Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program; Environmental Impact Statement, Richland, WA

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and

Hazardous) Waste Program; Environmental Impact Statement, Richland, WA

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to

prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Solid Waste

Program at the Hanford Site, and to conduct a public scoping process

pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as

amended

[[Page 55616]]

(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The Hanford Site Solid Waste Program manages

several types of solid wastes at the Hanford Site, including low-level,

mixed low-level, transuranic and mixed transuranic, and hazardous

wastes, and contaminated equipment. Mixed wastes contain radioactive

and hazardous components. Other solid waste types (i.e., municipal

solid waste, high-level waste, remediation waste) and spent nuclear

fuel are managed by other Hanford Site programs.

The Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program

EIS will evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with

ongoing activities of the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, the

implementation of programmatic decisions resulting from the Final Waste

Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS, DOE/

EIS-0200-F), and reasonably foreseeable treatment, storage, and

disposal facilities/activities. The EIS will evaluate alternatives for

management of the Program's radioactive and hazardous wastes, including

waste generated at the Hanford Site or received from offsite

generators, during the same 20-year period evaluated by the WM PEIS.

This EIS will comprehensively analyze impacts of the proposed action

and reasonable alternatives, including potential cumulative impacts of

other relevant past, present, and reasonably foreseeable activities.

The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA, the Council on

Environmental Quality NEPA Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and

the DOE NEPA Regulations (10 CFR Part 1021).

DOE invites individuals, organizations, and agencies to comment on

issues to be considered, alternatives to be analyzed, and environmental

impacts to be addressed in the Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and

Hazardous) Waste Program EIS. Two public scoping meetings are scheduled

during the public scoping period.

DATES: The public scoping period for the Hanford Site Solid

(Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS begins with the

publication of this notice and continues until December 11, 1997. DOE

invites all interested parties to submit written comments or

suggestions during the scoping period. Written comments must be

postmarked by December 11, 1997 to ensure consideration. Comments

postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent

practicable.

Oral and written comments will be received at public scoping

meetings on the dates and at the locations given below:

1. November 12, 1997, 1:00-4:00 p.m. PST and 7:00-10:00 p.m. PST at

Federal Building, 825 Jadwin, Richland, WA 99352

2. November 13, 1997, 7:00-10:00 p.m. PST at Vert Center, 500 S.W.

Dorion, Pendleton, OR 97801

For further information see Public Scoping Meetings under

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the Hanford Site Solid

(Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS, requests to speak at the

public meetings, and requests for copies of the Draft EIS should be

directed to the DOE Document Manager listed below.

Ms. Allison Wright, Document Manager, Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive

and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland

Operations Office, MSIN S7-55, Post Office Box 550, Richland,

Washington 99352, Telephone: (509) 373-7840, FAX: 509-372-1926, E-mail:

[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding

waste managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, contact Allison

Wright at the above address. For general information on the DOE NEPA

process, contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and

Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: 202-586-4600, or leave a

message at 1-800-472-2756.

Copies of DOE documents referenced in this notice and related

background information are available for inspection during normal

business hours at the following locations:

U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Freedom of

Information Reading Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-6020.

Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr., Richland, WA

99352-3539, Telephone: (509) 943-7457.

Foley Center Library, Gonzaga University, E. 502 Boone

Avenue, Spokane, WA 99258, Telephone: (509) 328-4220, Ext. 3132.

Branford Price Millar Library, Government Documents

Section, Portland State University, 951 Southwest Hall, Portland, OR

97201, Telephone: (503) 725-4617.

Suzzallo Library, Government Publications, University of

Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, Telephone: (206) 543-9158.

U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, Consolidated Information

Center, Washington State University-Tri Cities Campus, 100 Sprout Road,

Richland, WA 99352, Telephone: (509) 372-7443.

