Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Nuclear Facility Portion of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 60745-60747 [2010-24681]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Availability of the Bonneville
Purchasing Instructions (BPI) and
Bonneville Financial Assistance
Instructions (BFAI)
Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), DOE.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
AGENCY:
Copies of the Bonneville
Purchasing Instructions (BPI), which
contain the policy and establish the
procedures that BPA uses in the
solicitation, award, and administration
of its purchases of goods and services,
including construction, are available in
printed form for $30, or without charge
at the following Internet address:
https://www.bpa.gov/corporate/business/
bpi. Copies of the Bonneville Financial
Assistance Instructions (BFAI), which
contain the policy and establish the
procedures that BPA uses in the
solicitation, award, and administration
of financial assistance instruments
(principally grants and cooperative
agreements), are available in printed
form for $15 each, or available without
charge at the following Internet address:
https://www.bpa.gov/corporate/business/
bfai.
SUMMARY:
Unbound copies of the BPI
or BFAI may be obtained by sending a
check for the proper amount to the Head
of the Contracting Activity, Routing
DGP–7, Bonneville Power
Administration, P.O. Box 3621,
Portland, Oregon 97208–3621.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Manager, Communications,1–800–622–
4519.
ADDRESSES:
BPA was
established in 1937 as a Federal Power
Marketing Agency in the Pacific
Northwest. BPA operations are financed
from power revenues rather than annual
appropriations. BPA’s purchasing
operations are conducted under 16
U.S.C. 832 et seq. and related statutes.
Pursuant to these special authorities, the
BPI is promulgated as a statement of
purchasing policy and as a body of
interpretative regulations governing the
conduct of BPA purchasing activities. It
is significantly different from the
Federal Acquisition Regulation, and
reflects BPA’s private sector approach to
purchasing the goods and services that
it requires. BPA’s financial assistance
operations are conducted under 16
U.S.C. 839 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 839 et
seq. The BFAI express BPA’s financial
assistance policy. The BFAI also
comprise BPA’s rules governing
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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implementation of the principles
provided in the following Federal
Regulations and/or OMB circulars:
2 CFR Part 220 Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions (Circular A–
21);
2 CFR Part 225 Cost Principles for State,
Local and Indian Tribal Governments
(Circular A–87);
Grants and Cooperative Agreements
with State and Local Governments
(Circular A–102);
Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with
Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals and Other Non-Profit
Organizations (Circular A–110);
2 CFR Part 230 Cost Principles for NonProfit Organizations (Circular A–122);
and
Audits of States, Local Governments
and Non-Profit Organizations
(Circular A–133)
BPA’s solicitations and contracts
include notice of applicability and
availability of the BPI and the BFAI, as
appropriate, for the information of
offerors on particular purchases or
financial assistance transactions.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on September
17, 2010.
Damian J. Kelly,
Manager, Purchasing/Property Governance.
[FR Doc. 2010–24672 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security
Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Nuclear Facility
Portion of the Chemistry and
Metallurgy Research Building
Replacement Project at Los Alamos
National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA).
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
The Council on
Environmental Quality’s implementing
regulations for the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40
CFR 1502.9[c][1] and [2]) and DOE’s
NEPA implementing regulations (10
CFR 1021.314) require the preparation
of a supplement to an environmental
impact statement (EIS) when there are
substantial changes to a proposal or
when there are significant new
circumstances or information relevant to
environmental concerns. DOE may also
SUMMARY:
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60745
prepare a supplemental EIS at any time
to further the purposes of NEPA.
Pursuant to these provisions, the NNSA,
a semi-autonomous agency within the
DOE, intends to prepare a supplemental
environmental impact statement (SEIS)
to assess the potential environmental
impacts of the construction and
operation of the nuclear facility portion
of the Chemistry and Metallurgy
Research Building Replacement Project
(CMRR–NF) at Los Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New
Mexico.
