Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Management of Certain Plutonium Residues and Scrub Alloy Stored at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Management of Certain

Plutonium Residues and Scrub Alloy Stored at the Rocky Flats

Environmental Technology Site

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of

the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Management of Certain

Plutonium Residues and Scrub Alloy Stored at the Rocky Flats

Environmental Technology Site (draft EIS) for public review and

comment. The Department has prepared this draft EIS pursuant to the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321, et

seq.), in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR

parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR part

1021). The draft EIS analyzes reasonable alternative means of

processing certain plutonium residues and all of the scrub alloy

currently stored at the Rocky Flats Site near Golden, Colorado to a

form suitable for disposal or other disposition. Plutonium residues and

scrub alloy are materials that were generated during the manufacture of

components for nuclear weapons. DOE will hold three public hearings

during the comment period, which ends January 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the draft EIS should be directed to:

Center for Environmental Management Information, P.O. Box 23769,

Washington, D.C. 20026-3769, 1-800-736-3282 or in Washington, D.C.,

202-863-5084. Copies of the draft EIS are also available for public

review at the locations listed at the end of this Notice.

Written comments on the draft EIS should be mailed to: Mr. Charles

R. Head, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management

(EM-60), 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 5B-086, Washington, DC

20585-0001. Comments may also be submitted to [email protected] by E-

mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the

draft EIS and about plutonium residues and scrub alloy, contact: Mr.

Charles Head at the above address or call (202) 586-5151.

For information on the DOE NEPA process, contact: Carol M.

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, U.S.

Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585-0001, (202) 586-4600 or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.

DATES: The comment period ends on January 5, 1998. Comments postmarked

after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. DOE will

hold public hearings as follows:

Golden, Colorado--December 10, 1997

Los Alamos, New Mexico--December 11, 1997

Augusta, Georgia--December 16, 1997

Further details on the hearings are provided under SUPPLEMENTAL

INFORMATION.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On November 19, 1996, DOE published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the

Federal Register (61 FR 58866) to prepare an EIS on the management of

certain plutonium residues and scrub alloy stored at the Rocky Flats

Environmental Technology Site. The plutonium residues and scrub alloy

were generated as intermediate products or byproducts resulting from

the manufacture of components for nuclear

[[Page 62762]]

weapons. Now that nuclear weapons manufacturing and processing

activities at Rocky Flats have ceased, the plutonium residues and scrub

alloy are being stored pending disposition.

The purpose and need for agency action is to process certain

plutonium residues and all of the scrub alloy currently stored at the

Rocky Flats Site to address health and safety concerns raised by the

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in its Recommendation 94-1, and

to prepare these materials for offsite disposal or other disposition,

while supporting site closure and limiting worker exposure and waste

production. The proposed action is to process the plutonium residues

and scrub alloy in preparation for disposal or other disposition.

The materials addressed in this draft EIS include approximately 40%

of the 106,600 kg (235,000 lb) existing inventory of Rocky Flats

plutonium residues, and also the entire inventory of Rocky Flats scrub

alloy. The covered material consists of 42,200 kg (93,000 lb) of

plutonium residues [containing 2,600 kg (5,730 lb) of plutonium] and

700 kg (1,540 lb) of scrub alloy [containing 200 kg (440 lb) of

plutonium]. The remaining Rocky Flats plutonium residues will meet the

requirements for disposal after being processed as discussed in DOE's

Solid Residues Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-1120, April 1996), and

are not addressed in the draft EIS.

