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19432
Federal Register
/Vol. 67, No. 76/Friday, April 19, 2002/Notices
Publisher:
The test publisher and theaddress, contact person, telephone, andfax number of the test publisher are:CTB/McGraw-Hill, 20 Ryan RanchRoad, Monterey, California 93940
–
5703, Contact: Ms. VeronikaHenderson, Telephone: (831) 393
–
7363, Fax: (831) 393
–
7142.
7. Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)
—
Verbal Forms VS
– 
1 & VS
– 
2,Quantitative Forms QS
– 
1 & QS
– 
2Passing scores:
The approved passingscores on this test are as follows:Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210).
Publisher:
The test publisher and theaddress, contact person, telephone, andfax number of the test publisher are:Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc., 1509 N.Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL60048
–
1380, Contact: Mr. Victor S.Artese, Telephone: (800) 323
–
3742,Fax: (847) 680
–
9492.
8. American College Testing (ACT)Assessment: (English and Math)Passing Scores:
The approved passingscores on this test are as follows:English (14) and Math (15).
Publisher:
The test publisher and theaddress, contact person, telephone, andfax number of the test publisher are:American College Testing (ACT),Placement Assessment Programs,2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact:Dr. James Maxey, Telephone: (319)337
–
1100, Fax: (319) 337
–
1790.
9. Combined English Language SkillsAssessment (CELSA), Forms 1 and 2Passing Scores:
The approved passingscores on this test are as follows:CELSA Form 1 (90) and CELSA Form2 (90).
Publisher:
The test publisher and theaddress, contact person, telephone, andfax number of the test publisher are:Association of Classroom TeacherTesters (ACTT), 1187 Coast VillageRoad, PMB 378, Montecito, California93108
–
2794, Contact: PabloBuckelew, Telephone: (805) 569
–
0734, Fax: (805) 569
–
0004.
Electronic Access to This Document
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–
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Note:
The official version of this documentis the document published in the
FederalRegister
. Free Internet access to the officialedition of the
Federal Register
and the Codeof Federal Regulations is available on GPOAccess at:
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Program Authority:
20 U.S.C. 1091(d).Dated: April 16, 2002.
John Reeves,
Acting Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 02
–
9666 Filed 4
–
18
–
02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000
 –
01
 –
P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYSurplus Plutonium DispositionProgram
AGENCY
:
Department of Energy, NationalNuclear Security Administration.
ACTION
:
Amended Record of Decision.
SUMMARY
:
The U.S. Department of Energy
’
s National Nuclear SecurityAdministration (DOE/NNSA) isamending the Records of Decision(RODs) for the
Storage and Dispositionof Weapons-Usable Fissile MaterialsFinal Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(Storage andDisposition PEIS) and
SurplusPlutonium Disposition Environmental Impact Statement 
(SPD EIS).Specifically, DOE/NNSA is announcingthe following three revisions to thedecisions contained in those RODs: (1)Cancellation of the immobilizationportion of the disposition strategiesannounced in those RODs due to budgetary constraints, (2) selection of the alternative of immediateimplementation of consolidated long-term storage at the Savannah River Site(SRS) of surplus non-pit plutonium nowstored separately at the Rocky FlatsEnvironmental Technology Site (RFETS)and SRS, and (3) adjustment in themanner in which surplus plutoniumpits will be stored at the Pantex Plant(Pantex). Cancellation of theimmobilization facility and selection of this storage alternative remove the basisfor the contingency contained inprevious RODs conditioning transport of non-pit surplus plutonium from RFETSto SRS for storage on the selection of SRS as the site for the immobilizationfacilities, and those RODs are soamended. DOE will notify the Congressand consult with the Governor of SouthCarolina before shipping plutonium toSRS, in accordance with The NationalDefense Authorization Act for FiscalYear 2002.Under this amended ROD, DOE/NNSA will continue to store surplusplutonium pits at Pantex in the facilitywhere they are currently located ratherthan transfer the pits to a differentfacility at the same site, as announcedin the Storage and Disposition PEISROD.In response to a statutory directive,DOE/NNSA has submitted to Congress areport on a strategy for the disposal of surplus plutonium currently located at,or to be shipped to SRS. That strategyinvolves converting this plutonium to amixed-oxide (MOX) fuel and irradiatingit in commercial power reactors. DOE/NNSA is currently evaluating thechanges to the MOX fuel portion of thesurplus plutonium disposition programnecessitated by this strategy, includingthe need for additional environmentalreviews pursuant to the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA). Nofinal decisions regarding the MOXportion of the program will be madeuntil these reviews are completed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Forfurther information concerning thedisposition of surplus plutonium or thisamended ROD, contact Hitesh Nigam,Deputy NEPA Compliance Officer,Office of Fissile Materials Disposition,National Nuclear SecurityAdministration, 1000 IndependenceAvenue, SW, Washington DC, 20585,800
–
820
–
5134. Additional informationregarding the DOE/NNSA FissileMaterials Disposition Program isavailable on the Internet at
http:// www.doe-md.com
(when accessible).For further information concerningDOE
’
s NEPA process, contact: Ms. CarolBorgstrom, Director, Office of NEPAPolicy and Compliance (EH
–
42), U.S.Department of Energy, 1000Independence Avenue, SW,Washington, DC 20585. Telephone (202)586
–
4600, or leave a message at 1
–
800
–
472
–
2756.Additional information regarding theDOE NEPA process and activities is alsoavailable on the Internet through theNEPA home page at
http:// tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
I. Background
A. Historical Context for the Decisionson the Plutonium Storage and Disposition Program Announced in ThisAmended ROD 
The end of the Cold War created alegacy of surplus weapons-usable fissilematerials in both the United States andRussia. The United States and Russiahave been working together to reduce
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19433
Federal Register
/Vol. 67, No. 76/Friday, April 19, 2002/Notices
1
To accommodate the potential declaration of additional surplus materials in the future.