The CMRR Project, including the
CMRR–NF, was the subject of NNSA’s
Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Chemistry and Metallurgy
Research Building Replacement Project
at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los
Alamos, New Mexico (DOE/EIS–0350;
the CMRR EIS) issued in November
2003, and a February 2004 Record of
Decision (ROD) (69 FR 6967). Over time,
due in large part to detailed site
geotechnical investigations, some
aspects of the CMRR–NF Project have
changed from what was foreseen when
the CMRR EIS was prepared. The
potential environmental impacts of
these proposed changes will be
analyzed in the CMRR–NF SEIS.
DATES: NNSA invites stakeholders and
members of the public to submit
comments and suggestions on the scope
of the SEIS during the SEIS scoping
period, which starts with the
publication of this Notice and will
continue for 30 days until November 1,
2010. NNSA will consider all comments
received or postmarked by that date in
defining the scope of this SEIS.
Comments received or postmarked after
that date will be considered to the
extent practicable. Two public scoping
meetings will be held to provide the
public with an opportunity to present
comments, ask questions, and discuss
concerns regarding the SEIS with NNSA
officials. Public scoping meetings will
be held on October 19, 2010, at the
White Rock Town Hall, 139 Longview
Drive, White Rock, New Mexico and
October 20, 2010, at the Cities of Gold
Casino Hotel, Pojoaque, New Mexico.
Both meetings will begin at 4 p.m. and
end at 7 p.m. The NNSA will publish
additional notices regarding the scoping
meetings in local newspapers in
advance of the scheduled meetings. Any
necessary changes will be announced in
the local media.
Any agency, state, pueblo, tribe, or
unit of local government that desires to
be designated a cooperating agency
should contact Mr. John Tegtmeier at
the address listed below by the closing
date of the scoping period.
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices
Written comments or
suggestions concerning the scope of the
CMRR–NF SEIS or requests for more
information on the SEIS and public
scoping process should be directed to:
Mr. John Tegtmeier, CMRR–NF SEIS
Document Manager, U.S. Department of
Energy, National Nuclear Security
Administration, Los Alamos Site Office,
3747 West Jemez Road, TA–3 Building
1410, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544;
facsimile at 505–667–5948; or e-mail at:
NEPALASO@doeal.gov. Mr. Tegtmeier
may also be reached by telephone at
505–665–0113.
In addition to providing comments at
the public scoping meetings, all
interested parties are invited to record
their comments, ask questions
concerning the EIS, or request to be
placed on the EIS mailing or document
distribution list by leaving a message on
the SEIS Hotline at (toll free) 1–877–
427–9439. The Hotline will provide
instructions on how to record comments
and requests.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general information on the NNSA NEPA
process, please contact: Ms. Mary
Martin (NA–56), NNSA NEPA
Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585, or
telephone 202–586–9438. For general
information about the DOE NEPA
process, please contact: Ms. Carol
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202–
586–4600, or leave a message at 1–800–
472–2756. Additional information about
the DOE NEPA process, an electronic
archive of DOE NEPA documents,
including those referenced in this
announcement, and other NEPA
resources are provided at https://
nepa.energy.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: LANL is
located in north-central New Mexico, 60
miles north-northeast of Albuquerque,
25 miles northwest of Santa Fe, and 20
˜
miles southwest of Espanola in Los
Alamos and Santa Fe Counties. It is
located between the Jemez Mountains to
the west and the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains and Rio Grande to the east.
LANL occupies an area of about 25,600
acres [10,360 hectares] or approximately
40 square miles and is operated for
NNSA by a contractor, Los Alamos
National Security, LLC. It is a
multidisciplinary, multipurpose
institution engaged in theoretical and
experimental research and
development. LANL has been assigned
science, research and development, and
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ADDRESSES:
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production mission support activities
that are critical to the accomplishment
of the NNSA’s national security
objectives as reflected in the Stockpile
Stewardship and Management
Programmatic EIS (DOE/EIS–0236) and
the Complex Transformation
Supplemental Programmatic EIS (DOE/
EIS–0236–S4). LANL’s main role in
NNSA mission objectives includes a
wide range of scientific and
technological capabilities that support
nuclear materials handling, processing
and fabrication; stockpile management;
materials and manufacturing
technologies; nonproliferation
programs; research and development
support for national defense and
homeland security programs; and DOE
waste management activities.
