[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19532]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 10, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
 

Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement, Los Alamos National 
Laboratory

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Advance Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National 
Laboratory.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is providing 
advance notice of its intent to prepare a Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement (SWEIS) for its Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), 
Los Alamos, New Mexico, a DOE multipurpose research and development 
laboratory. The SWEIS will be prepared pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.], the 
Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations [40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508] and the DOE NEPA regulations [10 CFR Part 1021]. The SWEIS will 
analyze the potential environmental impacts of continuing to operate 
LANL and reasonable alternative operating envelopes.
    With this Advance Notice, DOE initiates a prescoping process to 
identify possible issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the SWEIS. 
As provided at 10 CFR 1021.311(b), this Advance Notice provides an 
early opportunity to inform the public of the SWEIS and to solicit 
early public comments. After this prescoping process, DOE will publish 
a Notice of Intent (NOI) which will identify the proposed scope of the 
SWEIS, including the proposed alternatives and issues developed through 
this prescoping process. Although schedules have not yet been 
developed, it is DOE's intent to start the full SWEIS process as soon 
as possible and complete the process as quickly as possible. The public 
is invited to comment on this Advance Notice and to attend public 
information meetings and workshops addressing SWEIS issues.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the SWEIS are invited from the 
public. Prescoping comments should be postmarked by October 31, 1994. 
The Department will again invite comments on the scope of the SWEIS 
after the NOI is published.
    The Department will hold public information meetings and workshops 
in conjunction with prescoping. These will be held at various places in 
northern New Mexico. The times, dates, and format of these meetings 
will be announced in the local press no later than two weeks prior to 
the meetings and publicized in other ways as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the SWEIS or other matters 
concerning the SWEIS, or requests to be put on a mailing list for 
future information about the SWEIS, should be addressed to: M. Diana 
Webb, Los Alamos Area Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 528 35th 
Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544, Attn: LANL SWEIS, (505) 665-6353, 
Facsimile (505) 665-4504.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE 
NEPA process, please contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Oversight, EH-25, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, (800) 472-2756 or (202) 586-4600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    About the SWEIS. The Department has a policy to prepare SWEISs for 
large, multi-facility DOE sites [10 CFR 1021.330], such as LANL. The 
purpose of a SWEIS is to provide DOE and its stakeholders with a 
comprehensive look at the environmental impacts caused by its 
operations and activities at a site. The NEPA process allows for 
Federal, State, tribal, county, municipal and public participation in 
the environmental review and resultant decisionmaking process. A SWEIS 
was last prepared for LANL in 1979 [DOE/EIS-0018]. The planned SWEIS 
would replace that document.
    A SWEIS is a useful tool for DOE to manage its facilities and 
operations. It provides the DOE decisionmakers, site management, and 
the public with comprehensive information on the cumulative impact of 
past, ongoing and planned activities at a site in order to plan for 
quality stewardship of the resources entrusted to DOE's care. A SWEIS 
can be used to establish an environmentally-sound operating envelope 
for site activities and establish thresholds of significance to 
identify future environmental impacts. The SWEIS is expected to support 
later NEPA reviews by allowing DOE to focus on project-specific issues 
and to narrow and simplify the scope of later reviews. This process is 
called ``tiering'' [40 CFR 1508.28]. DOE believes that the SWEIS 
analysis will generally provide adequate NEPA coverage for those 
activities and projects covered by the SWEIS. However, a SWEIS may not 
replace the need for future, project-specific NEPA reviews as future 
proposals for LANL facilities are developed. In accordance with 10 CFR 
1021.330(d), DOE will evaluate the SWEIS at least every five years 
after its completion to determine whether it should be revised.
    Site-wide Analysis. The SWEIS will address operations and planned 
activities at LANL foreseen within the next 5 to 10 years. The SWEIS 
will focus on operating practices and facility management; DOE does not 
expect to be able to anticipate all future research and development 
projects that LANL may be called upon to support over the next ten 
years. The Department anticipates that the SWEIS will provide an 
analysis of all activities at LANL and all DOE land management 
activities related to operations at LANL. The SWEIS will also examine 
DOE's ongoing obligations to the surrounding community under the Atomic 
Energy Communities Act [42 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.], including proposals to 
transfer certain tracts of DOE-administered land to Los Alamos County. 
The Department intends to use the SWEIS to develop: mitigation measures 
for operating and facilities management practices; a nuclear materials 
storage and handling strategy; a waste management strategy; an 
environmental restoration strategy; and a land transfer strategy for 
LANL. The SWEIS will include an analysis of the impacts of operating 
all major facilities at LANL. Specific research projects or facility 
proposals that are not included within the SWEIS analysis would be 
subject to project-specific NEPA reviews.
    Los Alamos National Laboratory's mission. The Department 
coordinates and administers the energy functions of the Federal 
government. Among other things, it is responsible for the nuclear 
weapons program, research and development of energy technologies, and 
basic science research. The Laboratory is one of DOE's primary research 
and development laboratories. It was established in 1943 to provide 
research, design, and testing for nuclear weapons and nuclear materials 
and remains one of the three laboratories in DOE's nuclear weapons 
complex. Over the past 50 years, LANL's mission has expanded to include 
research in energy, materials science, nuclear safeguards and security, 
biomedical science, computational science, environmental protection and 
cleanup, and other basic science research. In addition to work done in 
support of DOE programs, LANL provides research and science services 
for other Federal agencies, universities, foreign countries, and 
private industry. The Laboratory is one of the largest multiprogram 
research laboratories in the world, with an annual budget of about $1 
billion and about 10,000 contractor and sub-contractor employees. The 
Laboratory covers about 43 square miles of Federal land in north-
central New Mexico in Los Alamos and Santa Fe Counties.
    The Secretary of Energy has initiated an independent review to 
provide recommendations on the future missions of all DOE Laboratories. 
The SWEIS will incorporate any recommendations accepted by DOE 
regarding the future missions of LANL.
    Related NEPA reviews. Currently, certain of LANL's mission elements 
are being considered in several other broad-scale NEPA reviews. In 
addition, about 20 proposed projects at LANL are in the process of 
having either an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) prepared.
    The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic EIS 
(PEIS) [Notice of Intent, 55 FR 42633] will analyze the DOE plan to 
formulate and implement an integrated Environmental Management program. 
The Laboratory is one of the alternative sites proposed to store and 
process transuranic radioactive waste and store, process, and provide 
on-site disposal for low-level radioactive waste, possibly including 
material generated at locations other than LANL.
