22 September 2002
Source: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
See also Eyeballing Nuclear Device Assembly Facilities:
http://cryptome.sabotage.org/daf-eyeball.htm
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[Federal Register: September 20, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 183)]
[Notices]
[Page 59283-59284]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20se02-74]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the
Proposed Relocation of Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials
AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Relocation of
Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials (hereafter referred to as
the TA-18 Relocation Final EIS). The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS
evaluates the environmental impacts associated with relocating a
portion of the TA-18 capabilities and materials to the following
alternative locations: (1) A different site at Los Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL) at Los Alamos, New Mexico; (2) the Nevada Test Site
(NTS) near Las Vegas, Nevada (the preferred alternative); (3) the
Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) at Albuquerque, New Mexico; and (4)
the Argonne National Laboratory--West (ANL-W) near Idaho Falls, Idaho.
The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS also evaluates the alternative of
upgrading the existing facilities at TA-18, and the no-action
alternative of maintaining the missions at the current TA-18 location.
DATES: The NNSA intends to issue a Record of Decision on the TA-18
Final EIS no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes a notice of filing of the TA-18 Final EIS in the
Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the TA-18 Relocation Final EIS or its Summary may
be obtained upon request in writing (DOE/NNSA, TA-18 Relocation Final
EIS, Attn: Mr. Jay Rose, NA-53, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585); by fax (202-586-5324); by phone (1-800-832-0885,
ext. 65484), or by E-mail (James.Rose@ns.doe.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA
NEPA process, please contact: Mr. James J. Mangeno, NNSA NEPA
Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or telephone 1-800-832-0885, ext.
68395. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact:
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
(EH-42), DOE, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585,
telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NNSA is responsible for providing the
Nation with nuclear weapons, ensuring the safety and reliability of
those nuclear weapons, and supporting programs that reduce global
nuclear proliferation. These missions are accomplished through the use
of a core team of highly trained nuclear experts. The TA-18 facilities
at LANL are the Nation's only facilities capable of performing general-
purpose nuclear materials handling and criticality experiments. These
experiments provide unique training to a variety of federal agencies,
including DOE, NNSA, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission personnel in
areas such as nuclear materials safety, emergency response in support
of counterterrorism activities, and safeguards and arms control in
support of programs aimed at controlling excess nuclear materials.
The TA-18 buildings and infrastructure are near the end of their
useful life, and action is required to assess alternatives for
continuing these activities for the next 25 years. The TA-18 Relocation
Final EIS identifies siting options to assist the NNSA in determining a
long-range strategy for maintaining nuclear criticality missions,
infrastructure, and expertise currently residing at TA-18.
The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS evaluates the potential direct,
indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts associated with
relocating the TA-18 mission to the the following DOE sites: (1) A
different site at LANL; (2) NTS (the preferred alternative); (3) SNL;
and (4) ANL-W. The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS also analyzes upgrading
the TA-18 facilities at LANL and the no-action alternative of
maintaining the operations at the current TA-18 location.
In the Final EIS, the acting Administrator of the NNSA designated
the NTS alternative as the preferred
[[Page 59284]]
alternative for activities involving Security Category I/II materials,
which constitute roughly half of the activities conducted at TA-18. The
NTS alternative, which would house four of the five TA-18 experimental
reactors in the existing Device Assembly Facility (DAF), was designated
the preferred alternative based upon cost, technical, environmental,
and mission factors. NNSA's preferred alternative also has the balance
of the TA-18 missions, involving mostly Security Category III/IV
materials and operations, remaining at LANL.
Signed in Washington, DC this 10th day of September, 2002.
Everet H. Beckner,
Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-23936 Filed 9-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P