The capabilities needed to execute the
NNSA mission activities require
facilities at LANL that can be used to
handle actinides and other radioactive
materials in a safe and secure manner.
(The actinides are any of a series of 14
chemical elements with atomic numbers
ranging from 89 (actinium) through 103
(lawrencium)). Of primary importance
are the facilities located within the
Chemistry and Metallurgy Research
(CMR) Building and the Plutonium
Facility (located at Technical Areas
(TAs) 3 and 55, respectively), which are
used for processing, characterizing, and
storage of special nuclear material.
(Special nuclear material is defined by
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as
plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium
enriched in the isotopes uranium-233 or
uranium-235). Most of the LANL
mission support functions previously
listed require analytical chemistry,
material characterization, and actinide
research and development support
capabilities that currently exist within
the CMR Building and are not available
elsewhere. Other unique capabilities are
located at the adjacent Plutonium
Facility. Work is sometimes moved
between the CMR Building and the
Plutonium Facility to make use of the
full suite of capabilities that these two
facilities provide. CMR Building
operations and capabilities are currently
restricted in scope due to safety and
security constraints; it cannot be
operated to the full extent needed to
meet NNSA operational requirements.
The CMR building contains about
550,000 square feet (about 51,100 square
meters) of floor space on two floors
divided between a main corridor and
seven wings. It was constructed in the
early 1950s. DOE maintained and
upgraded the building over time to
provide for continued safe operations.
However, beginning in 1997 and 1998,
a series of operational, safety, and
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seismic issues surfaced regarding the
long-term viability of the CMR Building.
In January 1999, the NNSA approved a
strategy for managing operational risks
at the CMR Building. The strategy
included implementing operational
restrictions to ensure safe operations.
These restrictions are impacting the
assigned mission activities conducted at
the CMR Building. This strategy also
committed NNSA to develop plans to
relocate the CMR capabilities elsewhere
at LANL to maintain support of national
security and other NNSA missions. The
CMRR EIS was prepared and issued in
2003, followed by a ROD in 2004.
The CMRR EIS analyzed four action
alternatives: (1) The construction and
operation of a new CMRR facility at TA–
55; (2) the construction of a new CMRR
facility at a ‘‘greenfield’’ location within
TA–6; (3) a ‘‘hybrid’’ alternative
maintaining administrative offices and
support functions at the existing CMR
building with a new Hazard Category 2
laboratory facility built at TA–55; and,
(4) a ‘‘hybrid’’ alternative with the
laboratory facility being constructed at
TA–6. The CMRR EIS also analyzed a no
action alternative where the existing
CMR building would continue to be
kept in service. In the 2004 ROD, NNSA
announced its decision to implement
the preferred alternative (alternative 1):
To construct a new CMRR facility which
would include a single above-ground,
consolidated nuclear material-capable,
Hazard Category 2 laboratory building
(construction option 3) with a separate,
adjacent administrative office and
support functions building, now
referred to as the CMRR Radiological
Laboratory/Utility/Office Building
(CMRR RLUOB). Upon completion, the
CMRR Facility would replace the CMR
Building, operations would be moved to
the new CMRR Facility, and the vacated
CMR Building would undergo
decommissioning, decontamination,
and demolition. (While the CMRR
RLUOB has been constructed in TA–55
at LANL, the installation of laboratory
equipment has not been completed and
operations have not begun). Since 2004,
the planning process for the
construction and operation of the
CMRR–NF has continued to progress
and take into consideration newly
gathered site-specific data and safety
and security requirements.