    The Nuclear Weapons Complex Reconfiguration PEIS [revised Notice of 
Intent, 56 FR 39528] analyzes alternatives for the reconfiguration of 
the weapons complex due to nuclear weapons stockpile reductions. The 
Department currently is considering how the scope of this PEIS should 
be revised further to reflect more recent budget and stockpile 
reduction decisions. At this time, the Reconfiguration PEIS and its 
related decisions are not expected to change the weapons mission at 
LANL.
    The Advanced Neutron Source EIS analyzes the siting, construction 
and operation of a research nuclear reactor [Notice of Intent, 58 FR 
31019]. The Laboratory is being considered as an alternative to the 
preferred site at DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee.
    The Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and INEL 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs EIS includes a 
programmatic analysis of transporting, processing, and storing spent 
nuclear reactor fuel [Notice of Availability, Draft EIS, 59 FR 32688]. 
The Laboratory has generated spent fuel and continues to temporarily 
store this material pending the outcome of programmatic decisions 
following the spent fuel EIS.
    The Department is preparing a site-wide EIS for all activities at 
its Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, Texas [Notice of Intent, 59 FR 26635]. 
The primary mission of this facility is disassembly of nuclear weapons. 
The Pantex site-wide EIS will also take a programmatic look at storing 
disassembled nuclear weapons components. The Laboratory disassembles 
and temporarily stores radioisotopic thermoelectric generators 
(radioactive heat sources) that have been removed from retired weapons 
and could be considered as an alternative site for other components.
    The Department is preparing a PEIS for Storage and Disposition of 
Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials [Notice of Intent, 59 FR 31985]. The 
PEIS will analyze alternatives for the long-term storage and 
disposition of surplus nuclear materials in order to minimize the risk 
of proliferation of nuclear weapons capability in the world. Phase I of 
the project will be to provide safe, controlled, inspectable interim 
storage. As part of this phase, DOE is performing a vulnerability study 
to determine the risks associated with current storage of nuclear 
materials. Phase II will be long-term storage or disposition of surplus 
material. Among other things, the PEIS will analyze a new, consolidated 
long-term storage facility at five candidate sites (LANL is not a 
candidate site), and continued use of interim storage facilities. The 
Laboratory now stores some nuclear materials.
    The Department is preparing a programmatic EA on its proposal to 
produce medical isotopes for medical applications such as diagnostics 
and chemotherapy [EA determination, 02/24/93]. The proposal involves 
irradiating targets in a nuclear reactor, processing the material, and 
disposing of waste. The original proposal was to use the Omega West 
Reactor at LANL to produce the isotopes. Since that time, DOE has 
decided to permanently shut down that reactor, and it would not be used 
for this purpose. Alternatives currently under consideration involving 
LANL facilities would include fabricating targets at the Chemistry and 
Metallurgy Research Building, processing and recycling irradiated 
material at that facility, and disposing of low-level radioactive waste 
at LANL's waste management area.
    Besides these broad-scale NEPA documents, DOE is in the process of 
conducting several environmental analyses for specific proposed 
projects at LANL or has made preliminary plans to start such reviews. 
Through this prescoping process, the public is invited to comment as to 
whether the NEPA reviews listed in Tables 1 and 2 should precede, be 
incorporated into, or be deferred until after the SWEIS. In accordance 
with requests from the State, tribes, and the public, DOE invites 
public comment as to which of these ongoing NEPA reviews should be 
included within the scope of alternatives to be analyzed in the SWEIS. 
Specifically, as requested by the public, DOE invites comments to 
assist in determining either: (1) The project has independent 
justification and would not prejudice the outcome of the SWEIS, and the 
NEPA review can proceed; (2) the project is integral to alternatives to 
be analyzed in the SWEIS, and the NEPA review will be included in the 
SWEIS; or (3) the project depends on the outcome of the SWEIS, and the 
NEPA review will be deferred until after the SWEIS is completed.
    These projects and DOE's initial recommendations are listed in 
Table 1. For a few projects, DOE does not make an initial 
recommendation but will develop its recommendation after considering 
public comment. Table 1 also provides information on the DOE program 
which sponsors the proposals and the date of the determination of the 
initial level of NEPA review. The Department may initiate other 
projects while the SWEIS is being prepared; Table 2 lists planned 
projects for which DOE believes NEPA reviews may be needed prior to 
completion of the SWEIS but has not yet issued a NEPA determination. 
The public is invited to comment on whether these NEPA reviews should 
proceed independently of the SWEIS, or should be included in the SWEIS 
analysis. The NOI will summarize comments received, explain whether or 
not DOE proposes to continue with any of these NEPA reviews, and 
describe their relationship to the alternatives suggested in the NOI.
    Issues and alternatives. The Department has not yet identified 
environmental issues or suggested alternatives for the SWEIS. These 
will be developed over the next few months through the prescoping 
process with the assistance of stakeholder involvement. The Department 
anticipates that alternatives will be issue-driven to allow 
alternatives to focus on activities or operations which are of concern 
(``at issue'') to the agency or the public. The SWEIS would not analyze 
alternatives to current practices for which neither the agency nor the 
public have identified any concerns.
    The SWEIS will look at reasonable alternatives to the current 
situation. The public is specifically invited to comment on whether 
analysis of an alternative which would describe phasing out all LANL 
operations and eventually decommissioning all facilities (a ``shutdown 
alternative'') would be useful for comparison to ongoing activities.
    In 1976, LANL was designated as one of four National Environmental 
Research Parks (NERPs). The NERPs were established to contribute to the 
understanding of how people can live in balance with nature while 
enjoying the benefits of technology. The Department has never 
instituted an active management plan for the LANL NERP. The public is 
specifically invited to comment on whether the SWEIS should contain 
alternatives for managing the NERP or whether the designation should be 
lifted.
    The NEPA process. The DOE NEPA review process is described in the 
Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations [40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508] and the DOE NEPA regulations [10 CFR Part 1021]. Through NEPA, 
Congress requires that Federal agencies consider environmental impacts 
when making decisions and lay the decisionmaking process open to public 
scrutiny. An EIS documents the environmental review of major Federal 
actions which may significantly affect the human environment; an EA may 
be used to determine the need for an EIS or to document that no 
significant environmental impacts would be expected to occur.
