Department of Energy October 30, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately-organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), announces the availability of the Draft Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Y-12 National Security Complex (Draft Y-12 SWEIS, DOE/EIS-0387). The Draft Y-12 SWEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of reasonable alternatives for ongoing and foreseeable future operations, facilities, and activities at Y-12. Five alternatives are analyzed: No Action Alternative (maintain the status quo); Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Alternative; Upgrade-in-Place Alternative; Capability-sized UPF Alternative; and No Net Production/ Capability-sized UPF Alternative. DOE NNSA has prepared the Draft Y-12 SWEIS 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 regulations implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). The CEQ regulations allow an agency to identify its preferred alternative or alternatives, if one or more exist, in a draft EIS (40 CFR 1502.14[e]). For the Draft Y-12 SWEIS, the Capability-sized UPF Alternative is the preferred alternative.