Additional information on DOE and Hanford Site NEPA activities and

documents, and Hanford solid waste volume information, may also be

obtained at the following addresses on the world-wide web:

DOE NEPA Information--http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/

Hanford Information--http://www.hanford.gov/hanford.html

Hanford Environmental Assessments--http://www.hanford.gov/

hanford.html#ea

Hanford Environmental Impact Statements--http://

www.hanford.gov/hanford.html#eis

Hanford Solid Waste Volumes--http://www.hanford.gov/docs/

ep0918/index

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Hanford Site occupies approximately 560 square miles adjacent

to the Columbia River, principally in Benton and Franklin Counties,

Washington, extending approximately 25 miles north of Richland,

Washington. The Hanford Site's missions have included processing

nuclear materials in support of defense, research, and medical programs

of the United States. The Hanford Site defense production facilities

included nuclear fuel fabrication facilities, nuclear production

reactors, separation facilities, product preparation facilities,

research facilities, and waste management facilities. The Site's

activities have generated a variety of radioactively contaminated

equipment and radioactive and hazardous wastes that are managed under

the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program. These wastes include low-level

radioactive waste (LLW), mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW)

(which contains both hazardous and radioactive constituents),

transuranic and mixed transuranic (TRU) waste, and hazardous waste

(HW). Other waste types and spent nuclear fuel are managed by other

Hanford Site programs.

The Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program

EIS (hereafter referred to as the Solid Waste Program EIS) would

facilitate accomplishment of the Program's mission, which is to:

Manage wastes for which it is responsible in a safe and

efficient

[[Page 55617]]

manner in compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws,

codes, standards, and requirements.

Manage LLW, MLLW, TRU, and HW received from on-site and

off-site generators, and legacy wastes associated with prior

operations,

Decontaminate equipment for reuse or disposal.

Waste management operations include receipt, storage, repackaging,

treatment, and disposal or other disposition, such as reuse.

Regulatory and Programmatic Framework

The Atomic Energy Act (42 USC 2011 et seq.) requires DOE to manage

the wastes that it generates. Wastes that have hazardous components are

subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 USC

6901 et seq.), the Toxic Substances Control Act and other applicable

laws and regulations.

Tri-Party Agreement

The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (referred

to as the ``Tri-Party Agreement'') is an interagency agreement among

DOE, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the

Washington State Department of Ecology. The parties to this agreement

have established milestones to bring DOE operating facilities into

compliance with RCRA and to coordinate the cleanup of past Hanford

disposal sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act.

Waste Management Programmatic EIS

DOE is currently examining its complex-wide integrated waste

management program and evaluating the suitability of existing and

reasonably foreseeable future facilities in light of recent changes in

the missions of DOE facilities. The Final WM PEIS was issued in May

1997. Alternatives evaluated in the WM PEIS for each type of waste

include no action, decentralization, regionalization, and

centralization of waste management functions at one or more DOE

facilities. WM PEIS Records of Decision could transfer management

responsibilities for some types of waste to or from the Hanford Site.

In general, the alternatives analysis in the Solid Waste Program EIS

will be consistent with the DOE complex-wide policies and practices

that have been analyzed in the WM PEIS. The Solid Waste Program EIS

will be coordinated with Records of Decision for the WM PEIS and other

DOE EISs that affect waste management at the Hanford Site.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS

DOE is currently considering whether and, if so, how to begin

disposal of TRU waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site near

Carlsbad, New Mexico. The decisions to be based on the Waste Isolation

Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS (DOE/EIS-0026-S-2,

issued in September 1997) are whether to dispose of TRU waste at the

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the transportation method, the contents of

the disposal inventory, and what level of treatment is required for

disposal or storage (i.e., repackaging to meet planning-basis Waste

Isolation Pilot Plant waste acceptance criteria, thermal treatment, or

treatment by shred and grout). In the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS, the Hanford Site is considered

for treatment of TRU waste by any of the three methods and for storage

of TRU waste (either without disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot

Plant or pending disposal). The analysis in the Solid Waste Program EIS

of TRU waste management will be consistent with the forthcoming Record

of Decision for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final

Supplemental EIS.

Other Programmatic Decisions

The DOE Office of Environmental Management has proposed a strategic

plan for accelerated cleanup by the year 2006 of most types of

radioactive and hazardous wastes at DOE facilities. This ``2006

Strategic Plan'' (formerly the Ten-Year Plan) would reduce the cost and

risks associated with managing radioactive and hazardous waste that

currently exists at DOE facilities, and make resources available for

other uses in the future. The goals of the 2006 Plan will be

incorporated into the action alternatives evaluated for the Solid Waste

Program EIS.

