[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42151-42152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20083]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio
Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] and in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508), the Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for disposal of reactor plants from U.S. Navy cruisers, OHIO
Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. The Department of
Energy is participating as a cooperating agency and may adopt the
Environmental Impact Statement, if appropriate, to fulfill its
environmental review obligations under NEPA.
The Department of the Navy invites public comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and will hold public hearings on the
document.
DATES: The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement ends on October 10, 1995. Written comments regarding the
document should be postmarked by this date to ensure consideration in
preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Comments sent
after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Four
public hearings (which will also serve as informational meetings), will
be held on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: September 18 in
Bremerton, Washington; September 19 in Portland, Oregon; September 20
in Seattle, Washington; and September 21 in Richland, Washington.
Locations for these meetings are identified below.
ADDRESSES: Addresses for the public meeting locations are provided
below. Written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement,
requests for copies of the document, and requests for further
information should be directed to Mr. John Gordon (Code 1160), Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, Washington
98314-5001, telephone (360)476-7111.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scope of the Draft EIS
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes the alternative
ways for disposing of decommissioned, defueled, reactor compartments
from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers (BAINBRIDGE, TRUXTUN, LONG
BEACH, CALIFORNIA Class and VIRGINIA Class) and submarines (LOS ANGELES
and OHIO Classes). The total number of reactor compartments in these
classes is expected to be approximately 100. A disposal method for the
defueled reactor compartment is needed when a nuclear-powered ship no
longer has sufficient military value to justify its continued
maintenance, or it is no longer needed. For disposal, the ship can be:
(1) placed in protective storage for an extended period followed by
permanent disposal or recycling; or (2) prepared for permanent disposal
or recycling.
The alternatives examined in detail in the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement are the preferred alternative--land burial of the
entire defueled reactor compartment at the Department of Energy Low-
Level Waste Burial Grounds at Hanford, Washington; the no action
alternative--protective waterborne storage for an indefinite period;
disposal and reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor compartments;
and indefinite storage above ground at Hanford.
Several other alternatives are examined in limited detail. These
alternatives include sea disposal; land disposal of entire reactor
compartments at other sites; and permanent above ground disposal of
entire defueled reactor compartments at Hanford.
Public Scoping Process
On February 24, 1994 the Department of the Navy published a Notice
of Intent (59 FR 8915) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser OHIO, and LOS ANGELES
Class Naval Reactor Plants. Subsequently, the Navy held five public
scoping meetings at the following locations:
Bremerton, Washington, March 10, 1994;
Richland, Washington, March 11, 1994;
Olympia, Washington, March 12, 1994;
Portland, Oregon, March 15, 1994; and
Portsmouth, Virginia, March 17, 1994.
The Navy received oral and written comments from individuals and
organizations during the scoping process. All of those comments were
considered during preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement.
Background Information
Navy reactor plants constructed prior to the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN
688) (referred to as pre-LOS ANGELES Class submarines) share many
common design characteristics with reactor plants from cruisers, OHIO
Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. Pre-LOS ANGELES
Class submarine reactor compartments are currently being disposed of at
the Department of Energy Hanford Site in Eastern Washington by the
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, consistent with
the Secretary of the Navy's 1984 Record of Decision on disposal of
decommissioned, defueled Naval submarine reactor plants. This method of
disposal is the preferred alternative for disposal of reactor
compartments from cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class
submarines because it has minimal environmental impacts and appears to
be preferable from an environmental standpoint to other alternatives.
Except for sea disposal, no new legislation or Congressional action
would be required to implement any of these alternatives. In all of the
alternatives considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
there would be no spent nuclear fuel left in the reactor compartments;
all the spent nuclear fuel would be removed before disposal. Management
of the naval spent nuclear fuel has been addressed in a separate
Department of Energy Environmental Impact Statement. Nevertheless,
there would be some other radioactive materials left within the reactor
compartments, and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluates
disposal of these residual materials. Types of U.S. Navy nuclear-
powered ships that are not expected to be decommissioned in the next 20
years (e.g., aircraft carriers, SEAWOLF Class submarines) are not
included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to
various federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, elected
officials, and special interest groups. Requests for copies of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be directed to the address
listed above. In addition, copies of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement and comments received during scoping are
[[Page 42152]]
also available for public inspection in the following libraries:
Kitsap County Public Library, Main Branch, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton,
Washington, (360)377-7601
Public Reading Room for U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations
Office, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, 100 Sprout Road, Room
130 West, Richland, Washington, (509)376-8583
Suzallo Library, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,
(206)543-9158
Multnomah County Library, 801 Southwest 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon,
(503)248-5234
Information Meetings and Public Hearings
The Department of the Navy will hold public hearings to inform the
public of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and to solicit
comments. Hearings will be held at the following locations:
September 18, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
Bremerton, Washington, Bremerton High School, Performing Arts
Center, 1500 13th St.
September 19, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
Portland, Oregon, Red Lion Inn, Jantzen Beach, 909 N. Hayden Island
Dr.
September 20, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
Seattle, Washington, H.M. Jackson Fed. Bldg, 915 2nd Ave.
September 21, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
Richland, Washington, Shiloh Inn, Rivershore (O'Callahan's), 50
Comstock
The hearings will be conducted by the Navy. Federal, state, tribal
and local agencies and interested parties are invited to attend or be
represented at the hearings. All statements, both oral and written,
will become part of the public record. Equal weight will be given to
both oral and written comments.
Dated: August 3, 1995.
Michael A. Waters,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-20083 Filed 8-14-95; 8:45 am]
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