[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 180 (Friday, September 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55949-55950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23879]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Oakland Operations Office; Energy Technology Engineering Center 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Activities

AGENCY: Oakland Operations Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment and 
hold public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Oakland Operations Office (OAK) 
is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to 
evaluate the environmental effects of the Environmental Restoration 
Project at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC). The EA is 
being prepared in accordance with the Council of Environmental 
Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing 
Regulations and the DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures of April 24, 1992, 
10 CFR 1021. This notice announces DOE intent to prepare an EA and hold 
public scoping meetings for the proposed restoration project. This EA 
will analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with 
environmental restoration and closure waste management activities.

DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this 
notice and will continue until October 30, 2000. Written comments 
postmarked by that date will be considered in the preparation of the 
EA. Comments postmarked after that date will be considered to the 
extent practicable.
    Public scoping meetings will be held at the two locations and times 
indicated below. This information will be published in local public 
notices prior tot he meetings.

(1) Meeting: Woodland Hills, California
    Date and time: October 17, 2000, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    Location: Warner Center Marriott Woodland Hills, 21850 Oxnard 
Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

(2) Meeting: Simi Valley, California
    Date and time: October 18, 2000, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
    Location: Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles 
Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93063.

    Following the review period comments will be considered and changes 
made as necessary. The final EA will be published and distributed to 
interested parties. The NEPA process begins with this notice. The draft 
EA is anticipated to be available in February or March 2001. A forty-
five day review period will be provided for public review following 
distribution of the draft EA. Review comments will be considered in the 
development of the final EA that should be distributed in June or July 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EA or requests for 
information on the activities at ETEC should be sent to the following 
address: Ms. Donna Sutherland, Document Manager, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1301 Clay Street, 700N, Oakland, CA 94612-5208, Phone (510) 
637- 1563, Facsimile (510) 637-2031.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on National 
Environmental Policy Act process or status of a NEPA review, please 
contact: Ms. Janet Neville, NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of 
Energy Oakland Operations Office, 1301 Clay Street, 700 N, Oakland, CA 
94612-5208, Phone: (510) 637-1813, Messages: (510) 637-1813.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ETEC site is within the Santa Susana 
Field Laboratory (SSFL) located between the Simi and San Fernando 
Valley, north of Los Angeles, California. The ETEC site occupies about 
90 acres within Area IV of the SSFL. The ETEC site supported DOE 
projects for nuclear research and energy development. The site includes 
buildings which house test apparatus for large scale heat transfer and 
fluid mechanics experiments, mechanical and chemical test facilities, 
office buildings, and auxiliary support facilities. The ETEC site is 
surplus to the DOE's current mission and is undergoing closure. The 
site has numerous facilities, including some where chemical and 
radioactive substances were used. Contamination may exist in structures 
and the physical media including soils, surface and groundwater. 
Deactivation of the site includes divestment of assets, remediation of 
contaminated areas, waste management and site restoration.
    This EA will analyze the potential environmental impacts associated 
with environmental restoration and closure waste management activities. 
Waste management activities include operation, maintenance and closure 
of Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) permitted facilities. The 
EA will also analyze environmental restoration activities for site-wide 
soil and groundwater remediation and the decontamination and 
decommissioning or dismantlement of government buildings and 
structures. Facilities to be D&D include former radiological 
facilities, former sodium facilities, and administrative facilities.

[[Page 55950]]

    This notice announces DOE intent to prepare an EA and hold public 
scoping meetings for the proposed restoration project. This EA will 
analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with 
environmental restoration and closure waste management activities.
    The scoping process will include notifying the general public, 
Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies of the proposed action. The 
purpose of scoping is to identify public and agency concerns, and 
alternatives to be considered in the EA. The DOE is preparing this EA 
to decide whether to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact or 
whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In 
consideration of the possibility that the DOE will decide to prepare an 
EIS, a Notice of Intent will be issued and written comments on the 
scope of alternatives and impacts will still be accepted at that future 
time. Presently, in preparation of an EA, comments may be submitted in 
writing and/or orally at the public scoping meeting or in writing prior 
to the end of the scoping period as indicated in the DATES section of 
this notice.

    Issued in Oakland, California, on September 11, 2000.
Donna Sutherland,
Deputy Director, Oakland Environmental Programs Division.
[FR Doc. 00-23879 Filed 9-13-00; 11:59 am]
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