[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1330-1331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-443]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Availability of the Draft Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

AGENCY: Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings

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

SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-
autonomous agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), announces the 
availability of the Draft Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant [Y-12 Draft SWEIS] (DOE/EIS-0309), and the 
dates and locations for public hearings to receive comments on the Y-12 
Draft SWEIS. The Y-12 Draft SWEIS evaluates the potential environmental 
impacts associated with the continued operations of the Y-12 Plant, as 
well as with alternatives for modernizing Y-12 facilities to ensure its 
capability to meet future nuclear weapon stockpile needs in the post-
Cold War era. The alternatives include construction and operation of 
new facilities for two of Y-12's missions: Highly Enriched Uranium

[[Page 1331]]

(HEU) Materials Storage mission and Special Materials mission. The 
preferred alternative is to construct and operate a new HEU Materials 
Storage Facility and a new Special Materials Complex. Preferred sites 
on Y-12 for these new facilities have not been selected, but will be 
identified in the Y-12 Final SWEIS.

DATES: Comments on the Y-12 Draft SWEIS may be submitted to DOE (see 
Addresses below) until February 5, 2001. To ensure consideration in the 
Y-12 Final SWEIS, comments must be postmarked by February 5, 2001. Late 
comments will be considered to the extent practicable. Two public 
hearings to discuss issues and receive oral comments on the Y-12 Draft 
SWEIS will be held as follows: Thursday, January 25, 2001, in the 
Cumberland Room at the Oak Ridge Conference Center located at the Oak 
Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The first hearing will be held from 
1-4 p.m. The second public hearing will be held from 6-9 p.m. The 
public hearings will provide the public with an opportunity to present 
comments, ask questions, and discuss concerns with DOE/NNSA officials 
regarding the Y-12 Draft SWEIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Y-12 Draft SWEIS may be submitted by mail 
(U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations Office, Attn: Mr. Gary 
Hartman, P.O. Box 2001, Oak Ridge, TN 37831), by fax (1-865-576-1237), 
by phone (1-865-576-0273), or electronically ([email protected]). 
Specific information regarding the public meetings can be obtained by 
calling 1-865-576-0273, writing to the address above, or electronically 
via the Y-12 SWEIS web site: http://www.ttclients.com/y12/. Copies of 
the Y-12 Draft SWEIS and/or its Summary may also be obtained by 
contacting Mr. Gary Hartman by any of the means described above. The Y-
12 Draft SWEIS is also available for review at the U.S. Department of 
Energy Public Reading Room at 230 Warehouse Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
NEPA process, please contact: Mr. Henry Garson, NEPA Compliance Officer 
for Defense Programs, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or telephone 1-800-832-0885, ext. 
30470. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance 
(EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-
800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NNSA is responsible for providing the 
Nation with nuclear weapons and ensuring that those nuclear weapons 
remain safe, secure, and reliable. As one of the major production 
facilities, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant has been DOE's primary site for 
enriched uranium processing and storage, and one of the manufacturing 
facilities for maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. In 
recent years, the emphasis of the U.S. weapons program has shifted from 
developing and producing new weapons to dismantlement and maintenance 
of a smaller stockpile.
    The Y-12 Draft SWEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts 
from continued operation of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, and the 
construction and operation of new facilities for two of Y-12's 
missions: HEU Materials Storage mission and Special Materials mission. 
Alternatives considered for the HEU Materials Storage mission include 
constructing and operating a new HEU Materials Facility at one of two 
candidate sites, or expanding and operating Building 9215. Three 
candidate sites are evaluated for a new Special Materials Complex for 
the Special Materials mission at Y-12. More specifically, the Y-12 
Draft SWEIS analyzes potential impacts on land uses, transportation, 
socioeconomics, geology and soils, hydrology, biological resources, air 
quality/noise, site facilities and support activities, waste 
management, and cultural resources. In addition, environmental justice, 
radiological and chemical impacts during normal operations, and effects 
of accidents on workers and the public are included in the assessment. 
A disclaimer statement was mistakenly printed on the inside cover of 
each volume of the Draft SWEIS. DOE wishes to inform the public that 
the information contained in the Draft SWEIS is accurate and complete. 
Please disregard this disclaimer statement.
    The preferred alternative is to construct and operate a new HEU 
Materials Storage Facility and a new Special Materials Complex. 
Preferred sites on Y-12 for these new facilities have not been 
selected, but will be identified in the Y-12 Final SWEIS. The Y-12 
Final SWEIS is scheduled to be completed in August 2001. A Record of 
Decision would be issued no sooner than 30 days after the Y-12 Final 
SWEIS is issued.

    Issued in Washington, DC this 29th day of December, 2000.
Madelyn R. Creedon,
Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-443 Filed 1-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P