[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 48 (Monday, March 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9683-9685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5699]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Availability of the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of 
the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), and the dates and locations for 
public hearings to receive comments on the Draft PEIS. DOE prepared the 
Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) The 
Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS analyzes the consequences to 
the environment associated with alternative ways of maintaining the 
safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile in the absence 
of underground nuclear testing.
DATES: The public comment period on the Draft PEIS will extend until 
May 7, 1996. The dates, times and locations of the public hearings on 
the Draft PEIS are identified in the Supplementary Information.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Draft PEIS, as well as requests for 
copies of the Draft PEIS or its Summary may be submitted to the Office 
of Reconfiguration, DP-25, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 3417, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22302. Requests for copies may also be made by 
calling 1-800-776-2765.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the 
Department's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please 
contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 
Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., 
S.W., Washington, 

[[Page 9684]]
D.C. 20585. Ms. Borgstrom may be contacted by calling (202) 586-4600 or 
by leaving a message at 1-800-472-2756.
    Specific information regarding the public hearings, including 
registration information, can also be obtained by calling 1-800-776-
2765, writing to the address above, or electronically via computer as 
follows: Federal Information Exchange Bulletin Board, InterNet Address: 
http://web.fie.com/fedix/doeoor.html, Modem Toll-Free: 1-800-783-3349, 
D.C. Metro Modem: 301-258-0953.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to the end of the Cold War and 
changes in the world political situation, the United States is no 
longer producing new nuclear weapons. Instead, the emphasis of the 
United States' nuclear weapons program is on reducing the size of the 
Nation's nuclear stockpile by dismantling existing nuclear weapons. DOE 
has been directed by the President and Congress to maintain the safety 
and reliability of the reduced nuclear weapons stockpile in the absence 
of underground nuclear testing. In order to fulfill that 
responsibility, DOE has developed the Stockpile Stewardship and 
Management Program to provide a single, highly integrated technical 
program for maintaining the continued safety and reliability of the 
nuclear stockpile. The Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS 
describes and analyzes alternative ways to implement the Stockpile 
Stewardship and Management Program.
    Stockpile stewardship refers to activities associated with the 
research, design, development, and testing of nuclear weapons, and the 
assessment and certification of their safety and reliability of the 
weapons. The stockpile stewardship portion of the PEIS evaluates the 
potential environmental impacts of three proposed facilities: the 
National Ignition Facility (NIF), the Contained Firing Facility, and 
the Atlas Facility. Four sites are potentially affected by the 
Stockpile Stewardship alternatives: Los Alamos National Laboratory 
(LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Sandia National 
Laboratories (SNL), and the Nevada Test Site (NTS).
    Stockpile management refers to activities associated with the 
production, maintenance, surveillance, refurbishment, and dismantlement 
of the nuclear weapons stockpile. The stockpile management portion of 
the PEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of reasonable 
alternatives for carrying out the stockpile management functions. 
Alternative sites are assessed for nuclear weapons assembly/
disassembly, and for fabrication of plutonium, uranium, high 
explosives, and nonnuclear components. Eight sites are potentially 
affected: Savannah River Site (SRS), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), 
Pantex Plant (Pantex), Kansas City Plant (KCP), LANL, LLNL, SNL, and 
NTS. The PEIS also evaluates the No Action alternative of relying on 
existing facilities in their current configuration and continuing the 
missions at current sites to achieve both stockpile stewardship and 
stockpile management missions.
    As of February 9, 1996, the date when the Stockpile Stewardship and 
Management Draft PEIS was sent to the printer, the Department had 
identified only one preferred alternative: to construct and operate the 
NIF at LLNL. Since that date, DOE has identified additional preferred 
alternatives. The complete list of preferred alternatives is as 
follows:

Stockpile Stewardship

     Construct and operate the NIF at Lawrence Livermore 
National Laboratory, at Livermore CA.
     Construct and operate the Contained Firing Facility at 
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, at Livermore CA.
     Construct and operate the Atlas Facility at Los Alamos 
National Laboratory, at Los Alamos NM.

