[Federal Register: October 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 197)]
[Notices]
[Page 58071-58074]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12oc07-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic
Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level
Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV and Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository
for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste
at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada--Nevada Rail Transportation
Corridor and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Rail Alignment
for the Construction and Operation of a Railroad in Nevada to a
Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) announces the
availability of two draft National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
documents related to its Yucca Mountain Project: Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at
Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada (DOE/EIS-0250F-S1D) (Draft
Repository SEIS), and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear
Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County,
Nevada--Nevada Rail Transportation Corridor (Draft Nevada Rail Corridor
SEIS) (DOE/EIS-0250F-S2D) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
a Rail Alignment for the Construction and Operation of a Railroad in
Nevada to a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada
(DOE/EIS-0369D) (Draft Rail Alignment EIS). The Department has prepared
these documents consistent with NEPA, the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10
CFR part 1021).
Nye County, Nevada, the location of the proposed Yucca Mountain
repository, participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of
the Draft Repository SEIS. The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Bureau of Land
Management, and the Surface Transportation Board participated as
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the Draft Nevada Rail
Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment EIS.
[[Page 58072]]
DOE invites interested parties to comment on the two documents
during a 90-day public comment period. During the public comment
period, DOE will hold eight public hearings at six locations in Nevada,
one location in California, and one location in Washington, DC, the
locations and times of which are described below.
DATES: The Department invites comments on the Draft Repository SEIS,
and the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment EIS
during the 90-day public comment period, which ends January 10, 2008.
Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent
practicable. Public hearings are described below in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
ADDRESSES: Requests for additional information on the Draft Repository
SEIS, or the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment
EIS should be directed to either: Dr. Jane Summerson or Mr. Lee Bishop,
EIS Office, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1551 Hillshire Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89134, or by
calling 1-800-967-3477 or faxing a request to 1-800-967-0739.
Written comments on the Draft Repository SEIS, and/or the Draft
Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment EIS may be submitted
to the EIS Office at the above address, by facsimile to 1-800-967-0739,
or via the Internet at http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone 202-586-4600,
or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 111(a)(4) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as
amended (NWPA), 42 U.S.C. 10131, states that the Federal Government has
the:
* * * responsibility to provide for the permanent disposal of
high-level radioactive waste and such spent nuclear fuel as may be
disposed of in order to protect the public health and safety and the
environment.
The NWPA directs the Secretary of Energy, if the Secretary decides
to recommend approval of the Yucca Mountain site for development of a
repository, to submit a final environmental impact statement with any
recommendation to the President. The Department prepared the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at
Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada (DOE/EIS-0250F) (Yucca Mountain
Final EIS) to fulfill that requirement.
On February 14, 2002, the Secretary transmitted his recommendation
(including the Yucca Mountain Final EIS) to the President for approval
of the Yucca Mountain site for development of the Nation's first
permanent geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel
and high-level radioactive waste. The President considered the site
qualified for application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) for construction authorization and recommended the site to the
U.S. Congress. Subsequently, on July 23, 2002, the President signed
into law (Pub. L. 107-200) a joint resolution of the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate designating the Yucca Mountain site
for development as a geologic repository for the disposal of spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The Department is
preparing an application for submittal to the NRC seeking authorization
to construct the repository, as required by the NWPA (Section 114(b)).
In the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE considered the potential
environmental impacts of a repository design for surface and subsurface
facilities; a range of canister packaging scenarios and repository
thermal operating modes; and plans for the construction, operation,
monitoring, and eventual closure of the repository. The Yucca Mountain
Final EIS also described and evaluated the transportation of spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from commercial and DOE
sites to the repository by two principal modes--mostly truck and mostly
rail. DOE recognized at that time that these repository design concepts
and operational plans would continue to develop during the design and
engineering process.
Since completion of the Yucca Mountain Final EIS in 2002, DOE has
continued to develop the repository design and associated construction
and operational plans. For example, as now proposed, the newly designed
surface and subsurface facilities would allow DOE to operate the
repository following a primarily canistered approach in which most
commercial spent nuclear fuel would be packaged at the reactor sites in
transportation, aging, and disposal (TAD) canisters. Any commercial
spent nuclear fuel arriving at the repository in packages other than
TAD canisters would be repackaged by DOE into TAD canisters in these
surface facilities at the repository. DOE would construct these
facilities over a period of several years (referred to as phased
construction) to accommodate the increase in spent nuclear fuel and
high-level radioactive waste receipt rates as repository operational
capability reaches its design capacity.
On October 13, 2006 (71 FR 60490), the Department issued a Notice
of Intent to prepare a supplement to the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, to
inform the public of the proposed scope of the Repository SEIS, to
solicit public input regarding the document's scope, and to announce
the schedule of scoping meetings that would be held. During the public
scoping period, which closed on December 12, 2006, DOE held four public
scoping meetings.