    The EIS process begins with publication of a NOI to solicit public 
comments to assist in determining the scope of analysis in the EIS [40 
CFR 1501.7; 10 CFR 1021.311]. The Department documents the results of 
the scoping process and its plans on how to conduct the EIS review in 
an Implementation Plan [10 CFR 1021.312]. An agency publishes a draft 
EIS to gain public input into the environmental analysis before a final 
EIS is issued [40 CFR 1502.9; 10 CFR 1021.313]. An agency issues a 
Record of Decision (ROD) to document its decision and to explain how 
the environmental considerations documented in the EIS were balanced 
against other factors which led to the decision, such as technical, 
regulatory, or financial considerations [40 CFR 1505.2; 10 CFR 
1021.315].
    A PEIS is a broad-scale analysis of proposed programs or policies 
[40 CFR 1502.4(b)], including proposals with geographically connected 
actions [40 CFR 1502.4(c)(1)]. A SWEIS is a specific type of PEIS used 
to analyze connected actions at a DOE site [10 CFR 1021.330]. An agency 
follows the same steps to prepare a SWEIS as for an EIS.
    Classified material. The Department will review classified material 
while preparing the SWEIS. Within the limits of classification, DOE 
will provide to the public as much information as possible. If 
necessary, classified information will be segregated into a classified 
appendix.
    Public involvement opportunities. The Department will conduct 
prescoping over the next few months. The results of prescoping will be 
provided in the NOI. Through this Advance Notice, DOE asks other 
Federal agencies, the State, tribal governments, local governments, and 
the general public to assist in identifying the scope of analysis for 
the SWEIS, including suggestions on issues, alternatives, and other 
topics of interest. As part of the prescoping process, DOE will hold a 
series of public information meetings and workshops, and provide other 
opportunities for public involvement. These will be publicized in local 
media at least two weeks in advance. Other Federal agencies, which 
perform work at LANL or manage land that might be affected by LANL 
activities, will be consulted about the SWEIS. Information briefings 
will be given to the State, affected tribes, and local governments. 
Other parties with an interest in LANL's operations, such as private 
companies having industrial partnerships with LANL, will be advised of 
the SWEIS process. The Department invites stakeholders to submit 
written comments on the content of the SWEIS and suggestions on the 
SWEIS review process, including suggestions for the conduct or format 
of public involvement opportunities, to the address given above. 
Comments received prior to October 31, 1994, will be considered in 
developing the proposed issues and alternatives for the NOI.
    The NOI will explain how comments and issues raised in the 
prescoping process have been incorporated into the suggested 
alternatives and issues identified in that Notice. Publication of the 
NOI will be followed by a second invitation to comment, public 
information meetings and workshops, and formal public scoping meetings. 
The results of the scoping process will be documented in an 
Implementation Plan which will be made available to the public. Other 
Federal agencies, the State, tribes, local governments, and the public 
will be given the opportunity to review and comment on the draft SWEIS 
and participate in public hearings. A final SWEIS will be prepared 
which will explain how public comments on the draft were considered. 
Following the final SWEIS, DOE intends to issue a ROD to document DOE's 
decisions regarding the operation of LANL and explain the measures 
identified to mitigate any adverse impacts.
    Copies of written comments, summaries of prescoping public 
meetings, and other materials pertaining to the development and 
analysis of the SWEIS will be made available for public review at the 
Los Alamos National Laboratory Community Reading Room, 1450 Central 
Ave., Suite 101, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544. For information on the 
availability of specific documents and hours of operation, please 
contact the reading room at (505) 665-2127 or (800) 543-2342.

    Signed in Washington D.C. this 4th day of August, 1994, for the 
United States Department of Energy.
Tara O'Toole, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.

           Table 1.--Recommendations for Ongoing NEPA Reviews           
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           DOE program sponsor/     Discussion, initial 
     Title, summary         NEPA determ. date         recommendation    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS STATEMENTS (EISs)                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radioactive Liquid       EM 02/08/93............  Discussion: The       
 Wastewater Treatment                              existing wastewater  
 Facility, TA-63.                                  treatment facility,  
 Proposed facility                                 completed in 1963, is
 would replace existing                            still able to be     
 30-year-old wastewater                            operated safely and  
 treatment facility                                reliably for a few   
 which has reached the                             more years, although 
 end of its design life.                           design standards have
                                                   changed considerably 
                                                   since that time. It  
                                                   is possible that     
                                                   certain design       
                                                   details, such as     
                                                   wastewater stream    
                                                   source and type, may 
                                                   depend on sitewide   
                                                   decisions regarding  
                                                   the location and use 
                                                   of other facilities  
                                                   at LANL. Detailed    
                                                   design for a         
                                                   replacement facility 
                                                   cannot be started    
                                                   until the NEPA review
                                                   is completed, which  
                                                   in turn would affect 
                                                   construction         
                                                   schedules. Initial   
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Include in the SWEIS.
                                                                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS (EAs)                     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chemistry and            DP 09/13/93............  Discussion: CMR first 
 Metallurgy Research                               operated in 1952.    
 (CMR) Building                                    Since then,          
 Upgrades, TA-3. Part                              environmental, safety
 of a series of                                    and security design  
 proposed                                          and operating        
 infrastructure                                    requirements have    
 renovations to a 40-                              changed. Utility and 
 year-old facility used                            infrastructure       
 for various research                              systems at CMR have  
 projects. CMR supports                            aged and need to be  
 activities in several                             replaced. Although   
 other LANL facilities.                            current operations in
 The purpose of the                                CMR are conducted in 
 upgrades is to reduce                             a way that protects  
 risk, enhance the                                 the safety of        
 safety margin, and                                workers, the public  
 provide for the                                   and the environment, 
 continued safe,                                   some utility and     
 reliable, and                                     infrastructure       
 effective use of the                              upgrades would allow 
 facility to support                               CMR operations to    
 LANL missions for at                              more closely adhere  
 least another 20 to 30                            to current           
 years. Some                                       environmental,       
 renovations were                                  safety, and health   
 covered by prior NEPA                             requirements. These  
 review and are                                    include improving or 
 currently underway.                               replacing the        
                                                   building's           
                                                   structural,          
                                                   ventilation,         
                                                   electrical, facility 
                                                   monitoring, waste    
                                                   management, and      
                                                   security systems.    
