hawthorne,

NV 89415. Attn: Vernon Poe (702) 945-2484.

Nevada State Clearinghouse, Department of Administration, Capitol

Complex, Carson City, NV 89710. Attn: Julie Butler (702) 486-3000

Nye County, 475 St. Patrick Street, P.O. Box 1767, Tonopah, NV 89049.

Attn: Les Bradshaw (702) 482-8183

University of Nevada Library, Business and Government Information

Center, Reno, NV 89557-0044. Attn: Duncan Eldrich (702) 784-6500

White Pine County, 957 Campton Street, Ely, NV 89301. Attn: Ferd

Mariani (702) 289-2341

Albuquerque Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Technical

Vocational Institute, 525 Buena Vista, SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Attn:

Russ Gladstone (505) 845-4097

Fernald Area Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Information

Office, 7400 Willey Road, Cincinnati, OH 45239. Attn: Gary Stegner

(513) 648-3153

Bartlesville Project Office, U.S. Department of Energy, National

Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research, BPO/NIPER Library, 220

Virginia Ave., P.O. Box 2565, Bartlesville, OK 74005. Attn: Josh

Stroman (918) 337-4371

Southwestern Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Public

Reading Room, 1 West 3rd, Suite 1600, P.O. Box 1619, Tulsa,

OK 74101. Attn: Pam Bland (918) 595-6608

Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy--BPA-C-ACS-

1, 905 NE 11th Street, Portland, OR 97208. Attn: Sue Ludeman

(503) 230-7334

Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, U.S. Department of Energy,

Building 922/M210, Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940. Attn:

Anne C. Dunlap (412) 892-6167

Savannah River Operations Office, Gregg-Graniteville Library,

University of South Carolina, Aiken, 171 University Pkwy., Aiken, SC

29801. Attn: David Darugh (803) 725-2497

University of South Carolina, Thomas Cooper Library, Documents/

Microfilms Department, Green and Sumpter Streets, Columbia, SC 29208.

Attn: Lester Duncan (803) 777-4841

Oak Ridge Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading

Room, 55 S. Jefferson Circle, Room 112 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8510. Attn:

Amy Rothrock (423) 576-1216

Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, Fondren

Library--Documents Department, P.O. Box 135, Dallas, TX 75257-0135.

Attn: Robin Gruner (214) 768-2561

University of Utah, Marriott Library--Special Collections, Salt Lake

City, UT 84112. Attn: Walter Jones (801) 581-6273

U.S. Department of Energy, Room 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000

Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20585. Attn: Carolyn Lawson

(202) 586-5955

OCRWM National Information Center, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 760,

Washington, D.C. 20024. Attn: Elizabeth Smeda (202) 488-6728

Richland Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading

Room, 100 Sprout Road, Room 130 West, P.O. Box 999, MS:H2-53, Richland,

WA 99352. Attn: Terri Traub (509) 376-8583

Yucca Mountain Science Center, U.S. 95--Star Route 374, Beatty, NV

89003. Attn: Marina Anderson (702) 553-2130

Yucca Mountain Science Center, 4101B Meadows Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89107.

Attn: Melinda d'Ouville (702) 295-1312

Yucca Mountain Science Center, 1141 South Highway 160, Pahrump, NV

89041. Attn: Lee Krumm (702) 727-0896

Issued in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 1997.

Wendy R. Dixon,

Assistant Manager, Environment, Safety & Health, and Repository EIS

Project Manager, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project Office,

Las Vegas, Nevada.

[FR Doc. 97-17891 Filed 7-8-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P