[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54279-54281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26030]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Study on Long-Term Stewardship Activities and Issues
AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a study on long-term stewardship.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing a national study
on long-term stewardship to examine the institutional and programmatic
issues facing DOE as it completes the environmental cleanup program at
its sites. The study, which will incorporate input from the public, is
being prepared to comply with the terms of a settlement agreement that
resolved a lawsuit brought against DOE by the Natural Resources Defense
Council and other plaintiffs. DOE invites the general public, other
Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, state and local governments,
and all other interested parties to comment on the scope of the study.
DATES: The scoping period will extend to January 4, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in writing to: Steven Livingstone,
Project Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, PO Box 45079, Washington,
DC 20026-5079; Or electronically at www.em.doe.gov/lts or to
Steven.Livingstone@em.doe.gov; Or by fax at 202-586-4314.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James D. Werner, Program Director, or
Steven Livingstone, Project Manager, Office of Strategic Planning and
Analysis (EM-24), Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0119,
phone: 202-586-9280, fax: 202-586-4314.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE is preparing a national study on the
possible consequences of long-term stewardship according to the terms
of a
[[Page 54280]]
settlement agreement that resolved a lawsuit brought against DOE by the
Natural Resources Defense Council and 38 other plaintiffs (Natural
Resources Defense Council, et al. v. Richardson, et al., Civ. No. 97-
936 (SS) (D.D.C. Dec. 12, 1998)). The study, which will incorporate
input from the public, will examine the institutional and programmatic
issues facing DOE as it completes the environmental cleanup program at
its sites. The settlement agreement states that, ``in the study, DOE
will discuss, as appropriate, alternative approaches to long-term
stewardship and the environmental consequences associated with those
alternative approaches.'' Long-term stewardship, under the agreement,
refers to:
the physical controls, institutions, information and other
mechanisms needed to ensure protection of people and the environment
at sites where DOE has completed or plans to complete ``cleanup''
(e.g., landfill closures, remedial actions, removal actions, and
facility stabilization). This concept of long-term stewardship
includes, inter alia, land-use controls, monitoring, maintenance,
and information management.
Goals
The goal of the study on long-term stewardship is to inform
decision-makers and the public about the long-term stewardship issues
and challenges facing DOE, and the potential options for addressing
these issues.
The study will:
Describe DOE's long-term stewardship responsibilities, the
status of current and ongoing stewardship obligations, activities and
initiatives, and the plans for future activities.
Analyze the national issues that DOE needs to address in
planning for and conducting long-term stewardship activities.
Promote information exchange on long-term stewardship
among DOE, Tribal nations, state and local governments, and private
citizens.
The study is not intended to:
Be a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document or
its functional equivalent.
Identify or address site-specific issues, except as
examples in the context of presenting national issues.
Address issues specific to nuclear stockpile stewardship,
other activities related to national security, or the Central Internet
Database required by the settlement agreement.
Long-Term Stewardship Study Development Process
According to the terms of the settlement agreement, DOE will follow
the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) procedures for
public scoping, 40 CFR 1501.7(a)(1)-(2), even though this study will
not be a NEPA document or its functional equivalent. This process will
provide DOE with input about the topics and issues that should be
included in the study, within the general parameters established by the
settlement agreement. Scoping includes opportunities for interested
parties to learn about the goals of the study, comment on what issues
or topics the study should consider, and discuss key elements of the
study with DOE staff. DOE will consider all relevant comments and
suggestions in developing the scope of the study. Once the scoping
process is completed, DOE will make publicly available a summary
document describing how comments were considered. To ensure
consideration in the preparation of the study, scoping comments should
be transmitted or postmarked by the date indicated at the beginning of
this Notice. Comments submitted after that date will be considered to
the extent practicable. DOE encourages the public to submit comments
through an Internet Web Site (www.em.doe.gov/lts), as this will provide
an opportunity for commentors to track the progress of their comments
on the Web Site. All comments received will be made available for
review on the Web Site.