                                                   Another element of   
                                                   the CMR upgrade      
                                                   projects would       
                                                   refurbish Wings 2 and
                                                   4 at CMR, to         
                                                   accommodate LANL     
                                                   program needs. If the
                                                   upgrades were        
                                                   deferred until after 
                                                   the SWEIS, CMR would 
                                                   continue to be used  
                                                   but would also       
                                                   continue to          
                                                   deteriorate as the   
                                                   building systems     
                                                   aged. Initial        
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Analyze in the EA    
                                                   those components of  
                                                   the proposed upgrades
                                                   that are needed to   
                                                   maintain the existing
                                                   operation            
                                                   infrastructure,      
                                                   improve safety of    
                                                   operations to workers
                                                   and the general      
                                                   public, enhance CMR  
                                                   environmental        
                                                   management systems,  
                                                   and provide for      
                                                   improved security.   
                                                   Include in the SWEIS 
                                                   the remainder of the 
                                                   proposed CMR upgrades
                                                   which relate to long-
                                                   term programmatic    
                                                   needs, including     
                                                   refurbishing Wings 2 
                                                   and 4.               
High Explosives          DP 03/10/92............  Discussion: This is a 
 Materials Test                                    small-scale          
 Facility, TA-11.                                  construction project 
 Proposed construction                             to consolidate       
 and operation of a new                            ongoing activities at
 3,000 square-foot                                 LANL and would not   
 building for                                      increase LANL's      
 mechanical and thermal                            existing testing     
 tests on high                                     program. If          
 explosive materials                               constructing the     
 and related assemblies                            building were        
 in support of DOE's                               deferred until after 
 science-based                                     the SWEIS, testing   
 stockpile stewardship                             and evaluation would 
 program. The proposal                             continue in the      
 would consolidate in                              existing facilities. 
 one building the high                             Further deterioration
 explosives work now                               of the existing      
 done in several                                   buildings could      
 locations at LANL; the                            disrupt the          
 existing facilities                               evaluation program   
 have deteriorated                                 and create           
 substantially and are                             uncertainty in LANL's
 inadequate to reliably                            ability to safely and
 support current needs.                            reliably test high   
 LANL has an ongoing                               explosives materials.
 mission to evaluate                               A decision to        
 aging weapons to                                  construct this       
 ensure that the                                   building would not   
 enduring nuclear                                  influence, nor be    
 weapons stockpile                                 influenced by,       
 remains safe and                                  sitewide decisions.  
 reliable; therefore,                              Initial              
 LANL must maintain the                            recommendation:      
 capability to assure                              Proceed with EA.     
 the continuity and                                                     
 reliability of                                                         
 evaluation tests and                                                   
 the safety of workers                                                  
 performing those tests.                                                
Isotope Separator        DP 12/10/92............  Discussion: NEPA      
 Facility, TA-48.                                  review of this       
 Proposed 4,000-square-                            project is not needed
 foot laboratory                                   at this time. Initial
 facility to develop                               Recommendation: Defer
 pure samples of                                   until after SWEIS.   
 isotopes to be used as                                                 
 standards for weapons                                                  
 and non-weapons                                                        
 research. This project                                                 
 has been deferred.                                                     
Low Energy Accelerator   DP 08/23/92............  Discussion: This is a 
 Laboratory (LEAL), TA-                            small-scale          
 53 (formerly                                      construction project 
 Accelerator Prototype                             to support ongoing   
 Laboratory). Proposed                             research. If         
 7,000-square-foot                                 constructing the     
 laboratory to support                             building is deferred 
 development of proton                             until after the      
 accelerators for                                  SWEIS, the research  
 ongoing programs. The                             would continue in    
 low-energy, high-                                 existing buildings if
 current front end                                 space allowed. A     
 accelerator prototype                             decision to construct
 would be housed and                               this building would  
 operated in this                                  not influence, nor be
 proposed building.                                influenced by,       
                                                   sitewide decisions.  
                                                   Initial              
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Proceed with EA.     
Nuclear Materials        DP 08/10/93............  Discussion: The 1986  
 Storage Facility                                  EA analyzed          
 Upgrade, TA-55                                    constructing and     
 (Revision to 1986 EA).                            operating the        
 The 1986 EA covers                                existing vault to    
 actions currently                                 consolidate nuclear  
 needed to correct                                 material storage at  
 identified design and                             LANL. The proposal   
 construction                                      was revised in 1993  
 deficiencies. The                                 to allow for         
 revised proposal is to                            increased storage    
 increase the storage                              capability in the    
 capacity of an                                    vault; the NEPA      
 existing nuclear                                  determination was to 
 materials storage                                 revise the 1986 EA to
 vault from about 6.6                              provide the NEPA     
 metric tons of                                    review for the       
 plutonium to about 25                             increased capacity.  
 metric tons (LANL's                               If the revised NEPA  
 current inventory is                              review were to       
 about 2.6 metric                                  proceed, DOE could   
 tons), with a                                     make an early        
 corresponding increase                            decision on whether  
 in heat removal                                   to increase the      
 capability from 20                                storage capability of
 kilowatts to 75                                   the existing vault.  
 kilowatts. The                                    This would be        
 proposed upgrades                                 necessary if, prior  
 would also allow                                  to completing        
 storage of material                               sitewide decisions,  
 that generates more                               DOE needed to store  
 heat due to                                       at LANL more         
 radioactive decay.                                material, or         
                                                   different types of   
                                                   material, than is now
                                                   on-site or           
                                                   anticipated under    
                                                   current mission      
                                                   workloads. If a      
                                                   decision to increase 
                                                   the capacity were    
                                                   deferred until after 
                                                   the SWEIS, DOE and   
                                                   LANL could continue  
                                                   to work towards      
                                                   correcting design and
                                                   construction         
                                                   deficiencies but     
                                                   could not undertake  
                                                   work that would lead 
                                                   to increased storage 
                                                   capacity. The SWEIS  
                                                   will be used to help 
                                                   develop a nuclear    
                                                   materials storage and
                                                   handling strategy,   
                                                   which would include  
                                                   projections of       
                                                   amounts of material  
                                                   anticipated to be on 
                                                   site if LANL's       
                                                   weapons mission      
                                                   changed; sitewide    
                                                   decisions could      
                                                   influence decisions  
                                                   on the future use and
                                                   capacity of the      
                                                   vault. Initial       
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Include in SWEIS the 
                                                   proposal to increase 
                                                   the vault's capacity 
                                                   as part of nuclear   
                                                   materials storage and
                                                   handling strategy.   
                                                   Work to correct      
                                                   existing design and  
                                                   construction         
                                                   deficiencies would   
                                                   continue.            
