National Environmental Policy Act; Santa Susana Field Laboratory, 39443-39444 [2011-16819]

Agencies

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39443-39444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16819]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (11-058)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Santa Susana Field Laboratory

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct scoping and prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Demolition and Environmental 
Cleanup Activities for the NASA administered portion of the Santa 
Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), Ventura County, California.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as 
amended, (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
Parts 1500-1508), and NASA's NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR Part 
1216, subpart 1216.3), NASA intends to prepare an EIS for demolition 
and cleanup activities at SSFL in Ventura County, California. 
Furthermore, pursuant to 36 CFR Section 800.8(c) of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), NASA will use the NEPA process and 
the EIS it produces to comply with Section 106 of NHPA in lieu of the 
procedures set forth in Sections 800.3 through 800.6.
    The purpose of this notice is to apprise interested agencies, 
organizations, tribal governments, and individuals of NASA's intent to 
prepare the EIS. NASA will hold public scoping meetings to get the 
views of interested parties regarding appropriate action alternatives 
and significant environmental issues associated with the development of 
the EIS. The scoping meeting locations and dates identified at this 
time are provided under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on 
environmental issues and concerns, preferably in writing, on or before 
September 17, 2011, to assure full consideration during the scoping 
process.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted by mail should be addressed to Allen 
Elliott, SSFL Project Director, NASA MSFC AS01, Building 4494, 
Huntsville, AL 35812. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to msfc-ssfl-eis@mail.nasa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allen Elliott, SSFL Project Director, 
by phone at (256) 544-0662 or by e-mail at msfc-ssfl-eis@mail.nasa.gov. 
Additional information about NASA's SSFL site, the proposed demolition 
and cleanup activities, and the associated EIS planning process and 
documentation (as available) may be found on the internet at https://ssfl.msfc.nasa.gov or on the California Department of Toxic Substances 
Control (DTSC) Web site at https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SiteCleanup/Santa_Susana_Field_Lab/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

SSFL Site Background

    The SSFL site is 2,850 acres located in Ventura County, California 
approximately seven miles northwest of Canoga Park and approximately 30 
miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. SSFL is comprised of four 
areas known as Areas I, II, III, and IV and two unnumbered areas known 
as the ``undeveloped land''. NASA administers 41.7 acres within Area I 
and all 409.5 acres of Area II. The Boeing Company manages the 
remaining 2,398.8 acres within Areas I, III, IV, and two undeveloped 
areas.
    Since the mid-1950s, when the two federally-owned areas were owned 
by the U.S. Air Force, this site has been used for developing and 
testing rocket engines. Four test stand complexes were constructed in 
Area II between 1954 and 1957 named Alfa, Bravo, Coca, and Delta. Area 
II and the LOX Plant portion of Area I were acquired by NASA from the 
U.S. Air Force in the 1970s. These test stands and related ancillary 
structures have been found to have historical significance based on the 
historic importance of the engine testing and the engineering and 
design of the structures.
    The NASA administered areas of SSFL also contain cultural resources 
not related to rocket development. SSFL is located near the crest of 
the Simi Hills that are part of the Santa Monica Mountains running 
east-west across Southern California. The diverse terrain consists of 
ridges, canyons and sandstone rock outcrops. The region was occupied by 
Native Americans from the earliest Chumash, Tongva, and Tataviam 
cultures. NASA has conducted several previous surveys to locate 
archaeological and architectural resources within its portion of the 
SSFL. As a result, NASA has identified one historic property, the Burro 
Flats Painted Cave, that is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places (NRHP), as well as multiple buildings and structures that are 
either individually eligible for listing on the NRHP or are elements of 
NRHP-eligible historic districts containing multiple architectural 
resources.
    Previous environmental sampling on the NASA administered property 
indicates that metals, dioxins, PCBs, volatile organics, and semi-
volatile organics are present in the soils and upper groundwater (known 
as the Surficial Media Operable Unit). Volatile organics, metals, and 
semi-volatile organics are also present in the deeper groundwater 
(known as the Chatsworth Formation Operable Unit).