Waste Types To Be Addressed

The waste types to be addressed in the Solid Waste Program EIS are

LLW, MLLW, TRU, HW. The EIS also will address management alternatives

for contaminated equipment. The radioactive waste can be further

defined as being contact-handled or remote-handled. Contact-handled

waste containers produce radiation levels less than or equal to 200

mrem/hr at contact; remote-handled containers produce greater than 200

mrem/hr.

The management of high-level waste, most liquid wastes, spent

nuclear fuel, naval reactor compartments, non-hazardous solid wastes

and most remediation wastes are outside the scope of the Solid Waste

Program EIS. Each of these materials has special physical or regulatory

management requirements that are quite different from those that

typically apply to wastes managed under the Solid Waste Program.

Further, most of these other materials have been or are being addressed

by separate NEPA reviews or other appropriate environmental review

process, and impacts from managing these wastes will be included in

analyses of cumulative impacts in the Solid Waste Program EIS.

Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Solid LLW includes operating and laboratory wastes (e.g.,

protective clothing, plastic sheeting, gloves, and analytical wastes),

contaminated equipment, reactor and reactor fuel hardware, spent

lithium-aluminum targets from which tritium has been extracted, and

spent deionizer resin from reactor operations. The analytical

laboratories, reactors, separations facilities, plutonium processing

facilities, and waste management activities generated most of the LLW

currently managed at Hanford. Analytical laboratory and research

operations facility deactivation processes, waste management

activities, and other on-site and off-site activities would likely

continue to generate LLW wastes in the foreseeable future. The WM PEIS

estimates that Hanford Site LLW, including waste generated during the

next 20 years, would be about 89,000 m\3\ (or 6% of the LLW in the DOE

complex).

DOE needs to determine the treatment, storage and disposal

activities required to properly manage solid LLW that currently exists

or may exist at Hanford during the next 20 years. Currently, most of

the LLW is certified, packaged to meet waste acceptance criteria, and

placed in the Low Level Burial Grounds (LLBG). DOE needs to evaluate

options for the disposal of such wastes, including expansion or

reconfiguration and ultimate closure of the current LLBG. Small

quantities of DOE-generated waste that cannot meet Hanford Site waste

disposal criteria are currently stored at various facilities until

methods are developed for their disposal. The Hanford Solid Waste

Program classifies such wastes as ``greater-than-Category-3 (GTC3).''

DOE must evaluate alternatives for the management of Hanford's GTC3

wastes.

[[Page 55618]]

Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Hanford's MLLW was generated from reactor operations, chemical

separation facilities, and laboratory operations, and consists of

materials such as sludges, ashes, resins, paint wastes, soils, and

contaminated equipment. Hazardous components may include lead and other

heavy metals, solvents, paints, oils, other hazardous organic

materials, or components that exhibit the RCRA characteristics of

ignitability, corrosivity, toxicity, or reactivity. The WM PEIS

estimates that the Hanford Site MLLW, including waste generated during

the next 20 years, would be about 36,000 m\3\ (or 16% of the MLLW in

the DOE complex).

DOE needs to determine the storage, treatment and disposal

activities required to properly manage solid MLLW that currently exists

or may exist at the Hanford Site during the next 20 years. Currently,

most MLLW at the Hanford Site is stored in the Central Waste Complex

awaiting treatment before disposal.

A small amount of contact-handled MLLW is treated on-site by

macroencapsulation or other processes. The remaining contact-handled

MLLW requires treatment by other processes, either thermal or non-

thermal, before disposal. To meet this need and ensure that DOE meets

its commitments under the Tri-Party Agreement, the Hanford Solid Waste

Program is pursuing two proposals as interim actions to this EIS. Each

proposal involves a separate procurement of commercial treatment

services for contact-handled MLLW--one for non-thermal treatment

services and the other for thermal treatment services.