Purpose and Need: The NNSA’s
purpose and need for proposing the
construction and operation of the
CMRR–NF have not changed since the
CMRR EIS was prepared and issued in
2003. NNSA needs to provide the
physical means for accommodating the
CMR Building’s functional, missioncritical nuclear capabilities, and to
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices
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consolidate activities for safer and more
efficient operations. In the 2003 CMRR
EIS, NNSA analyzed the potential
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed relocation of LANL
analytical chemistry (AC) and materials
characterization (MC), and associated
research and development capabilities
that currently exist primarily at the
existing CMR building, to a newly
constructed facility, and operation of
the new facility for the next 50 years. In
the May 2008, Final Site-Wide
Environmental Impact Statement for
Continued Operation of Los Alamos
National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New
Mexico (DOE/EIS–0380), the CMRR was
considered and its potential
environmental impacts analyzed as a
part of the No Action Alternative and
each of the action alternatives for
continued operation of LANL.
The potential environmental impacts
associated with the construction and
operation of the CMRR–NF were also
analyzed within certain alternatives in
the Complex Transformation SPEIS
(DOE/EIS–0236–S4) as part of the
proposal to reconfigure and streamline
NNSA’s nuclear security enterprise.
NNSA issued two RODs based on the
Complex Transformation SPEIS analysis
in December 2008. In the SPEIS ROD for
operations involving plutonium,
uranium, and the assembly and
disassembly of nuclear weapons (73 FR
77644), NNSA announced its decision
to retain plutonium manufacturing and
research and development at LANL, and
in support of these activities, to proceed
with construction and operation of the
CMRR–NF at LANL as essential to its
ability to meet national security
requirements regarding the nation’s
nuclear deterrent.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Proposed Action: The Proposed
Action is to construct the CMRR–NF at
TA–55. Over time some aspects of the
proposed CMRR–NF Project plans have
changed. These proposed changes
include, for example:
• Changes to the CMRR–NF structure
required for seismic safety based on new
information from additional
geotechnical investigations conducted at
the site. These changes involve
incorporating additional structural steel
and concrete into the building
construction and increasing the quantity
of material that must be excavated for
the building foundation;
• Changes to the infrastructure to
support the CMRR–NF construction
activities, such as concrete batch plants,
construction material lay-down areas
and warehouses, and temporary office
trailers and parking areas. Some of these
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changes involve the use of additional
acreage. Most of these proposed changes
are temporary in duration;
• Changes to the CMRR–NF structure
to ensure 10 CFR part 830 nuclear safety
basis requirements are met for facility
engineering controls to ensure
protection of the public, workers, and
the environment; and
• Changes to incorporate additional
sustainable design principles and
environmental conservation measures.
These changes minimize the
environmental impacts of construction
and operation of the CMRR–NF.
The potential environmental impacts
of these and similar changes will be
analyzed in the CMRR–NF SEIS.
No Action Alternative: The No Action
alternative would be the construction of
the CMRR–NF and the ancillary and
support activities as announced in the
2004 ROD.
CMR Alternative 1: Do not construct
a replacement facility to house the
capabilities planned for the CMRR–NF.
Continue to perform analytical
chemistry, material characterization,
and actinide research and development
activities in the CMR Building, with no
facility upgrades, while performing
routine maintenance at the level needed
to sustain programmatic operations for
as long as feasible.
CMR Alternative 2: Same as CMR
Alternative 1, but includes making the
extensive facility upgrades needed to
sustain CMR programmatic operations
for another 20 to 30 years.
Preliminary Identification of
Environmental Issues. NNSA has
tentatively identified the following
issues for analysis in this SEIS.
Additional issues may be identified as
a result of the scoping process.
1. Potential impacts to air, water, soil,
visual resources and viewsheds.
2. Potential impacts to plants and
animals, and to their habitats, including
Federally-listed threatened or
endangered species and their critical
habitats.
3. Potential impacts from irretrievable
and irreversible consumption of natural
resources and energy, including
transportation issues.
4. Potential impacts to cultural
resources, including historical and
prehistorical resources and traditional
cultural properties.
