Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Soil Cleanup Activities at Santa Susana Field Laboratory, 57490-57491 [2019-23364]

Agencies

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57490-57491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23364]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[NOTICE: (19-074)]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) for Soil Cleanup Activities at Santa Susana 
Field Laboratory

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) to the March 2014 Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for demolition and environmental cleanup activities 
for the NASA-administered portion of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory 
(SSFL), Ventura County, California. This SEIS will cover the soil 
cleanup activities at NASA's portion of SSFL.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as 
amended, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for 
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, and NASA's NEPA policy 
and procedures, NASA has prepared a Draft SEIS for soil cleanup 
activities at SSFL in Ventura County, California. The Draft SEIS has 
been prepared because there are significant new circumstances relevant 
to environmental concerns bearing on the proposed action and its 
impacts. Specifically, the estimated quantity of soil required to be 
removed has increased substantially since the publication of the 2014 
FEIS. This increase has the potential to alter the environmental 
impacts that were evaluated in the 2014 FEIS. For this reason, NASA has 
determined it is appropriate to prepare a supplement to the 2014 FEIS.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments, preferably in 
writing, within forty-five (45) calendar days from the date of 
publication in the Federal Register of the Notice of Availability of 
the Draft SEIS on October 25, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted by mail should be addressed to Peter 
Zorba, SSFL Project Director, 5800 Woolsey Canyon Road, Canoga Park, CA 
91304. Comments may be submitted via email to [email protected]. The Draft SEIS may be reviewed at the following 
locations:
    1. Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA 
93063, Phone: (805) 526-1735.
    2. Platt Library, 23600 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367, 
Phone: (818) 340-9386.
    3. California State University, Northridge Oviatt Library, 18111 
Nordhoff Street, 2nd Floor, Room 265, Northridge, CA 91330, Phone: 
(818) 677-2285.
    4. Department of Toxic Substances Control, 9211 Oakdale Avenue, 
Chatsworth, CA 91311, Phone: (818) 717-6521.
    The Draft SEIS is also available on the internet at https://www.nasa.gov/feature/environmental-impact-statement-eis-for-demolition-and-environmental-cleanup-activities. The Federal Register Notice of 
Intent to prepare the Draft SEIS, issued in the Federal Register on 
April 5, 2019, is also available on the internet at: https://ssfl.msfc.nasa.gov/news#news20190405.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Zorba, SSFL Project Director, by 
email at [email protected]. Additional information 
about NASA's SSFL site, the proposed soil cleanup activities, and the 
associated 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) website at 
https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SiteCleanup/Santa_Susana_Field_Lab/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this Notice is to announce 
the issuance and public availability of the Draft SEIS for review and 
comment, establish a 45 calendar day comment period, inform the public 
of where the document may be reviewed and comments can be submitted, 
and the date and time of public meetings. The Draft SEIS is intended to 
inform NASA decision makers, regulating agencies, and the public about 
the environmental impact of proposed soil cleanup in the NASA-
administered portion of SSFL. 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 located near the crest of the Simi Hills, which are 
part of the Santa Monica Mountains running east-west across Southern 
California. The diverse terrain consists of ridges, canyons, and 
sandstone rock outcrops. SSFL is composed of four areas known as Areas 
I, II, III, and IV and two ``undeveloped'' areas. The NASA-administered 
portion is 41.7 acres within Area I and all 409.5 acres of Area II. The 
Boeing Company (Boeing) owns the remaining 2,398.8 acres within Areas 
I, III, IV, and the two undeveloped areas. The Department of Energy 
(DOE) is responsible for building demolition and cleanup of soils and 
groundwater in Area IV and the Northern Buffer Zone.
    Since the mid-1950s, when the federal government portion of SSFL 
was administered 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. These test stand areas along with the Liquid Oxygen (LOX) 
Plant portion of Area I were acquired by NASA from the U.S. Air Force 
in the 1970s.
    The NASA-administered portion of SSFL contain historical and 
cultural resources associated with rocket development, along with a 
number of significant archeological sites. NASA has conducted several 
surveys to identify and locate archeological and architectural 
resources within its

[[Page 57491]]

administered portion of SSFL. NASA has identified the Burro Flats 
Cultural District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places (NRHP), as well as other various archeological sites, 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. In 2014, NASA entered into a 
Programmatic Agreement with the California State Historic Preservation 
Officer, the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, and the Santa 
Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The Programmatic Agreement stipulates the 
cultural resource management measures that must be implemented before, 
during, and after all cleanup activities.
    Environmental Commitments and Associated Environmental Review: 
Rocket engine testing has been discontinued at these sites and the 
property has been excessed to the General Services Administration 
(GSA). GSA has conditionally accepted the Report of Excess pending 
certain environmental cleanup requirements are met.
    In 2007, a Consent Order among NASA, Boeing, the U.S. Department of 
Energy, 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 and NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8580.1.
    NASA completed an FEIS for demolition of site infrastructure, soil 
cleanup, and groundwater remediation within Area II and a portion of 
Area I (former LOX Plant) of SSFL on March 14, 2014 (79 FR 14545). NASA 
subsequently issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for building demolition 
on April 25, 2014. A ROD for groundwater cleanup was published in the 
Federal Register on October 17, 2018. This Draft SEIS has been prepared 
by NASA for soil cleanup within its administered portion of SSFL.
    Alternatives: NASA is committed to achieving an environmental 
cleanup that is protective of public health and the environment and the 
stewardship of the site's natural and cultural resources. The Draft 
SEIS considers the following range of alternatives that meet NASA's 
objectives to clean up soil at the portion of the SSFL site 
administered by NASA.

 Alternative A: Soil Cleanup to AOC Look Up Table (LUT) Values 
(similar to the Proposed Action from the 2014 FEIS with the impacts of 
increased soil volumes considered)
 Alternative B: Soil Cleanup to Revised AOC LUT Values 
(revisions to LUT values reflect standard California Water Board and 
California Human Health screening values)
 Alternative C: Soil Cleanup to Suburban Residential Cleanup 
Goals (based on the DTSC-approved Standardized Risk Assessment 
Methodology (SRAM) Revision 2 Addendum, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) risk assessment guidelines for residential land use, and 
California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA) risk assessment 
guidance)
 Alternative D: Soil Cleanup to Recreational Cleanup Goals 
(based on DTSC-approved SRAM Revision 2 Addendum, EPA risk assessment 
guidelines for recreational land use, and Cal EPA risk assessment 
guidance)

    A No Action alternative, which is required per 40 CFR part 1500, 
was also included in the analysis, though it would not meet the cleanup 
goals.
    Public Meetings: NASA plans to hold two public meetings to receive 
comments on the Draft SEIS regarding alternatives and environmental 
issues to be considered in the Final SEIS. The public meetings are 
scheduled as follows:

1. Best Western Posada Royale, Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 from 
6:30-8:30 p.m., 1775 Madera Road, Simi Valley, CA 93065
2. Corporate Pointe at West Hill, Thursday, November 21st, 2019 from 
6:30-8:30 p.m., 8411 Fallbrook Avenue, West Hills, CA 91304

    NASA will consider all comments received in developing its Final 
SEIS; comments received and responses to comments will be included in 
the Final document. In conclusion, written public input on 
environmental issues and concerns associated with NASA's cleanup of 
SSFL are hereby requested.

Calvin F. Williams,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Strategic Infrastructure.
[FR Doc. 2019-23364 Filed 10-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7510-13-P