Under the Tri-Party Agreement, DOE is required to: 1) award a

contract for stabilization of contact-handled MLLW by September 30,

1997 (target milestone M-19-01-T02; DOE has completed this milestone);

2) complete all NEPA requirements related to the commercial contract

for stabilization of contact-handled MLLW by September 30, 1998 (target

milestone M-19-01-T03); 3) initiate treatment of contact-handled MLLW

by September 30, 1999 (milestone M-19-01); and 4) initiate thermal

treatment of currently stored and newly generated contact-handled MLLW

(at least 600 cubic meters will be treated by December 2005, milestone

M-91-12).

DOE is preparing an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1189)

regarding its proposal to procure commercial non-thermal treatment

services. Under the proposed action, DOE would transport up to 1860

cubic meters of contact-handled MLLW to a commercial vendor for

treatment; the treated waste would be returned to the Hanford Site for

disposal. The Hanford Solid Waste Program issued a Request for

Proposals for non-thermal treatment services in April 1997. On

September 5, 1997, after considering a comparative evaluation of the

potential environmental impacts of the offerors' proposals in

accordance with its NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021.216), DOE

selected a commercial vendor for further consideration of its proposal

to provide such services at an existing non-DOE facility in Richland,

Washington.

Regarding its proposal to procure commercial thermal treatment

services for contact-handled MLLW, DOE issued a Request for Proposals

for such services in April 1994. In November 1995, after considering a

comparative evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of the

offerors' proposals in accordance with its NEPA regulations (10 CFR

Part 1021.216), DOE selected a vendor in Richland, Washington (same

vendor as for non-thermal treatment) for further consideration of its

proposal to provide such services. According to a draft EIS issued in

September 1997 by the City of Richland (prepared under the State of

Washington Environmental Policy Act to support the City's action

regarding the siting, construction and operation of the vendor's

proposed thermal treatment facility), the vendor plans to construct a

new thermal treatment (gasification and vitrification technology) unit

at its facility in Richland and market both thermal and non-thermal

treatment services to both the Government and the private sector. DOE

is preparing an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1135) regarding DOE's

proposed action, which is to transport up to 5,120 cubic meters of

contact-handled MLLW that requires thermal treatment to the vendor's

commercial treatment facility for thermal treatment and return the

treated (vitrified) waste to the Hanford Site for disposal. DOE's MLLW

would comprise about 25% of the capacity of the thermal treatment unit.

If DOE determines that an EIS is required for one or both of the

interim actions described above, DOE would rely on the analyses in the

Solid Waste Program EIS to support a decision on whether to proceed

with one or both of the proposed interim actions. If DOE issues a

finding of no significant impact for one or both of the proposed

interim actions, DOE's NEPA review would be complete and DOE would

evaluate the cumulative environmental impacts of the proposals in the

Solid Waste Program EIS. DOE welcomes comments on this approach for

fulfilling its environmental review responsibilities under NEPA for

these proposals.

Treatment, storage and disposal options for the remainder of

Hanford Site MLLW, which is predominantly remote-handled MLLW that

cannot be treated or disposed of under existing or planned processes,

will be addressed in the Solid Waste Program EIS.

The Hanford Solid Waste Program currently has two RCRA-compliant

MLLW trenches that could be used to dispose of MLLW that meet RCRA land

disposal restrictions. Additional MLLW disposal capacity is necessary

to dispose of MLLW to be managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste

Program.

Transuranic and Mixed Transuranic Waste

Transuranic waste contains radioactive isotopes with atomic numbers

greater than 92 (i.e., transuranic isotopes) and half-lives longer than

20 years at concentrations exceeding 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting

radionuclides per gram (mixed transuranic waste also contains hazardous

constituents). TRU waste is generated as a result of similar activities

to those that generated LLW and MLLW, as described above. The major

difference is that TRU waste is contaminated with transuranic isotopes

most often associated with plutonium handling facilities. The WM PEIS

estimates that Hanford Site TRU waste, including waste generated during

the next 20 years, would be about 52,000 m3 (38% of the TRU

waste in the DOE complex).

