[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 9065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4607]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Los Alamos Site Office; National Nuclear Security Administration; 
Notice of Floodplain Involvement for the Fire Road Project at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site 
Office, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of floodplain involvement.

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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los 
Alamos Site Office of the Department of Energy (DOE) plans to improve 
existing firebreaks and access roads into remote forested areas at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the purpose of providing reliable 
access for fire fighting crews. Improvements will focus on changes to 
drainage crossings and improved roadbeds within floodplain areas. 
Improvements would be minor and would mostly consist of installing 
culverts and stabilizing roadbeds. These roads are limited use roads 
that are restricted to official access only. In accordance with 10 CFR 
part 1022, NNSA has prepared a floodplain/wetland assessment and will 
perform this proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize 
potential harm to or within the affected floodplain.

DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than March 14, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Elizabeth Withers, 
Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los 
Alamos Site Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544, or submit 
them to the Mail Room at the above address between the hours of 8 a.m. 
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Written comments may also be sent 
electronically to: [email protected] or by facsimile to (505) 667-
9998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Everett Trollinger, Department of 
Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site 
Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Telephone (505) 667-
0281, facsimile (505) 667-9998.
    For Further Information on General DOE Floodplain Environmental 
Review Requirements, contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Policy and Compliance, EH-42, Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington DC 20585-0119. Telephone (202) 
586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, facsimile (202) 586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After the May 2000 Cerro Grande Fire event, 
NNSA developed a Wildfire Hazard Reduction Program for LANL. This 
program includes the improvement of firebreaks and the improvement of 
access to remote portions of LANL through the upgrade and maintenance 
of the existing fire road network. There are about 12 firebreaks and 40 
fire roads at LANL that will be improved as part of this project. These 
improvements will require: clearing each road of hazard trees (mostly 
these are dead or dying trees); grading of the roads and realignment of 
sharp curves; cut and fill of road areas where needed to accommodate 
heavy fire fighting equipment.
    Culverts will be installed where necessary based on road substrate, 
and rock gabions and other erosion control features may also be 
installed. Disturbed soil will be revegetated after work is completed. 
Firebreak and road improvements will commence in fiscal year 2003 and 
be completed over the next 9 months.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), NNSA 
has prepared a floodplain/wetland assessment for this action, which is 
available by contacting Elizabeth Withers at the previously identified 
addresses, phone and facsimile numbers. The floodplain/wetland 
assessment is available for review at the DOE Reading Room at the Los 
Alamos Outreach Center, 1619 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM 878544; and 
the DOE Reading Room at the Zimmerman Library, University of New 
Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. The NNSA will publish a floodplain 
statement of findings for this project in the Federal Register no 
sooner than March 14, 2003.

    Issued in Los Alamos on February 14, 2003.
Ralph E. Erickson,
Manager, U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Los Alamos Site Office.
[FR Doc. 03-4607 Filed 2-26-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P