Environmental statements; availability, etc.: level radioactive waste disposal; geologic repository,

[Federal Register: August 13, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 156)]

[Notices]

[Page 44200-44202]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr13au99-50]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada (DOE/EIS-0250D). The Department has prepared this Draft EIS in accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended (NWPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500- 1508), and the DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). The Draft EIS provides information on potential environmental impacts that could result from a Proposed Action to construct, operate and monitor, and eventually close a repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The Draft EIS also considers the potential environmental impacts from an alternative referred to as the No-Action Alternative, under which a repository would not be developed at Yucca Mountain. The locations of the public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS are listed below.

DATES: Comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted during a 180-day public comment period, which ends on February 9, 2000. DOE will consider comments received after February 9, 2000, to the extent practicable. DOE will conduct public hearings on the Draft EIS and will announce the dates in the Federal Register in the near future.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, requests for further information on the Draft EIS or the public hearings, and requests for copies of the document (or a CD-ROM version) should be directed to: Ms. Wendy R. Dixon, EIS Project Manager, M/S 010, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office, P.O. Box 30307, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89036- 0307, Telephone 1-800-967-3477, Facsimile 1-800-967-0739.

Written comments transmitted by facsimile should include the following identifier: ``Yucca Mountain Draft EIS.'' Addresses of the locations where the Draft EIS will be available for public review are listed in this Notice under ``Availability of the Draft EIS.''

Written comments or requests for copies of the document may also be submitted over the Internet via the Yucca Mountain Project website at http://www.ymp.gov, under the listing ``Environmental Impact Statement.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Wendy R. Dixon, EIS Project Manager, M/S 010, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office, P.O. Box 30307, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89036-0307, Telephone 1-800-967-3477, Facsimile 1-800-967-0739.

General information on the DOE NEPA process may be requested from: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20585, Telephone 1-202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On August 7, 1995, the Department published a Notice of Intent (60 FR 40164) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. The purpose of the Notice of Intent was to inform the public of the proposed scope of the Repository EIS, to solicit public input, and to announce that scoping meetings would be held from August through October 1995. During that period, 15 public scoping meetings were held throughout the United States to obtain public comments regarding the scope, alternatives, and issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The scoping period closed on December 5, 1995. Due to subsequent budget reductions, EIS activities were deferred until Fiscal Year 1997. In May 1997, DOE published Summary of Public Scoping Comments Related to the Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, which summarized the comments received by DOE during the scoping process and described how DOE planned at that time to address issues raised during scoping. A Notice of Availability for the Summary of Public Scoping Comments document was published on July 9, 1997 (62 FR 36789).

Alternatives Considered

The Draft EIS evaluates a Proposed Action and a No-Action Alternative. Under the Proposed Action, DOE would construct, operate and monitor, and eventually close a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain for the disposal of as much as 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The Proposed Action includes the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to Yucca Mountain from commercial and DOE sites. Under the No-Action Alternative, DOE would end site characterization activities at Yucca Mountain, and commercial and DOE sites would

[[Page 44201]]

continue to store spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, packaged as necessary for their safe on-site management.

DOE developed implementing alternatives and analytical scenarios for estimating in the Draft EIS the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts that could result from the Proposed Action. For example, DOE evaluated three thermal load scenarios, which correspond to a relatively high emplacement density of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste (high thermal load--85 MTHM per acre), a relatively low emplacement density (low thermal load--25 MTHM per acre), and an intermediate case--60 MTHM per acre. DOE recognizes, however, that if the site is eventually approved for development of a repository, the designs of repository surface and subsurface facilities, and plans for the construction, operation and monitoring, and closure of the repository would continue to evolve and would depend on the outcome of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing review of the repository.

Two national transportation scenarios are evaluated in the Draft EIS. The mostly legal-weight truck ‹SUP›1‹/SUP› scenario assumes that most spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would be shipped to the repository by legal-weight truck over existing highways, with a few exceptions. The mostly rail scenario assumes that most spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would be shipped to Nevada by rail, with a few exceptions (based largely on the on-site loading limitations at some commercial sites). The Nevada transportation implementing alternatives parallel the national transportation scenarios; however, because no rail access currently exists to the repository site, the EIS considers different implementing alternatives for the construction of either a new branch rail line to the proposed repository, or an intermodal transfer station ‹SUP›2‹/SUP› with associated highway improvements for heavy-haul trucks.‹SUP›3‹/SUP›

\1\ Truck with a gross vehicle weight (both truck and cargo) of less than 80,000 pounds.

\2\ An intermodal transfer station is a facility at the juncture of rail and road transportation used to transfer shipping casks containing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from rail to truck and empty casks from truck to rail.

