[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 741-742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-169]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Environmental Policy Act Record of Decision for the
Disposal of the S1C Prototype Reactor Plant
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Record of decision.
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SUMMARY: This Record of Decision has been prepared on the proposed
disposal
[[Page 742]]
of the defueled S1C Prototype reactor plant, located in Windsor,
Connecticut, pursuant to Section 102(2) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance
with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA
procedures (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Department of Energy
regulations implementing NEPA procedures (10 CFR part 1021). The
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval Reactors)
has decided to promptly dismantle the defueled S1C Prototype reactor
plant. To the extent practical, the resulting low-level radioactive
metals will be recycled at existing commercial facilities that recycle
radioactive metals. The remaining low-level radioactive wastes will be
disposed of at the Department of Energy Savannah River Site in South
Carolina.
Requests for further information should be directed to Mr.
Christopher G. Overton, Chief, Windsor Field Office, Office of Naval
Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 393, Windsor, CT 06095,
telephone (860) 687-5610.
Supplementary Information: The S1C Prototype reactor plant is located
on the 10.8-acre Windsor Site in Windsor, Connecticut, approximately 5
miles north of Hartford. As a result of the end of the Cold War and the
downsizing of the Navy, the S1C Prototype reactor plant was permanently
shut down in March 1993. Removal of the spent nuclear fuel from the S1C
Prototype reactor was completed in February 1995. After defueling, S1C
Prototype reactor plant systems were drained and placed in a stable
protective storage condition. Since the S1C Prototype reactor plant is
the only activity at this small site and there is no further need for
this plant, a decision is needed on its disposal.
The alternatives analyzed in detail in the Final Environmental
Impact Statement were the preferred alternative of prompt
dismantlement, a deferred dismantlement alternative, and a ``no
action'' alternative of keeping the defueled S1C Prototype reactor
plant in protective storage indefinitely.
The alternative that DOE is selecting, the preferred alternative,
involves the prompt dismantlement of the reactor plant. All structures
will be removed from the Windsor Site, and the Windsor Site will be
released for unrestricted use. To the extent practical, the resulting
low-level radioactive metals will be recycled at existing commercial
facilities that recycle radioactive metals. The remaining low-level
radioactive waste will be disposed of at the DOE Savannah River Site in
South Carolina. There will be an estimated total of twenty-three
radioactive material shipments to the Savannah River Site and to
commercial recycling facilities. One or two of the shipments to the
Savannah River Site will be by rail and the remainder of the
radioactive material shipments will be by truck. The Savannah River
Site currently receives low-level radioactive waste from Naval Reactors
sites in the eastern United States. Both the volume and radioactive
content of the S1C Prototype reactor plant low-level waste fall within
the projections of Naval Reactors waste provided to the Savannah River
Site, which were included and analyzed in the Savannah River Site Waste
Management Final Environmental Impact Statement dated July 1995.
The deferred dismantlement alternative would involve keeping the
defueled S1C Prototype reactor plant in protective storage for 30 years
before dismantling it. Deferring dismantlement for 30 years would allow
nearly all of the gamma radiation within the reactor plant to decay
away.
The ``no action'' alternative would involve keeping the defueled
S1C Prototype reactor plant in protective storage indefinitely. This
alternative would leave long-lived radioactivity at the Windsor Site
indefinitely.
Naval Reactors distributed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
on the S1C Prototype Reactor Plant Disposal in June 1996. Comments from
28 individuals and agencies were received in either oral or written
statements at a public hearing or in letters. Nearly all of the
commenters expressed a preference for the prompt dismantlement
alternative. The Final Environmental Impact Statement, which includes
responses to public comments, has been issued and distributed to
interested parties.
From an environmental perspective, no single alternative stands out
as the environmentally preferred alternative. The no action alternative
is the least preferable since it would leave long-lived radioactivity
at the Windsor Site indefinitely and does not provide for eventual re-
use of the Windsor Site. Regarding prompt dismantlement and deferred
dismantlement, neither alternative stands out in this comparison, and
neither is considered on balance to be environmentally preferred.
Deferred dismantlement has the advantage of lower occupational
radiation exposure while still providing for eventual unrestricted
release of the Windsor Site. Prompt dismantlement has the advantage of
not requiring long term commitment of the land for surveillance and
maintenance of the S1C Prototype reactor plant. The occupational
radiation exposure associated with the prompt dismantlement alternative
is comparable in magnitude to the radiation exposure routinely received
during operation and maintenance of Naval prototype reactors. Also, the
impacts associated with the prompt dismantlement alternative have a
higher degree of certainty than those associated with actions thirty
years in the future. Since prompt dismantlement will result in
unrestricted release of the Windsor Site at the earliest time with
little occupational exposure risk to the workers, and given that the
impacts associated with prompt dismantlement have a higher degree of
certainty, Naval Reactors has decided to proceed with the preferred
alternative of prompt dismantlement.
As discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Naval
Reactors implements a large number of conservative engineering
practices in its operations. These conservative engineering practices
will serve to assure that environmental impacts will be very small. No
additional mitigative measures have been identified which are needed to
further reduce the small impacts which were described in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, all practicable means to
avoid or minimize environmental harm from the preferred alternative
have been adopted.
Issued at Arlington, VA this 30th day of December 1996.
F.L. Bowman,
Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 97-169 Filed 1-3-97; 8:45 am]
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