[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33487-33488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14028]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement on Stockpile Stewardship and Management 
for a Modern Pit Facility

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA) is responsible for the safety and reliability of 
the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, including production readiness to 
maintain that stockpile. Since 1989, the DOE has been without the 
capability to produce certified plutonium pits, which are an essential 
component of nuclear weapons. The NNSA, the Department of Defense, and 
Congress have highlighted the lack of long-term pit production 
capability as a national security issue requiring timely resolution. 
While a small interim capability is currently being established at the 
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), classified analyses indicate 
that long-term support of the nuclear stockpile, which is a cornerstone 
of U.S. national security policy, will require a long-term pit 
production capability. Accordingly, the NNSA has prepared a Draft 
Supplement to the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on 
Stockpile Stewardship and Management (SSM) for a Modern Pit Facility 
(MPF) [hereafter, that document will be referred to as the MPF Draft 
EIS], which is now available, in order to decide: (1) Whether to 
proceed with the MPF; and (2) if so, where to locate the MPF. This 
Notice of Availability also sets forth the dates, times, and locations 
for public meetings on the MPF Draft EIS.

DATES: NNSA is inviting comments related to the MPF Draft EIS. Comments 
should be submitted by August 5, 2003, and will assist the NNSA in 
finalizing the MPF Draft EIS. Comments submitted after August 5, 2003 
will be considered to the extent practicable. Public meetings to 
discuss issues and receive comments on the MPF Draft EIS will be held 
in the vicinity of sites associated with the proposed action, as well 
as in Washington, DC. The public meetings will provide the public with 
an opportunity to present comments, ask questions, and discuss issues 
with NNSA officials regarding the MPF Draft EIS. The locations, dates, 
and times for these public meetings are as follows:

Pantex Site--June 26, 2003,
7 p.m.-10 p.m., College Union Building, Oak Room, Amarillo College, 
Washington Street Campus, 24th and Jackson Streets, Amarillo, TX 79178, 
(806) 371-5100.
Carlsbad Site, NM--June 30, 2003, 6 p.m.-10 p.m., U.S. Department of 
Energy, Carlsbad Area Office, 4021 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 
88220, (505) 234-7227.
Los Alamos Site--July 1, 2003 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Cities of Gold Hotel, 
Highway 84/285, Pojoaque, NM 87544, (505) 455-0515.
Nevada Site--July 2, 2003, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., University of Nevada Las 
Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Student Union Building, Room 201, Las 
Vegas, NV 89154, (702) 895-4449.
Savannah River Site--July 7, 2003, 6 p.m.-10 p.m, North Augusta 
Community Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, North Augusta, SC 29841, (803) 
441-4290.
Washington, DC--July 16, 2003, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 1E-245, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-5484.

    The NNSA will publish additional notices on the dates, times, and 
locations of the public meetings in local newspapers in advance of the 
scheduled meetings. Any necessary changes will be announced in the 
local media.

ADDRESSES: General questions concerning the MPF Draft EIS, including 
requests for the document, can be asked by calling 1-800-832-0885, ext. 
65484, or by writing to: Mr. Jay Rose, MPF EIS Document Manager, 
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Comments can be submitted at the 
address above; faxed to: 1-202-586-5324; e-mailed to 
[email protected].; or submitted via the World Wide web at http://www.mpfeis.com/. Please mark correspondence as ``MPF Draft EIS 
Comments.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
NEPA process, please contact: Mr. James J. Mangeno, NNSA NEPA 
Compliance Officer, NA-3.6, Forrestal Building, 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, 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: The MPF Draft EIS evaluates the 
environmental impacts associated with constructing and operating a MPF 
at the following sites: (1) Los Alamos Site, New Mexico; (2) Nevada 
Test Site; (3) Carlsbad Site, New Mexico; (4) Savannah River Site, 
South Carolina; and (5) Pantex Site, Texas. The MPF Draft EIS also 
evaluates an upgrade to the plutonium pit manufacturing capabilities 
currently being established at the TA-55 facility at LANL, and the No 
Action Alternative of relying on the small interim capability being 
established at LANL. The MPF Draft EIS evaluates a range of pit 
production capabilities consistent with national security requirements.

[[Page 33488]]

Additional NEPA analysis will be required for the specific siting of 
such a facility should the decision be made that a MPF is required. As 
identified in the MPF Draft EIS, constructing and operating a MPF is 
the preferred alternative. A preferred site for a MPF has not yet been 
determined, but will be identified in the MPF Final EIS.

    Issued in Washington, DC this 28th day of May 2003.
Everet H. Beckner,
Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-14028 Filed 6-3-03; 8:45 am]
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