5. Potential impacts to infrastructure
and utilities.
6. Potential impacts to socioeconomic
conditions.
7. Potential environmental justice
impacts to minority and low-income
populations.
8. Potential cumulative impacts from
the Proposed Action and alternatives
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60747
together with other past, present, and
reasonably foreseeable actions at LANL.
CMRR–NF SEIS Preparation Process:
The scoping process for a NEPA
document is an opportunity for the
public to assist the NNSA in
determining the alternatives and issues
for analysis. Alternatives may be added,
deleted, or modified as a result of
scoping. The purpose of the scoping
meetings is to receive oral and written
comments from the public. The
meetings will use a format to facilitate
dialogue between NNSA and the public
and will be an opportunity for
individuals to provide written or oral
statements. NNSA welcomes specific
comments or suggestions on the content
of these alternatives, or on other
alternatives that should be considered.
The above list of issues to be considered
in the SEIS analysis is tentative and is
intended to facilitate public comment
on the scope of the SEIS. It is not
intended to be all-inclusive, nor does it
imply any predetermination of potential
impacts. The CMRR–NF SEIS will
describe the potential environmental
impacts of the alternatives, using
available data where possible and
obtaining additional data where
necessary. Copies of written comments
and transcripts of oral comments will be
available as soon as practicable after the
public scoping meeting on the Internet
at: https://www.doeal.gov/laso/
NEPADocuments.aspx.
Following the scoping period
announced in this Notice of Intent, and
after consideration of comments
received during scoping, NNSA will
prepare a Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the
Construction of the Chemistry and
Metallurgy Replacement Project’s
Nuclear Facility at Technical Area-55
Within Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Los Alamos, New Mexico (DOE/EIS–
0350–S1). Comments received on the
Draft SEIS during the planned 45-day
comment period will be considered and
addressed in the Final SEIS, which
NNSA anticipates issuing by July 2011.
NNSA will issue a ROD no sooner than
30 days after publication by the
Environmental Protection Agency of a
Notice of Availability of the Final SEIS.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 28th day of
September 2010.
Thomas P. D’Agostino,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010–24681 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60745-60747]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24681]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Nuclear Facility Portion of the Chemistry and
Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Project at Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA).
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Council on Environmental Quality's implementing
regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR
1502.9[c][1] and [2]) and DOE's NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR
1021.314) require the preparation of a supplement to an environmental
impact statement (EIS) when there are substantial changes to a proposal
or when there are significant new circumstances or information relevant
to environmental concerns. DOE may also prepare a supplemental EIS at
any time to further the purposes of NEPA. Pursuant to these provisions,
the NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency within the DOE, intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to assess the
potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of
the nuclear facility portion of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research
Building Replacement Project (CMRR-NF) at Los Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico.
The CMRR Project, including the CMRR-NF, was the subject of NNSA's
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chemistry and Metallurgy
Research Building Replacement Project at Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (DOE/EIS-0350; the CMRR EIS) issued
in November 2003, and a February 2004 Record of Decision (ROD) (69 FR
6967). Over time, due in large part to detailed site geotechnical
investigations, some aspects of the CMRR-NF Project have changed from
what was foreseen when the CMRR EIS was prepared. The potential
environmental impacts of these proposed changes will be analyzed in the
CMRR-NF SEIS.
DATES: NNSA invites stakeholders and members of the public to submit
comments and suggestions on the scope of the SEIS during the SEIS
scoping period, which starts with the publication of this Notice and
will continue for 30 days until November 1, 2010. NNSA will consider
all comments received or postmarked by that date in defining the scope
of this SEIS. Comments received or postmarked after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable. Two public scoping meetings will
be held to provide the public with an opportunity to present comments,
ask questions, and discuss concerns regarding the SEIS with NNSA
officials. Public scoping meetings will be held on October 19, 2010, at
the White Rock Town Hall, 139 Longview Drive, White Rock, New Mexico
and October 20, 2010, at the Cities of Gold Casino Hotel, Pojoaque, New
Mexico. Both meetings will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. The NNSA
will publish additional notices regarding the scoping meetings in local
newspapers in advance of the scheduled meetings. Any necessary changes
will be announced in the local media.