Safety Testing of Pits   DP 06/02/93............  Discussion: This is a 
 Under Thermal Stress,                             small-scale project  
 CMR Building, TA-3                                that would not       
 (formerly Fire                                    require construction 
 Resistant Pit Test                                of a new facility. It
 Program). Proposed                                is not connected to  
 experiments to ensure                             the infrastructure   
 that the enduring                                 upgrades at CMR. If  
 nuclear weapons                                   the test is deferred 
 stockpile is safe and                             until after the      
 would not cause                                   SWEIS, some existing 
 environmental or                                  uncertainties        
 health problems in the                            regarding the safety 
 event of a fire. The                              of the nuclear       
 project would require                             weapons in the       
 minor modifications to                            enduring stockpile   
 one of the hot cells                              would remain         
 at CMR, but would not                             unresolved. A        
 require construction                              decision to conduct  
 of any new facilities.                            this test would not  
 The tests would be on                             influence, nor be    
 disarmed nuclear                                  influenced by,       
 weapons devices (pits)                            sitewide decisions.  
 to determine the                                  Initial              
 potential for                                     Recommendation:      
 materials failure                                 Proceed with EA.     
 under fire conditions.                                                 
 LANL has an ongoing                                                    
 mission to evaluate                                                    
 weapons to ensure that                                                 
 the enduring nuclear                                                   
 weapons stockpile                                                      
 remains safe and                                                       
 reliable.                                                              
Transuranic Waste Drum   DP 06/11/91............  Discussion: This is a 
 Staging Building, TA-                             small-scale project  
 55. Proposal to                                   that would not       
 convert an existing                               require construction 
 1,000 square-foot                                 of new facilities. If
 building within the                               the project were     
 Plutonium Facility to                             deferred until after 
 temporarily stage                                 the SWEIS, waste     
 transuranic waste                                 could continue to be 
 pending transportation                            stored in laboratory 
 to LANL's radioactive                             space. A decision to 
 waste management area                             proceed with this    
 at TA-54.                                         modification would   
                                                   not influence, nor be
                                                   influenced by,       
                                                   sitewide decisions.  
                                                   Initial              
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Proceed with EA.     
Weapons Components Test  DP 12/25/92............  Discussion: This is a 
 Facility Relocation,                              small-scale project  
 TA-16. Proposal to                                that would not       
 relocate a test shop                              require construction 
 to a nearby 11,000-                               of a new facility. If
 square-foot area now                              the project were     
 used as a warehouse.                              deferred until after 
 The shop is used for                              the SWEIS, the same  
 materials tests on                                testing operations   
 weapons components and                            would continue in the
 for non-weapons                                   existing space, but  
 structural tests. A                               the proposed         
 new hydraulic load-                               hydraulic press could
 test machine press                                not be installed. A  
 would be installed,                               decision to proceed  
 and a small addition                              with this            
 built to house                                    modification would   
 hydraulic pumps.                                  not influence, nor be
                                                   influenced by,       
                                                   sitewide decision.   
                                                   Initial              
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Proceed with EA.     
Decontaminate,           DP/EM 11/04/91.........  Discussion: This      
 Decommission and                                  facility has not     
 Demolish (DD&D)                                   operated since 1991. 
 Building 86, High                                 The immediate safety 
 Pressure Tritium                                  hazard was the       
 Laboratory, TA-33.                                removal of tritium-  
 Proposed demolition of                            contaminated         
 a 40-year-old tritium-                            equipment, which is  
 contaminated building                             being accomplished.  
 after removing tritium-                           There is no immediate
 contaminated                                      need to perform DD&D,
 equipment. Tritium                                and this action would
 inventory and                                     produce potentially  
 equipment removal were                            contaminated building
 covered under a                                   rubble that would    
 separate NEPA review                              have to be disposed  
 and are currently                                 of. Initial          
 underway. The building                            Recommendation:      
 is being monitored to                             Include in the SWEIS 
 determine residual                                the remaining DD&D to
 tritium levels. Future                            help determine       
 DD&D of the building                              potential waste      
 would be done under                               volumes for future   
 the EM program, but                               disposal.            
 the facility currently                                                 
 remains under DP                                                       
 management.                                                            
New Sanitary Landfill.   DP/EM 05/09/91.........  Discussion: A decision
 Proposal to locate,                               on where to locate   
 construct, and operate                            the new landfill and 
 a new sanitary                                    how much capacity it 
 landfill at LANL.                                 should have would    
                                                   depend on sitewide   
                                                   decisions regarding  
                                                   other facilities and 
                                                   a waste management   
                                                   strategy. Initial    
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Include in SWEIS.    
Actinide Source Term     EM 12/09/92............  Discussion: This is a 
 Waste Test Program,                               small-scale project  
 CMR Building, TA-3.                               that would not       
 Proposal to conduct                               require construction 
 tests to determine                                of a new facility. It
 under controlled                                  is not connected to  
 conditions how                                    the infrastructure   
 actinides (radioactive                            upgrades at CMR. If  
 elements) behave when                             the test program is  
 exposed to brine. This                            deferred until after 
 test will be used to                              the SWEIS, existing  
 provide information                               uncertainties        
 important to the                                  regarding the        
 decision on whether or                            performance of WIPP  
 not to operate the                                would remain         
 Waste Isolation Pilot                             unresolved and the   
 Plant (WIPP) in                                   schedule for         
 Carlsbad, New Mexico.                             completing the       
 The test results are                              performance          
 needed by 12/95 to                                assessment would not 
 complete the WIPP                                 be met. A decision to
 performance                                       conduct this test    
 assessment; to meet                               would not influence, 
 this schedule, tests                              nor be influenced by,
 must begin in 1994.                               sitewide decisions.  
                                                   Initial              
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Proceed with EA.     