2
Weapons-usable plutonium is plutonium informs (
e.g.,
metals or oxides) that can be readilyconverted for use in nuclear weapons. Weapons-grade, fuel-grade and power reactor-gradeplutonium are all weapons-usable.
3
Weapons-grade plutonium is plutonium with anisotopic ratio of plutonium 240 to plutonium 239of no more than 0.10.
the threat of nuclear weaponsproliferation worldwide byimplementing programs fordispositioning surplus plutonium in asafe, secure, environmentallyacceptable, and timely manner. Russiaand the United States have issuednumerous statements and agreements tothis effect since the mid-1990
’
s. Themost recent is the Agreement betweenthe Government of the United States of America and the Government of theRussian Federation Concerning theManagement and Disposition of Plutonium Designated as No LongerRequired for Defense Purposes andRelated Cooperation signed inSeptember, 2000. This agreementprovides that the United States andRussia will each dispose of 34 t of 
‘‘
weapons-grade
’’
plutonium, andallows for disposition either byimmobilization, or by MOX fuelfabrication and subsequent irradiation.One purpose of DOE/NNSA
’
s SurplusPlutonium Disposition Program is tohelp implement this agreement.However, in addition to achieving theultimate goal of permanent dispositionof surplus plutonium materials, DOEindependently needs to improve theconfiguration of the storage system forthese materials, pending disposition.These improvements will allow DOE tosignificantly reduce storage costs,expedite closure and cleanup of sitesand facilities in its nuclear complex,and enhance the security of thesematerials.DOE
’
s Office of Fissile MaterialsDisposition (now part of NNSA) hasprepared a number of NEPA documentsregarding the United States
’
SurplusPlutonium Disposition Program. TheStorage and Disposition PEIS (DOE/EIS
–
0229, December 1996) evaluatedalternative strategies and locations bothfor long-term storage (up to 50 years)and for disposition of weapons-usablefissile materials. Among the alternativesanalyzed in that PEIS was consolidatedlong-term storage at each of fourcandidate sites.The SPD EIS (DOE/EIS
–
0283,November 1999), which tiered from theStorage and Disposition PEIS, evaluatedsite-specific alternatives for theconstruction and operation of threefacilities for disposition of up to 50 t
1
of surplus weapons-usable
2
(weapons-grade
3
and non-weapons-grade)plutonium. These three facilities wouldhave performed, respectively, pitdisassembly and conversion, plutoniumimmobilization, and MOX fuelfabrication. The SPD EIS also evaluatedthe use of six domestic commercialreactors for irradiation of MOX fuel.