Any agency, state, pueblo, tribe, or unit of local government that
desires to be designated a cooperating agency should contact Mr. John
Tegtmeier at the address listed below by the closing date of the
scoping period.
[[Page 60746]]
ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions concerning the scope of the
CMRR-NF SEIS or requests for more information on the SEIS and public
scoping process should be directed to: Mr. John Tegtmeier, CMRR-NF SEIS
Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security
Administration, Los Alamos Site Office, 3747 West Jemez Road, TA-3
Building 1410, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544; facsimile at 505-667-
5948; or e-mail at: NEPALASO@doeal.gov. Mr. Tegtmeier may also be
reached by telephone at 505-665-0113.
In addition to providing comments at the public scoping meetings,
all interested parties are invited to record their comments, ask
questions concerning the EIS, or request to be placed on the EIS
mailing or document distribution list by leaving a message on the SEIS
Hotline at (toll free) 1-877-427-9439. The Hotline will provide
instructions on how to record comments and requests.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA
NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Mary Martin (NA-56), NNSA NEPA
Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, or telephone 202-586-9438. For
general information about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms.
Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-
54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-
800-472-2756. Additional information about the DOE NEPA process, an
electronic archive of DOE NEPA documents, including those referenced in
this announcement, and other NEPA resources are provided at https://nepa.energy.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: LANL is located in north-central New Mexico,
60 miles north-northeast of Albuquerque, 25 miles northwest of Santa
Fe, and 20 miles southwest of Espa[ntilde]ola in Los Alamos and Santa
Fe Counties. It is located between the Jemez Mountains to the west and
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Rio Grande to the east. LANL
occupies an area of about 25,600 acres [10,360 hectares] or
approximately 40 square miles and is operated for NNSA by a contractor,
Los Alamos National Security, LLC. It is a multidisciplinary,
multipurpose institution engaged in theoretical and experimental
research and development. LANL has been assigned science, research and
development, and production mission support activities that are
critical to the accomplishment of the NNSA's national security
objectives as reflected in the Stockpile Stewardship and Management
Programmatic EIS (DOE/EIS-0236) and the Complex Transformation
Supplemental Programmatic EIS (DOE/EIS-0236-S4). LANL's main role in
NNSA mission objectives includes a wide range of scientific and
technological capabilities that support nuclear materials handling,
processing and fabrication; stockpile management; materials and
manufacturing technologies; nonproliferation programs; research and
development support for national defense and homeland security
programs; and DOE waste management activities.
The capabilities needed to execute the NNSA mission activities
require facilities at LANL that can be used to handle actinides and
other radioactive materials in a safe and secure manner. (The actinides
are any of a series of 14 chemical elements with atomic numbers ranging
from 89 (actinium) through 103 (lawrencium)). Of primary importance are
the facilities located within the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research
(CMR) Building and the Plutonium Facility (located at Technical Areas
(TAs) 3 and 55, respectively), which are used for processing,
characterizing, and storage of special nuclear material. (Special
nuclear material is defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as
plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium enriched in the isotopes uranium-233
or uranium-235). Most of the LANL mission support functions previously
listed require analytical chemistry, material characterization, and
actinide research and development support capabilities that currently
exist within the CMR Building and are not available elsewhere. Other
unique capabilities are located at the adjacent Plutonium Facility.
Work is sometimes moved between the CMR Building and the Plutonium
Facility to make use of the full suite of capabilities that these two
facilities provide. CMR Building operations and capabilities are
currently restricted in scope due to safety and security constraints;
it cannot be operated to the full extent needed to meet NNSA
operational requirements.