DOE needs to determine the retrieval, treatment, and storage

activities required to properly manage solid TRU waste that currently

exists or may exist during the next 20 years at the Hanford Site. Since

1970, DOE has segregated and retrievably stored TRU waste in trenches

and caissons, and in above ground storage buildings at the Hanford Site

(mainly in the Central Waste Complex and the Transuranic Storage and

Assay Facility). DOE hopes to dispose of the existing inventory of TRU

waste and anticipated future quantities of TRU waste at the proposed

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Capabilities such as those provided by

Hanford's Waste Receiving and Processing Facility would be needed to

meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant planning-basis waste acceptance

criteria. Alternatives for the treatment of remote-handled TRU have not

been determined. Additionally, DOE needs to evaluate alternatives for

the transition or reuse of certain existing facilities (e.g., the 221-T

canyon)

[[Page 55619]]

managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program.

Hazardous Waste

HW is similar to MLLW except that HW is not radioactive. Hazardous

components include materials such as lead and other heavy metals,

solvents, paints, oils, other hazardous organic materials, or materials

that exhibit RCRA characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity,

toxicity, or reactivity. They are generated from activities such as

facility operations, decontamination and decommissioning of facilities,

environmental restoration, waste management, and vehicle maintenance.

The WM PEIS estimates that Hanford Site HW, including waste generated

during the next 20 years, would be about 6,100 m3 (9% of the

HW in the DOE complex).

DOE needs to determine the activities required to properly manage

its existing and anticipated HW. Currently, non-wastewater HW is

stored, packaged, and shipped to off-site commercial facilities for

treatment and disposal. Based on the WM PEIS, DOE will decide the

extent to which it should continue to rely on commercial facilities.

The Solid Waste Program EIS will analyze alternatives for the

management of Hanford's HW.

Contaminated Equipment

DOE activities have resulted in the contamination of equipment,

sometimes to the extent that it is no longer suitable for use. Some of

the equipment would potentially be useable if the radioactive and/or

hazardous constituent contamination were removed or reduced to

acceptable levels. In other cases, decontamination of the equipment may

be desirable prior to disposal to minimize worker exposure or to reduce

the volume of material that must be disposed of as LLW, HW, or MLLW.

DOE needs to determine the future storage and treatment activities

required to properly manage Hanford's contaminated equipment and

materials, including those that may be received by Hanford in the

future from off-site facilities. Currently, decontamination services

are provided at the 2706-T building and 221-T (T-Plant canyon)

facilities at Hanford; however, additional services and methods may be

desirable to recycle or reuse contaminated equipment and materials.

Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives

The preliminary proposed action and alternatives to the proposed

action described below for each waste type are consistent with relevant

EISs for other DOE sites, and encompass the range of reasonable waste

management activities that could be undertaken at the Hanford Site to

implement programmatic decisions that would be based on the WM PEIS.

The quantities and characteristics of the wastes to be considered would

be based on reasonable estimates of wastes from ongoing operations,

Hanford's environmental restoration and decontamination and

decommissioning operations, and wastes that Hanford might receive from

off-site as a result of decisions based on the WM PEIS, decisions under

the Federal Facility Compliance Act, or other reasonably foreseeable

future programmatic decisions. The alternatives would be adjusted as

necessary to conform to new decisions as they are made. The following

descriptions indicate the general approach to development of these

alternatives, and include examples of potential actions for each type

of waste.

No Action Alternative

Under the no action alternative, DOE would continue ongoing waste

management activities and implement those actions for which NEPA

reviews have been completed and decisions made (the baseline for

analytical purposes would be the time of issuance of the Draft EIS).

The no action alternative will provide a baseline for comparison of the

environmental impacts of the proposed action and its alternatives. The

following are examples of activities that would be included in the no

action alternative (listed by waste type).

LLW: Continued near term storage/disposal operations at the LLBG;

indefinite storage of GTC3 waste; continued use of other existing waste

management facilities (without expansion or reconfiguration) and off-

site treatment technology; and limitations in the receipt of waste from

off-site generators to current rates with a gradual reduction as

capacity diminishes.

TRU: Indefinite storage of existing and newly generated TRU waste

in the existing central facilities; no retrieval of existing TRU waste;

no receipt of TRU waste from off-site generators; no treatment of TRU

waste on-site; and no shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for

disposal.