\3\ Shipment of a rail cask (weighing up to 300,000 pounds) on a special truck and trailer combination that would have a total weight of approximately 500,000 pounds.

The No-Action Alternative considers two scenarios. Scenario 1 assumes that spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would remain at the 72 commercial and 5 DOE sites under effective institutional control for at least 10,000 years. Scenario 2 also assumes spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would remain at the 77 sites, but under effective institutional control for only about 100 years.

Public Hearings and Invitation To Comment

The public is invited to provide oral and written comments on the Repository Draft EIS during the public comment period that ends on February 9, 2000. DOE will consider comments received during the comment period in preparation of the Final EIS. Comments received after February 9, 2000, will be considered to the extent practicable.

The Department will hold 16 public hearings (each following the same format in either the mid-morning or afternoon and evening) to receive oral and written comments from members of the public. The public hearings are currently planned to be held in the following Nevada locations: Pahrump, Goldfield, Caliente, Las Vegas, Reno, Austin, Crescent Valley, Amargosa Valley and Ely. Other hearing locations will include Washington, DC; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City, Utah; St. Louis, Missouri; and Lone Pine, California. DOE will publish the dates, times, and specific locations in the Federal Register, and will notify all recipients of the Draft EIS and the media in writing as soon as this information is available. In addition, this information will be available on the Yucca Mountain website at http://www.ymp.gov and on the toll-free information line at 1-800-967-3477.

Each of the public hearings will include a brief session in which an overview of the Draft EIS will be presented, a general question-and- answer session, and an opportunity to provide comments for the record. Members of the public who plan to present oral comments are asked to register in advance by calling 1-800-967-3477.

Availability of the Draft EIS

Copies of the Draft EIS are being distributed to Federal, State, Indian tribal, and local officials, agencies, and organizations and individuals who have indicated an interest in the EIS process. Copies of the document may also be requested by telephone (1-800-967-3477) or over the Internet via the Yucca Mountain Project website at http:// www.ymp.gov, under the listing ``Environmental Impact Statement.''

Copies of references considered in preparation of the Draft EIS are available at the following Public Reading Rooms: University of Nevada-- Las Vegas, Nevada; University of Nevada--Reno, Nevada; Beatty Yucca Mountain Science Center, Nevada; and the DOE Headquarters Office in Washington, DC. Addresses of these Public Reading Rooms and of other Public Reading Rooms and libraries where the Draft EIS is available for public review are listed below.

Public Reading Rooms

Inyo County--Contact: Andrew Remus; (760) 878-0447; Inyo County Yucca Mountain Repository Assessment Office; 168 North Edwards Street; Post Office Drawer L; Independence, CA 93526 Oakland Operations Office--Contact: Annette Ross; (510) 637-1762; U. S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room; EIC; 1301 Clay Street, Room 700N; Oakland, CA 94612-5208 National Renewable Energy Laboratory--Contact: Sarah Manion; (303) 275- 4709; Public Reading Room; 1617 Cole Boulevard; Golden, CO 80401 Rocky Flats Public Reading Room--Contact: Ann Smith; (303) 469-4435; College Hill Library; 3705 112th Avenue B121; Westminster, CO 80030 Headquarters Office--Contact: Carolyn Lawson; (202) 586-3142; U.S. Department of Energy; Room 1E-190, Forrestal Building; 1000 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20585 Atlanta Support Office--Contact: Nancy Mays/Laura Nicholas; (404) 347- 2420; Department of Energy; Public Reading Room; 730 Peachtree Street, Suite 876; Atlanta, GA 30308-1212 Southeastern Power Administration--Contact: Joel W. Seymour/Carol M. Franklin; (706) 213-3800/(706) 213-3813; U.S. Department of Energy; Reading Room; Samuel Elbert Building; 2 South Public Square; Elberton, GA 30635-2496 Boise State University Library--Contact: Adrien Taylor; (208) 385-1621; Government Documents; 1910 University Drive; P.O. Box 46; Boise, ID 83707-0046 Idaho Operations Office--Contact: Brent Jacobson/Gail Willmore; (208) 526-1144; Public Reading Room; 1776 Science Center Drive; Idaho Falls, ID 83402 Chicago Operations Office--Contact: John Shuler; (312) 996-2738; Document Department; University of Illinois at Chicago; 801 South Morgan Street; Chicago, IL 60607 Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office--Contact: Deanna Harvey; (504) 734-4316; U.S. Department of Energy; SPRPMO/SEB

[[Page 44202]]

