[Federal Register: March 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 52)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 12887-12888]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18mr03-36]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 194
[FRL-7468-8]
Waste Characterization Program Documents Applicable to
Transuranic Radioactive Waste From the Savannah River Site Proposed for
Disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of availability; opening of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, or ``we'') is
announcing the availability of, and soliciting public comments for 30
days on, Department of Energy (DOE) documents on waste characterization
programs applicable to certain transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste at
the Savannah River Site (SRS) proposed for disposal at the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The documents are procedures and other
materials related to the Central Characterization Project (CCP),
established by DOE to augment the ability of TRU waste sites to
characterize and certify the waste in accordance with EPA's WIPP
Compliance Criteria. The documents are available for review in the
public dockets listed in ADDRESSES. We will use these documents to
evaluate the CCP activities at SRS to characterize SRS-generated
contact-handled (CH) retrievably-stored TRU debris waste during an
inspection conducted the week of March 24, 2003. The purpose of the
inspection is to verify that the CCP can properly characterize SRS-
generated contact-handled (CH) TRU debris waste, consistent with the
WIPP Compliance Criteria and Condition 3 of EPA's final certification
decision for the WIPP.
DATES: The EPA is requesting public comment on these documents.
Comments must be received by EPA's official Air Docket on or before
April 17, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to: Air and Radiation Docket,
Attn: Docket A-98-49, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Mail Code
[[Page 12888]]
6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460.
DOE documents related to the CCP are available for review in the
official EPA Air Docket in Washington, DC, Docket No. A-98-49, Category
II-A2, and at the following three EPA WIPP informational docket
locations in New Mexico: In Carlsbad at the Municipal Library, hours:
Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and
Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.; in Albuquerque at the Government Publications
Department, General Library, University of New Mexico, hours: vary by
semester; and in Santa Fe at the New Mexico State Library, hours:
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Copies of items in the docket may be requested by writing to Docket
A-98-49 at the address provided above, or by calling (202) 566-1742. As
provided in EPA's regulations at 40 CFR part 2, and in accordance with
normal EPA docket procedures, a reasonable fee may be charged for
photocopying.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rajani D. Joglekar, Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air, (202) 564-9310, or call EPA's 24-hour, toll-
free WIPP Information Line, 1-800-331-WIPP, or visit our Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp.
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DOE is operating the WIPP near Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico
as a deep geologic repository for disposal of TRU radioactive waste. As
defined by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA) of 1992 (Public Law 102-
579), as amended (Public Law 104-201), transuranic (TRU) waste consists
of materials containing elements having atomic numbers greater than 92
(with half-lives greater than 20 years), in concentrations greater than
100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting TRU isotopes per gram of waste. Much
of the existing TRU waste consists of items contaminated during the
production of nuclear weapons, such as rags, equipment, tools, and
sludges.
On May 13, 1998, EPA announced its final compliance certification
decision to the Secretary of Energy (published May 18, 1998, 63 FR
27354). This decision stated that the WIPP will comply with EPA's
radioactive waste disposal regulations at 40 CFR part 191, subparts B
and C.
The final WIPP certification decision includes conditions that (1)
prohibit shipment of TRU waste for disposal at WIPP from any site other
than the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) until the EPA determines
that the site has established and executed a quality assurance program,
in accordance with Sec. Sec. 194.22(a)(2)(i), 194.24(c)(3), and
194.24(c)(5) for waste characterization activities and assumptions
(Condition 2 of appendix A to 40 CFR part 194); and (2) prohibit
shipment of TRU waste for disposal at WIPP from any site other than
LANL until the EPA has approved the procedures developed to comply with
the waste characterization requirements of Sec. 194.22(c)(4)
(Condition 3 of appendix A to 40 CFR part 194). The EPA's approval
process for waste generator sites is described in Sec. 194.8. As part
of EPA's decision-making process, the DOE is required to submit to EPA
appropriate documentation of quality assurance and waste
characterization programs at each DOE waste generator site seeking
approval for shipment of TRU radioactive waste to WIPP. In accordance
with Sec. 194.8, EPA will place such documentation in the official Air
Docket in Washington, DC, and informational dockets in the State of New
Mexico for public review and comment.
EPA will perform an inspection of the TRU waste characterization
activities performed by the DOE's Central Characterization Project
(CCP) staff at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in accordance with
Condition 3 of the WIPP certification. We will evaluate the adequacy,
implementation, and effectiveness of the CCP technical activities
contracted by SRS for characterization of the disposal of retrievably-
stored TRU debris waste at the WIPP. The overall program adequacy and
effectiveness of CCP documents will be based on the following DOE-
provided documents: (1) CCP-PO-001--Revision 5, 2/05/03--CCP
Transuranic Waste Characterization Quality Assurance Project Plan and
(2) CCP-PO-002--Revision 5, 2/13/03--CCP Transuranic Waste
Certification Plan. EPA has placed these DOE-provided documents
pertinent to the SRS inspection in the public docket described in
ADDRESSES. The documents are included in item II-A2-43 in Docket A-98-
49. In accordance with 40 CFR 194.8, EPA is providing the public 30
days to comment on these documents. The inspection is scheduled to take
place the week of March 24, 2003.
The EPA inspectors at SRS will evaluate the quality of the waste
characterization program via testing, interviews of WC personnel,
review of WC procedures, and inspection of WC equipment used to
characterize retrievably-stored debris waste. The inspection will focus
on the IQ3 NDA (Non-Destructive Assay) system and the AK process as
implemented by the CCP at SRS. The EPA has already inspected and
approved the quality assurance (QA) program at SRS regarding the CCP.
This inspection was conducted in October 2002, and the details of this
inspection can be found in item II-A1-41 in Docket A-98-49.
If EPA determines as a result of the inspection that the proposed
CCP waste characterization processes and programs used at SRS
adequately control the characterization of transuranic waste, we will
notify DOE by letter and place the letter in the official Air Docket in
Washington, DC, as well as in the informational docket locations in New
Mexico. A letter of approval will allow DOE to ship transuranic waste
from SRS to the WIPP. The EPA will not make a determination of
compliance prior to the inspection or before the 30-day comment period
has closed.
Information on the certification decision is filed in the official
EPA Air Docket, Docket No. A-93-02 and is available for review in
Washington, DC, and at three EPA WIPP informational docket locations in
New Mexico. The dockets in New Mexico contain only major items from the
official Air Docket in Washington, DC, plus those documents added to
the official Air Docket since the October 1992 enactment of the WIPP
LWA.
Dated: March 11, 2003.
Robert Brenner,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 03-6462 Filed 3-17-03; 8:45 am]
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