MLLW: Continued indefinite storage operations at present

centralized facilities, without expansion or closure of disposal

facilities; indefinite storage at generator sites; and no new treatment

processes initiated.

HW: Continued short-term storage of existing and newly-generated HW

at generator sites with shipment off-site for treatment and disposal.

Contaminated Equipment: Continued use of 2706-T and 221-T

facilities for current decontamination activities and minimal

transition activities for future uses of T-Plant.

Proposed Action

This alternative is the Hanford Solid Waste Management Program

long-term planning baseline. In general, it consists of a hybrid of

actions from the other alternatives, with options for managing at the

Hanford Site some radioactive and hazardous wastes from off-site

facilities, including on-site and off-site treatment, storage, and

disposal, depending upon the type of waste. The proposed action would

implement programmatic decisions resulting from DOE's WM PEIS.

The proposed action includes Hanford solid waste management actions

that are needed to comply with regulatory requirements, protect human

health and the environment, and support Hanford Site missions. Before

the implementation of some of the proposed actions, DOE may need to

conduct further project-specific NEPA reviews tiered from this EIS.

LLW: Disposal of LLW in the LLBG, including the expansion,

reconfiguration, and closure of burial grounds; development and use of

new treatment technologies; receipt of waste from off-site generators

or shipment of Hanford waste to other sites; and storage and disposal

of GTC3 waste.

TRU: Retrieval and characterization of TRU waste from active LLBG

trenches and caissons; storage at the Central Waste Complex; receipt of

some TRU waste from off-site generators; treatment of contact-handled

TRU waste in the Waste Receiving and Processing Facility or another

qualified facility; development at Hanford of treatment technologies/

facilities for remote-handled and other special TRU waste or shipment

off-site for treatment; and shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

for disposal.

MLLW: Disposal of MLLW in existing RCRA-compliant trenches at the

Hanford Site; expansion of Hanford's MLLW trenches; use of vendor

treatment services or other treatment; development of new treatment

technologies/facilities; receiving and managing MLLW from off-site

generators; development and implementation of leachate treatment

technologies; disposal of leachate; closure of MLLW trenches; and

disposal at off-site facilities.

HW: Packaging and shipping HW to off-site treatment, storage, and

disposal

[[Page 55620]]

facilities; and closing or transitioning for other use the

Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Storage Facility (this HW storage

facility is currently in standby mode).

Contaminated Equipment: Continued decontamination activities at

2706-T and 221-T facilities; evaluation of other decontamination

methods and technologies; and receiving equipment from other DOE sites

for decontamination at Hanford.

Minimize Solid Waste Management at Hanford Alternative

This alternative would minimize the use of land and facilities at

Hanford (i.e., maximize management of Hanford's solid radioactive and

hazardous wastes at either commercial facilities or other DOE sites).

LLW: Disposal of existing LLW at LLBG; newly generated waste

shipped off-site for treatment, storage, and disposal; no receipt of

waste from off-site generators; GTC3 waste managed on-site for eventual

off-site disposal; and closure of LLBG.

TRU: All retrievable TRU waste from the LLBG retrieved; and all

newly generated and existing TRU waste packaged and shipped off-site

for treatment and disposal.

MLLW: Storage of MLLW pending treatment; newly generated and

existing MLLW shipped off-site for treatment and disposal; and no

receipt of waste from off-site generators.

HW: Packaging and shipping HW to off-site treatment, storage, and

disposal facilities; and the Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Storage

Facility transitioned to other uses.

Contaminated Equipment: Contaminated equipment shipped off-site for

treatment and disposal; discontinue use of 221-T and 2706-T facilities

for decontamination; and deactivate T-plant.

Maximize Solid Waste Management at Hanford Alternative

This alternative would maximize the use of Hanford Site land and

facilities for management of solid radioactive and hazardous wastes. It

would include management of wastes from other DOE facilities,

consistent with alternatives in the WM PEIS under which the Hanford

Site would serve as a regional or national management site for specific

types of waste.

Under this alternative, the Hanford Site would manage more waste

than under the proposed action, and DOE would improve or add to waste

treatment, storage, and disposal facilities at the Hanford Site

accordingly. This increase would be described and analyzed in terms of

increases to the waste quantities used to evaluate the proposed action.

