[Federal Register: January 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 13)]
[Notices]
[Page 3277-3278]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20ja06-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for
the Use of a More Efficient Shipping Container System for Spent Nuclear
Fuel From Naval Aircraft Carriers
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the Chief of Naval Operations
Environmental and Natural Resources Program Manual
[[Page 3278]]
(OPNAV Instruction 5090.1B), the Department of the Navy, Naval Nuclear
Propulsion Program, announces its intent to prepare an Environmental
Assessment (EA) on the potential environmental impacts associated with
using a more efficient shipping container system for spent nuclear fuel
to support refueling and defueling U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft
carriers at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (NNS) in
Virginia, and the associated rail shipment of this spent nuclear fuel
to the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) in Idaho for temporary storage.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to provide comments on
environmental issues and concerns relative to this NOI and the scope of
the EA, on or before February 21, 2006, to ensure full consideration
during the completion of the EA.
ADDRESSES: All comments should include name, organization, and mailing
address. Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Alan Denko (08U-
Naval Reactors), Naval Sea Systems Command, 1240 Isaac Hull Avenue, SE
Stop 8036, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376-8036. Comments provided by E-
Mail should use the following address: snfshippingcontainer@bettis.gov.
Comments provided via phone should use this number: 1-866-369-4802.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with the Record of Decision for
the April 1995 Department of Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Spent Nuclear Fuel Management, Naval spent nuclear
fuel is shipped by rail from refueling shipyards to NRF in shipping
containers meeting Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Department
of Transportation (DOT) requirements. These requirements provide for
public safety and protect the environment. A new shipping container
system is being proposed to provide improved support for the refueling
schedules and operational needs of the U.S. Navy fleet, while
continuing to provide for public safety and environmental protection.
The new shipping containers would be longer than existing containers
and could be used for any type of Naval spent nuclear fuel; however,
their primary function would be to transport aircraft carrier spent
nuclear fuel assemblies without disassembly of the spent nuclear fuel
from its non-fuel structural components. Elimination of this
disassembly operation at the shipyard would result in more efficient
defueling/refueling operations, which are necessary to meet the current
refueling schedules for the fleet in support of national defense. The
aircraft carrier spent nuclear fuel assemblies would be loaded directly
into the new containers and shipped to NRF in Idaho for temporary
storage and processing, which includes examination, removal of non-fuel
structural components, and placement into canisters that are ready for
shipment to the geologic repository. This method of direct loading of
Naval spent nuclear fuel into shipping containers and removing non-fuel
structural components at NRF is the same processing approach used for
submarines.
The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program's conservative design
practices and stringent operating procedures have resulted in a
demonstrated safety record for Naval nuclear propulsion plants with
respect to operations, transportation, and handling of spent nuclear
fuel. There has never been an accident resulting in personnel injury or
release of radioactivity to the environment in over 1.5 million miles
traveled by the Naval spent fuel shipping containers. The new longer
shipping container would be designed to the same robust criteria and
Federal regulations as current Naval spent nuclear fuel shipping
containers. These regulations require that the shipping container meet
specific criteria for protection of the public and the environment
under normal transport as well as accident conditions. The new
container will meet the same high standards as existing shipping
containers with respect to minimizing radiation exposure to the public
and workers.
The increased length of the containers would require new railcars
capable of carrying containers in a horizontal position, versus the
vertical position used for current container designs. The new railcars
and containers would meet NRC and DOT regulations and provide
equivalent safety to existing design railcars and containers used for
transporting Naval spent nuclear fuel.
Construction of a new facility at NNS to support loading the longer
shipping containers would be needed. Equipment used to remove and
transfer the spent nuclear fuel assemblies from the ship to the new
shipping container would be the same as that currently used for
aircraft carrier defueling/refueling operations.
No new facilities would be needed at NRF, but minor facility
modifications would be required to support unloading of the new
containers and to allow for scheduled return of the containers to NNS.
The return of the emptied shipping containers to NNS is needed to
support defueling/refueling schedules and to minimize the number of
containers that must be procured and maintained. To support container
turnaround, the Navy is evaluating the option of increasing spent fuel
receiving capability at NRF to include temporary dry storage of spent
nuclear fuel prior to processing. The fuel would be stored in concrete
shielded overpacks in the temporary dry storage building. Operations
for temporary dry storage of spent nuclear fuel prior to processing
would be similar to current NRF operations for temporary dry storage
after processing.
The EA will evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the
new container, construction of a new shipping container loading
facility at NNS, loading the shipping containers with Naval spent
nuclear fuel at NNS, and transport from the shipyard to NRF. The EA
will evaluate the modification of facilities at NRF, unloading the
spent nuclear fuel assemblies, temporary dry storage, disassembly of
the spent nuclear fuel from its non-fuel structural components, and
disposal of the non-fuel structural components. The environmental
impacts associated with these operations are expected to be similar to
those associated with the use of existing shipping container systems.
Use of the proposed new container system will not impact continued
compliance with the 1995 Settlement Agreement between the U.S. Navy and
the State of Idaho concerning the management of Naval spent nuclear
fuel.
The EA will also address the viability of alternative actions to
the proposed action to use the new longer shipping container system.
These alternatives include (1) Changing the aircraft carrier defueling/
refueling schedules, (2) increasing the facilities at the refueling
shipyard, (3) procurement of additional shipping containers of the
existing design, (4) performing some activities at other facilities,
and (5) the no action alternative, continuing to use the existing
shipping containers.
Dated: January 6, 2006.
Eric McDonald,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-289 Filed 1-19-06; 8:45 am]
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