[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8102-8103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2469]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Schedule Change for Preparing the Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Relocation of the Los Alamos National 
Laboratory Technical Area 18 Missions

AGENCY: Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of schedule change.

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SUMMARY: On May 2, 2000, the Department of Energy (DOE), National 
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), published a Notice of Intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed 
Relocation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Technical Area 
18 (TA-18) (hereafter that EIS will be referred to as the TA-18 EIS) 
(65 FR 25472). In that notice, the NNSA indicated that the TA-18 EIS 
process was scheduled to be completed by January 2001. The purpose of 
this notification is to inform the public that the schedule for 
completing the TA-18 EIS has changed. The NNSA now projects that the 
EIS process will not be completed before September 2001.

[[Page 8103]]


ADDRESSES: General questions concerning the TA-18 Project can be asked 
by calling 1-800-832-0885, ext. 6-5484, or by writing to: Mr. Jay Rose, 
Document Manager, TA-18 Relocation EIS, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
National Environmental Policy Act (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: On April 11, 2000, Secretary of Energy Bill 
Richardson announced that the NNSA would begin preparation of an EIS on 
the proposed transfer to another location of TA-18's capabilities and 
up to approximately 2 tons of special nuclear materials. In the Notice 
of Intent, published on May 2, 2000, the NNSA solicited comments on the 
proposed scope of the TA-18 EIS from the public and conducted public 
scoping meetings as follows: May 18, 2000, in Albuquerque, New Mexico; 
May 23, 2000, in North Las Vegas, Nevada; May 25, 2000, in Idaho Falls, 
ID; and May 30, 2000, in Espanola, New Mexico.
    Due primarily to budget constraints, funding for the TA-18 EIS was 
not available during the summer of 2000 and the schedule for completing 
the TA-18 EIS began to slip. The events associated with the Cerro 
Grande fire at LANL (see 65 FR 120, June 21, 2000) further disrupted 
TA-18 planning activities and added to the schedule slip. The revised 
EIS schedule is as follows:

Issue Draft EIS--May 2001
Draft EIS Public Hearings--June 2001
Issue Final EIS--August 2001
Record of Decision--September 2001

    There have been no significant changes to the TA-18 EIS scope or 
alternatives, as described in the original TA-18 EIS Notice of Intent.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 18th day of January 2001.
T.J. Glauthier,
Deputy Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-2469 Filed 1-26-01; 8:45 am]
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