Environmental Impact Statement. Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Program.Particle Bed reactor Propulsion Technology Development and Validation

摘要

The PBR concept has been under study in the United States since the early 1980s.During the past decade the PBR technology has advanced to the degree that the Air Force, in carrying out its mission to investigate promising technologies for military applications, proposes to conduct validation testing of the PBR technology for space propulsion as part of its Space nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) program. This environmental impact statement has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the proposed PBR construction and testing activities. The document analyzes the potential environmental impacts at two candidate test locations, the Saddle Mountain Test Station at the Nevada Test Site, and the Contained Test Facility at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, as well as the impacts of the No-Action Alternative. The analyses include infrastructure, land use, transportation, hazardous materials and hazardous waste management, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soil, noise, water resources, and health and safety. Anticipated issues related to health and safety will be addressed in facility designs and safety procedures so that applicable statutes, regulations, and permits are met or exceeded. The program would cause slight increases in utility demands, population, air emissions, and disposal of hazardous wastes. Additional small releases of radioactivity would occur due to normal operations or from an accident.