[Federal Register: September 14, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 177)]
[Notices]
[Page 54374-54375]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14se05-64]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Environmental Management
Notice of Availability of Draft Section 3116 Determination Idaho
Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of a
draft determination that certain residual radioactive waste at the
Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm
Facility, located at the Idaho National Laboratory, is not high-level
radioactive waste. DOE prepared the draft determination pursuant to
Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2005. Although not required by the Act, DOE is making
the draft determination available for public review and comment.
DATES: The comment period will end on October 28, 2005. Comments
received after this date will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: The draft waste determination is available on the Internet
at http://apps.em.doe.gov/idwd/, and is publicly available for review
at the following locations: U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading
Room, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202)
586-5955, or Fax: (202) 586-0575; and U.S. Department of Energy Idaho,
Public Reading Room, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho
83415, Phone: (208) 526-9162, or Fax: (208) 526-1697. Written comments
should be addressed to: Mr. Matthew Duchesne, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Environmental Management, EM-2, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, comments can be filed
electronically by e-mail to emidahotankfarmwd@hq.doe.gov, or by Fax at
(202) 586-4314.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tank Farm Facility (TFF) at INTEC
consists of eleven 300,000-gallon, below-grade, stainless-steel tanks
in unlined concrete vaults; four 30,000-gallon, below-grade, stainless-
steel tanks; and associated ancillary equipment and piping.
Historically, the TFF tanks were used to store various INTEC wastes,
including those from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, decontamination
waste, laboratory waste, and contaminated liquids from other INTEC
operations. DOE is currently in the process of closing the
[[Page 54375]]
TFF, a process that includes consolidating remaining wastes in the
minimum number of tanks necessary, and then cleaning the empty tanks
and ancillary equipment. After completing cleaning operations, a small
amount of residual radioactive waste that cannot be removed remains in
the tanks and ancillary equipment. DOE plans to stabilize this residual
waste, as well as the TFF system overall, by filling the system with
grout.
Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2005 authorizes the Secretary of Energy, in
consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to determine
that certain waste from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel is not high-
level waste (HLW) and that it may instead be disposed of as low-level
waste (LLW) if it meets the criteria set forth in Section 3116. The
draft determination sets forth the basis for concluding that the TFF
residual wastes, as well as the tanks, vaults, and associated piping,
structures, and equipment will meet all of those criteria, and thus is
not high-level waste.
Final Determination: DOE will issue a final determination following
the completion of consultation with the NRC, and consideration of any
public comments.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2005.
Charles E. Anderson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 05-18224 Filed 9-13-05; 8:45 am]
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