[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59283-59284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23936]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Relocation of Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Relocation of 
Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials (hereafter referred to as 
the TA-18 Relocation Final EIS). The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS 
evaluates the environmental impacts associated with relocating a 
portion of the TA-18 capabilities and materials to the following 
alternative locations: (1) A different site at Los Alamos National 
Laboratory (LANL) at Los Alamos, New Mexico; (2) the Nevada Test Site 
(NTS) near Las Vegas, Nevada (the preferred alternative); (3) the 
Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) at Albuquerque, New Mexico; and (4) 
the Argonne National Laboratory--West (ANL-W) near Idaho Falls, Idaho. 
The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS also evaluates the alternative of 
upgrading the existing facilities at TA-18, and the no-action 
alternative of maintaining the missions at the current TA-18 location.

DATES: The NNSA intends to issue a Record of Decision on the TA-18 
Final EIS no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes a notice of filing of the TA-18 Final EIS in the 
Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the TA-18 Relocation Final EIS or its Summary may 
be obtained upon request in writing (DOE/NNSA, TA-18 Relocation Final 
EIS, Attn: Mr. Jay Rose, NA-53, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585); by fax (202-586-5324); by phone (1-800-832-0885, 
ext. 65484), or by E-mail ([email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
NEPA process, please contact: Mr. James J. Mangeno, NNSA NEPA 
Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or telephone 1-800-832-0885, ext. 
68395. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance 
(EH-42), DOE, 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, ensuring the safety and reliability of 
those nuclear weapons, and supporting programs that reduce global 
nuclear proliferation. These missions are accomplished through the use 
of a core team of highly trained nuclear experts. The TA-18 facilities 
at LANL are the Nation's only facilities capable of performing general-
purpose nuclear materials handling and criticality experiments. These 
experiments provide unique training to a variety of federal agencies, 
including DOE, NNSA, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission personnel in 
areas such as nuclear materials safety, emergency response in support 
of counterterrorism activities, and safeguards and arms control in 
support of programs aimed at controlling excess nuclear materials.
    The TA-18 buildings and infrastructure are near the end of their 
useful life, and action is required to assess alternatives for 
continuing these activities for the next 25 years. The TA-18 Relocation 
Final EIS identifies siting options to assist the NNSA in determining a 
long-range strategy for maintaining nuclear criticality missions, 
infrastructure, and expertise currently residing at TA-18.
    The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS evaluates the potential direct, 
indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts associated with 
relocating the TA-18 mission to the the following DOE sites: (1) A 
different site at LANL; (2) NTS (the preferred alternative); (3) SNL; 
and (4) ANL-W. The TA-18 Relocation Final EIS also analyzes upgrading 
the TA-18 facilities at LANL and the no-action alternative of 
maintaining the operations at the current TA-18 location.
    In the Final EIS, the acting Administrator of the NNSA designated 
the NTS alternative as the preferred

[[Page 59284]]

alternative for activities involving Security Category I/II materials, 
which constitute roughly half of the activities conducted at TA-18. The 
NTS alternative, which would house four of the five TA-18 experimental 
reactors in the existing Device Assembly Facility (DAF), was designated 
the preferred alternative based upon cost, technical, environmental, 
and mission factors. NNSA's preferred alternative also has the balance 
of the TA-18 missions, involving mostly Security Category III/IV 
materials and operations, remaining at LANL.

    Signed in Washington, DC this 10th day of September, 2002.
Everet H. Beckner,
Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-23936 Filed 9-19-02; 8:45 am]
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