Controlled Air           EM 10/20/90............  Discussion: The       
 Incinerator, Expanded                             Controlled Air       
 Operations, TA-50.                                Incinerator has      
 Proposal to use an                                undergone extensive  
 existing incinerator                              safety and           
 to treat environmental                            environmental        
 restoration and                                   upgrades to support  
 operational waste                                 converting the       
 generated at various                              facility's mission   
 areas of LANL. The                                from a research and  
 incinerator has                                   development facility 
 previously been                                   to an operational    
 permitted and has                                 facility in support  
 operated a total of                               of treating both     
 2,607 hours over 15                               hazardous and mixed  
 years as a research                               waste. The SWEIS will
 and development                                   be used to develop a 
 facility. Incinerating                            waste management     
 waste destroys toxic                              strategy; analyzing  
 organic constituents                              impacts of           
 and generally reduces                             incinerating         
 waste volume                                      operational waste    
 dramatically.                                     could be an important
 Incineration is a                                 element of that      
 recommended best                                  strategy. Initial    
 demonstrated available                            Recommendation:      
 technology within                                 Include treatment    
 environmental                                     operation of the     
 statutes. DOE has a                               incinerator in SWEIS.
 milestone to complete                             DOE makes no         
 a trial burn by 02/13/                            recommendation       
 95 under its Federal                              whether work would   
 Facility Compliance                               continue to conduct a
 Agreement with the                                trial burn as        
 Environmental                                     required by the      
 Protection Agency                                 Federal Facility     
 (EPA). If the trial                               Compliance Agreement.
 burn is successful,                               DOE will continue to 
 DOE and the EPA will                              work with regulators 
 develop a plan for                                and the public to    
 additional milestones.                            determine the        
                                                   appropriate          
                                                   activities for the   
                                                   Controlled Air       
                                                   Incinerator.         
Expansion of Area G,     EM 10/20/90............  Discussion: The       
 Radioactive Waste                                 original proposal    
 Disposal Site, TA-54.                             would provide long-  
 Proposal to expand an                             term, large-scale    
 existing 63-acre low-                             expansion of the     
 level radioactive                                 waste disposal area. 
 waste management area                             Some expansion of    
 which is anticipated                              LANL's waste handling
 to reach capacity in 3                            capacity would be    
 to 5 years. The                                   needed in 3 to 5     
 original proposal was                             years to accommodate 
 to expand by an                                   environmental        
 additional 70 acres to                            restoration, D&D, and
 provide an additional                             other operational    
 20 years of disposal                              waste. It is not     
 capability; a smaller                             clear at this time   
 30-acre area is also                              what the projected   
 considered, as well as                            volumes of waste     
 a 5-acre area that                                might be over the    
 would provide disposal                            next 20 years. LANL  
 capability for up to 8                            is increasing waste  
 years. There are no                               minimization efforts 
 archeological sites in                            and it is possible   
 the 5-acre area.                                  that site missions   
                                                   could change; the    
                                                   sitewide analysis    
                                                   will help develop    
                                                   projections of waste 
                                                   volume and type. The 
                                                   smaller, 5-acre      
                                                   proposal would allow 
                                                   for up to 8 years of 
                                                   additional disposal  
                                                   capacity in the event
                                                   that it is needed    
                                                   while the sitewide   
                                                   analysis is being    
                                                   completed. If no     
                                                   expansion takes place
                                                   prior to the SWEIS,  
                                                   it is possible that  
                                                   existing waste       
                                                   disposal areas may be
                                                   filled prior to      
                                                   completing sitewide  
                                                   decisions. Initial   
                                                   Recommendation:      
                                                   Include in the SWEIS.
                                                   If a compelling need 
                                                   can be shown for     
                                                   additional disposal  
                                                   capacity prior to    
                                                   completing sitewide  
                                                   decisions, DOE may,  
                                                   at a later time,     
                                                   propose a separate   
                                                   NEPA review to       
                                                   address those needs. 
Hazardous Waste          EM 04/26/91............  Discussion: The       
 Treatment Facility and                            Hazardous Waste      
 Mixed Waste Receiving                             Treatment Facility is
 and Storage Facility,                             needed for on-site   
 TA-63. Proposal to                                waste management and 
 construct and operate                             to help DOE meet     
 two waste management                              compliance milestones
 facilities to                                     regarding legacy     
 repackage, stage and                              waste. Delays in     
 treat hazardous and                               completing design and
 mixed wastes which                                initiating           
 cannot be placed in                               construction could   
 land disposal areas.                              jeopardize meeting   
 The two facilities                                the Agreement. If    
 would be connected                                this project is      
 actions because they                              deferred until the   
 would be located close                            SWEIS, the compliance
 together and they                                 milestone could not  
 support each other;                               be met. The Mixed    
 therefore the NEPA                                Waste Receiving and  
 review has been                                   Storage Facility,    
 combined. DOE has an                              while not tied to a  
 initial milestone of                              specific compliance  
 01/30/95 for                                      milestone, would     
 completing the                                    assist DOE in meeting
 detailed design for                               near-term site waste 
 the proposed Hazardous                            management goals.    
 Waste Treatment                                   Although the NEPA    
 Facility to comply                                determination was to 
 with its Federal                                  analyze these two    
 Facility Compliance                               facilities together, 
 Agreement with the                                the cumulative       
 EPA; the NEPA review                              impacts of waste     
 must be completed                                 disposal operations  
 prior to beginning the                            would be analyzed in 
 detailed design. The                              the SWEIS. Initial   
 proposal includes                                 Recommendation:      
 using small-scale,                                Proceed with EA.     
 self-contained                                                         
 portable ``skids'' to                                                  
 treat the waste.                                                       
High Explosives          EM 06/29/92............  Discussion: DOE needs 
 Wastewater Treatment                              to address water     
 Facility, TA-16.                                  pollution compliance 
 Proposal to construct                             independent of SWEIS 
 and operate a                                     analysis. If         
 wastewater treatment                              construction is not  
 facility to treat                                 started by 10/97, DOE
 wastewater containing                             would not meet its   
 trace amounts of high                             compliance milestone 
 explosives waste. The                             and LANL would not   
 project would include                             meet the             
 constructing a                                    Administrative Order.
 delivery pipeline and                             To start construction
 decontamination and                               by that date, design 
 demolition of an                                  work must be         
 existing treatment                                completed; detailed  
 facility. The project                             design could not     
 would minimize                                    start until the NEPA 
 wastewater generation                             review is completed. 
 by eliminating 99                                 If the design work   
 percent of current                                was deferred until   
 wastewater flows                                  after sitewide       
 through a combination                             decisions, the       
 of wastewater                                     schedule could not be
 elimination, recycle,                             met. The SWEIS is    
 and reuse. It would                               expected to result in
 reduce the number of                              a sitewide waste     
 industrial wastewater                             management strategy; 
 outfalls from the 17                              this facility could  
 currently in use to 1.                            be important to that 
 On 6/15/94 the EPA                                strategy. Work to    
 issued an                                         minimize in-plant    
 Administrative Order                              waste and eliminate  
 to LANL requiring                                 some wastewater      
 compliance with Clean                             outfalls would not   
 Water Act permitting                              influence, nor be    
 requirements. DOE has                             influenced by,       
 a milestone of 10/97                              sitewide decisions.  
 to start construction                             Initial              
 under its Federal                                 Recommendation: DOE  
 Facility Compliance                               makes no             
 Agreement with the EPA.                           recommendation at    
                                                   this time regarding  
                                                   proceeding with this 
                                                   NEPA review.         
