[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 57 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14418-14419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7331]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 194
[FRL-6315-2]
RIN 2060-AG85
Waste Characterization Program Documents Applicable to
Transuranic Radioactive Waste From the Rocky Flats Environmental
Technology Site for Disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of availability; opening of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of, and soliciting public comments for 30 days on
Department of Energy (DOE) documents applicable to characterization of
transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste at Rocky Flats Environmental
Technology Site (RFETS) proposed for disposal at the Waste Isolation
Pilot Plant (WIPP). The documents are entitled: (1) ``Transuranic Waste
Management Manual, Rev. 2,'' (2) ``RFETS TRU Waste Characterization
Program Quality Assurance Project Plan,'' and (3) ``Salt Residue
Stabilization, Building 707 Process Control/Qualification Plan.'' They
are available for review in the public dockets listed in ADDRESSES. EPA
will conduct an inspection of waste characterization systems and
processes at RFETS to verify that the proposed systems and processes at
RFETS can characterize transuranic waste in accordance with EPA's WIPP
compliance criteria at 40 CFR 194.24. EPA will perform this inspection
the week of April 12, 1999. This notice of the inspection and comment
period accords with 40 CFR 194.8.
DATES: EPA is requesting public comment on the document. Comments must
be received by EPA's official Air Docket on or before April 26, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to: Docket No. A-98-49, Air
Docket, Room M-1500 (LE-131), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401
M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460. The DOE document is available for
review in the official EPA Air Docket in Washington DC, Docket No. A-
98-49, Category II-A-2, and at the following three EPA WIPP
informational docket locations in New Mexico: in Carlsbad at the
Municipal Library, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday,
10am-6pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm; in Albuquerque at the Government
Publications Department, Zimmerman Library, University of New Mexico,
Hours: Monday--Thursday, 8am-9pm, Friday, 8am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday,
1pm-5pm; and in Santa Fe at the Fogelson Library, College of Santa Fe,
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8am-12am, Friday, 8am-5pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm,
and Sunday, 1pm-9pm.
As provided in EPA's regulations at 40 CFR part 2, and in
accordance with normal EPA docket procedures, if copies of any docket
materials are requested, a reasonable fee may be charged for
photocopying.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Monroe, Office of Radiation and
Indoor Air, (202) 564-9310 or call EPA's toll-free WIPP Information
Line, 1-800-331-WIPP.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DOE is developing the WIPP near Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico
as a deep geologic repository for disposal of TRU radioactive waste. As
defined by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA) of 1992 (Public Law 102-
579), as amended (Public Law 104-201), TRU waste consists of materials
containing elements having atomic numbers greater than 92 (with half-
lives greater than twenty years), in concentrations greater than 100
nanocuries of alpha-emitting TRU isotopes per gram of waste. Much of
the existing TRU waste consists of items contaminated during the
production of nuclear weapons, such as rags, equipment, tools, and
sludges.
On May 13, 1998, EPA announced its final compliance certification
decision to the Secretary of Energy (published May 18, 1998, 63 FR
27354). This decision stated that the WIPP will comply with EPA's
radioactive waste disposal regulations at 40 CFR part 191, subparts B
and C.
The final WIPP certification decision includes conditions that (1)
prohibit shipment of TRU waste for disposal at WIPP from any site other
than the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) until the EPA determines
that the site has established and executed a quality assurance program,
in accordance with Secs. 194.22(a)(2)(i), 194.24(c)(3), and
194.24(c)(5) for waste characterization activities and assumptions
(Condition 2 of Appendix A to 40 CFR part 194); and (2) prohibit
shipment of TRU waste for disposal at WIPP from any site other than
LANL until the EPA has approved the procedures developed to comply with
the waste characterization requirements of Sec. 194.22(c)(4) (Condition
3 of Appendix A to 40 CFR part 194). The EPA's approval process for
waste generator sites is described in Sec. 194.8. As part of EPA's
decision-making process, the DOE is required to submit to EPA
appropriate documentation of quality assurance and waste
characterization programs at each DOE waste generator site seeking
approval for shipment of TRU radioactive waste to WIPP. In accordance
with Sec. 194.8, EPA will place such documentation in the official Air
Docket in Washington, D.C., and informational dockets in the State of
New Mexico for public review and comment.
EPA inspected certain waste characterization processes at RFETS on
June 22-26, 1998. At the time of EPA's inspection, RFETS was using
these processes to characterize waste that DOE categorizes as debris
waste. DOE is proposing to characterize a different category of waste,
called salt residues, using processes at RFETS that EPA did not
previously inspect. DOE also is proposing to use a repackaging process
for LECO crucibles, a type of debris waste. EPA will conduct a
inspection of RFETS to verify that these additional processes comply
with 40 CFR 194.24.
EPA has placed three documents pertinent to the inspection in the
public dockets described in ADDRESSES. The documents are entitled: (1)
``Transuranic Waste Management Manual, Rev. 2,'' (2) ``RFETS TRU Waste
Characterization Program Quality Assurance Project Plan,'' and (3)
``Salt Residue Stabilization, Building 707 Process Control/
Qualification Plan.'' The first two documents are revised
[[Page 14419]]
versions of documents placed in the docket prior to the June 1998
inspection (Docket A-98-49, Items II-A2-1 and II-A2-2). In accordance
with 40 CFR 194.8, as amended by the final certification decision, EPA
is providing the public 30 days to comment on the document.
If EPA determines as a result of the inspection that the proposed
systems and processes at RFETS can adequately characterize transuranic
waste, we will notify DOE by letter and place the letter in the
official Air Docket in Washington, DC, as well as in the informational
docket locations in New Mexico. A letter of approval will allow the DOE
to ship from RFETS the TRU waste that may be characterized using the
approved processes. The EPA will not make a determination of compliance
prior to the inspection or before the 30-day comment period has closed.
Information on the certification decision is filed in the official
EPA Air Docket, Docket No. A-93-02 and is available for review in
Washington, DC, and at the three EPA WIPP informational docket
locations in New Mexico. The dockets in New Mexico contain only major
items from the official Air Docket in Washington, DC, plus those
documents added to the official Air Docket since the October 1992
enactment of the WIPP LWA.
Dated: March 18, 1999.
Robert D. Brenner,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 99-7331 Filed 3-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