The CMR building contains about 550,000 square feet (about 51,100
square meters) of floor space on two floors divided between a main
corridor and seven wings. It was constructed in the early 1950s. DOE
maintained and upgraded the building over time to provide for continued
safe operations. However, beginning in 1997 and 1998, a series of
operational, safety, and seismic issues surfaced regarding the long-
term viability of the CMR Building. In January 1999, the NNSA approved
a strategy for managing operational risks at the CMR Building. The
strategy included implementing operational restrictions to ensure safe
operations. These restrictions are impacting the assigned mission
activities conducted at the CMR Building. This strategy also committed
NNSA to develop plans to relocate the CMR capabilities elsewhere at
LANL to maintain support of national security and other NNSA missions.
The CMRR EIS was prepared and issued in 2003, followed by a ROD in
2004.
The CMRR EIS analyzed four action alternatives: (1) The
construction and operation of a new CMRR facility at TA-55; (2) the
construction of a new CMRR facility at a ``greenfield'' location within
TA-6; (3) a ``hybrid'' alternative maintaining administrative offices
and support functions at the existing CMR building with a new Hazard
Category 2 laboratory facility built at TA-55; and, (4) a ``hybrid''
alternative with the laboratory facility being constructed at TA-6. The
CMRR EIS also analyzed a no action alternative where the existing CMR
building would continue to be kept in service. In the 2004 ROD, NNSA
announced its decision to implement the preferred alternative
(alternative 1): To construct a new CMRR facility which would include a
single above-ground, consolidated nuclear material-capable, Hazard
Category 2 laboratory building (construction option 3) with a separate,
adjacent administrative office and support functions building, now
referred to as the CMRR Radiological Laboratory/Utility/Office Building
(CMRR RLUOB). Upon completion, the CMRR Facility would replace the CMR
Building, operations would be moved to the new CMRR Facility, and the
vacated CMR Building would undergo decommissioning, decontamination,
and demolition. (While the CMRR RLUOB has been constructed in TA-55 at
LANL, the installation of laboratory equipment has not been completed
and operations have not begun). Since 2004, the planning process for
the construction and operation of the CMRR-NF has continued to progress
and take into consideration newly gathered site-specific data and
safety and security requirements.
Purpose and Need: The NNSA's purpose and need for proposing the
construction and operation of the CMRR-NF have not changed since the
CMRR EIS was prepared and issued in 2003. NNSA needs to provide the
physical means for accommodating the CMR Building's functional,
mission-critical nuclear capabilities, and to
[[Page 60747]]
consolidate activities for safer and more efficient operations. In the
2003 CMRR EIS, NNSA analyzed the potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed relocation of LANL analytical chemistry
(AC) and materials characterization (MC), and associated research and
development capabilities that currently exist primarily at the existing
CMR building, to a newly constructed facility, and operation of the new
facility for the next 50 years. In the May 2008, Final Site-Wide
Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Los Alamos
National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (DOE/EIS-0380), the CMRR
was considered and its potential environmental impacts analyzed as a
part of the No Action Alternative and each of the action alternatives
for continued operation of LANL.
The potential environmental impacts associated with the
construction and operation of the CMRR-NF were also analyzed within
certain alternatives in the Complex Transformation SPEIS (DOE/EIS-0236-
S4) as part of the proposal to reconfigure and streamline NNSA's
nuclear security enterprise. NNSA issued two RODs based on the Complex
Transformation SPEIS analysis in December 2008. In the SPEIS ROD for
operations involving plutonium, uranium, and the assembly and
disassembly of nuclear weapons (73 FR 77644), NNSA announced its
decision to retain plutonium manufacturing and research and development
at LANL, and in support of these activities, to proceed with
construction and operation of the CMRR-NF at LANL as essential to its
ability to meet national security requirements regarding the nation's
nuclear deterrent.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Proposed Action: The Proposed Action is to construct the CMRR-NF at
TA-55. Over time some aspects of the proposed CMRR-NF Project plans
have changed. These proposed changes include, for example:
Changes to the CMRR-NF structure required for seismic
safety based on new information from additional geotechnical
investigations conducted at the site. These changes involve
incorporating additional structural steel and concrete into the
building construction and increasing the quantity of material that must
be excavated for the building foundation;
Changes to the infrastructure to support the CMRR-NF
construction activities, such as concrete batch plants, construction
material lay-down areas and warehouses, and temporary office trailers
and parking areas. Some of these changes involve the use of additional
acreage. Most of these proposed changes are temporary in duration;
Changes to the CMRR-NF structure to ensure 10 CFR part 830
nuclear safety basis requirements are met for facility engineering
controls to ensure protection of the public, workers, and the
environment; and
Changes to incorporate additional sustainable design
principles and environmental conservation measures. These changes
minimize the environmental impacts of construction and operation of the
CMRR-NF.