Alternatives Considered

The draft EIS evaluates reasonable processing alternatives that

could be applied in the 1998-2004 time frame. Three alternatives are

analyzed for each residue category and the scrub alloy:

Alternative 1--No Action

Alternative 2--Processing without Plutonium Separation

Alternative 3--Processing with Plutonium Separation

Any plutonium separated from the plutonium residues and scrub alloy

as a result of the proposed action would be placed into safe and secure

storage pending disposition by immobilization or conversion to mixed-

oxide fuel in accordance with decisions to be made under DOE's Surplus

Plutonium Disposition Environmental Impact Statement (62 FR 28009, May

22, 1997). The processing technology options for each material category

analyzed in the draft EIS include those that can be accomplished at

Rocky Flats, and those for plutonium separation only that can be

accomplished offsite at the Savannah River Site, near Aiken, South

Carolina, and/or at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New

Mexico.

Invitation To Comment

The public is invited to submit written and oral comments on any or

all portions of the draft EIS. DOE especially welcomes comments on the

following topics: the technical adequacy of the document; the

alternative(s) that DOE should select upon completion of the document;

and the criteria that DOE should use in making these selections.

Public Hearings and Procedures

DOE will hold three public hearings according to the schedule

provided at the end of this section. The hearing format will provide

for collection of written and oral comments and will enable the public

to discuss issues and concerns with DOE staff. Participants who wish to

speak at the hearings are asked to register in advance by calling toll-

free: 1-800-736-3282. Requests to speak that have not been submitted

prior to the hearings will be handled in the order in which they are

received during the meetings. DOE's responses to comments received

during the public comment period will be presented in the final EIS.

An independent facilitator will open the hearings by explaining the

format to be followed. The hearings will be conducted in a manner that

is intended to foster a cordial, open and mutually beneficial dialog

between the participants and the DOE representatives. In the interests

of achieving this goal, DOE representatives may ask clarifying

questions regarding statements made at the hearings, will answer

questions from the public, and may comment on statements made by other

hearing participants.

To ensure that everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, each

speaker at a public hearing will be allotted 5 minutes. Depending on

the number of persons who request an opportunity to speak, more time

may be allowed for speakers representing several parties or

organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of organizations

should identify the organization in their request. Written comments

will also be accepted at the hearings, and speakers at public hearings

are encouraged to provide written versions of their oral comments for

the record.

DOE will take notes and prepare a summary of the oral comments

received during the public hearings.

Schedule of Public Hearings

December 10, 1997--Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Near

Golden, CO

6:00-9:00 pm mountain time, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology

Site, Building 060 (outside of the West Gate of the Rocky Flats

Environmental Technology Site), State Highway 93, Golden, CO 80402.

Contact: Michael Konczal, 303-966-7095.

December 11, 1997--Los Alamos, NM

6:00-9:00 pm mountain time, Los Alamos Area Office, 528--35th

Street, Rooms 100/129, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Contact: Bob Promell, 505-

665-4411.

December 16, 1997--Augusta, Georgia

6:00-9:00 pm eastern time, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Grove Room, 640

Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. Contact: Drew Grainger, 807-725-1523.

Public Reading Rooms where the draft EIS is available:

U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Room, Room 1E-

190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585. Telephone 202-586-6020.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, East Gate Visitors Center,

Greenville Road, Livermore, CA 94550. Telephone 510-424-4026.

California State University, Northridge/Oviatt Library, 18111

Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330. Telephone 818-677-2274.

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

Reading Room, Energy Information Center, 8th Floor, 1301 Clay Street,

Oakland, CA 94612. Telephone 510-637-1762.

Simi Valley Public Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA

93063. Telephone 805-525-2384.

Platt Brand Public Library, 23600 Victory Boulevard, Woodland

Hills, CA 91367. Telephone 818-887-0160.

Standley Lake Public Reading Room, 8485 Kipling Street, Arvada, CO

80005. Telephone 303-456-0806.

University of Colorado Libraries, Government Publications, Campus

Box 184, Boulder, CO 80309. Telephone 303-492-1411.

U.S. EPA Superfund Records Center, 999 18th Street, 5th Floor

Denver, CO 80202. Telephone 303-312-6473.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Information

Center, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80222. Telephone 303-

692-2037.

