[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43721-43724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18098]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


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

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

ACTION: Notice of floodplain/wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los 
Alamos Site Office of the Department of Energy (DOE) plans to construct 
a single bypass road at the north end of Technical Area (TA) 3 at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico, as part of 
the Security Perimeter Project. This project combines the installation 
of access control stations at key locations around TA-3 and 
modification of road intersections with the construction of a bypass 
road to control unauthorized access to the core technical and 
administrative area at LANL. The proposed North Bypass Road will 
connect East Jemez Road, Diamond Drive, and State Road 501 by detouring 
behind the Los Alamos Research Park and along the south rim of Los 
Alamos Canyon (Figure 1). A bridge would be used to span a small 
tributary canyon. There is a small wetland within the Research Park 
that is primarily fed by stormwater runoff from adjacent buildings and 
parking lots. The wetland is less than 1,000 square feet in area and 
would be filled during construction of the bypass road. The 100-year 
floodplain of Los Alamos Canyon is located on the canyon floor below 
the Research Park and would not be directly impacted by the project; 
however,

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erosion and siltation controls would be emplaced at the construction 
site to protect the floodplain.
    In accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022, NNSA had prepared a 
floodplain/wetlands assessment that evaluates the positive and 
negative, direct and indirect, and long- and short-term effects on 
floodplains and wetlands in and near the project area.

DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than August 8, 
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 am 
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: Lloyd Smith, Department of Energy, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site Office, 528 
35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Telephone (505) 667-4235, facsimile 
(505) 667-9998.
    For further information on general DOE floodplain/wetlands 
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: As a result of the events of September 11, 
2001, the nature and extent of the terrorist threat has changed 
significantly in terms of the potential magnitude of the attack as well 
as the terrorists' motivations, targets, and methods. In recognition of 
this increased threat, LANL management and security officials have 
determined that there is a critical need to upgrade the physical 
protection around the core LANL technical and administrative area in 
TA-3, which houses vital national assets, government property, and key 
scientific and support staff. LANL is one of the few sites in the DOE 
complex where the general public has access to the core technical area 
and where public roads pass in close proximity to critical research 
facilities. Temporary measures have been recently implemented to help 
protect particular LANL assets, but long-term measures are required to 
provide an additional level of protection to the core of LANL. 
Unauthorized (unscreened) access in the future must be restricted and 
controlled to minimize the possibility of a terrorist threat being 
introduced into the core area.
    The selected approach combines the installation of three access 
control stations at key locations and modification of road 
intersections with the development of a single bypass road at the north 
end of TA-3 to accomplish the mission need described. The proposed 
North Bypass Road would connect East Jemez Road, Diamond Drive and 
State Road 501 by detouring around the north of the Los Alamos Research 
Park. A small wetland would be directly affected and indirect impacts 
to the 100-year floodplain would be avoided by the use of best 
management practices for erosion and siltation control.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), NNSA 
has prepared a floodplain/wetlands assessment for this action, which is 
available by contacting Elizabeth Withers at the previously identified 
addresses, phone and facsimile numbers. The floodplain/wetlands 
assessment is available for review at the DOE Reading Room at the Los 
Alamos Outreach Center, 1619 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM 87854; 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 August 8, 2003.

    Issued in Los Alamos, NM on July 7, 2003.
E. Dennis Martinez,
Acting Manager, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Los Alamos Site Office.
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[FR Doc. 03-18098 Filed 7-23-03; 8:45 am]
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