The potential environmental impacts of these and similar changes
will be analyzed in the CMRR-NF SEIS.
No Action Alternative: The No Action alternative would be the
construction of the CMRR-NF and the ancillary and support activities as
announced in the 2004 ROD.
CMR Alternative 1: Do not construct a replacement facility to house
the capabilities planned for the CMRR-NF. Continue to perform
analytical chemistry, material characterization, and actinide research
and development activities in the CMR Building, with no facility
upgrades, while performing routine maintenance at the level needed to
sustain programmatic operations for as long as feasible.
CMR Alternative 2: Same as CMR Alternative 1, but includes making
the extensive facility upgrades needed to sustain CMR programmatic
operations for another 20 to 30 years.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues. NNSA has
tentatively identified the following issues for analysis in this SEIS.
Additional issues may be identified as a result of the scoping process.
1. Potential impacts to air, water, soil, visual resources and
viewsheds.
2. Potential impacts to plants and animals, and to their habitats,
including Federally-listed threatened or endangered species and their
critical habitats.
3. Potential impacts from irretrievable and irreversible
consumption of natural resources and energy, including transportation
issues.
4. Potential impacts to cultural resources, including historical
and prehistorical resources and traditional cultural properties.
5. Potential impacts to infrastructure and utilities.
6. Potential impacts to socioeconomic conditions.
7. Potential environmental justice impacts to minority and low-
income populations.
8. Potential cumulative impacts from the Proposed Action and
alternatives together with other past, present, and reasonably
foreseeable actions at LANL.
CMRR-NF SEIS Preparation Process: The scoping process for a NEPA
document is an opportunity for the public to assist the NNSA in
determining the alternatives and issues for analysis. Alternatives may
be added, deleted, or modified as a result of scoping. The purpose of
the scoping meetings is to receive oral and written comments from the
public. The meetings will use a format to facilitate dialogue between
NNSA and the public and will be an opportunity for individuals to
provide written or oral statements. NNSA welcomes specific comments or
suggestions on the content of these alternatives, or on other
alternatives that should be considered. The above list of issues to be
considered in the SEIS analysis is tentative and is intended to
facilitate public comment on the scope of the SEIS. It is not intended
to be all-inclusive, nor does it imply any predetermination of
potential impacts. The CMRR-NF SEIS will describe the potential
environmental impacts of the alternatives, using available data where
possible and obtaining additional data where necessary. Copies of
written comments and transcripts of oral comments will be available as
soon as practicable after the public scoping meeting on the Internet
at: https://www.doeal.gov/laso/NEPADocuments.aspx.
Following the scoping period announced in this Notice of Intent,
and after consideration of comments received during scoping, NNSA will
prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the
Construction of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Replacement Project's
Nuclear Facility at Technical Area-55 Within Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (DOE/EIS-0350-S1). Comments received
on the Draft SEIS during the planned 45-day comment period will be
considered and addressed in the Final SEIS, which NNSA anticipates
issuing by July 2011. NNSA will issue a ROD no sooner than 30 days
after publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of a Notice of
Availability of the Final SEIS.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 28th day of September 2010.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-24681 Filed 9-30-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
