Environmental statements; availability, etc.: term management and use of depleted uranium hexafluoride,

[Federal Register: April 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 82)]

[Notices]

[Page 23058-23059]

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

[DOCID:fr29ap99-34]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Alternative Strategies for the Long-Term Management and Use of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Alternative Strategies for the Long-Term Management and Use of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DOE/EIS-0269). This Final PEIS, prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), assesses the potential environmental impacts of reasonable alternatives to manage DOE's nearly 700,000 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF‹INF›6‹/INF›) stored in 57,634 steel cylinders at the East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly known as the K-25 facility) on the Oak Ridge Reservation, and the gaseous diffusion plant sites at Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky. The Final PEIS also includes analyses of the impacts of an additional 11,212 cylinders recently transferred to DOE from the United States Enrichment Corporation under two recent memoranda of agreement.

The management strategies considered in the Final PEIS include continuation of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF› storage at

[[Page 23059]]

the current locations, two long-term storage alternatives (one as UF‹INF›6‹/INF› and one as an oxide, after conversion) at a consolidated location, two alternatives to convert and use the material (one as uranium oxide and one as uranium metal), and a disposal alternative.

DOE has identified a preferred alternative in the Final PEIS. DOE's preferred alternative for the long-term management and use of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF› is to begin conversion of the UF‹INF›6‹/INF› inventory as soon as possible, either to uranium oxide, uranium metal, or a combination of both, while allowing for future use of as much of this inventory as possible. The preferred alternative in the Final PEIS was revised based in part on public comments on the Draft PEIS. The Record of Decision, to be issued no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of the Final PEIS, will identify DOE's decision for the long-term management and use of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF›.

ADDRESSES: Copies of this Final PEIS are available at the Office of Environment, Safety and Health National Environmental Policy Act home page at http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa, or on the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology home page at http://www.ne.doe.gov. You may request copies of this Final PEIS by calling the toll-free number 1- 800-517-3191, by faxing requests to (301) 903-4905, or by mailing them to: Scott Harlow, Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Program, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE), U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874. You may also request copies of this Final PEIS via the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride home page at http://www.ead.anl.gov/uranium.html, or via electronic mail to: scott.harlow@hq.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, Office of Environment, Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20545, (202) 586-4600 or 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On January 25, 1996, DOE issued a Notice of Intent (61 FR 2239) to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement on alternative strategies for the long-term management and use of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF›. The unique properties and value of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF›, such as its high purity and density, as well as the large volume (nearly 700,000 metric tons) in storage, made it appropriate to evaluate, analyze, and decide the long-term management of this material separately from other DOE materials in storage or awaiting disposition.

The purpose of this PEIS was to assess and consider the potential environmental impacts of a range of reasonable alternative strategies for the long-term management and use of depleted UF‹INF›6‹/INF› currently stored at sites near Paducah, Kentucky; Portsmouth, Ohio; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Final PEIS addresses the potential environmental impacts of the activities for each strategy.

During February 1996, public scoping meetings were held in Paducah, Piketon, and Oak Ridge. The Draft PEIS incorporates the public comments received during the scoping period. During February and March 1998, public hearings on the draft PEIS were held in Paducah, Kentucky; Piketon, Ohio; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Washington, DC. All comments submitted by the public were considered by DOE in preparing the Final PEIS.

The Final PEIS and related documents prepared by DOE are available for review at the following locations:

Kentucky

U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Information Center, 175 Freedom Boulevard, Kevil, KY 42053, (502) 462-2550

Ohio

U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Information Center, 3930 U.S. Route 23, Piketon, OH 45661, (740) 289-3317

Tennessee

U.S. Department of Energy, Information Resource Center, 105 Broadway Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, (423) 241-4582; and, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading Room, Building 1916-T2, Suite 300, 230 Warehouse Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-3142

Subsequent Document Preparation

Following issuance of the Final PEIS and Record of Decision, DOE will prepare additional project-specific NEPA documents as appropriate.

Issued in Washington, D.C. April 16, 1999. William D. Magwood, IV, Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology.

[FR Doc. 99-10764Filed4-28-99; 8:45 am]

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