DOE is conducting a public scoping workshop from 8:30 a.m.-11:30
a.m., October 28, 1999 at the Oak Ridge Mall, Community Room, 333 Main
Street, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37830 to provide an opportunity for
information exchange and constructive discussions between DOE and
interested parties on the types of issues DOE should examine in the
long-term stewardship study. This workshop is scheduled to coincide
with a related meeting on October 26-27, 1999 for site-specific
advisory boards focusing on long-term stewardship. At this workshop,
DOE staff will discuss the objectives of the study and the study
process, describe how public input will be incorporated into the study,
and address questions. The facilitated workshop will provide for
interaction among participants so as to promote full and open
discussion. Any member of the public desiring further information
concerning the workshop on the long-term stewardship study can contact
James D. Werner or Steven Livingstone at the address and phone numbers
provided above.
In addition to this workshop, DOE is pursuing opportunities to
inform the public about the study and the scoping process. These will
include using existing forums and entities, such as the Environmental
Management Advisory Board, Site-Specific Advisory Boards, and State and
Tribal Governments Working Group, and other stakeholder organizations
examining issues which relate to issues to be examined in the study.
Based on the results of the scoping process, DOE will prepare a
draft study that will be released for public comment. We anticipate
issuing a draft study in Spring 2000. The public review process for the
study will meet certain DOE requirements for public review, 10 CFR
1021.313, made applicable under the terms of the settlement agreement.
This process is intended to allow public comment on the draft study
that DOE will use to complete the final study. DOE will issue a Notice
of Availability describing the public review process for the draft
study. A public comment period will extend for no less than 45 days
after publication of the draft study. DOE will prepare a final study,
including a comment response summary document, for release to the
public.
Background
In the last decade, DOE has made significant progress in its
cleanup program to reduce risks and ``mortgage'' costs for maintaining
safe conditions at its sites. DOE's experience in planning and
completing cleanups has demonstrated that cleanup to levels acceptable
for unrestricted use will not be accomplished at many
sites.1 Residual contamination, buried waste, and other
hazards may remain at sites after cleanup is completed for several
reasons:
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\1\ Estimating the Cold War Mortgage: The 1995 Baseline
Environmental Management Report (Volumes 1 & 2), March 1995, DOE/EM-
0232. The 1996 Baseline Environmental Management Report (Volumes 1,
2, & 3), June 1996, DOE/EM-0290. Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to
Closure, June 1998, DOE/EM-0362.
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Technical and Economic Limitations--There are a number of
situations where no acceptable remediation strategy exists because of
the type of contaminant and/or its location. Even when current
remediation technologies can restore sites and facilities to conditions
suitable for unrestricted use, the cost of doing so may be prohibitive.
Worker Health and Collateral Ecological Impacts--In
determining the remediation approach for particular sites, it is
necessary to balance the short-term risk to workers with the potential
longer-term risk to the general public and the environment. In
addition, there are situations where remedial actions would result in
significantly greater
[[Page 54281]]
ecological damage than if the contaminated site was left undisturbed.
Whenever site cleanup does not result in the site's release for
unrestricted use, DOE anticipates that long-term stewardship will be
necessary.
Related Information
DOE is developing a background document, From Cleanup to
Stewardship, A Companion Report to `Paths to Closure' and Background
Information to Support the Scoping Process Required for the 1999 PEIS
Settlement Study that provides the best available information on DOE's
long-term stewardship obligations, activities, and related issues. This
background document may assist persons interested in submitting scoping
comments by providing a basis for more informed discussion of
stewardship needs, and the potential links between existing and future
cleanup decisions (such as risks, costs, technologies, and future land
use) and the level of effort required to conduct long-term stewardship
activities. The primary source of information and assumptions about DOE
sites is the data set used to develop the 1998 Accelerating Cleanup:
Paths to Closure report. DOE is using this information to identify
sites where contaminated facilities, water, soil, and/or engineered
units would likely remain after cleanup is complete, and to estimate
the scope of long-term stewardship activities needed. The background
document is anticipated to be available this month. When available,
copies of the background document or other related information can be
obtained by contacting:
The Internet Web Site at www.em.doe.gov/lts, which
contains information on long-term stewardship related issues produced
by DOE and outside sources.
The Center for Environmental Management Information, 955
L'Enfant Plaza, North, SW, Suite 8200, Washington, DC 20024, 1-800-736-
3282 (``1-800-7EM-DATA''), in DC, 202-863-5084.
DOE Reading Rooms (for locations of the DOE Reading Rooms
or other public information repositories containing background
information, please contact the Center for Environmental Management
Information at the above address and telephone).
Signed in Washington DC, this 30th day of September, 1999.
James D. Werner,
Director, Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Office of
Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 99-26030 Filed 10-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