Environmental Commitments and Associated Environmental Review

    Rocket engine testing has been discontinued at these sites and the 
property has been excessed to the

[[Page 39444]]

General Services Administration (GSA). GSA has conditionally accepted 
the Report of Excess pending (i) NASA's certification that all action 
necessary to protect human health and the environment with respect to 
hazardous substances on the property has been taken or receipt of EPA's 
written concurrence that an approved and installed remedial design is 
operating properly and successfully, OR (ii) the Governor's concurrence 
in the suitability of the property for transfer per CERCLA Section 
120(h)(3)(C).
    In 2007, a Consent Order among NASA, Boeing, DOE, and DTSC was 
signed addressing demolition of certain infrastructure and 
environmental cleanup of SSFL. NASA entered into an Administrative 
Order on Consent (AOC) for Remedial Action with DTSC on December 6, 
2010 ``to further define and make more specific NASA's obligations with 
respect to the cleanup of soils at the Site.'' Based on the 2010 Order, 
NASA is required to complete a federal environmental review pursuant to 
NEPA, NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8580.1, and Executive Order 
(EO) 12114. An EIS is being prepared by NASA to include demolition of 
site infrastructure and soil cleanup, pursuant to the AOC, and 
groundwater remediation within Area II and a portion of Area I (LOX 
Plant) of SSFL.
    As part of the environmental review process, certain studies are 
being completed in order to characterize the existing conditions and 
inform the analysis and consultation. These include surveys for 
wildlife, critical habitat, rare plants, wetlands, and archaeological 
and cultural resources. The findings of these studies will be 
incorporated into the EIS.

Alternatives

    In order to prepare SSFL for disposition, NASA proposes the 
demolition of SSFL structures and cleanup of the site to meet the AOC 
commitments. The EIS will consider a range of alternatives that meets 
NASA's objectives to clean up soil and groundwater contamination at the 
portion of the SSFL site administered by NASA. Implementation of this 
proposed action would occur by implementing one Demolition Alternative 
and one Environmental Cleanup Alternative, from the following:

Demolition Alternatives

     Demolition Alternative;
     No Demolition Alternative (No Action).

Environmental Cleanup Alternatives

     Alternative for Soil Cleanup to Background Levels and 
Groundwater Cleanup to Suburban Residential Cleanup Goals;
     Alternative for Soil and Groundwater Cleanup to Suburban 
Residential Cleanup Goals;
     Alternative for Soil and Groundwater Cleanup to Industrial 
Cleanup Goals;
     Alternative for Soil and Groundwater Cleanup to 
Recreational Cleanup Goals;
     No Environmental Cleanup Alternative (No Action).
    Per NEPA, NASA is required to include analysis of the ``No Action'' 
alternative. For the purpose of this analysis two No Action 
Alternatives are presented. The No Action Alternative analysis involves 
no environmental cleanup at the site and/or no demolition of test 
stands and ancillary structures on the NASA-administered property.
    NASA anticipates that the areas of potential environmental impact 
from each alternative of most interest to the public are likely to 
include: Soil removal/erosion; hazardous waste storage and disposal; 
potential impacts to threatened, endangered, and sensitive species; 
effects on critical habitat and wetlands; impacts to cultural and 
historic resources; air quality and greenhouse gas emissions; and 
disturbance to groundwater, surface water, or geologic structure.

Scoping Meetings

    NASA plans to hold three public scoping meetings to introduce the 
SSFL project and EIS planning process and to solicit public comments 
regarding alternatives and environmental issues to be considered in the 
EIS. The public scoping meetings are scheduled as follows:
    1. Chatsworth, Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 6-8:30 p.m. at the 
Chatsworth Hotel, 9777 Topanga Canyon Road, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
    2. Simi Valley, Wednesday, August 17, 6-8:30 p.m. at the Grand 
Vista, 999 Enchanted Way, Simi Valley, CA 93065.
    3. West Hills, Thursday, August 18, 9:30-12 at the Corporate Pointe 
at West Hills, 8413 Fallbrook Ave, West Hills, CA 91304 areas.
    During the EIS planning process, the public will be provided 
several opportunities for involvement, the first of which is initiated 
with this NOI and is referred to as scoping. In accordance with NEPA, 
the purpose of scoping is to provide ``an early and open process for 
determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the 
significant issues related to a proposed action''. Future opportunities 
for comment and involvement will include reviews of the Draft and Final 
EIS. The availability of these documents will be published in the 
Federal Register and through local news media to ensure that all 
members of the public have the ability to actively participate in the 
NEPA process.
    In conclusion, written public input is hereby requested on 
alternatives and environmental issues and concerns, including impacts 
to historic properties, associated with Demolition and Environmental 
Cleanup Activities at NASA's SSFL site in Ventura County, California 
that should be addressed in the EIS.

Olga M. Dominguez,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Strategic Infrastructure.
[FR Doc. 2011-16819 Filed 7-5-11; 8:45 am]
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