Reading Room; 850 Commerce Road, East; New Orleans, LA 70123 Lander County--Contact: Tammy Manzini; (775) 964-2447; 610 Main Street; (P.O. Box 10); Austin, NV 89310 Beatty Yucca Mountain Science Center--Contact: Marina Anderson; (775) 553-2130; 100 North E Avenue; Beatty, NV 89003 Lincoln County--Contact: Eve Culverwell; (775) 726-3511; Box 1068 100 Depot Avenue; Caliente, NV 89008 Nevada State Clearinghouse--Contact: Heather Elliot; (775) 684-0209; Department of Administration; 209 Musser Street, Room 200; Carson City, NV 89701 White Pine County--Contact: Debra Kolkman; (775) 289-2033; 959 Campton Street; Ely, NV 89301 Eureka County--Contact: Leonard Fiorenzi; (775) 237-5372; Courthouse Annex; (P.O. Box 714); Eureka, NV 89316 Churchill County--Contact: Alan Kalt; (775) 423-5136; 190 West First Street; Fallon, NV 89046-2478 Esmeralda County--Contact: Tony Cain; (775) 485-3419; Repository Oversight Program; Elliot Street between Franklin and Euclid; P.O. Box 490; Goldfield, NV 89013 Mineral County--Contact: Commissioner Jackie Wells; (775) 945-2484; First & A Streets; (P.O. Box 1600); Hawthorne, NV 89415 Clark County--Contact: Dennis Bechtel; (702) 455-5175; 500 South Grand Central Parkway #3012; (P.O. Box 551751); Las Vegas, NV 89155-1751 Las Vegas, Nevada--Contact: Reference Desk; (702) 895-3409; University of Nevada Las Vegas; James R. Dickinson Library; Government Publications; 4505 Maryland Parkway; Las Vegas, NV 89154-7013 Las Vegas Yucca Mountain Science Center--Contact: Terri Brown; (702) 295-1312; 4101-B Meadows Lane; Las Vegas, NV 89107 Nye County--Contact: Les Bradshaw; (775) 727-7727; c/o Department of Natural Resources and Federal Facilities; 1210 E. Basin Avenue; Pahrump, NV 89048 Pahrump Yucca Mountain Science Center--Contact: Gordon Froman; (775) 727-0896; 1141 South Highway 160; Pahrump NV, 89041 Reno, Nevada--Contact: Kathie Brinkerhoff; (775) 784-6500, x-258; University of Nevada, Reno; The University of Nevada Libraries; Business and Government Information Center M/S 322; 1664 N. Virginia Street; Reno, NV 89557-0044 Albuquerque Operations Office--Contact: Shawna Schwartz; (702) 845- 4939; U.S. DOE Contract Reading Room; Kirtland Air Force Base; Pennsylvania and H Street; Building 388; Albuquerque, NM 87116 Fernald Area Office--Contact: Gary Stegner; (513) 648-7480; U.S. Department of Energy; Public Information Room; 7400 Willey Road; Cincinnati, OH 45239 Bartlesville Project Office/National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research--Contact: Josh Stroman; (918) 337-4371; BPO/NIPER Library; U.S. Department of Energy; 220 Virginia Avenue; Bartlesville, OK 74003 Southwestern Power Administration--Contact: Pam Bland; (918) 595-6624; U.S. Department of Energy; Public Reading Room; 1 West 3rd, Suite 1600; Tulsa, OK 74101 Bonneville Power Administration--Contact: Jean Pennington; (503) 230- 7334; U.S. Department of Energy; BPA-C-ACS-1; 905 NE 11th Street; Portland, OR 97208 Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center--Contact: Ann C. Dunlap; (412) 892- 6167; U.S. Department of Energy; Building 922/M210; Cochrans Mill Road; Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940 Savannah River Operations Office--Contact: David Darugh; (803) 725- 2497; Gregg-Graniteville Library; University of South Carolina--Aiken; 171 University Parkway; Aiken, SC 29801 University of South Carolina--Contact: Lester Duncan; (803) 777-4841; Thomas Cooper Library; Documents/Microforms Department; Green and Sumter Streets; Columbia, SC 29208 Oak Ridge Operations Office--Contact: Amy Rothrock/Teresa Brown; (423) 576-1216/(423) 241-4780; U.S. Department of Energy; Public Reading Room; P.O. Box 2001; American Museum of Science and Energy; 300 S. Tulane Avenue; Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Southern Methodist University--Contact: Stephen Short; (214) 768-2561; Central Union Libraries Fondren Library; Government Information; Airline and McFarland Streets; Dallas, TX 75275-0135 University of Utah--Contact: Walter Jones; (801) 581-8863; Marriott Library Special Collections; 295 South 15th East; Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860 Richland Operations Center--Contact: Terri Traub; (509) 372-7443; U.S. Department of Energy; Public Reading Room; 2770 University Drive; Room 101L; PO Box 999; Mailstop H2-53; Richland, WA 99352

Issued in Washington, DC, August 5, 1999. Lake Barrett, Acting Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management.

[FR Doc. 99-20661Filed8-12-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P