[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17786-17787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8507]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement; 
Mercury Management

AGENCY: Defense National Stockpile Center, DLA, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft Mercury Management 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) announces the availability 
of its Draft Mercury Management Environmental Impact Statement (Draft 
EIS). This announcement is pursuant to the Council on Environmental 
Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the Defense Logistic 
Agency's (DLA) regulations (DLAR 1000.22) that implement the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    The Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) inventory of elemental 
mercury (approximately 4,436 metric tons) is currently stored in 
enclosed warehouses at four sites in the United States: Near New Haven, 
IN; in Oak Ridge, TN; in Hillsborough, NJ; and near Warren, OH. Because 
the mercury has been declared in excess of national defense needs, DNSC 
must decide on a strategy for the long-term management of this excess 
commodity. The Draft EIS analyzes three alternatives for managing the 
National Defense Stockpile inventory of excess mercury: (1) No-action, 
i.e., leave the mercury at the existing storage locations, (2) 
consolidated storage of the mercury stockpile at one site, and (3) sale 
of the stockpile. DNSC's preferred alternative is (2) consolidated 
storage. The Draft EIS evaluates a range of locations that would be 
acceptable consolidation sites.
    Public comments are invited and encouraged concerning the analysis 
of environmental and socioeconomic issues, as well as the management 
alternatives considered in the Draft EIS.

DATES: Public meetings are scheduled to be held as follows: May 20, 
2003 in New Haven, IN; May 22 in Niles, OH; June 10 in Hawthorne, NV; 
June 12 in Tooele, UT; June 17 in Hillsborough, NJ; June 24 in 
Washington, DC; and July 1 in Oak Ridge, TN. The times and locations of 
the meetings are provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
this announcement. The comment period ends on July 18, 2003. Comments 
on the Draft EIS must be postmarked, e-mailed, or otherwise submitted 
no later than this date.

ADDRESSES: Paper copies and computer disks (CD) of the Draft EIS (about 
450 pages) and Executive Summary are available by writing to: 
Attention: Project Manager, Mercury Management EIS; DNSC-E; Defense 
National Stockpile Center, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite 3229, Fort 
Belvoir, VA 22060-6223, or calling toll free at 1-888-306-6682. 
Electronic versions of the Executive Summary and the Draft EIS are 
found on the internet at www.mercuryeis.com. Copies of the Draft EIS 
may also be reviewed at locations listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section. Written comments on the Draft EIS should be sent 
to the above address, faxed to 1-888-306-8818, or posted to the Mercury 
Management EIS website at www.mercuryeis.com. Comments may be dictated 
by calling toll free at 1-888-306-6682.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for information can be made by: 
Leaving a voice message at 1-888-306-6682; faxing a message to 1-888-
306-8818; e-mailing a request to [email protected]; or 
accessing the Mercury Management EIS website at www.mercuryeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) 
is responsible for the disposition of stockpiled materials declared in 
excess of national defense needs. The United States Congress has 
determined that the U.S. Department of Defense no longer needs to 
maintain a stockpile of mercury because of the increased use of mercury 
substitutes and because of increases in the nation's secondary mercury 
production through recovery and recycling. The DNSC excess mercury was 
offered for sale in open competitions until 1994 when concerns over 
mercury accumulation in the global environment prompted DNSC to suspend 
sales. The DNSC inventory of mercury (approximately 4,436 metric tons) 
is stored in enclosed warehouses at four sites in the United States: 
New Haven, IN (557 metric tons); Oak Ridge, TN (699 metric tons); 
Hillsborough, NJ (2,617 metric tons); and Warren, OH (564 metric tons).
    As custodian of the mercury, DNSC must decide on a strategy for 
long-term management of this material. In compliance with NEPA and DLA 
Regulation 1000.22, ``Environmental Considerations in DLA Actions in 
the United States,'' DNSC has prepared the Draft EIS to evaluate the 
environmental impacts of a range of reasonable alternatives for long-
term management (i.e., 40 years) of the excess mercury. The 
alternatives are: (1) No action, i.e., maintaining storage at the four 
existing sites; (2) consolidation and storage at one of the three 
current DNSC mercury storage sites or at one of three other candidate 
locations; and (3) sale of the mercury inventory. The agency's 
preferred alternative is (2) consolidated storage. The Draft EIS 
evaluates a range of locations that would be acceptable consolidation 
sites. If a site other than those evaluated is selected, further 
environmental analysis would be required.
    The Draft EIS also describes the potential environmental, human 
health, and socioeconomic impacts of these alternatives, together with 
cost considerations. Several treatment technologies were considered as 
possible alternatives for mercury management. Based on the immaturity 
of bulk mercury treatment technologies and the lack of a U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved path forward, bulk 
treatment and disposal of elemental mercury is not considered viable at 
this time and is not evaluated in detail in the Draft EIS.
    The Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) are cooperating agencies in the preparation of this Draft EIS. 
DOE is recognized because of their special expertise and because some 
of the DNSC excess mercury is stored at their Y-12 National Security 
Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. EPA is recognized because of their 
special expertise in the areas of mercury fate and effects in the 
environment, mercury stabilization and disposal technologies, and the 
regulation of hazardous material.
    This Draft EIS is being distributed for public review and copies 
are also available at the following locations:

Allen County Public Library, 435 Ann Street, New Haven, Indiana 46774.
Bridgewater Branch Library, N. Bridge Street and Vogt Drive, 
Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807.
Fairfax County Public Library, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 
324, Fairfax, VA 22035.

