Final Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program Environmental Impact Statement Richland, Washington
This Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program Environmental Impact Statement (HSW EIS) provides environmental and technical information concerning U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ongoing and proposed waste management practices at the Hanford Site in Washington State. The HSW EIS updates some analyses of environmental consequences from previous documents and provides evaluations for activities that may be implemented consistent with the Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS; DOE 1997c) Records of Decision (RODs). The draft HSW EIS was initially issued in April 2002 for public comment (DOE 2002b). A revised draft HSW EIS was issued in March 2003 to address new waste management alternatives that had been proposed since the initial draft HSW EIS was prepared, and to address comments received during the public review period for the first draft (DOE 2003d). The revised draft HSW EIS also incorporated alternatives for disposal of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) from treatment of Hanford Site tank waste in the waste treatment plant (WTP) currently under construction, an activity that was not included in the first draft (68 FR 7110). This final HSW EIS describes the DOE preferred alternative, and in response to public comments received on the March 2003 revised draft, provides additional analyses for some environmental consequences associated with the preferred alternative, with other alternatives, and with cumulative impacts. Public comments on the revised draft HSW EIS are addressed in the comment response document (Volume III of this final EIS). This HSW EIS describes the environmental consequences of alternatives for constructing, modifying, and operating facilities to store, treat, and/or dispose of low-level (radioactive) waste (LLW), transuranic (TRU) waste, ILAW, and mixed low-level waste (MLLW) including WTP melters at Hanford. In addition, the potential long-term consequences of LLW, MLLW, and ILAW disposal on groundwater and surface water are evaluated for a 10,000-year period, although the DOE performance standards only require assessment for the first 1000 years after disposal (DOE 2001f). This document does not address non-radioactive waste that contains ''hazardous'' or ''dangerous'' waste, as defined under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 (42 USC 6901) and Washington State Dangerous Waste regulations (WAC 173-303). Following a previous National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 42 USC 4321) review (DOE 1997d), DOE decided to dispose of TRU waste in New Mexico at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a repository that meets the requirements of 40 CFR 191 (63 FR 3623). This HSW EIS has been prepared in accordance with NEPA, the DOE implementing procedures for NEPA 10 CFR 1021, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508).
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Site, Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 823169
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EIS-0286F; TRN: US0401992
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 13 Feb 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Revised Draft Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program Environmental Impact Statement, Richland, Washington
Development, Review, and Publication of the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program Environmental Impact Statement
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CONSTRUCTION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES
PERFORMANCE
REGULATIONS
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
SURFACE WATERS
TANKS
US CEQ
US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WIPP
EIS
HANFORD
RICHLAND
RADIOACTIVE
HAZARDOUS