[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15232-15233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8290]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of the 
Pantex Plant and Associated Storage of Nuclear Weapon Components

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability for 
public review and comment of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Continued Operation of the Pantex Plant and Associated 
Storage of Nuclear Weapon Components (DOE/EIS-0225). The Department's 
preferred alternative is to continue nuclear weapons operations at the 
Pantex Plant, located near Amarillo, Texas; to implement projects and 
facility upgrades consistent with fulfilling these operations; and to 
increase interim storage levels for plutonium components (pits) from 
12,000 to 20,000 pits. The Draft EIS also evaluates a No Action 
Alternative and a Relocation of Interim Pit Storage Alternative.

DATES: DOE invites the general public, other government agencies, and 
all other interested parties to comment on this Draft EIS. The 
information obtained during this period will assist DOE in finalizing 
this EIS. Comments received by DOE must be postmarked no later than 
July 5, 1996 to ensure consideration in the Final EIS. Comments 
postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable.
    The Department will hold public meetings at the potentially 
affected sites to receive comments on the Draft Pantex EIS at the times 
and locations listed below. Meetings on the dates identified with an 
asterisk (*) are joint public meetings to be held in coordination with 
the Pantex Draft EIS, the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Draft 
Programmatic EIS, and the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable 
Fissile Materials Draft Programmatic EIS:

April 22-23, 1996*
    Radisson Inn Airport, 7909 I-40 East at Lakeside, Amarillo, 
Texas 79104, Time: April 22; 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm; April 23; 8:30am 
to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

April 25, 1996
    Community College of Southern Nevada--Cheyenne Campus, 3200 East 
Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030, Time: 3:00 pm to 
5:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

April 30, 1996*
    North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, North 
Augusta, South Carolina 29841, Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm 
to 11:00 pm

May 2, 1996
    Red Lion Inn, 802 George Washington Way, Richland, Washington 
99352, Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

May 7, 1996
    Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 Second Street, NW, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm 
to 9:00 pm

    Public meeting times and locations will be published in local 
newspapers prior to the meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests should be directed to: Ms. 
Nanette Founds, U.S. Department of Energy, Albuquerque Operations 
Office, P.O. Box 5400, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-5400. Written 
comments, suggestions, and requests

[[Page 15233]]
can also be submitted using the Pantex Plant EIS Faxline at 1-800-822-
5499. Facsimiles should be marked: Pantex Plant EIS. Oral comments and 
requests concerning this EIS may also be submitted by calling the 
Pantex Plant EIS Hotline at 1-800-788-0306. Comments may also be 
submitted via the Internet. The e-mail address is: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on DOE's NEPA process, 
please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy 
and Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20585, 202-586- 4600 or 1-800-472-2756. For 
information on this EIS, please contact: Ms. Nanette Founds at the 
above address or by calling (505) 845-4351.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, Texas, is the 
Nation's nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly site. Its assigned 
missions also include the fabrication of high explosive components and 
the maintenance, modification and evaluation of existing nuclear 
weapons. However, its current workload is centered on the dismantlement 
of nuclear weapons being retired from the military stockpile. There are 
currently no plans for producing new weapons. The preferred alternative 
is to maintain Pantex Plant's assigned missions as well as increase the 
plant's onsite interim storage levels from 12,000 to 20,000 pits. The 
Draft EIS also evaluates a No Action Alternative, which would continue 
current activities with no new projects or facility upgrades and limit 
onsite interim storage to 12,000 pits and a Relocation of Pit Storage 
Alternative, in which some or all of Pantex interim storage activities 
would be relocated to an alternate site: the Savannah River Site near 
Aiken, South Carolina; the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas, Nevada; the 
Hanford Site near Richland, Washington; or the Manzano Weapons Storage 
Area at Kirtland Air Force Base near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
    This Draft EIS incorporates public comments received during two 
scoping periods (59 FR 26635, May 23, 1994; 60 FR 32661, June 23, 
1995). Copies of all comments and associated EIS documentation prepared 
by DOE are available for inspection at the following locations:

U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room, Room 
1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20825, 202-586-6020
U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office Public Reading 
Room, 2753 S. Highland Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, 702-295-1274
U.S. Department of Energy, National Atomic Museum Public Reading 
Room, Kirtland Air Force Base, Building 20358, Wyoming Boulevard, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87115, 505-845-6670/4378
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Community Reading Room, Museum Parke 
Office Complex, 1450 Central Avenue, Suite 101, Los Alamos, New 
Mexico 87544, 505-665-2127 or 1-800-543-2342
U.S. Department of Energy, Public Document Room, 2nd Floor, 
University Library, University of South Carolina, Aiken Campus, 171 
University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801, 803-648-6851
Oak Ridge Public Reading Room, 55 Jefferson Avenue, Oak Ridge, 
Tennessee 37830, 615-576-0887
U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Reference Department, 
Lynn Library and Learning Center, Amarillo College, 2201 South 
Washington, 4th Floor, Amarillo, Texas 79109, 806-371-5400
Pantex EIS Public Information Center, c/o Tetra Tech, Inc., 6900 I-
40 West, Suite 260, Amarillo, Texas, 806-355-9480
U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Carson County Public 
Library, 401 Main Street, P.O. Box 339, Panhandle, Texas 79068, 806-
537-3742
U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading Room, Washington State 
University, 100 Sprout Road, Richland, Washington 99352, 509-376-
8583

Subsequent Document Preparation

    DOE intends to complete the Final EIS and prepare a response to 
comments received during the review of the Draft EIS in October 1996 
and will announce its availability in the Federal Register.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 29, 1996.
Henry K. Garson,
Associate Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Core Technical Support and 
Facility Transition, Defense Programs.
[FR Doc. 96-8290 Filed 4-4-96; 8:45 am]
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