The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate options for managing and disposing of waste, selecting supplemental treatments, closing tanks, and closing the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) at Hanford.
Background
A January 9, 2006, legal settlement required USDOE to prepare the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement for the
What are the key points of the settlement?
- Expand the existing Tank Closure EIS, which was in development, and incorporate solid waste management decisions into the new EIS.
- Create a single integrated groundwater analysis that addresses cumulative impacts and waste types in the Hanford Solid Waste EIS.
- Use the Hanford Solid Waste EIS for limited decision making until the new EIS is complete.
- Continues Ecology’s designation as a cooperating agency in preparing the new EIS.
- Prohibit importation of offsite waste except as permitted in existing stipulations.
What are USDOE’s and Ecology’s roles in the new EIS?
For this EIS, USDOE is the Federal Lead Agency and Ecology is a Cooperating Agency. As the Lead Agency, the USDOE has the primary responsibility for preparing the EIS and the Record of Decision. The Lead Agency is responsible for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This entails conducting scoping, seeking technical expertise from other agencies, preparing or contracting preparation of the draft EIS, collecting comments, publishing the Final EIS and publishing the Record of Decision.
As a Cooperating Agency, Ecology participates closely with USDOE to provide advice and assistance, particularly in matters like requirements in the State’s Environmental Policy Act and regulatory impacts and requirements. Ecology may offer advice and assistance in other parts of the process, as agreed to by the USDOE. The specific roles and responsibilities of each agency are spelled out in the Memorandum of Understanding between USDOE and Ecology, which is available at Memorandum of Understanding.
Environmental Impact Statement
Final
- Final TC&WM EIS – December 2012
- DOE Federal Register Notice of Availability on Final TC&WM EIS – December 14, 2012
- Frequently Asked Questions (English) – Updated December 2012
- Frequently Asked Questions (Spanish) – Updated December 2012
Draft
- Draft TC&WM EIS Supplement Analysis - February 2012
- Draft Environmental Impact Statement - October 2009
- Frequently Asked Questions (English) - Updated January 2010
- Frequently Asked Questions (Spanish) - Updated January 2010
- Important Information Regarding Greater Than Class C (GTCC) Waste Disposal
- Federal Register Notice of Tank Closure & Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement public comment period extension until May 3, 2010
Draft EIS Hearing Transcripts
- January 26 - Richland, WA
- February 2 - Boise, ID
- February 9 - Hood River, OR
- February 10 - La Grande, OR
- February 22 - Portland, OR
- February 23 - Spokane, WA
- March 1 - Eugene, OR
- March 8 - Seattle, WA
Federal Register Notices
- EPA Federal Register Notice of Availability on Final TC&WM EIS – December 14, 2012
- Notice of Public Hearings (updated January 25, 2010)
- Draft Notice of Availability
- Modification of Preferred Alternatives
- EIS Notice of Intent
- Notice of Intent to Prepare the Tank Closure and Waste Management EIS for the Hanford Site, Richland, WA
- Notice to Extend EIS's Scoping Period and Reschedule Scoping Meetings
EIS Meeting Schedules
- Model Technical Review Group Meeting Schedule
- Public Information Outreach Plan
- Tank Closure & Waste Management EIS Workshop
QA Reports
- Report of the Review of the Hanford Tank Closure and Waste Management EIS Quality Assurance Follow up Dated November 2008
- Review of the Hanford Solid Waste EIS Data Quality, Control and Management Issues
- Review of the Hanford Tank Closure & Waste Management EIS
Scoping
- A Citizen's Guide Fact Sheet
- TC&WM EIS Impact Methodology
- MOU Between US DOE, and the WA State Ecology, for Development of the Hanford Site Tank Closure and Waste Management EIS
- Settlement Agreement re: Washington v. Bodman
- EIS Technical Guidance Document TC EIS Vadose Zone and Groundwater Revised Analyses
- Cost Report for Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives (Revision 6)
- HAB Advice #185 TC & WM EIS
- HAB Advice #212 TC & WM EIS
- MODFLOW Technical Review Group - September 2006 Meeting Summary
- MODFLOW Flow-Field Development: Technical Review Group Process and Results Report
- MOU between US DOE and US EPA Region X for Tank Closure and Waste Management EIS
Interim Action Environmental Assessment