LLW: Treatment, consolidation and disposal of existing LLW and GTC3

on-site; acceptance of LLW from off-site generators for treatment,

storage, and disposal at Hanford; expansion of treatment, storage and

disposal facilities on-site as necessary with minimum use of off-site

options; and closure of LLBG.

MLLW: Receipt of MLLW from off-site generators for treatment,

storage, and disposal; development of new treatment technologies/

facilities; minimized use of off-site options, maximized on-site

treatment; disposal of leachate on-site; disposal of newly generated

and existing MLLW on-site; expansion of existing MLLW disposal

facilities and possible construction of new facilities as needed; and

closure of MLLW trenches.

TRU: Retrieval and characterization of TRU waste from active LLBG

trenches and caissons; storage at the Central Waste Complex; receipt of

TRU waste from off-site generators (i.e., serve as primary regional/

national treatment facility to prepare TRU waste for disposal at the

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant); treatment of contact-handled TRU waste in

the Waste Receiving and Processing Facility or another qualified

facility; development at Hanford of technologies/facilities for the

treatment of remote-handled and other special TRU waste; and shipment

to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal.

HW: Development and use of on-site treatment, storage, and disposal

facilities; and receipt of HW from off-site generators for disposition.

Contaminated Equipment: Continued decontamination activities at

2706-T and 221-T facilities or at new facilities that would be

constructed as needed; development of mobile or other decontamination

methods and technologies; and receipt of equipment from off-site

generators for decontamination at Hanford.

Relationship to Other Actions

Interim Actions

The following environmental assessments are currently being

prepared for potential interim actions that DOE is considering during

the preparation of this EIS:

Off-Site Thermal Treatment of Low-level Mixed Waste, DOE/

EA-1135.

Solid Low-level Mixed Waste Non-Thermal Treatment, DOE/EA-

1189.

Other Potentially-Related NEPA Documents in Preparation

The following DOE or other-agency NEPA documents in preparation may

be related to the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS:

DOE/EIS-0222, Hanford Remedial Action EIS and

Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

DOE/EIS-0274, Disposal of S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor

Plants EIS.

DOE/EIS-0283, Surplus Plutonium Disposition EIS

Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site (U.S.

Ecology) on the Hanford Site (an EIS being prepared by the State of

Washington Department of Ecology and Department of Health under the

State of Washington Environmental Policy Act).

Off-Site Thermal Treatment of Low-Level Mixed Waste,

Richland Washington (an EIS being prepared by the City of Richland

under the State of Washington Environmental Policy Act).

Existing Related NEPA Documentation

The following lists completed DOE or other-agency NEPA documents

that are related to the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS:

ERDA-1538, EIS for Waste Management Operations, Hanford

Reservation, Richland, Washington, U.S. Energy and Research Development

Administration, Washington, D.C., 1975.

DOE/EIS-0113, EIS for Disposal of Hanford High-Level,

Transuranic, and Tank Wastes, December 1987. Record of Decision, 53 FR

12449, April 14, 1988.

DOE/EIS-0119, Decommissioning of Eight Surplus Production

Reactors at the Hanford Site EIS, Richland, Washington, December 1992.

Record of Decision, 58 FR 48509, September 16, 1993.

DOE/EIS-0189, Tank Waste Remediation System, Hanford Site

EIS, August 1996. Record of Decision, 62 FR 8693, February 26, 1997.

DOE/EIS-0200-F, Waste Management Programmatic EIS, May

1997.

DOE/EIS-0026-S2, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Supplemental

EIS-II, September 1997.

DOE/EIS-0245, Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel from the K

Basins at the Hanford Site EIS, Richland, Washington, January 1996.

Record of Decision, 61 FR 10736, March 15, 1996.

DOE/EIS-0244, Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization EIS,

Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, May 1996. Record of Decision, 61 FR

36352, July 10, 1996.

Disposal of Decommissioned Defueled Naval Submarine

Reactor Plants EIS (prepared by the Department of the Navy), May 1984.

Record of Decision, 49 FR 47649, December 6, 1984.

