Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy announces the availability of the

``Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management

of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel'' (DOE/EIS-0306D) for public review

and comment. This draft EIS, prepared under the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA), assesses the potential environmental impacts

associated with the treatment and management of the Department's

sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel in one or more spent nuclear fuel

management facilities: Argonne National Laboratory-West at the Idaho

National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (near Idaho Falls,

Idaho) and either the F-Canyon or Building 105-L at the Savannah River

Site (near Aiken, South Carolina). The Department is considering ways

to prepare the sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel for disposal in a

geologic repository. Such treatment would remove or stabilize the

chemically reactive sodium in the fuel. The EIS evaluates reasonable

alternatives for treatment of the Department's sodium-bonded spent

nuclear fuel and a no-action alternative. The Department has no

preferred alternative at this time.

DATES: The Department invites the general public, other Federal

agencies, Tribal, State and local Governments to provide comments on

this draft EIS. The 45-day comment period extends through September 13,

1999. To ensure consideration in the preparation of the final EIS,

comments should be transmitted or postmarked by September 13, 1999.

Comments submitted after that date will be considered to the extent

practicable. The information obtained during the comment period will

assist the Department in preparing the final EIS, which is scheduled to

be completed by December 31, 1999.

During the review period, the Department will hold public hearings

to discuss the proposed action and to receive oral and written comments

on the draft EIS. The hearings are scheduled for the following dates,

times, and locations.

August 17, 1999, (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.), North Augusta Community

Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, North Augusta, South Carolina 29842,

(803) 441-4290

August 24, 1999, (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.), Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 1109

Main Street, Boise, Idaho 83702, (208) 343-4611

August 26, 1999, (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.), Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay

Boulevard, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402, (208) 523-0088

August 31, 1999, (2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Hyatt Regency Crystal

City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202, (703)

418-1234

The format for the hearings will include an opportunity for

informal discussions with project personnel before and after the formal

presentation. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to

provide comments on the draft EIS to Departmental representatives. The

Department encourages those providing oral comments at the hearings to

also submit them in writing. Comment forms will be available at the

hearings for those who prefer to submit their comments in writing.

The Department will make transcripts of the draft EIS hearings,

copies of background documents, and other materials related to the

proposed project and development of the EIS available for public review

in the following reading rooms:

Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information

Reading Room, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190,

[[Page 41405]]

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585-0117, 202-

586-3142

Idaho Falls, Idaho: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental

Laboratory, DOE-Idaho Operations Office Public Reading Room, 1776

Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415, 208-526-0271

Richland, Washington: DOE Public Reading Room, 2770 University

Drive, CIC, Room 101L, Richland, Washington 99352, 509-372-7443

Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico, Government

Information Department, Zimmerman Library, Albuquerque, New Mexico

87131, 505-277-0582

Aiken, South Carolina: University of South Carolina-Gregg

Graniteville Library, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina

29803, 803-648-6851

Oak Ridge, Tennessee: DOE Public Reading Room, 230 Warehouse Road,

Building 1916-T-2, Suite 300, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, 423-241-

4780 and the DOE Information Resource Center, 105 Broadway Avenue,

Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, 423-241-4582

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft EIS, requests for special

arrangements to enable participation in the hearings (e.g., an

interpreter for the hearing impaired), requests to be placed on the EIS

distribution list, and questions concerning the project should be sent

to: Ms. Susan M. Lesica, EIS Document Manager, Office of Nuclear

Facilities Management, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and

Technology, U.S. Department of Energy, NE-40, 19901 Germantown Road,

Germantown, Maryland 20874-1290.

Comments and requests may also be submitted by toll free facsimile

to (877) 621-8288 or telephone (877) 450-6904. Comments and requests

may also be submitted by electronic mail to [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the

Department's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please

contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and

Assistance (EH-42), Office of Environment, Safety and Health, U.S.

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

20585-0119; or telephone (202) 586-4600 or leave a message at 1-800-

472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is responsible for the safe

and efficient management of several types of spent nuclear fuel

including its ultimate disposition (that is expected to be disposal in

a geologic repository). Some Departmental spent fuels may be suitable

for disposal with little or no stabilizing treatment. Other spent fuel

types may not be suitable for disposal without significant treatment or

stabilization.

One type of spent nuclear fuel that may not be suitable for

disposal without treatment is sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel. Sodium-

bonded spent nuclear fuel contains metallic sodium, a highly chemically

reactive material. Metallic sodium reacts vigorously with water or

moist air producing heat, potentially explosive hydrogen gas, and

sodium hydroxide, a corrosive substance. Sodium metal was used as a

heat transfer medium within the stainless steel cladding of sodium-

bonded fuel and as coolant in the nuclear reactors in which these fuels

were used. To the extent possible, the highly reactive sodium has been

removed from external surfaces of these fuels after their use, but a

portion remains bonded to the uranium metal alloy fuel within the

cladding and cannot be removed without further treatment. The presence

of reactive or pyrophoric material such as metallic sodium, could

complicate the process of qualifying and licensing such spent fuel for

disposal, which would require data and predictive analyses sufficient

to demonstrate that emplacement of the spent fuel would not adversely

affect a repository's ability to protect the environment and public

health.

The Department believes that treatment to remove metallic sodium

and convert this spent nuclear fuel into a compact waste form would

facilitate disposal qualification of this fuel. Technologies for spent

nuclear fuel treatment that might facilitate such qualification should,

therefore, be considered in deciding how to manage Department-owned

sodium-bonded fuels. The EIS analyzes, under the proposed action, six

reasonable alternatives that employ one or more of the following

technology options: electrometallurgical treatment; the plutonium-

uranium extraction process; packaging in high-integrity cans; and the

melt and dilute treatment process. The EIS also evaluates a no action

alternative, under which the sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel would

continue to be stored indefinitely; The Department would pursue

research and development of a new treatment technology or would

directly dispose of the sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel in high-

integrity cans without treatment.

The Department has not identified a preferred alternative in the

draft EIS. Environmental analysis in this EIS, public comments, the

findings of an independent cost study and a nonproliferation report

that are being prepared concurrently with the EIS, as well as other

program policy factors, will be considered in determining a preferred

alternative in the final EIS. A Record of Decision will be issued no

sooner than 30 days after the final EIS has been distributed.

Issued in Washington, D.C., this 22, day of July 1999.

William D. Magwood, IV,

Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology.

[FR Doc. 99-19522 Filed 7-29-99; 8:45 am]

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