[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45495-45497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-17120]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Conveyance and Transfer of Certain Land Tracts Administered by 
the Department of Energy and Located at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 
Los Alamos and Santa Fe Counties, NM

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Amended record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security 
Administration (DOE/NNSA) is amending the Record of Decision (ROD) for 
the Environmental Impact Statement for the Conveyance and Transfer of 
Certain Land Tracts Administered by the Department of Energy and 
Located at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos and Santa Fe 
Counties, New Mexico, DOE/EIS-0293 (Conveyance and Transfer EIS) to 
reflect changes in the need to retain certain portions of land tracts 
withheld earlier due to potential national security mission 
requirements for health and safety buffer areas relating to on-going 
and future operations. Specifically, DOE/NNSA has reassessed its need 
for certain portions of tracts to serve as health and safety buffer 
areas after: (1) Ceasing its tritium activities at Los Alamos National 
Laboratory's (LANL's) Technical Area 21 (TA-21); and (2) further 
refinement of its contemplated proton radiograph project at TAs -53 and 
-72. DOE/NNSA would no longer need to retain an 8-acre portion located 
at the western end of the Airport Tract for this purpose. Additionally, 
two portions of the White Rock Y Tract comprising about 74 acres of 
highway easement are no longer required as health and safety buffer 
areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning the 
conveyance or transfer of land tracts or this amended ROD, contact 
Elizabeth Withers, NEPA Compliance Officer, Office of Los Alamos Site 
Operations, National Nuclear Security Administration, 528 35th Street, 
Los Alamos, NM 87004, 505-667-8690.
    For further information concerning DOE's National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) process, contact: Ms. Carol 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.
    Additional information regarding the DOE NEPA process and 
activities is also available on the Internet through the NEPA home page 
at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. Legal Requirements for Action

    LANL is one of several national security laboratories that supports 
DOE/NNSA's responsibilities for national security, energy resources, 
environmental quality, and science. Located in north-central New 
Mexico, LANL is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north-northeast of 
Albuquerque, and

[[Page 45496]]

about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Santa Fe. The small 
communities of Los Alamos townsite, White Rock, Pajarito Acres, the 
Royal Crest Mobile Home Park, and San Ildefonso Pueblo are located in 
the immediate vicinity of LANL. LANL occupies an area of approximately 
27,832 acres (11,272 hectares), or approximately 43 square miles (111 
square kilometers). DOE also has administrative control over other 
properties and land within Los Alamos County that total about 915 acres 
(371 hectares).
    On November 26, 1997, Congress passed Public Law 105-119, the 
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 1998 (``the Act''). Section 
632 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 2391) directs the Secretary of Energy (the 
Secretary) to convey to the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, New 
Mexico, or to the designee of the County, and transfer to the 
Department of the Interior, in trust for the San Ildefonso Pueblo, 
parcels of land under the jurisdictional administrative control of the 
Secretary at or in the vicinity of LANL. Such parcels, or tracts, of 
land must meet suitability criteria established by the Act. The purpose 
of the conveyances and transfers is to fulfill the obligations of the 
United States with respect to Los Alamos, New Mexico, under sections 91 
and 94 of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955 (AECA) (42 U.S.C. 
2391, 2394). Upon the completion of the conveyance or transfer, the 
Secretary of Energy shall make no further financial assistance payments 
with respect to LANL under the AECA.
    The Act sets forth the criteria, processes, and dates by which the 
tracts will be selected, titles to the tracts reviewed, environmental 
issues evaluated, and decisions made as to the allocation of the tracts 
between the two recipients. DOE's responsibilities under the Act 
include identifying potentially suitable tracts of land according to 
criteria set forth in the law (Land Transfer Report, April 1998); 
conducting a title search on each tract of land (Title Report, 
September 1998); identifying any environmental restoration and 
remediation that would be needed for each tract of land (Environmental 
Restoration Report, August 1999); conducting National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) review of the proposed conveyance or transfer 
of the land tracts (the Conveyance and Transfer EIS, October 1999, 
distributed in January 2000); reporting to Congress on the results of 
the Environmental Restoration Report review and the final Conveyance 
and Transfer EIS (Combined Data Report, January 2000); and preparing a 
plan for conveying or transferring land according to the allocation 
agreement of parcels for Congress (Conveyance and Transfer Plan, April 
2000). The Act further states that the Secretary must, to the maximum 
extent practicable, conduct any needed environmental restoration or 
remediation activities within 10 years of enactment (by November 26, 
2007), and convey and transfer the tracts meeting the suitability 
criteria. Under the Act, DOE had no role in the designation of 
recipients nor how the parcels of land will be allocated between the 
recipients. As specified in Public Law 105-119, the actual disposition 
of each tract, or portion of a tract, would be subject to DOE's need 
for the individual tract, or a portion of the tract, to meet a national 
security mission support function, which could range from either direct 
or indirect activity involvement. Additionally, the disposition of each 
tract, or portion of a tract, would be subject to DOE's completion of 
any necessary environmental restoration or remediation required.

