96-12824. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization, Hanford Site, Richland, Benton County, Washington

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25655-25656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12824]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Plutonium Finishing 
Plant Stabilization, Hanford Site, Richland, Benton County, Washington

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations 
Office, announces the availability of the Plutonium Finishing Plant 
Stabilization Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0244-F). 
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-
1508), and DOE's Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021). The 
continued presence of relatively large quantities of chemically 
reactive materials in their present form and location within the 
Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Facility poses an unacceptable long-
term risk to workers, the public, and the environment. DOE has 
identified the need to expeditiously and safely reduce radiation 
exposure to workers and the risk to the public; reduce future resources 
needed to safely manage the facility; and remove, stabilize, store, and 
manage plutonium, pending DOE's future use and disposition decisions.
    DOE's preferred alternative is removal of readily retrievable 
plutonium bearing material in hold-up at the PFP Facility and 
stabilization of these and other plutonium-bearing materials at the PFP 
Facility through the following four treatment processes: 1) ion 
exchange, vertical calcination and thermal stabilization of solutions; 
2) thermal stabilization of oxides, fluorides, and process residues in 
a continuous furnace; 3) repackaging of metals and alloys; and 4) 
pyrolysis of polycubes and combustibles. In addition, DOE is evaluating 
other alternatives for stabilizing or immobilizing these materials as 
well as a ``no action'' alternative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for copies or questions 
concerning the PFP Stabilization EIS should be directed to: Mr. Ben F. 
Burton, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Attn: 
PFP Stabilization EIS, P.O. Box 550, MSIN B1-42, Richland, Washington 
99352, [phone].
    For general information on DOE's EIS process and other matters 
related to NEPA, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office 
of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, S.W.,Washington, DC 20585, [phone] or (800) 
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background, Purpose and Need for Agency Action. In the late 1980s, 
the halt in the production of weapons-grade plutonium froze the 
existing PFP Facility manufacturing pipeline in a state that was 
unsuited for long-term storage. On January 24, 1994, the Secretary of 
Energy commissioned a comprehensive assessment to identify and 
prioritize the environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities that 
arise from the storage of plutonium in DOE facilities and determine 
which are the most dangerous and urgent. The DOE-wide assessment, 
commonly referred to as The Plutonium Vulnerability Study, identified 
environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities at the PFP Facility. 
These included storage of unstable forms of plutonium, a potential for 
criticality accidents, and seismic weaknesses.
    Scoping. A Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS and hold public 
scoping meetings in Spokane, Richland, and Bellevue, Washington, and 
Hood River and Portland, Oregon, was published by DOE in the Federal 
Register on October 27, 1994. A subsequent Notice of Intent was 
published by DOE in the Federal Register on November 23, 1994, 
announcing additional meetings in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, 
Washington. The Notice of Intent invited oral and written comments and 
suggestions on the proposed scope of the EIS, including environmental 
issues and alternatives, and invited public participation in the NEPA 
process. Overall, scoping comments were received that assisted in 
identifying major issues for subsequent in-depth analysis in the Draft 
EIS. As a result of the scoping process, an Implementation Plan for the 
PFP Stabilization EIS was developed to provide guidance for preparing 
the Draft EIS and record the results of the scoping process.
    Public Hearing. On December 5, 1995, a Notice of Availability was 
published in the Federal Register (60 FR 62244) which formally 
announced the release and availability of the Draft EIS. The public 
hearing date, time, and location were also published and public comment 
was requested. A public meeting on the Draft EIS. The public hearing 
date, time, and location were also published and public comment was 
requested. A public meeting on the Draft EIS was held in Pasco, 
Washington, on January 11, 1996. While the comment period officially 
ended on January 23, 1996, DOE accepted comments through February 15, 
1996. Both oral and written comments were received during the comment 
period.
    Notice of Limited Reopening of Public Comment Period. On May 3, 
1996, a Notice of Limited Reopening of Public Comment Period was 
published in the Federal Register (61 FR 19914) which formally 
announced the release and availability of a supplementary alternative 
which involves immobilization of a portion of the inventory of the 
plutonium-bearing materials in cement at the PFP Facility. Comments on 
the analysis of potential impacts described in the supplementary 
information have been solicited during a 21-day comment period that 
will end May 24, 1996. Comments received will be considered in the 
preparation of the Record of Decision.
    Availability of Finals EIS: Copies of the Final EIS have been 
distributed to Federal, state, and local officials and agencies, as 
well as organizations and individuals known to be interested in or 
affected by the proposed project. Additional copies may be obtained by 
contacting Mr. Burton as provided in the section of this notice 
entitled
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Copies of the Final EIS, including 
appendices and reference material will be available for public review 
at the locations listed below. Comments received in response to this 
Federal Register notice will be considered in the preparation of the 
Record of Decision.

U.S. Department of Energy, Headquarters, Freedom of Information Reading 
Room, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585, [phone]

[[Page 25656]]

U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, Washington State University, Tri-Cities 
Branch, 100 Sprout Road, Richland, WA 99352, [phone],
Government Publications, University of Washington, Suzzallo Library, 
Box 352900, 15th Avenue NE., and Campus Parkway, Seattle, WA 98185-
2900, [phone]
Gonzaga University, Foley Center, East 502 Boone Avenue, Spokane, WA 
99258, [phone]
Portland State University, Branford Price Millar Library, SW Harrison 
and Park, Portland, OR 97207, [phone].

    You may also receive a copy of the Final EIS by calling the Hanford 
Cleanup Hotline toll-free at 1-800-321-2008.

    Signed in Richland, Washington, this 10th day of May 1996, for 
the United States Department of Energy.
John D. Wagoner,
Manager, Richland Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 96-12824 Filed 5-21-96; 8:45 am]
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