[[Page 17787]]

Ford Memorial Library, 7169 North Main Street, Ovid, New York 14521.
Hillsborough Public Library, 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, New 
Jersey 08844.
Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW., Washington, DC 20001.
Mineral County Public Library, P.O. Box 1390, Hawthorne, Nevada 89415.
Oak Ridge Public Library, 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
Raritan Valley Community College, Evelyn S. Field Library, North 
Branch, Route 28 and Lamington Road, Somerville, New Jersey 08876.
Seneca Army Depot, 5786 State Route 96, Building 123, Romulus, NY 
14541.
Somerville Public Library, 35 West End Avenue, Somerville, New Jersey 
08876.
Tooele City Public Library, 128 West Vine Street, Tooele, Utah 84074.
Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Avenue, NW., 
Warren, Ohio 44483.
Waterloo Library and Historical Society, 31 East Williams Street, 
Waterloo, New York 13165.
West End Branch Library, 1101 24th and L Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037.

    DNSC invites Federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, 
and the general public to comment on the environmental and 
socioeconomic issues and the management alternatives addressed in the 
Draft EIS. The public comment period began with the publication of the 
EPA Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on April 11, 2003, 
and will continue until July 18, 2003. DNSC will consider all comments 
received or postmarked by the end of the comment period when preparing 
the Final Mercury Management EIS. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable. As part of the public 
review process, DNSC has scheduled public meetings at the following 
locations:

May 20, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    Park Hill Learning Center, 1000 Prospect Avenue, New Haven, 
Indiana.
May 22, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    McMenamy's Multipurpose Complex, 325 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles, 
Ohio.
June 10, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    Hawthorne Convention Center, 932 E Street, Hawthorne, Nevada.
June 12, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    Tooele High School, 240 West 1st South, Tooele, Utah.
June 17, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    Hillsborough High School, 466 Raider Boulevard, Hillsborough, New 
Jersey.
June 24, 2003, 1 to 4 p.m.
    Hall of States, 444 North Capitol Street, NW., Washington, DC.
July 1, 2003, 6 to 9 p.m.
    Garden Plaza Hotel, 215 S. Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

    The registration desk and exhibit area at the meeting will open at 
6 p.m. (1 p.m. for the Washington, DC meeting). DNSC staff will be 
available to explain exhibits, provide information materials, and 
answer questions. At 7 p.m. (2 p.m. for the Washington, DC meeting), 
DNSC will provide a short presentation on the EIS process and the 
Mercury Management EIS. Following the DNSC presentation, elected or 
appointed officials, organizations, and individuals will be invited to 
offer comments. Comments will be recorded for the record. Speakers will 
be allotted five minutes each. The meetings will be managed by a 
facilitator who will help keep the focus on obtaining public input on 
the content of the Draft EIS. At 8:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. for the 
Washington, DC meeting), the public comment portion of the meeting will 
conclude and the exhibit area will reopen. DNSC staff will be available 
to explain exhibits, provide information materials, and answer 
questions. The meeting will end at 9 p.m. (4 p,m. for the Washington, 
DC meeting).
    Requests to speak at the meetings may be made by writing to the 
Mercury Management EIS project manager (see ADDRESSES, above), by 
calling the toll free phone number (888-306-6682) by 4 p.m. EST the day 
before the meeting, or in person at the meeting. If you phone in to 
pre-register, please leave your name, the organization you represent, 
and the location of the meeting you plan to attend. Speakers will be 
heard on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. Speakers do 
not have to pre-register, but pre-registered speakers will be ensured 
an opportunity to speak. Comments will be transcribed by a court 
reporter and will become a part of the meeting record. Speakers are 
encouraged to provide written versions of their spoken comments. The 
facilitator and DNSC staff may ask questions to clarify the speaker's 
comments.
    Written comments will be accepted at the meetings and comment forms 
will be provided for this purpose. For those who prefer to dictate 
comments before or after the formal comment portion of the meeting, a 
court reporter will be available in the exhibit area until the meeting 
closes.
    All meeting facilities are handicapped accessible. A hearing 
impaired sign language interpreter will be provided at all meetings. 
Persons who have other special requirements should contact the Project 
Manager in advance so that arrangements may be made to accommodate 
their needs.
    Input from the public meetings along with comments received by 
other means (i.e., mail, phone, fax, email, and website) will be used 
by DNSC in preparing the Final Mercury Management EIS. Written and 
spoken comments will be given equal weight. The Final Mercury 
Management EIS will be distributed to information repositories, mailed 
out upon request, and can be viewed at www.mercuryeis.com.

    Issued in Fort Belvoir, VA, on this 7th day of April 2003.
Cornel A. Holder,
Administrator, Defense National Stockpile Center.
[FR Doc. 03-8507 Filed 4-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3620-01-U