National Nuclear Security Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is issuing this Record of Decision (ROD) for the continued operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico, pursuant to the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, DOE/EIS-0380 (SWEIS) (73 FR 28453, May 16, 2008). This ROD is the second ROD based on the information and analyses contained in the SWEIS and other factors, including comments received on the SWEIS, costs, technical and security considerations, and the missions of NNSA. These decision factors also include results from the analyses in the October 24, 2008, Final Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0236-S4, 73 FR 63460) (Complex Transformation SPEIS) and its two RODs (73 FR 77644, 73 FR 77656, December 19, 2008). NNSA issued the first ROD for the continued operation of LANL based on the SWEIS (73 FR 55833) on September 26, 2008.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this Record of Decision (ROD) for the continued operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. This ROD is based on information and analyses contained in the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, DOE/EIS-0380 (Final SWEIS or 2008 SWEIS) issued on May 16, 2008; comments on the SWEIS; and other factors, including costs, security considerations and the missions of NNSA. In the 2008 SWEIS, NNSA assessed three alternatives for the continued operation of LANL: (1) No Action, (2) Reduced Operations, and (3) Expanded Operations. The No Action Alternative analyzed in this SWEIS consists of NNSA and LANL continuing to implement earlier decisions based on previous National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews, including the 1999 LANL SWEIS (DOE/EIS-0238) and its ROD (64 FR 50797, Sept. 20, 1999). The 2008 SWEIS identified the Expanded Operations Alternative as NNSA's Preferred Alternative. The SWEIS includes a classified appendix that assesses the potential environmental impacts of a representative set of credible terrorist scenarios. Because NNSA is continuing to evaluate significant technical and national security issues that could affect the operation and missions of LANL, NNSA is making only a few decisions at this time regarding the continued operation of the laboratory. NNSA will not make any decisions regarding nuclear weapons production and other actions analyzed in the Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0236-S4) (Complex Transformation SPEIS or SPEIS) prior to the completion of the SPEIS. However, NNSA must make some decisions now regarding LANL to support the safe and successful execution of the laboratory's current missions. It is likely that NNSA will issue other RODs regarding the continued operation of LANL based on the 2008 SWEIS, the SPEIS and other NEPA analyses. NNSA has decided to continue to implement the No Action Alternative with the addition of some elements of the Expanded Operations Alternative. These elements include increases in operation of some existing facilities and new facility projects needed for ongoing programs and protection of workers and the environment. For the most part, NNSA will continue the missions conducted at LANL at current levels at this time. NNSA will also continue to implement actions necessary to comply with the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Consent Order), which requires investigation and remediation of environmental contamination at LANL. NNSA will not change pit production at LANL at this time; the 1999 ROD set pit production at LANL at 20 per year.

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) issue this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on their proposal to relocate certain non-nuclear component production and procurement activities to a smaller, more efficient and flexible facility. This FONSI is based on the General Services Administration/National Nuclear Security Administration ``Modernization of Facilities and Infrastructure for the Non-Nuclear Production Activities Conducted at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Kansas City Plant Environmental Assessment'' (EA), DOE/EA-1592, April 21, 2008. The EA was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 4321 et seq.), regulations implementing NEPA issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 C.F.R. Parts 15001508), and the NEPA implementing procedures of GSA (ADM 1095.1F) and the Department of Energy (10 C.F.R. Part 1021). The selected alternative is for GSA to procure the construction of a new facility at the intersection of Botts Road and Missouri Highway 150 in Kansas City, Missouri. GSA would lease the facility on NNSA's behalf, and NNSA would move its operations from the Bannister Federal Complex to the new facility, and conduct production and procurement operations for electrical and mechanical non-nuclear components there (the phrase ``electrical and mechanical'' non-nuclear components, as used in the EA and this FONSI, also includes electronics, electromechanical parts, and engineered materials such as plastics, ceramics, glass, polymers and foams). The NNSA's Kansas City Plant (KCP) performs these activities for NNSA, Department of Energy (DOE) programs, and other federal agencies (``work for others'').

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi- autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces the availability of the Draft Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Complex Transformation SPEIS, DOE/EIS-0236-S4). The Draft Complex Transformation SPEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of reasonable alternatives to continue the transformation of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex to one that is smaller, more efficient, more secure, and better able to respond to changes in national security requirements. While NNSA has revised the document title from that indicated in the Notice of Intent, it remains a supplement to the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. NNSA has prepared this document in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021).

NNSA announces the availability of the Draft Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (LANL Draft SWEIS) (DOE/ EIS-0380), and the dates and locations for the public hearings to receive comments on the Draft LANL SWEIS. The Draft LANL SWEIS was prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). The Draft LANL SWEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts associated with continuing ongoing Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) operations and foreseeable new and modified operations and facilities. The Draft LANL SWEIS analyzes the No Action Alternative and two action alternatives: a Reduced Operations Alternative and an Expanded Operations Alternative. The No Action Alternative would continue currently assigned operations at LANL in support of DOE and NNSA missions. The Reduced Operation Alternative also includes most operations discussed under the No Action Alternative with reductions to certain LANL activities below the No Action Alternative level. The Expanded Operations Alternative includes operations discussed under the No Action Alternative plus new and expanded levels of operations in support of reasonably foreseeable future mission requirements.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is extending the scoping period for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility (BSL-3 Facility) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. This EIS is being prepared and considered in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, regulations of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and DOE's National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021).

The Livermore Site Office of the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of the Final Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (DOE/EIS- 0348) and Supplemental Stockpile Stewardship and Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0236-S3) (LLNL SW/ SPEIS). The Final LLNL SW/SPEIS was prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and the DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021). The Final LLNL SW/ SPEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts associated with continuing current Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) operations and foreseeable new or modified operations and facilities. The LLNL SW/SWPEIS also evaluates the potential environmental impacts of experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using plutonium, other fissile materials, fissionable materials, and lithium hydride. The Final LLNL SW/SPEIS analyses a Proposed Action and two alternatives, the No Action Alternative and a Reduced Operation Alternative. The No Action Alternative would continue operation of current LLNL programs in support of assigned missions. The Proposed Action includes operations discussed under the No Action Alternative and new or expanded operations in support of reasonably foreseeable mission requirements. The Reduced Operation Alternative consists of a reduction of activities compared to the No Action Alternative. The NNSA has identified the Proposed Action as the preferred alternative in the Final LLNL SW/SPEIS.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and 10 CFR part 1021, respectively), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency within the DOE, announces its intent to prepare a supplemental site-wide environmental statement (S-SWEIS) to update the analyses presented in the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (SWEIS) (DOE/ EIS-0238; January 1999). The purpose of this notice is to invite individuals, organizations, and government agencies and entities to participate in developing the scope of the S-SWEIS. In its September 1999 Record of Decision (ROD) based on the SWEIS, DOE announced its decision to implement the Expanded Operations Alternative analyzed in the SWEIS, with modifications to weapons related production work (the Preferred Alternative), at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). That decision is being implemented at LANL. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1502.20, the S-SWEIS will rely on and expand on the analysis in the original SWEIS. The No Action Alternative for the S- SWEIS is the continued implementation of the SWEIS ROD, together with other actions described and analyzed in subsequent NEPA reviews. The Proposed Action in the S-SWEIS will include changes since the SWEIS 1999 ROD.