[ RadSafe ] Advance NOI To Prepare an EIS for the Disposal of Greater-Than-Class-C LLW

[Susan Gawarecki]

Advance Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Disposal of Greater-Than-Class-C Low-Level Radioactive Waste 

[Federal Register: May 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 90)]
[Notices]
[Page 24775-24778]

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is providing advance
notice of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the disposal of
Greater-Than-Class-C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generated
by activities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The
primary purpose of this EIS is to address the disposal of wastes with
concentrations greater than Class C, as defined in NRC regulations at
10 CFR part 61, resulting from NRC or Agreement State licensed
activities (hereafter referred to as NRC licensed activities). DOE also
plans to review its waste inventories with a view toward including
those wastes with characteristics similar to GTCC waste and which
otherwise do not have a path to disposal in the scope of the EIS, as
appropriate. DOE intends that this EIS will enable DOE to select any
new or existing disposal locations, facilities, and methods for
disposal of GTCC LLW and DOE waste with similar characteristics.

    The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985
(LLRWPAA) assigned to the Federal Government responsibility for the
disposal of GTCC radioactive waste. This EIS will evaluate alternative
locations and methods for disposal of these wastes. Potential disposal
locations include deep geologic disposal facilities; existing LLW
disposal facilities, both commercial and DOE; and new facilities at DOE
or other government sites, or on private land. Methods to be considered
include deep geologic disposal, greater confinement disposal
configurations, and enhanced near-surface disposal facilities.

    DOE is issuing this Advance Notice of Intent (ANOI), pursuant to 10
CFR 1021.311(b), in order to inform, and request early comments from,
the public and interested agencies about the proposed action, the
preliminary range of alternatives, and the potential issues related to
DOE's decisions for this category of waste. Following the issuance of
this ANOI, DOE intends to conduct further activities to collect updated
information from licensees and DOE sites on waste characteristics and
projections to support the EIS analysis. As part of that effort, DOE
may seek assistance from industry trade associations, Agreement States,
NRC, and other appropriate entities. DOE intends to invite the NRC and
the Environmental Protection Agency to participate as cooperating
agencies in the preparation of this EIS.

DATES: Comments on this ANOI are due June 10, 2005. <snip>

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments or suggestions on the scope of the
EIS and questions concerning the proposed project to: James Joyce,
Document Manager, Office of Federal Disposition Options (EM-13), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585-0119, Telephone (301) 903-2151, Fax: 301-903-3877, E-mail to:
james.joyce at em.doe.gov (use ``ANOI Comments'' for the subject).

More details at 
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/May/Day-11/i9397.htm