B. Previous Decision on the Conveyance and Transfer Actions

    In the ROD for the Conveyance and Transfer EIS (65 FR, Number 54, 
Page 14952, March 20, 2000), DOE stated its decision to convey and 
transfer each of the ten subject tracts, either in whole or in part, by 
November 26, 2007. DOE's decision, consistent with the Preferred 
Alternative analyzed in the Conveyance and Transfer EIS, was to convey 
or transfer seven tracts in whole and three tracts (the Airport, TA-21 
and White Rock Y Tracts) in part.
    Two of the tracts, the Airport Tract and the White Rock Y Tract, 
would be partially transferred because of potential national security 
mission needs identified by DOE prior to the issuance of the ROD that 
require the retention of portions of these tracts. While both of the 
suitability criteria were considered in the formulation of the 
Preferred Alternative, the national security mission support criteria 
led DOE to the recognition that portions of the White Rock Y and the 
Airport Tracts may not be available for conveyance or transfer within 
the 10-year period specified by Public Law 105-119. This is due to 
operational requirements of existing and potential facilities within 
TA-21 and at TAs 53 and 72 located nearby, and the need for surrounding 
areas to be retained as security, health, and safety buffer areas. In 
the case of the Airport Tract, operational requirements of two existing 
facilities within TA-21 necessitate the retention of surrounding areas 
as security, health, and safety buffer areas. Engagement in a future 
project to construct and operate a proton radiography facility at LANL 
could result in an expanded security, health, and safety buffer area(s) 
being required that may intrude upon one or more of the tracts under 
consideration for disposal. Because the White Rock Y Tract is the 
nearest subject tract to one of the LANL locations that will likely be 
evaluated for the proton radiography project, DOE reduced this tract to 
a partial status for disposition in the 2000 ROD. In the ROD, DOE 
stated its intention to evaluate these existing and future projects and 
facility operational needs to determine whether to continue to retain 
portions of these two tracts. DOE stated in the ROD that it would make 
every effort to minimize the portions of the tracts it retains and only 
retain essential areas and convey or transfer the remainder of the 
tracts.
    The Airport Tract consists of about 205 acres (83 hectares). 
Located east of the Los Alamos townsite, it is close to the East Gate 
Business Park. The Los Alamos Airport is located on part of the tract, 
while other portions of the tract are undeveloped. The White Rock Y 
Tract consists of about 540 acres (219 hectares). It is undeveloped and 
is portions of the tract are associated with the major transportation 
routes connecting Los Alamos with northern New Mexico. In January 2000, 
the two land recipients identified by the Act determined that: (1) The 
Airport Tract would be conveyed to the Incorporated County of Los 
Alamos; and, (2) the White Rock Y Tract would be divided between the 
Incorporated County of Los Alamos and the Secretary of the Interior, in 
trust for the Pueblo of San Ildefonso, with the highway easement area 
of that tract to be conveyed to the New Mexico Highway Department as 
the Incorporated County of Los Alamos's designee.

II. Need To Change the Conveyance and Transfer Portions of Tracts 
Retained

    The original 2000 ROD for the Conveyance and Transfer EIS stated 
that for the tracts that were conveyed in part, DOE would continue to 
resolve outstanding national security mission support issues on the 
remaining portions of the tracts so that conveyance or transfer of 
those portions could occur before the end of the 2007 deadline stated 
in the Act. DOE could include deed restrictions, notices, and similar 
land use controls as deemed appropriate and necessary that are 
protective of

[[Page 45497]]

human health and safety to facilitate the transfer of the remaining 
portions of tracts.

