80 FR 80348 - Preferred Alternative for Certain Quantities of Plutonium Evaluated in the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 247 (December 24, 2015)

The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) is announcing its Preferred Alternative for the disposition of certain quantities of surplus plutonium evaluated in the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Final SPD Supplemental EIS) (DOE/EIS-0283-S2, April 2015). Among the potential actions considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/NNSA analyzed the potential environmental impacts for the disposition of 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs and 6 metric tons (6.6 tons) of surplus non- pit plutonium. With regard to the 6 metric tons (MT) of surplus non-pit plutonium, DOE/NNSA's Preferred Alternative is to prepare this plutonium for eventual disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a geologic repository for disposal of Transuranic (TRU) \1\ waste generated by atomic energy defense activities. DOE/NNSA may issue a Record of Decision (ROD), containing its decision(s) for disposition of this quantity of material, no sooner than 30 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80348-80349]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32440]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Preferred Alternative for Certain Quantities of Plutonium 
Evaluated in the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Preferred Alternative.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security 
Administration (DOE/NNSA) is announcing its Preferred Alternative for 
the disposition of certain quantities of surplus plutonium evaluated in 
the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (Final SPD Supplemental EIS) (DOE/EIS-0283-S2, April 
2015). Among the potential actions considered in the Final SPD 
Supplemental EIS, DOE/NNSA analyzed the potential environmental impacts 
for the disposition of 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) of surplus 
plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned, including 7.1 
metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were declared excess 
to national defense needs and 6 metric tons (6.6 tons) of surplus non-
pit plutonium. With regard to the 6 metric tons (MT) of surplus non-pit 
plutonium, DOE/NNSA's Preferred Alternative is to prepare this 
plutonium for eventual disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 
(WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a geologic repository for disposal of 
Transuranic (TRU) \1\ waste generated by atomic energy defense 
activities. DOE/NNSA may issue a Record of Decision (ROD), containing 
its decision(s) for disposition of this quantity of material, no sooner 
than 30 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.
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    \1\ Transuranic (TRU) waste is waste that contains alpha 
particle-emitting radionuclides with atomic numbers greater than 
that of uranium (92) and half-lives greater than 20 years in 
concentrations greater than 100 nanocuries per gram of waste.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Final SPD Supplemental EIS may be obtained by 
contacting: Ms. Sachiko McAlhany, NEPA Document Manager, SPD 
Supplemental EIS at [email protected]. The Final SPD 
Supplemental EIS and its Notice of Availability can be viewed at http://nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/spdsupplementaleis or on the DOE NEPA Web site at 
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http://energy.gov/nepa/nepa-documents.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the Final 
SPD Supplemental EIS, contact Ms. Sachiko McAlhany as listed in 
ADDRESSES. For general information regarding the DOE NEPA process, 
contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 
Compliance, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0103, Telephone 202-586-4600 or leave a message at 
1-800-472-2756, Email: ask [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0283-S2, April 2015), DOE/NNSA

[[Page 80349]]

analyzed the potential environmental impacts for the No Action 
Alternative and four action alternatives for disposition of 13.1 metric 
tons (MT) of surplus plutonium, of which the 6 MT of non-pit plutonium 
is a subset (Final SPD Supplemental EIS Summary, figure S-7). The four 
action alternatives that are applicable to the surplus non-pit 
plutonium are described in section S.9.2 of the Final SPD Supplemental 
EIS.
    The scope of this notice pertains only to the 6 MT of surplus non-
pit plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned. DOE/NNSA 
has no Preferred Alternative, at this time, for other potential actions 
considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. Specifically, DOE/NNSA 
has no Preferred Alternative for the disposition of the remaining 7.1 
MT of surplus plutonium from pits, nor does it have a Preferred 
Alternative among the pathways analyzed for providing the capability to 
disassemble surplus pits and convert the plutonium from pits to a form 
suitable for disposition.

Preferred Alternative for Non-Pit Plutonium

    DOE/NNSA's Preferred Alternative with regard to the disposition of 
6 MT of surplus non-pit plutonium is to prepare this plutonium for 
eventual disposal at WIPP in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a geologic 
repository for disposal of TRU waste generated by atomic energy defense 
activities. This would allow the DOE/NNSA to continue progress on the 
disposition of surplus weapon usable plutonium in furtherance of the 
policies of the United States to ensure that surplus plutonium is never 
used in a nuclear weapon, and to remove surplus plutonium from the 
State of South Carolina. Surplus non-pit plutonium would be prepared 
and packaged at the Savannah River Site (SRS) using H-Canyon/HB-line 
and/or K-Area facilities to meet the WIPP waste acceptance criteria and 
all other applicable regulatory requirements and would be temporarily 
stored in E-Area at SRS until shipped. Shipments of this surplus 
plutonium to WIPP would not commence until WIPP is fully operational, 
and would be placed in the appropriate place in any queue of material 
to be shipped to WIPP.
    DOE/NNSA may issue a ROD containing its plan for disposition of the 
6 MT of surplus non-pit plutonium analyzed in Final SPD Supplemental 
EIS no sooner than 30 days from the date of publication of this notice 
in the Federal Register.

    Issued at Washington, DC on December 18, 2015.
Frank G. Klotz,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-32440 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
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