[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 59 (Friday, March 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15820-15822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6435]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Logistics Agency


Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Defense National Stockpile Center, DoD.

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

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SUMMARY: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) announces the availability 
of its Final Mercury Management Environmental Impact Statement (Final 
EIS). This announcement is pursuant to

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the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508) and DLA's regulation (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, 
Indiana; in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; in Hillsborough, New Jersey; and near 
Warren, Ohio. 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 Final EIS analyzes in 
detail three alternatives for managing the National Defense Stockpile 
inventory of excess mercury: (1) Consolidated storage of the mercury 
stockpile at one site, (2) no-action, i.e., leave the mercury at the 
existing storage locations, and (3) sale of the stockpile. DNSC's 
preferred alternative is consolidated storage. The Final EIS evaluates 
a range of locations that would be environmentally acceptable 
consolidation sites.
    The Final EIS reflects changes made in response to comments 
received during the public comment period on the Draft EIS. No sooner 
than 30 days after the United States Environmental Protection Agency's 
Notice of Availability for DNSC's Final Mercury Management EIS is 
published in the Federal Register, the DLA intends to issue a Record of 
Decision (ROD) which will announce the selection of the alternative 
that will be implemented. DLA will publish its ROD in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Bound copies of the Final EIS (about 1000 pages) and 
Executive Summary (about 20 pages) 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 Final EIS are 
found on the Internet at http://www.mercuryeis.com. Copies of the Final 
EIS may also be reviewed at the information repository locations listed 
in the Supplementary Information section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 Web site at http://www.mercuryeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 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 commodity grade 
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 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, Indiana (557 
metric tons); Oak Ridge, Tennessee (699 metric tons); Hillsborough, New 
Jersey (2,617 metric tons); and Warren, Ohio (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 prepared the 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 three current 
DNSC mercury storage sites or at another location; and (3) sale of the 
mercury inventory.. Three other candidate locations (i.e., Hawthorne 
Army Depot, Hawthorne, Nevada; PEZ Lake Development, Romulus, New York; 
and Utah Industrial Depot, Tooele, Utah) were evaluated as possible 
consolidation sites and to analyze the environmental acceptability of a 
wider range of sites. The PEZ Lake Development site is included in the 
EIS to broaden the range of environmental and socioeconomic settings 
analyzed; however, the site is no longer under consideration as a 
consolidated storage site. The company which manages the site, withdrew 
it from consideration based on business development plans.
    The Final EIS 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 an 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 
Final EIS.
    The DLA's preferred alternative is consolidated storage at one 
location. Managing the mercury at one site rather than at multiple 
sites would simplify storage operations and result in economies of 
scale (fewer resources would be required to maintain the mercury 
inventory). Consolidating the excess DNSC mercury inventory at one site 
does not result in significant environmental impacts at any site 
analyzed and would slightly improve environmental conditions at the 
sites where the mercury would be removed. The preferred alternative is 
also compatible with DNSC's long-term depot closure plans. The EIS 
evaluates a range of locations that would be acceptable consolidation 
sites. If a site other than one of those analyzed in the Final EIS is 
selected, additional environmental documentation would be prepared as 
needed.
    The Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA are Cooperating Agencies in 
the preparation of this Final EIS. DOE is recognized because of their 
special expertise and because some of the DNSC excess mercury is stored 
at its Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. EPA is 
recognized because of its special expertise in the areas of mercury 
fate and effects in the environment, mercury stabilization and disposal 
technologies, and the regulation of hazardous material.
    The public comment period for the Draft EIS began with the 
publication of the EPA Notice of Availability in the Federal Register 
on April 11, 2003, and continued until July 18, 2003. In response to 
public requests to extend the comment period, the deadline for 
submittal of comments was extended informally until September 2, 2003. 
The Draft EIS or the Executive Summary was distributed to more than 830 
individuals and organizations.
    During the comment period, DNSC held seven meetings to receive 
comments on the Draft EIS. The meetings were held in the communities 
that could be affected by the proposed actions, as well as in 
Washington, DC. Approximately 230 people attended the public meetings. 
The transcript of each meeting is available at a nearby information 
repository. Locations of these repositories are listed below:

Allen County Public Library, 435 Ann Street, New Haven, Indiana 46774.

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Bridgewater Branch Library, North Bridge Street and Vogt Drive, 
Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807.
Fairfax County Public Library, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 
324, Fairfax, Virginia 22035.
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, Tennessee 
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, New York 
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.

    The DNSC received 295 comment documents (i.e., letters, e-mails, 
faxes, voice messages, comment forms, and meeting transcripts) 
containing 633 comments. Volume II of the Final EIS presents the 
comment documents, identifies the specific comment(s) from each, and 
provides DNSC's responses. The majority of the comments received on the 
Draft EIS are related to the Consolidated Storage Alternative, impacts 
on human health and safety, and environmental and economic impacts.
    Input from the public meetings along with comments received by 
other means (i.e., mail, phone, fax, e-mail, and Web site), were used 
by DNSC in preparing the Final EIS. DNSC considered all comments 
received.
    A copy of the Final EIS is available for public review at the 
information repositories listed in this notice. No sooner than 30 days 
after the EPA's Notice of Availability for DNSC's Final Mercury 
Management EIS is published in the Federal Register, the DLA intends to 
issue a ROD which will announce the selection of the alternative that 
will be implemented. DLA will publish its ROD in the Federal Register.

    Issued at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on this 08 day of March, 2004.
Cornel A. Holder,
Administrator, Defense National Stockpile Center, Defense Logistics 
Agency.
[FR Doc. 04-6435 Filed 3-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3620-01-P