Mixed Waste Disposal     EM 07/13/93............  Discussion: The EPA   
 Facility, TA-67.                                  issued a Hazardous   
 Proposed facility to                              and Solid Waste Act  
 treat and dispose of                              Permit to LANL that  
 mixed (radioactive and                            requires LANL provide
 hazardous) waste                                  a list of solid waste
 generated at LANL. The                            management units. The
 entire project would                              workplans for cleanup
 consist of up to 11                               of the units, to be  
 waste disposal cells                              submitted prior to   
 and would hold up to                              the investigation    
 475,000 cubic yards of                            phase, will contain  
 waste generated by                                schedules for        
 environmental                                     completing the site  
 restoration work at                               investigation work.  
 LANL.                                             These schedules, once
                                                   accepted by the EPA, 
                                                   will be legally      
                                                   enforceable          
                                                   milestones under the 
                                                   conditions described 
                                                   in the Permit. In    
                                                   addition, it is      
                                                   expected that        
                                                   voluntary corrective 
                                                   actions will be      
                                                   undertaken to        
                                                   remediate a majority 
                                                   of the sites during  
                                                   the site             
                                                   investigation phase. 
                                                   The facility would   
                                                   provide the capacity 
                                                   to safely treat and  
                                                   dispose of the waste 
                                                   expected to be       
                                                   generated by this    
                                                   program. The NEPA    
                                                   review must be       
                                                   completed before     
                                                   detailed designs are 
                                                   started. If the      
                                                   detailed design phase
                                                   is delayed until the 
                                                   SWEIS is completed,  
                                                   the DOE and LANL will
                                                   not be able to meet  
                                                   the cleanup          
                                                   schedules. In 1993,  
                                                   DOE conducted nine   
                                                   public meetings on   
                                                   the scope of the NEPA
                                                   review of the entire 
                                                   project to allow the 
                                                   project milestones to
                                                   be met while the     
                                                   SWEIS is under       
                                                   preparation. Under   
                                                   the Environmental    
                                                   Assessment currently 
                                                   being prepared, the  
                                                   facility would be    
                                                   constructed for the  
                                                   disposal of          
                                                   environmental        
                                                   restoration waste    
                                                   only. Discussions    
                                                   concerning the       
                                                   potential disposal of
                                                   legacy and           
                                                   operational mixed    
                                                   waste will be part of
                                                   the SWEIS            
                                                   environmental        
                                                   restoration and waste
                                                   management strategy. 
                                                   The total projected  
                                                   volume of legacy and 
                                                   operational mixed    
                                                   waste would be less  
                                                   than one percent of  
                                                   the projected total  
                                                   annual waste volumes.
                                                   Initial              
                                                   Recommendation: DOE  
                                                   makes no             
                                                   recommendation at    
                                                   this time regarding  
                                                   proceeding with this 
                                                   NEPA review. However,
                                                   DOE proposes to      
                                                   proceed with the EA  
                                                   review for the       
                                                   environmental        
                                                   restoration waste    
                                                   only and make the    
                                                   draft EA available to
                                                   stakeholders to      
                                                   assist in the        
                                                   decision making      
                                                   process. Include in  
                                                   the SWEIS the        
                                                   analysis of the      
                                                   disposal of legacy   
                                                   and operational mixed
                                                   wastes.              
National Biomedical      none 12/17/93..........  Discussion: DOE has   
 Tracer Facility.                                  not yet determined a 
 Proposal to locate,                               sponsor or funding   
 construct, and operate                            profiles for this    
 a facility at LANL to                             project. Initial     
 use accelerator                                   Recommendation: Defer
 technology to produce                             until after SWEIS.   
 radioisotopes for                                                      
 medical research and                                                   
 applications. The                                                      
 facility would house a                                                 
 proton accelerator,                                                    
 laboratories, and                                                      
 office space.                                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbreviations used in Table:                                            
DOE: Department of Energy; DP: DOE Defense Programs; EA: Environmental  
  Assessment; EM: DOE Environmental Management; EPA: Environmental      
  Protection Agency; LANL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SWEIS:       
  Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement; TA: Technical Area.          


     Table 2.--Planned NEPA Reviews Recommended to Proceed Prior to     
                           Completion of SWEIS                          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               DOE program                              
       Title, summary            sponsor              Discussion        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laundry. DOE is considering   DP             Currently, laundry is done 
 proposing to locate,                         in an off-site facility.  
 construct, and operate an                    It is possible that an on-
 on-site facility to launder                  site facility would be    
 anti-contamination clothing                  more efficient. This is a 
 which may potentially be                     small-scale project that  
 contaminated with                            would not influence, nor  
 radioactive materials from                   be influenced by, sitewide
 ongoing activities.                          decisions. If decisions on
                                              the laundry are deferred  
                                              until after the SWEIS, DOE
                                              would continue to use an  
                                              off-site contract laundry.
Receipt and Storage of        DP             The DOE sites listed no    
 Nuclear Material for                         longer have any           
 Criticality Experiment, TA-                  programmatic need for this
 18. DOE is considering                       material. Hanford can no  
 proposing to ship nuclear                    longer provide long-term  
 material from various DOE                    storage due to clean-up   
 sites to the Los Alamos                      operations now going on;  
 Critical Experiments                         if not moved off-site, it 
 Facility (LACEF), and store                  will be disposed of by    
 the material at that                         burial at Hanford. The    
 facility, until it is                        Sandia material is unique 
 needed for criticality                       and was developed at      
 experiments or training                      significant taxpayer      
 exercises. The experiments                   expense; the Department of
 or training exercises would                  Defense might fund        
 be covered by separate NEPA                  shipment to LANL if it can
 review. DOE currently has                    be accomplished in the    
 about 3,000 unirradiated                     near-term. The Oak Ridge  
 low-enriched uranium                         material has been used as 
 nuclear reactor fuel rods                    an important calibrated   
 at its Hanford Plant,                        radiation source for      
 Richland, Washington; about                  accident simulation and   
 30 kilograms of                              radiation dosimetry; this 
 unirradiated high-enriched                   device is the only one in 
 uranium particle bed fuel                    this country which has    
 at its Sandia National                       been characterized to make
 Laboratory, Albuquerque,                     the dosimetric            
 New Mexico; and about 250                    measurements essential for
 kilograms of high-enriched                   analyzing accident        
 uranium reactor fuel from                    conditions and other      
 the critical mass assembly                   radiation experiments.    
