[Federal Register: August 3, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 148)]
[Notices]
[Page 44598-44600]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03au05-86]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Environmental Management
Notice of Preferred Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment Technology
AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Preferred Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment Technology.
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SUMMARY: In October 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the
Department) issued the Final Idaho High-Level Waste (HLW) and
Facilities Disposition Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0287
(Final EIS)). The Final EIS contains an evaluation of reasonable
alternatives for the management of mixed transuranic waste/sodium
bearing waste (SBW),\1\ mixed HLW calcine, and associated low-level
waste (LLW), as well as disposition alternatives for HLW facilities
when their missions are completed. DOE's preferred alternative in the
Final EIS for SBW waste processing was to implement the proposed action
by selecting from among the action alternatives, options, and
technologies analyzed in the Final EIS, and to construct facilities
necessary to prepare the SBW located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology
and Engineering Center (INTEC) for the preferred disposition path to
the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). In the Final EIS DOE did not
identify a preferred treatment technology for SBW from among the
several technology options evaluated.
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\1\ The Final EIS refers to SBW as mixed transuranic waste/SBW.
However, a determination that SBW is transuranic waste has not been
made.
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The Department is now announcing that the Non Separations
Alternative, Steam Reforming Option, as analyzed in the Final EIS and
its associated Supplement Analysis (SA), DOE/ EIS-0287-SA-01, June
2005, is DOE's preferred treatment technology for the SBW. DOE plans a
phased decision-making process and will issue its first Record of
Decision (ROD) focusing on SBW treatment and facilities disposition no
sooner than 30-days from the date of this Notice. A subsequent ROD
addressing Tank Farm Facility Closure
[[Page 44599]]
will be issued in coordination with the Secretary of Energy's
determination pursuant to Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2005, Public Law 108-
375. A future ROD for HLW calcine disposition is scheduled for issuance
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in 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information on
the preferred technology should be addressed to: Richard Kimmel,
Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office,
1955 North Fremont, MS-1222, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83415, Telephone (208)
526-5583, or via email at Richard.Kimmel@nuclear.energy.gov. Any
comments on the preferred technology should be submitted to Mr. Kimmel
no later than 30-days from the date of publication of this notice. The
Final EIS and SA are available on the Internet at http://www.id.doe.gov/ and http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.html.
For further information on DOE's National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) process, please contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of
NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-
4600, or leave a message at (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
SBW is a liquid mixed radioactive waste (contains hazardous and
radioactive constituents) produced primarily from INTEC decontamination
and cleanup activities. SBW also includes approximately one percent (by
volume) commingled 1st cycle reprocessing waste, approximately two
percent 2nd cycle reprocessing waste, and approximately four percent
3rd cycle reprocessing waste. SBW contains large quantities of sodium
and potassium nitrates; however, the radionuclide concentrations for
liquid SBW are generally ten to 1,000 times less than for liquid HLW.
In 1992, DOE entered into a Notice of Noncompliance Consent Order
with the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the
Environmental Protection Agency that requires DOE to cease use of the
tanks in which the SBW is stored by December 31, 2012.
In 1995, DOE and the State of Idaho entered into a settlement
agreement that resolved litigation and that established dates for the
treatment of approximately 900,000 gallons of liquid SBW stored at
INTEC.
In September 1997, DOE published a Notice of Intent to complete an
EIS in accordance with NEPA. In September 1998, the State of Idaho
became a cooperating agency in the development of the EIS.
In January 2000, DOE issued the Draft Idaho High-Level Waste and
Facilities Disposition EIS (Draft EIS). Subsequently, DOE and the State
of Idaho evaluated approximately 1,000 comments received on that
document. The Final EIS was issued in October 2002 and reflects changes
to the Draft EIS based on public comments, further review by DOE and
the State of Idaho, and incorporation of the DOE and State of Idaho
preferred alternatives.
The Department's preferred alternative identified in the Final EIS
was to implement the proposed action, which consists of five elements
to meet the purpose and need for agency action: (1) Select appropriate
technologies and construct facilities necessary to prepare INTEC SBW
for shipment to WIPP, the preferred disposition path, (2) prepare the
HLW calcine to allow disposal in a repository, (3) treat and dispose of
associated radioactive wastes, (4) provide safe storage of HLW destined
for a repository, and (5) disposition INTEC HLW management facilities
when their missions are completed. Alternatives/Options not included in
DOE's Preferred Alternative are: the No Action Alternative, storage of
calcine in the bin sets for an indefinite period under the Continued
Current Operations Alternative, the shipment of calcine to the Hanford
Site for treatment under the Minimum Idaho National Engineering and
Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Processing Alternative, and disposal
of mixed LLW on the INEEL under any alternative. The INEEL is now known
as the Idaho National Laboratory. The State of Idaho, as a cooperating
agency, identified the Direct Vitrification Alternative for SBW and
vitrification with or without separations of the HLW calcine as their
preferred waste-processing alternatives. The Final EIS did not identify
a DOE preferred treatment technology from among the several technology
options evaluated for treatment of the SBW.