The Draft Repository SEIS evaluates a Proposed Action and a No
Action Alternative. Under the Proposed Action, DOE would construct,
operate, monitor, and eventually close a geologic repository at Yucca
Mountain for the disposal of up to 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal
(MTHM) of commercial and DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel and high-level
radioactive waste. Under the Proposed Action, most spent nuclear fuel
and high-level radioactive waste would be shipped from 72 commercial
and 4 DOE sites to the repository in NRC-certified transportation casks
placed on trains dedicated only to these shipments. Some shipments
would arrive at the repository by truck.
Under the No Action Alternative, DOE would terminate activities at
Yucca Mountain and undertake site reclamation to mitigate any
significant adverse environmental impacts.
Commercial nuclear power utilities and DOE would continue to manage
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at sites throughout
the United States.
Since issuance of the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE issued a Record
of Decision on April 8, 2004 (69 FR 18557) announcing its selection,
both nationally and in the State of Nevada, of the mostly rail scenario
analyzed in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS as the mode of transportation
for shipments of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to
the repository. Implementation of the mostly rail scenario ultimately
will require construction of a rail line to connect the repository site
at Yucca Mountain to an existing rail line in the State of Nevada. To
that end, in the same Record of Decision, the Department also selected
the Caliente rail corridor to study possible alignments for this
proposed rail line within Nevada.
[[Page 58073]]
Also on April 8, 2004 (69 FR 18565), DOE published a Notice of
Intent to prepare an EIS under NEPA for the alignment, construction,
and operation of a rail line for shipments of spent nuclear fuel, high-
level radioactive waste, and other materials related to the
construction and operation of a repository from a site near Caliente,
Nevada, to a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada (Rail
Alignment EIS; DOE/EIS-0369). The subsequent public scoping period
closed on June 1, 2004, during which time the Department held five
public scoping meetings.
During this public scoping period, DOE received comments suggesting
that other rail corridors should be considered, in particular, the Mina
route, which crosses the Walker River Paiute Tribe Reservation. In the
Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE had considered but eliminated the Mina
route from detailed study. The Department did not study the Mina route
in detail in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS because a rail line within
the Mina route could only connect to an existing rail line by crossing
the Walker River Paiute Reservation, and the Tribe had informed DOE
that it objected to the transportation of nuclear waste across its
Reservation. However, following review of the scoping comments, DOE
held discussions with the Tribe regarding the availability of the Mina
route for evaluation. In May 2006, the Tribal Council for the Walker
River Paiute Tribe informed DOE that it withdrew its objection to the
completion of an EIS for the transportation of nuclear waste across the
Walker River Paiute Reservation.
On October 13, 2006 (71 FR 60484), after a preliminary evaluation
of the feasibility of the Mina rail corridor, DOE amended its 2004
Notice of Intent and announced the Department's intent to expand the
scope of the Rail Alignment EIS to consider the potential environmental
impacts of constructing and operating a rail line within the Mina
corridor (corridor-level analysis) and, if warranted, to consider in
detail alignments for the construction and operation of a railroad
within the Mina corridor (in addition to alignments within the Caliente
corridor). The subsequent public scoping period closed on December 12,
2006, during which time the Department held eight public scoping
meetings.
The expanded EIS (now the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft
Rail Alignment EIS) is comprised of two parts. The Draft Nevada Rail
Corridor SEIS (DOE/EIS-0250F-S2D) supplements the Nevada rail corridor
analysis in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS by analyzing the potential
environmental impacts associated with constructing and operating a
railroad to connect the Yucca Mountain repository to an existing rail
line near Wabuska, Nevada (the Mina corridor). In it, DOE analyzes the
Mina corridor at a level of detail commensurate with that of the rail
corridor analysis in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS. DOE also analyzes a
No Action Alternative under which DOE would not construct and operate a
railroad within the Mina corridor. The Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS
also updates, as appropriate, the rail corridor analysis of the Yucca
Mountain Final EIS to identify any significant new circumstances or
information relevant to environmental concerns associated with rail
corridors analyzed previously (Carlin, Valley Modified, and Jean rail
corridors).
The Draft Rail Alignment EIS (DOE/EIS-0369D) analyzes the potential
environmental impacts associated with potential rail alignments within
the Caliente and Mina corridors, and analyzes constructing and
operating a railroad in Nevada to transport spent nuclear fuel, high-
level radioactive waste, and other Yucca Mountain project materials to
a repository at Yucca Mountain. As such, it tiers from the broader
corridor analysis in both the Yucca Mountain Final EIS and the Draft
Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS, consistent with CEQ regulations (see 40 CFR
1508.28). The Draft Rail Alignment EIS also analyzes a No Action
Alternative under which DOE would not determine an alignment nor
construct and operate a railroad within either the Caliente or Mina
corridors.
On April 17, 2007, the Tribal Council for the Walker River Paiute
Tribe passed a resolution withdrawing support for the Tribe's
participation in the preparation of the Draft Rail Corridor SEIS and
Draft Rail Alignment EIS. The Tribal Council's decision was based on a
review of information gathered to date and input from tribal members.