 at its Health Physics                        LANL has an ongoing       
 Research Reactor, Oak Ridge                  criticality experiments   
 National Laboratory, Oak                     and safety training       
 Ridge, Tennessee. The LACEF                  program and can make use  
 is the only remaining DOE                    of this material in the   
 facility where criticality                   future. If decisions on   
 experiments are routinely                    receiving and storing the 
 conducted. In response to                    material are deferred     
 the 1993 Defense Nuclear                     until the SWEIS, it is    
 Facilities Safety Board                      possible that storage,    
 recommendation regarding                     shipping or funding       
 critical facilities                          constraints would make the
 infrastructure, DOE is                       material unavailable to   
 considering consolidating                    LANL. Decisions regarding 
 unique critical mass                         the long-term use of the  
 assemblies at the LACEF in                   LACEF would be made in the
 order to continue to                         SWEIS as part of the      
 reliably analyze the                         sitewide nuclear materials
 criticality of nuclear                       storage and handling      
 systems.                                     strategy                  
Hazardous, Low Level          EM             The current Hazardous Waste
 Radioactive, and Mixed                       Treatment Facility and    
 Waste Treatment Skids. DOE                   Mixed Waste Receiving and 
 uses portable, self-                         Storage Facility proposal 
 contained treatment units,                   includes the use of       
 or ``skids,'' to treat                       certain ``skids''         
 hazardous, low-level                         specifically for treating 
 radioactive, and mixed                       waste at these facilities.
 (radioactive and hazardous)                  DOE may need to use       
 waste. In addition to the                    additional ``skids'' to   
 ``skids'' specifically                       treat on-site waste at    
 proposed as part of the                      various locations at LANL 
 Hazardous Waste Treatment                    in order to meet the      
 Facility, DOE may require                    schedule for DOE's Federal
 additional ``skids'' to                      Facility Compliance       
 treat waste at various                       Agreement with the        
 locations at LANL.                           Environmental Protection  
                                              Agency. The additional    
                                              ``skids'' would be        
                                              designed, constructed, and
                                              possibly operated prior to
                                              completion of the proposed
                                              Hazardous Waste Treatment 
                                              Facility and prior to     
                                              completion of the SWEIS to
                                              meet the Agreement        
                                              schedule. If the project  
                                              is deferred until the     
                                              SWEIS, the ``skids'' could
                                              not be designed,          
                                              constructed or used in the
                                              near-term.                
Replacement Waste Compactor   EM             Discussion: This is a small-
 TA-54. DOE is considering                    scale project which would 
 proposing to replace an                      increase operational      
 existing 50-ton waste                        efficiency and reduce     
 compactor at the low-level                   waste volume. This, in    
 radioactive waste                            turn, would extend the    
 management area at Area G,                   useful life of the        
 TA-54, with a 200-ton                        existing disposal area. If
 compactor in a new building                  installing the proposed   
 adjacent to the existing                     compactor is deferred     
 facility. Initially, DOE                     until the SWEIS, the      
 considered including the                     existing compactor would  
 analysis of this proposal                    not be replaced and       
 with the NEPA review for                     inefficient waste disposal
 the proposal to expand Area                  practices would continue  
 G, TA-54; however, the NEPA                  in the existing area. A   
 determination for that                       decision to install and   
 proposal did not include                     operate the compactor     
 the compactor. The existing                  would not influence, nor  
 compactor is not operating.                  be influenced by, sitewide
 The proposed replacement                     decisions.                
 compactor would increase                                               
 the operating life of the                                              
 existing waste disposal                                                
 area by increasing the                                                 
 efficiency of waste                                                    
 minimization practices,                                                
 including reducing the                                                 
 volume of waste for                                                    
 disposal and eliminating                                               
 void spaces between waste                                              
 containers. This, in turn,                                             
 would postpone the need to                                             
 expand the existing waste                                              
 site.                                                                  
Radioisotope Heat Source      NE             The 1991 EA analyzed using 
 Fabrication, CMR, TA-3 and                   LANL facilities at TA-55  
 TA-55 (Revision to 1991                      to support radioisotope   
 EA). Plutonium-238 is used                   thermoelectric generator  
 as a long-term, reliable                     (RTG) work for the space  
 source of heat that is                       mission. The proposal may 
 converted to electricity to                  be revised to allow for   
 power spacecraft. In 1991                    RTG work for other        
 DOE completed an EA for the                  missions, beyond the      
 Cassini mission and the                      timeframe included in the 
 Comet Rendezvous Asteroid                    1991 EA, and possibly     
 Flyby (CRAF); CRAF was                       using facilities at the   
 later canceled. The work at                  Chemistry and Metallurgy  
 LANL to support the Cassini                  Research Building in      
 mission is ongoing. The                      addition to TA-55. If so, 
 project to build more units                  the 1991 EA would be      
 for other uses may be                        revised to provide the    
 extended at LANL.                            NEPA review for the       
                                              revised mission. If the   
                                              revised NEPA review were  
                                              to proceed, DOE could make
                                              early decisions on whether
                                              to use LANL facilities for
                                              the additional RTG work.  
                                              This would be necessary   
                                              if, prior to completing   
                                              sitewide decisions, DOE   
                                              needed to determine where 
                                              the additional RTG work   
                                              would be done in the near-
                                              term in order to meet     
                                              mission schedules. If the 
                                              project is deferred until 
                                              the SWEIS, it is possible 
                                              that DOE may not be able  
                                              to deliver heat sources to
                                              meet mission needs. Any   
                                              future long-term uses of  
                                              LANL facilities for such  
                                              missions, and long-term   
                                              strategy for storing and  
                                              handling plutonium-238,   
                                              will be included in the   
                                              SWEIS.                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbreviations used in Table:                                            
DOE: Department of Energy; DP: DOE Defense Programs; EA: Environmental  
  Assessment; EM: DOE Environmental Management; EPA: Environmental      
  Protection Agency; LANL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SWEIS:       
  Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement; TA: Technical Area.          

[FR Doc. 94-19532 Filed 8-9-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P