B. Previous Decisions on the SurplusPlutonium Disposition Program
•
In the initial ROD for the Storageand Disposition PEIS (62 FR 3014, January 21, 1997), DOE made two setsof decisions, one addressed todisposition of surplus plutonium andone addressed to storage of thismaterial. With regard to disposition,DOE determined, consistent with thePreferred Alternative analyzed in theStorage and Disposition PEIS, to pursuea hybrid approach that would haveallowed for the immobilization of surplus plutonium for eventual disposalin a geologic repository pursuant to theNuclear Waste Policy Act, and use of MOX fuel in existing, domestic,commercial reactors, with subsequentdisposal of the spent fuel in a geologicrepository. This hybrid approach wasselected to provide insurance againsttechnical or institutional uncertaintiesthat could arise from a single-technology approach for disposition.DOE selected this approach for theincreased flexibility it provided byensuring that plutonium dispositioncould still be initiated promptly shouldone of the approaches ultimately fail or be delayed. In selecting the hybridapproach, DOE established a means forexpeditious plutonium disposition thatprovided the basis for an internationalcooperative effort to achieve reciprocal,irreversible plutonium dispositionactions by Russia.In addition, with regard to storage,DOE decided in the January 21, 1997ROD to reduce the number of locationswhere the various forms of surplusplutonium were stored. To accomplishthis, DOE decided to move surplusplutonium from RFETS as soon aspossible, transporting pits to Pantex beginning in 1997. Non-pit plutoniummaterials would be separated andstabilized, and then transported to SRS.The January 21, 1997 ROD madetransport of non-pit surplus plutoniummaterials from the RFETS to SRScontingent on DOE selecting SRS as thesite for the immobilization facility in asubsequent ROD. After transport, thenon-pit materials would be stored atSRS in a new facility, the ActinidePackaging and Storage Facility (APSF),pending disposition.DOE further decided in the January21, 1997 ROD to upgrade storagefacilities in Zone 12 South at Pantex (to be completed by 2004) to store surpluspits already stored at Pantex andsurplus pits from RFETS, pendingdisposition. Storage facilities in Zone 4at Pantex would continue to be used forthese pits prior to completion of theZone 12 upgrade.
•
To support early closure of RFETS,DOE subsequently issued an amendedROD for the Storage and DispositionPEIS (63 FR 43386, August 13, 1998)that revised some of these decisions.The amended ROD announced DOE
’
sdecision to accelerate shipment of allnon-pit surplus plutonium from RFETSto SRS beginning in 2000, provided,again, that SRS was selected as theimmobilization site. To accommodatethe early receipt and storage of RFETSsurplus plutonium (i.e., beforecompletion of the APSF), DOE decidedto undertake modifications to Building105
–
K in the K-Area at SRS (also knownas the K-Area Materials Storage [KAMS]facility). Before issuing the amendedROD, DOE prepared a SupplementAnalysis (SA) pursuant to DOEprocedures implementing the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (10 CFR1021.314), Supplement Analysis forStoring Plutonium in the ActinidePackaging and Storage Facility andBuilding 105
–
K at the Savannah RiverSite, (DOE/EIS
–
0229
–
SA1). On the basisof that SA, DOE concluded that storagein KAMS would not result in asubstantial change in environmentalconcerns compared to storage in APSF.
•
In the ROD for the SPD EIS (65 FR1608, January 11, 2000), DOE decided toimplement the hybrid approach for thedisposition of up to 50 t of surplusplutonium (by fabricating up to 33 t intoMOX fuel and immobilizingapproximately 17 t), as described in thePreferred Alternative in the SPD EIS.SRS was selected as the location for allthree disposition facilities: A pitdisassembly and conversion facility (pitconversion facility), a plutoniumimmobilization facility, and a MOXfacility.
•
In an Amended ROD (66 FR 7888, January 26, 2001) for the EIS on InterimManagement of Nuclear Materials(October 1995, DOE/EIS
–
0220), DOEcanceled construction of the APSF because of cost growth and resourcelimitations. It was decided to useexisting facilities for storing surplusplutonium at SRS.
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19434
Federal Register
/Vol. 67, No. 76/Friday, April 19, 2002/Notices
II. Need To Change Surplus PlutoniumDisposition Program
A. Immobilization
The initial Storage and DispositionPEIS ROD noted that
‘‘
the timing andextent to which either or both of thesedisposition approaches (immobilizationor MOX) are ultimately deployed willdepend upon the results of futuretechnology development anddemonstrations, follow-on (tiered) site-specific environmental review, contractnegotiations, and detailed cost reviews,as well as nonproliferationconsiderations, and agreements withRussia and other nations.
’’
In 2001, theschedule for design, construction andoperation of the plutoniumimmobilization facility was delayedindefinitely due to budgetaryconstraints. DOE/NNSA is nowcanceling the immobilization program,including the immobilization facility.DOE/NNSA has evaluated its abilityto continue implementing twodisposition approaches and hasdetermined that in order to makeprogress with available funds, only oneapproach can be supported. Russia doesnot consider immobilization alone to bean acceptable approach becauseimmobilization, unlike the irradiation of MOX fuel, fails to degrade the isotopiccomposition of the plutonium. Russiahas contended that the United Statescould easily obtain plutonium byremoving it from the immobilized wasteform in the event of a desire to reuse theplutonium for nuclear weapons.Because selection of an immobilization-only approach would lead to loss of Russian interest in and commitment tosurplus plutonium disposition, DOE isof the view that if only one dispositionapproach is to be pursued, the MOXapproach rather than the immobilizationapproach is the preferable one.Accordingly, it is canceling theimmobilization portion of the dualdisposition strategies announced inprevious RODs.