The Tribal Council's resolution also renewed the Tribe's past
objection to the transportation of nuclear waste through their
Reservation. Accordingly, DOE has identified the Mina Implementing
Alternative as ``nonpreferred'' in the Draft Rail Alignment EIS.
In the Draft Rail Alignment EIS, the Department identifies the
Caliente Implementing Alternative as its preferred alternative, and
identifies its preferred rail alignment as comprising the following
segments (starting in Caliente and ending at Yucca Mountain): Caliente
Alternative Segment, Common Segment 1, Garden Valley 1, Common Segment
2, South Reveille 3, Common Segment 3, Goldfield 3, Common Segment 4,
Bonnie Claire 3, Common Segment 5, Oasis Valley 1, and Common Segment
6. The location of these segments and the basis for DOE's preferences
are provided in the document. The Department also indicates in the
Draft Rail Alignment EIS that it prefers the Shared Use option, that
is, DOE would make its rail line available to commercial shippers for
shipments of general freight. The Department invites comments on its
preferred implementing alternative and associated preferred rail
alignment and on its preference to enable use of the rail line by
commercial shippers.
DOE, in the Draft Rail Alignment EIS, also evaluates three
potential locations along the Caliente Implementing Alternative for a
Staging Yard: Two along the Caliente alternative segment (referred to
as Indian Cove and Upland) and one along the Eccles alternative segment
(referred to as Eccles-North). The Staging Yard would be used to hold
railcars with spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and
to hold and sort railcars with construction and other materials. The
Department has not identified a preferred location for the Staging Yard
and invites comments that would help DOE identify a preferred location.
Other Agency Involvement
Nye County, Nevada, the location of the proposed Yucca Mountain
repository, participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of
the Draft Repository SEIS. The U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management, and the Surface Transportation Board are cooperating
agencies in the preparation of the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and
Rail Alignment EIS.
Public Hearings and Invitation To Comment
The public is invited to provide oral and written comments on the
Draft Repository SEIS, and/or Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft
Rail Alignment EIS during a 90-day public comment period. The comment
period begins with publication of this Notice of Availability in the
Federal Register and closes on January 10, 2008. Comments received
after this date will be considered to the extent practicable in the
preparation of both final NEPA documents.
DOE will hold eight public hearings on the Draft Repository SEIS,
and Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment EIS. The
hearings will be held at the following locations and times:
[[Page 58074]]
Hawthorne, Nevada. Hawthorne Convention Center, 932 E.
Street, November 13, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Caliente, Nevada. Caliente Youth Center, U.S. Highway 93,
November 15, 2007, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Reno/Sparks, Nevada. Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590
S. Virginia Street, November 19, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Town of Amargosa Valley, Nevada. Longstreet Inn & Casino,
Highway 373, November 26, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Goldfield, Nevada. Goldfield School Gymnasium, Hall &
Euclid, November 27, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Lone Pine, California. Statham Hall, 138 N. Jackson
Street, November 29, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Las Vegas, Nevada. Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd.,
December 3, 2007, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Washington, DC Marriott at Metro Center, 775 12th Street,
NW., December 5, 2007, from 2 to 5 p.m.
The public hearings will provide members of the public the
opportunity to provide oral comments on the record. Members of the
public who plan to present oral comments are asked to register in
advance by calling 1-800-225-6972; speakers also may register upon
arrival at the hearing location. The Department intends to allot five
minutes to each individual wishing to provide oral comments so as to
ensure that each registered individual has the opportunity to speak. If
time permits, more than five minutes will be allotted by the hearing
officer.
Prior to, and coincident with, the public hearings, members of the
public are invited to engage DOE representatives in one-on-one
discussions in an open-house format. Members of the public also may
offer comments in writing or in person (orally) to a DOE representative
in the presence of a court reporter during these discussions.
Comments on the Draft Repository SEIS, and/or Draft Nevada Rail
Corridor SEIS and Draft Rail Alignment EIS may be provided in writing,
by facsimile, or via the Internet to the EIS Office (see ADDRESSES
above).
Public Reading Rooms
Documents referenced in this Notice of Availability and related
information are available at the following locations: Esmeralda County
Yucca Mountain Oversight Office, 274 E. Crook Avenue, Goldfield, NV
89013, (775) 485-3419; Lincoln County Nuclear Waste Project Office, 100
Depot Avenue, Caliente, NV 89008, (775) 726-3511; Nye County Nuclear
Waste Repository Project Office, 1210 E. Basin Road, Suite 6,
Pahrump, NV 89060 (775) 727-7727; Pahrump Yucca Mountain Information
Center, 2341 Postal Drive, Pahrump, NV 89048, (775) 751-7480;
University of Nevada, Reno, The University of Nevada Libraries,
Business and Government Information Center, M/S 322, 1664 N. Virginia
Street, Reno, NV 89557, (775) 813-6496; and the U.S. Department of
Energy Headquarters Office Public Reading Room, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Room 1E-190 (ME-74) FORS, Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-
3142.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 9, 2007.
Edward F. Sproat, III,
Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management.
[FR Doc. E7-20135 Filed 10-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P