DOE/EIS-0259, Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled

Cruiser,

[[Page 55621]]

Ohio and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants EIS, adopted by the

U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., May 1996. Record of

Decision, 61 FR 41596, August 9, 1996.

DOE/EA-0981, Solid Waste Retrieval Complex, Enhanced

Radioactive and Mixed Waste Storage Facility, Infrastructure Upgrades,

and Central Waste Support Complex, Hanford Site, Richland Washington,

Environmental Assessment, September 1995.

DOE/EA-1203, Trench 33 Widening in Low Level Waste Burial

Ground 218-W-5, Environmental Assessment, July 1997.

DOE/EA-1211, Relocation and Storage of Isotopic Heat

Sources (formerly DOE/EA-0982, Special Case Waste), Environmental

Assessment, June 1997.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

The following issues have been tentatively identified for analysis

in the EIS. The list is presented to facilitate comment on the scope of

the EIS. It is not intended to be all-inclusive or to predetermine the

potential impacts of any of the alternatives.

Effects on the public and on-site workers from releases of

radiological and nonradiological materials during normal operations and

reasonably foreseeable accidents.

Long-term risks to human populations resulting from waste

disposal.

Effects on air and water quality from normal operations

and reasonably foreseeable accidents.

Cumulative effects, including impacts from other past,

present, and reasonably foreseeable actions at the Hanford Site.

Effects on endangered species, archaeological/cultural/

historical sites, floodplains and wetlands, and priority habitat.

Effects from transportation and from reasonably

foreseeable transportation accidents.

Socioeconomic impacts on surrounding communities.

Disproportionately high and adverse effects on low-income

and minority populations (Environmental Justice).

Unavoidable adverse environmental effects.

Short-term uses of the environment versus long-term

productivity.

Potential irretrievable and irreversible commitment of

resources.

The consumption of natural resources and energy, including

water, natural gas, and electricity.

Pollution prevention, waste minimization, and potential

mitigative measures.

Development of the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS

DOE will consider comments and suggestions received during the

scoping period in its preparation of the draft EIS. On completing the

draft EIS, DOE will announce its availability in the Federal Register

and local media, and will again solicit public comments. DOE will

consider comments on the draft EIS in its preparation of the final EIS.

The preliminary schedule for issuance of the Hanford Site Solid Waste

Program EIS is:

Availability of Draft EIS: Spring 1998.

Draft EIS Public Comment Period: Summer 1998.

Availability of Final EIS: Late 1998.

Record of Decision: Early 1999.

Public Scoping Meetings

DOE invites the public to attend scoping meetings at which comments

may be presented on the scope of the EIS. Oral and written comments

will be considered equally in preparation of the EIS. Oral and written

comments will be received at public scoping meetings to be held on the

dates and at the locations given below:

November 12, 1997--Meeting Times: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. PST and 7:00

p.m.-10:00 p.m. PST, Federal Building, 825 Jadwin, Richland, WA 99352

November 13, 1997--Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m.--10:00 p.m. PST, Vert

Center, 500 S.W. Dorion, Pendleton, OR 97801

DOE staff will begin each scoping meeting with a short presentation

on the EIS process, the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, and the

proposed action and alternatives. A brief informal question and answer

session will follow. Individuals and organization and agency

spokespersons will then be invited to present comments.

Requests to speak at the public meetings may be made in person at

the meeting, by calling the DOE NEPA Document Manager by 3:00 p.m. PST

the day before the meeting, or by writing to the DOE Document Manager

(see ADDRESSES, above). Speakers will be heard on a first-come, first-

served basis as time permits. Written comments also will be accepted at

the meetings. Speakers are encouraged to provide written versions of

their oral comments for the record.

The meetings will be conducted by a moderator. DOE staff and the

moderator may ask speakers clarifying questions. Individuals requesting

to speak on behalf of an organization must identify the organization.

Each speaker will be allowed five minutes to present comments unless

more time is available. Comments will be recorded by a court reporter

and will become part of the scoping meeting record. DOE also will

provide opportunities for separate informal discussions about the scope

and content of the EIS, and will make subject matter experts available

to answer questions.

Issued in Washington, DC this 21st day of October, 1997.

Peter N. Brush,

Acting Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 97-28399 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P.