B. Consolidated Long-Term Storage of Plutonium at SRS
Canceling the U.S. immobilizationprogram has caused DOE/NNSA toreevaluate the long-term storage needsof the DOE nuclear complex. Much of the non-pit surplus plutonium currentlystored at various sites in the complexwas originally destined forimmobilization. DOE/NNSA isexamining alternative disposition pathsfor this material, including use as MOXfuel (
see
II.D, below). In the meantime,however, DOE needs to move forwardwith consolidated storage of some of this material, which serves independentobjectives. In particular, DOE mustconsolidate the plutonium in order toclose and clean up facilities and sites inthe complex. In the case of RFETS, theschedule for site closure and cleanup isgoverned by an agreement between DOEand state regulators. Shipments fromRFETS must begin soon in order tomaintain that schedule. While thematerial is being safely and securelystored at all locations, consolidatedstorage of this material as RFETS ismoving toward closure would affordDOE the opportunity to further improvethe security of the material and at thesame time achieve cost savings.Long-term storage of surplusplutonium and the ultimate dispositionof that plutonium are separate actions,and these actions were addressedseparately in the Storage andDisposition PEIS. Alternatives foraccomplishing each action wereanalyzed. While previous RODs thatwere issued based on that PEIScombined these two actions, suchcombination was not required toimplement either decision, and indeedserved no significant programmaticobjective. The Storage and DispositionPEIS analyzed long-term storage at eachof four sites: The Hanford Reservation(Hanford), the Idaho NationalEngineering Laboratory (now the IdahoNational Engineering andEnvironmental Laboratory [INEEL]),Pantex and SRS. In this amended ROD,DOE/NNSA is modifying the earlierRODs to select the option of long-termstorage of non-pit plutonium at SRS onits own merits.DOE has reviewed the Storage andDisposition PEIS and relatedSupplement Analyses and hasdetermined that the analyses remainvalid for the decisions announcedherein.This decision affects only the non-pitsurplus plutonium located at RFETS.This amended ROD does not affect thedecision made in the January 21, 1997ROD for the Storage and DispositionPEIS to continue current storage of non-pit surplus plutonium at Hanford,INEEL and LANL.1. Shipment of RFETS MaterialShipments of surplus plutoniummaterials to SRS in support of theRFETS closure schedule are addressedin existing NEPA documents. Inaddition to the analysis contained in theStorage and Disposition PEIS, theaccelerated shipments of surplusplutonium materials from RFETS to SRSwere analyzed in the 1998 SA describedabove (DOE/EIS
–
0229
–
SA1) and werereflected in the transportation analysespresented in the SPD EIS. Both the January 17, 1997 initial ROD and theAugust 13, 1998 amended ROD for theStorage and Disposition PEISconditioned shipment of plutoniumfrom RFETS to SRS for storage onselection of SRS as the site for theimmobilization facility. Cancellation of the immobilization facility and selectionof the consolidated long-term storagealternative in this amended RODremoves the basis for that contingency.DOE will notify the Congress andconsult with the Governor of SouthCarolina before shipping plutoniumfrom RFETS to SRS, in accordance withThe National Defense Authorization Actfor Fiscal Year 2002.2. Long-Term Storage of SurplusPlutonium in the KAMS Facility at SRSDOE/NNSA decided (63 FR 43386,August 13, 1998) to store surplusplutonium from RFETS at the KAMSfacility while the APSF was beingconstructed. However, the storage of surplus plutonium in the KAMS facilitycould extend beyond the 10-year periodestimated in the 1998 SupplementAnalysis discussed above (DOE/EIS
–
0229
–
SA1). Therefore, DOE preparedanother SA, Supplement Analysis forStorage of Surplus Plutonium Materialsin the K-Area Material Storage Facilityat the Savannah River Site, February2002 (DOE/EIS
–
0229
–
SA2), whichevaluated the potential for storage beyond 10 years at the KAMS facility.That SA concluded that potentialimpacts from the continued storage of surplus plutonium in the KAMS facilityat SRS for this additional period are notsubstantially different from thoseaddressed in the original analysis of storage in APSF contained in theStorage and Disposition PEIS. Therefore,DOE/NNSA is deciding to use theKAMS facility to store the plutoniumtransferred from RFETS.
C. Storage of Surplus Plutonium at Pantex 
DOE/NNSA now plans to continuestoring surplus pits in Zone 4 at Pantex,as opposed to transferring the pits to anupgraded facility in Zone 12 by 2004 asannounced in the Storage andDisposition PEIS ROD. Surplus pitswould be maintained in storage in Zone4 pending disposition at SRS. DOE hadintended to relocate all pits in storage atPantex to upgraded facilities in Zone 12and eventually to discontinue use of Zone 4. However, further analysis of mission needs determined that Zone 4would likely be needed well into thefuture for weapons dismantlementactivities and to comply with possibletreaty requirements. That being the case,cost savings initially postulated from
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