Colorado State University, Document Department, The Libraries, Fort

Collins, CO 80523. Telephone 970-491-1101.

U.S. Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, Public Reading

Room,

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14869 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. Telephone 303-275-4742.

Colorado School of Mines, Arthur Lakes Library, 1400 Illinois

Street, Golden, CO 80401. Telephone 303-273-3000.

Rocky Flats Citizens Advisory Board, Public Reading Room, 9035

Wadsworth Avenue, Suite 2250, Westminster, CO 80021. Telephone 303-420-

7855.

Rocky Flats Public Reading Room, Front Range Community College

Library, 3645 West 112th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80030. Telephone 303-

469-4435.

Pullen Public Library, 100 Decatur Street, SE, Atlanta, GA 30303.

Telephone 404-651-2185.

Georgia Institute of Technology, Bobby Dodd Way, Atlanta, GA 30332.

Telephone 404-894-4519.

Reese Library--Augusta College, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904.

Telephone 706-737-1744.

Chatham Effingham Library, 2002 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31499.

Telephone 912-234-5127.

Argonne National Laboratory, Technical Library, P.O. Box 2528,

Idaho Falls, ID 83403. Telephone 208-533-7341.

University of Illinois at Chicago, U.S. Department of Energy,

Public Document Room, 3rd Floor, 801 S. Morgan Street, Chicago, IL

60607. Telephone 312-996-2738.

East St. Louis Public Library, 405 North 9th Street, East St.

Louis, IL 62201. Telephone 618-747-7280.

Lincoln Public Library, 326 South 7th Street, Springfield, IL

62701. Telephone 217-753-4900.

Salina Public Library, 301 West Elm, Salina, KS 67401. Telephone

785-825-4624.

Washburn Law Library, 1700 College, Topeka, KS 66621. Telephone

913-231-1010.

U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Information Center, 175

Freedom Boulevard, Kevil, KY 42053. Telephone 502-462-2550.

Paducah Public Library, 555 Washington Street, Paducah, KY 42001.

Telephone 502-442-2510.

Mid Continent Public Library, Blue Ridge Branch, 9253 Blue Ridge

Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64138. Telephone 816-761-3382.

St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Telephone 314-241-2288.

Scenic Regional Library, 308 Hawthorn Drive, Union, MO 63084.

Telephone 314-583-3224.

Albuquerque Operations Office, National Atomic Museum, 20358

Wyoming Boulevard SE, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM 87185.

Telephone 505-845-4378.

U.S. Department of Energy, Technical Vocation Institute, Main

Campus Library, 525 Buena Vista SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Telephone

505-845-4378.

U.S. Department of Energy, FOIA Reading Room, 4700 Morris NE,

Albuquerque, NM 87111. Telephone 505-224-5731.

Los Alamos Community Reading Room, 1350 Central, Suite 101, Los

Alamos, NM 87544. Telephone 505-665-2127.

New Mexico State Library, 325 Don Gasper, Santa Fe, NM 87503.

Telephone 505-827-3800.

U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading Room, Gregg Graniteville

Library, 171 University Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801. Telephone 803-641-

3465.

County Library, 404 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. Telephone

803-723-1645.

South Carolina State Library, 1500 Senate Street, Columbia, SC

29211. Telephone 803-734-8666.

Orangeburg County Free Library, 510 Louis Street, NE, Orangeburg,

SC 29116. Telephone 803-531-4636.

Lawson McGhee Public Library, 500 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN

37902. Telephone 615-544-5750.

Nashville Public Library, 225 Polk Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.

Telephone 615-862-5800.

U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading Room, Oak Ridge

Operations Office, 55 Jefferson Circle, Room 1123, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.

Telephone 615-576-1216.

Issued in Washington, D.C., November 20, 1997.

David G. Huzienga,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Material and Facility

Stabilization, Office of Environmental Management.

[FR Doc. 97-30957 Filed 11-24-97; 8:45 am]

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