DOE conducted four workshops to inform the public about the five
technologies that the DOE was considering for treatment of the SBW with
the preferred disposition at WIPP. The five technologies were Direct
Vitrification, Cesium Ion Exchange with a grout waste form, Calcination
with Maximum Achievable Control Technology upgrades, Direct
Evaporation, and Steam Reforming. DOE issued a Federal Register notice
on March 10, 2003, 68 FR 11388, announcing the public workshops.
Workshops were held between March 13-April 28, 2003, in Jackson,
Wyoming, and Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Fort Hall, Idaho. In
addition, briefings were held with individual stakeholders through June
2003. The public was given the opportunity to provide comments on all
technologies presented through August 31, 2003, via e-mail or regular
mail. Though the focus of the comment period was for SBW treatment, the
nature of the comments received also included HLW calcine and closure
of HLW facilities. DOE considered those comments, which addressed the
following issues: Potential environmental impacts from waste processing
operations, technical viability, uncertainties related to regulatory
requirements and permits, public or agency acceptance, vitrification,
cost, transportation of waste for disposal, waste form stability, and
plan and schedule for cleanup activities. These comments did not raise
any new issues that were not expressed during the comment period on the
Draft EIS. DOE and the State of Idaho responses to these issues are in
the Final EIS, Chapter 11.
During the workshops and briefings, DOE informed the public that
the DOE's strategy was to select one of the five technologies for
treatment of the SBW. Subsequently, DOE changed this strategy by
incorporating the requirement for a contractor to propose a treatment
technology for SBW in a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Idaho
Cleanup Project (ICP) contract to complete the Environmental Management
accelerated cleanup mission. At public meetings of the Idaho
Environmental Management Citizens Advisory Board, public meetings
conducted by the National Academy of Sciences in Idaho, and other
meetings with local stakeholders, DOE informed the public of the change
in strategy and that the DOE would identify a preferred treatment
technology for SBW after the contract was awarded. At these meetings,
DOE also informed the public that they would have an opportunity to
provide comments on the draft RFP.
DOE issued the draft RFP for the ICP contract for comment in
February 2004. The draft RFP required bidders to propose technologies
for treating SBW for disposal at WIPP and an alternative technical
approach to prepare this waste for disposal as HLW in the geologic
repository for HLW and spent nuclear fuel if this waste could not be
disposed of at WIPP. DOE responded to comments received on the draft
RFP and issued the final RFP in July 2004. The
[[Page 44600]]
ICP contract was awarded on March 23, 2005. The ICP contractor proposed
Steam Reforming as the treatment technology for SBW. Under the contract
DOE would have to fulfill its NEPA requirements before authorizing
action to treat SBW.
Preferred Treatment Technology
DOE has identified Steam Reforming as its preferred treatment
technology for SBW after considering technical maturity, the regulatory
schedule for treatment of the SBW, and the environmental impacts
presented in the Final EIS. The central feature of the Steam Reforming
process is the reformer, a fluidized bed reactor in which steam is used
as the fluidizing gas and a refractory oxide material is used as the
bed medium. An organic reductant and other additives are also fed to
the bed to enhance denitration. Water in the waste is vaporized to
superheated steam, while organic compounds in the waste are broken down
through thermal processes and reaction with hot nitrates, steam, and
oxygen. A solid, remote-handled waste consisting of primarily inorganic
salts is produced. The solids are packaged for disposal. This
technology supports the Department's objective to treat SBW in a manner
such that it would be ready for shipment out of Idaho, by December 31,
2012, in accordance with the Environmental Management Performance
Management Plan for Accelerating Cleanup of the INEEL, DOE/ID-11006,
August 2002.
DOE prepared a SA in accordance with DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR
1021.314) to determine whether there are substantial changes to the
scope of the proposed action identified in the Final EIS or significant
new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns
within the meaning of CEQ NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1502.9(c)(1)] that
would require preparation of a supplemental EIS. The SA contains DOE's
evaluation of new information (e.g., updated waste characterization
data) and revised methodologies (e.g., for estimating cancer risk).
Based on the SA, DOE determined that a supplemental EIS is not
required.
DOE plans a phased decision-making process and will issue its first
ROD focusing on SBW treatment and facilities disposition no sooner than
30-days from the date of this Notice. DOE will consider any comments
received before issuing this ROD.
A subsequent ROD addressing Tank Farm Facility Closure will be
issued in coordination with the Secretary of Energy's determination
pursuant to Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan NDAA for Fiscal Year
2005, Public Law 108-375. A future ROD for HLW calcine disposition is
scheduled for issuance in 2009.
Issued in Washington, DC, July 26, 2005.
Charles E. Anderson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 05-15293 Filed 8-2-05; 8:45 am]
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