Proposed Approval of the Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project

The Environmental Protection Agency ((EPA) or the Agency) is announcing the availability of, and soliciting public comment on, this proposed action. On August 8-10, 2017, the Agency conducted a baseline inspection of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP)'s transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), in accordance with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Compliance Criteria and Condition 3 of the EPA's initial May 13, 1998 WIPP certification, as amended. The inspection evaluated the technical adequacy of this program's characterization of contact- handled TRU debris and solid waste. The EPA is proposing to approve a new AMWTP baseline that includes the significant changes that have been implemented at INL since mid-2016. The TRU waste characterization program changes, particularly to the Acceptable Knowledge process, referred to as ``enhanced AK'', address deficiencies identified by the Department of Energy (DOE) as among the root causes of the February 2014 radiation release at the WIPP. The EPA's draft baseline inspection report is available for review in the public dockets listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. Until the EPA finalizes its baseline approval decision, the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) may not recertify the AMWTP's TRU waste characterization program and the AMWTP may not ship any TRU waste unless it meets the requirements of the June 2017 revisions to the DOE's WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria to the WIPP for disposal.