A. Need for Existing Facilities at TA-21

    In 2000, TA-21 Tract housed both the Tritium Systems Test Assembly 
(TSTA) and the Tritium Sciences and Fabrication Facility (TSFF) and 
both of these facilities were scheduled to continue operation past the 
year 2007. These two research facilities were identified as being 
needed for the national security mission and there were no formal plans 
to relocate them at that time. However, DOE was even then in the early 
stages of assessing the feasibility of relocating these operations to 
another facility within LANL. Over the past 24 months, DOE/NNSA has 
reviewed both its long-term continued need for the TSTA facility and 
the feasibility of relocating the TSFF tritium operations away from TA-
21 to other tritium operations facilities at LANL. DOE/NNSA has 
concluded that the operation of the TSTA per se is no longer needed 
long term and may be discontinued. The nuclear material inventory of 
the TA-21 facilities has been reduced according to these plans. The 
discontinuance of the TSTA facility operations and removal of the TSFF 
facility operations, together with removal of TA-21 offices and 
assorted storage support facilities, would allow the facility and all 
of TA-21 to be completely decommissioned, decontaminated and 
demolished. It is unlikely however that all three of these steps in the 
dismantling of the technical area could occur before 2007. In the near 
term, however, DOE has determined that about an 8-acre portion of the 
Airport Tract at the western end of that tract (and situated to the 
northwest of TA21 and lying south of East Road) that had been retained 
for the purpose of serving as a health and safety buffer for the TA-21 
TSTA and TSFF operations is no longer required for that purpose. This 
partial tract can now be conveyed.

B. Need for Future Facility at TA-53and TA-72

    In a similar fashion, preliminary planning for the advanced proton 
radiography facility project has proceeded since March 2000. 
Expectations for operations at such a facility have been refined, as 
have the needs for siting such a facility within the TA-53 and TA-72 
area. This has resulted in the reconsideration of the potential need 
for retaining two portions of the White Rock Y Tract that contain 
stretches of public roadways along State Road 502 and State Road 4. The 
two portions of the tract are located adjacent to the highway 
interchange area and total about 74 acres; one 54-acre tract portion is 
located to the west along State Road 502 and one 20-acre tract portion 
is located to the south along State Road 4. DOE has resolved that these 
two portions of the White Rock Y Tract are very unlikely to be needed 
for the purpose of serving as future health and safety buffers as long 
as provisions are made in the transfer documents to provide for access 
to the TAs-53 and -72. These portions of the tract can now be conveyed.

III. Amended Decisions

    DOE/NNSA is modifying its decision on conveyance and transfer of 
certain land tracts at LANL as stated in the following paragraphs. 
Should DOE/NNSA=s no longer need portions of these and other tracts for 
national security mission support needs, DOE/NNSA will again reassess 
the retainment of partial tract areas and amend the Record of Decision, 
as needed.
     The Airport Tract consists of about 205 acres (83 
hectares), east of the Los Alamos townsite and near the East Gate 
Business Park. The Los Alamos Airport is located on the northern part 
of the tract, while other portions of the tract are undeveloped.
    Portions of the Airport Tract will continue to be needed to serve 
as health and safety buffer areas for the tritium activities while they 
continue within TA-21. In March 2000, DOE decided to convey or transfer 
part of the tract, approximately 110 acres North of East Road. With the 
shutdown of its tritium activities at TA-21, DOE/NNSA will now convey 
an additional approximately 8-acre portion of the Airport Tract.
     The White Rock Y Tract consists of about 540 acres (219 
hectares). It is undeveloped and is associated with the major 
transportation routes connecting Los Alamos with northern New Mexico. 
Portions of the White Rock Y Tract may be needed to serve as health and 
safety buffer areas for proposed LANL activities occurring elsewhere, 
such as the proposed proton radiography project, in support of the 
national security mission. In the Conveyance and Transfer EIS 
discussion of the Preferred Alternative, DOE identified the potential 
partial transfer of the White Rock Y Tract due to the developing proton 
radiography project, and the tract was considered as one of the tracts 
that would be conveyed in whole or in part by 2007. In the March 2000 
Record of Decision, DOE decided to convey or transfer only 
approximately 125 (50 hectares) acres, including the highway exchange 
and areas east of it, because of the potential national security 
mission need for the remainder of the tract. At this time, the DOE/NNSA 
will convey an approximately 54-acre parcel of the White Rock Y Tract 
comprised of the State Road 502 easement, and an approximately 20-acre 
parcel of the White Rock Y Tract comprised of the State Road 4 
easement, both of which abut the highway exchange and eastern area 
previously identified for conveyance and transfer.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2002.
John Gordon,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-17120 Filed 7-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P