Thermal Mitigation Project at Savannah River

Question: Describe the needs that are to be met by the requirements of project 87-D-156, Reactor Effluent Cooling Water Thermal Mitigation.

Answer: The major sources of thermal effluents at the Savannah River Plant are the cooling water discharges from the production reactors, C and K, and the D Area coal-fired powerhouse. Although the production reactors have operated for approximately 30 years, at present, the discharge from these facilities do not meet the temperature limits prescribed by the State of South Carolina's standards. The Department of Energy has developed this project to enable operations to comply with these standards and to meet the requirements of a Consent Order between DOE and the State of South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Question: What is the total cost of project 87-D-156?

Answer: The total project cost for project 87-D-156 is $109 million.

Question: What cost/benefit analysis has been performed on requirements of project 87-D-156?

As

Answer: The Department of Energy has performed a cost benefit study and has published the results which describe the systems which can best implement compliance with the water quality standards. a result, DOE is considering the construction and operation of once-through cooling towers for C and K Reactors and implementation of increased coolant flow with mixing for the D Area powerhouse.

Question: What alternative measures have been analyzed to the use of these cooling towers?

Of

Answer: The Department of Energy has examined alternatives which improve on the existing situation and which either meet or fail to meet the full requirements of the existing standards. the alternatives which meet the standards, cooling lakes, recirculating cooling towers, once-through cooling towers, and combinations of these have been evaluated. Of the alternatives which would significantly improve thermal discharges but which would not meet the standards, DOE has examined spray canals, lakes, energy recovery systems, and combinations of these.

Question: What is the environmental impact on the Savannah River site of having the proposed cooling towers?

Answer: The proposed project will require 1,125 to 1,600 acres of land. This includes flooding of 700 to 815 acres of upland hardwoods and pines under the new holding ponds. The equivalent of 50,000 barrels of crude oil will be consumed each year to power the fans and pumps to be installed. There will also be increased fogging due to the moisture discharged into the atmosphere by the towers.

Reprogrammings

Question: Please provide a list of all reprogrammings that are included in the Department's budget for all programs under the jurisdiction of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

Answer: The information is shown on the following insert for the record.

This reprogramming will offset funding shortfalls in both FY 1986 and FY 1987 for the TIMP. The primary goals of the TIMP are (1) to ensure cost effective and efficient management, control, and accountability of DOE funded research results. and (2) to obtain worldwide energy R&D results for use by DOE and U.S. scientists, engineers, and program managers. As a part of the overall Departmental program, TIMP is responsible for the management, control, and dissemination of classified and sensitive materials produced in its DOE R&D programs.

This program involves a baseline environmental survey of approximately 40 D0E sites. These sites have an estimated total of 600 inactive waste areas, 300 hazardous waste management areas. 1,800 air emission stacks, and 400 wastewater outfall pipes. The survey will cover air, water, and soil, and all areas of environmental regulation. The survey will begin in FY 1986 with 5 sites, an additional 20 in FY 1987, and the remainder in FY 1988.

$2,548,745

3-5,617 $2,543,108

The AVLIS R&D at Oak Ridge National Lab, centered principally around operation
of the Materials Handling Development Module (MHDM), is being phased out in
FY 1986 and the residual R&D, along with approximately 30-40 personnel, will
be transferred to Lawrence Livermore National Lab. The work will be
consolidated with LLNL activities in preparation for the transfer to the
private sector during the FY 1988-89 period. The MHDM will be decontaminated
and decommissioned with FY 1986 funds.

a/This is the total amount of funding at OR for this program however, the facility will be operated for a part of the year and the specific amount for D&D and phase out has not yet been determined.

The changes reflect the Department's plan to terminate the use of hydrofracture
to dispose of liquid low-level waste at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The termination
of hydrofracture is in response to recently revised regulations by the state of
Tennessee. In addition, the Department plans to redirect other FY 1986 low-
level waste disposal operating expense funded activities within the Interim
Waste Operations subprogram in an effort to identify and implement technically
and environmentally acceptable low-level waste disposal options at Oak Ridge
(refer to volume I, pages 555, 556, 569 and 572 of the FY 1987 Budget
Request).

These adjustments are maintain the required sche

The prior year projects were completed under cost.
necessary to provide adequate first year funding to
dule for design and construction of four high level waste storage tanks. These
new tanks, which have a TEC of $58 million, will be completed in the early
1990's (refer to Volume I, pages 569, 571).

This project provides for a new warehouse at Richland to replace a dilapidated, thirty-year old structure. The use of underrun funds for this $13 million project will restore its funding, which was reduced by budget constraints, to cover planned costs for FY 1987 (refer to Volume I, pages 569, 573).

*Unobligated balances beginning FY 1987.

Question: What is the environmental impact of the Savannah River reservation of not having the proposed cooling towers?

Answer: The no-action alternative would result in the continuation of thermal discharge effects. The high water temperatures would continue as it has over the last 30 years to prevent fish, such as minnows, darters, sunfish, and blueback herring from using affected streams for foraging or spawning and, in particular, would not permit compliance with the State of South Carolina's water and temperature standards. There would be no impacts on air quality or noise or on archeological sites with this alternative.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Question: What is the status of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant project?

Answer:

Construction of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is

progressing exceptionally well. The originally planned construction packages are about 90 percent complete. Both underground and above-ground facilities are under construction, and we expect the originally planned construction to be completed in early FY 1987. The availability of prior year construction funds will meet our FY 1986 and FY 1987 needs; therefore, no construction funds have been requested for these years. Detailed operational planning and environmental reviews have determined that additional construction could be required to complete a safe and operable, first-of-a-kind research and development facility. The timing and cost of additional construction will be addressed during development of the FY 1988 budget.

Question: What is your latest estimate of the total cost for this project?

Answer: The total estimated construction cost is $417.3 million, the total project cost is $693.4 million, which includes operating funded support activities.

Question: What is the current position of the State of New Mexico with regard to construction of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant?

Answer: Our relationship with the State of New Mexico is improving. Issues of concern to the State are being actively negotiated within the framework of the Consultation and Cooperation Agreement. One primary State concern has been the mission of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, WIPP. The Department of Energy's mission is limited to the demonstration of transuranic waste disposal and experiments with high-level waste. We want to emphasize that the WIPP facility is not being designed for permanent disposal of high-level waste. We signed an amendment to the Consultation and Cooperation Agreement last year, which included the WIPP mission as described above; and copies were provided to the appropriate committees of Congress for their information.