[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 1448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-499]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Withdrawal of Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Wind Farm at the Nevada Test Site

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: On July 25, 2001, the Department of Energy (DOE), National 
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced its intent to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the proposed Wind Farm at the 
Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nye County, Nevada. This EIS would evaluate 
the range of reasonable alternatives for a private enterprise project 
to construct, operate, and maintain a wind farm for production of 
electrical power. The action alternatives considered included a range 
of electrical generating capacities up to about 600 megawatts (MW) at 
various locations on the NTS. On July 5, 2002, the Administrator of the 
NNSA decided to cancel consideration of the wind farm proposal on the 
NTS due to potentially significant adverse impacts to national security 
missions of the U. S. Air Force at the Nevada Test and Training Range 
(NTTR), which has boundaries contiguous with the NTS on three sides. 
Therefore, further processing of the preliminary draft EIS, which was 
under review in NNSA, is no longer warranted. The notice of intent to 
prepare an EIS is withdrawn and the NEPA process is hereby terminated.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Wind Farm 
Project, please contact: Kevin D. Thornton, National Nuclear Security 
Administration Nevada Operations Office, P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, NV 
89193-8518. Telephone (702) 295-1541; facsimile (702) 295-0625; 
electronic mail: [email protected].
    For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, 
EH-42, Forrestal Building, 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: Section 3161 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 encouraged DOE to minimize the 
social and economic impacts on workers and communities affected by 
downsizing of defense-related facilities. Among other things, section 
3161 authorized DOE to encourage private sector economic development at 
its sites and facilities. In the record of decision for the ``Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Nevada Test Site and Off-Site 
Locations in the State of Nevada'' (DOE/EIS 0243), DOE decided, in 
part, to continue to support ongoing program operations and pursue 
diversification of uses to include non-defense and private use. The 
proposed wind farm would be a private sector enterprise located on the 
NTS.
    DOE received a proposal from M&N Wind Power, Inc. and Siemens to 
construct, operate, and maintain a wind farm at the NTS. Full 
implementation of the proposal would have consisted of up to 545 wind 
turbines generating up to approximately 600 MW. The wind farm would 
encompass about 432 hectares (1069 acres) of land. NNSA Nevada 
Operations Office (NV) began preparation of an environmental assessment 
(EA) for the proposed project in November 2000. Following public review 
of the pre-approval draft EA, NNSA/NV determined that a finding of no 
significant impact could not be supported and that an EIS would be 
required. Preparation of the EIS began with publication of a notice of 
intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register on July 25, 2001. On 
July 3, 2002, the U.S. Air Force wrote a letter to the Manager of NNSA/
NV which indicated, based on the results of a classified study, that 
the presence of large wind turbines on the NTS would be incompatible 
with the mission of the NTTR. The primary concern was for significant 
adverse impacts to certain NTTR missions within the ranges surrounding 
the NTS. Some of those mission capabilities are unique to the NTTR and 
impacts caused by wind turbines could adversely affect national 
security. During the same timeframe Air Force officials articulated 
these concerns in a classified briefing to the NNSA Administrator. 
Based on the concerns articulated by the Air Force, the Administrator 
of NNSA decided to cancel consideration of the wind farm proposal on 
the NTS. Therefore, further processing of the preliminary draft EIS, 
which was under review within NNSA, is no longer warranted. The notice 
of intent to prepare an EIS is withdrawn and the NEPA process is hereby 
terminated.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 20th day of December, 2002.
Linton Brooks,
Acting Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-499 Filed 1-9-03; 8:45 am]
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