Stockpile Management

     Secondary and Case Component Fabrication--downsize the Y-
12 Plant at Oak Ridge Reservation, at Oak Ridge TN.
     Pit Component Fabrication--re-establish pit component 
fabrication capability at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, at Los 
Alamos NM.
     Assembly/Disassembly--downsize the Pantex Plant, at 
Amarillo TX.
     Nonnuclear Component Fabrication--downsize the Kansas City 
Plant, Kansas City MO.
    Ten public hearings to receive comments on the Draft Stockpile 
Stewardship and Management PEIS will be held. A workshop-type format 
will be used for each hearing, including: a program overview; 
interactive discussions; and a summary session. For the four sites 
which are being considered as alternative locations for both the 
Stockpile Stewardship and Management Draft PEIS and the Storage and 
Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials Draft PEIS (Nevada Test 
Site at Las Vegas, NV, Oak Ridge Reservation at Oak Ridge, TN, the 
Pantex Plant at Amarillo, TX, and Savannah River Site at North Augusta, 
SC), joint public hearings will be held to receive comments on both 
documents. The Pantex Site-Wide PEIS is also scheduled to be discussed 
at the public hearings in Amarillo, TX, and North Augusta, SC. The 
public hearing to be held in Washington, D.C. will also be a joint 
hearing. These joint hearings are scheduled to explain the 
interrelationship between the programs and to facilitate comments by 
persons interested in the proposals. These public hearings have been 
scheduled as follows:

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              Location                              Date                                  Time                  
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Los Alamos, New Mexico, Fuller       March 26, 1996...................  1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.                     
 Lodge, 2132 Central Avenue, Los                                                                                
 Alamos, NM 87544.                                                                                              
                                     March 26, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
Albuquerque, New Mexico,             March 28, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
 Albuquerque Convention Center, 401                                                                             
 Second Street, N.W., Albuquerque,                                                                              
 NM 87102.                                                                                                      
Las Vegas, Nevada, The Sands Expo    March 28, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.                    
 and Convention Center, 201 East                                                                                
 Sands Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89109.                                                                             
                                     March 29, 1996...................  8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.                     
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Garden Plaza   April 1, 1996....................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
 Hotel, 215 S. Illinois Avenue, Oak                                                                             
 Ridge, TN 37830.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                
(1) (Stockpile Stewardship and                                                                                  
 Management only)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                
                                     April 2, 1996....................  8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.                     
                                                                                                                
(1) (Both Programs)                                                                                             
                                                                                                                
                                     April 2, 1996....................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
                                                                                                                
(1) (Storage and Disposition only)                                                                              
                                                                                                                
Kansas City, Missouri, Rockhurst     April 9, 1996....................  12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.                    
 College, 1100 Rockhurst Roadway,                                                                               
 Kansas City, MO 64110.                                                                                         

[[Page 9685]]
                                                                                                                
                                     April 9, 1996....................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
Livermore, California, LLNL          April 11, 1996...................  12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.                    
 Research Drive Training Center,                                                                                
 2140 Research Drive, Livermore, CA                                                                             
 94550.                                                                                                         
                                     April 11, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
Washington, D.C., Forrestal Bldg.,   April 18, 1996...................  9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.                    
 Rm. 1E-245, 1000 Independence                                                                                  
 Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C.                                                                                  
 20585.                                                                                                         
Amarillo, Texas, Radisson Inn        April 22, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.                    
 Airport, 7909 I-40 East, at                                                                                    
 Lakeside, Amarillo, TX 79102.                                                                                  
                                     April 23, 1996...................  8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.                     
                                                                                                                
(1) (An evening meeting may be held                                                                             
 April 23, 1996 if there is                                                                                     
 sufficient interest)                                                                                           
Santa Fe, New Mexico, High Mesa      April 25, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.                    
 Inn, 3347 Cerrillos Road, Santa                                                                                
 Fe, NM 87505.                                                                                                  
North Augusta, SC, North Augusta     April 30, 1996...................  8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.                     
 Community Center, 101 Brookside                                                                                
 Drive, North Augusta, SC 29841.                                                                                
                                     April 30, 1996...................  6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.                    
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    Details regarding the format and procedures for the public hearings 
will be published locally. Hearing times will be extended, as 
appropriate, to accommodate public interest.
    The public comment period will extend until May 7, 1996. Written or 
oral comments on the Draft EIS are invited from the general public, 
other government agencies, and all other interested parties. Comments 
received or postmarked by May, 7, 1996, whether written or oral, 
submitted directly to the Department, or presented during a public 
hearing, will be given equal consideration in preparation of the Final 
EIS. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. DOE will use the comments received to help prepare the 
Final version of the EIS. A Final PEIS for Stockpile Stewardship and 
Management is expected to be completed by July 1996. A Record of 
Decision would be completed no sooner than 30 days after the Final PEIS 
is issued.

    Signed in Washington, D.C. this 6th day of March, 1996.
Eldon W. Joersz,
Major General, USAF, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary For Military 
Application, Defense Programs.
[FR Doc. 96-5699 Filed 3-8-96; 8:45 am]
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