[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12103-12104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4987]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Availability of the Final Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Y-12 National Security Complex

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-
autonomous agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), announces the 
availability of the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Y-12 National Security Complex (Final Y-12 SWEIS, DOE/EIS-0387). 
The Final Y-12 SWEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of 
ongoing and future operations and activities at Y-12, including 
alternatives for changes to site infrastructure and levels of operation 
(using production capacity as the key metric for comparison), and 
addresses public comments received on the Draft SWEIS and the Wetlands 
Assessment related to the proposed Haul Road extension corridor. Five 
alternatives are analyzed: No Action Alternative (maintain the status 
quo); Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Alternative; Upgrade-in-Place 
Alternative; Capability-sized UPF Alternative; and the No Net 
Production/Capability-sized UPF Alternative. DOE NNSA has prepared the 
Final Y-12 SWEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality

[[Page 12104]]

(CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE regulations implementing NEPA (10 CFR 
part 1021). NNSA's Preferred Alternative for Y-12, as identified in the 
Draft and Final SWEIS, is the Capability-sized UPF Alternative.

DATES: NNSA will not issue any Record of Decision (ROD) based on the 
SWEIS before 30 days have passed from the publication of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability.

ADDRESSES: Requests for additional information on the Final Y-12 SWEIS, 
including requests for copies of the document, should be directed to: 
Ms. Pam Gorman, Y-12 SWEIS Document Manager, Y-12 Site Office, 800 Oak 
Ridge Turnpike, Suite A-500, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, or by telephone: 865-
576-9903. Additional information on the Y-12 SWEIS may be found at 
http://www.y12sweis.com.
    For general information regarding the DOE NEPA process, contact: 
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, 
GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-
800-472-2756. Additional information regarding DOE NEPA activities and 
access to many of DOE's NEPA documents are available on the Internet 
through the DOE NEPA Web site at http://www.nepa.energy.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The continued operation of Y-12 is critical 
to DOE NNSA's Stockpile Stewardship Program and to preventing the 
spread and use of nuclear weapons worldwide. However, continued 
operation of Y-12 is made more difficult by the fact that most of the 
facilities at Y-12 are old, oversized, and inefficient. Because NNSA is 
required to maintain the safety and security of the Nation's nuclear 
weapons stockpile, and Y-12 is an important part of this effort, all 
alternatives assumed that NNSA will continue to operate Y-12 as part of 
the Nation's nuclear security enterprise for the foreseeable future. A 
brief description of the SWEIS alternatives follows.
    Alternative 1: The No Action Alternative reflects the current 
nuclear weapons program missions at Y-12. Under the No Action 
Alternative, operations at Y-12 would continue to support the programs 
described in the SWEIS. The No Action Alternative includes certain 
construction projects that are underway or planned for the future. 
These projects include refurbishments or upgrades to plant systems, 
such as those for potable water, which have been analyzed in separate 
NEPA documentation.
    Alternative 2: Under the UPF Alternative, NNSA would construct and 
operate a new UPF, (approximately 388,000 sq. ft.) which would 
consolidate enriched uranium operations into an integrated 
manufacturing facility;
    Alternative 3: Under the Upgrade- in-Place Alternative, NNSA would 
upgrade existing facilities to contemporary environmental, safety, and 
security standards to the extent possible within the limitations of the 
existing structures and without prolonged interruptions of 
manufacturing operations.
    Alternative 4: Under the Capability-sized UPF Alternative, NNSA 
would build a smaller UPF, (approximately 350,000 sq. ft.) compared to 
the UPF described under Alternative 2. A smaller UPF would maintain all 
capabilities, but would support a reduced production level.
    Alternative 5: Under the No Net Production/Capability-sized UPF 
Alternative, NNSA would build a smaller UPF (approximately 350,000 sq. 
ft.) compared to the UPF described under Alternative 2. This smaller 
UPF would maintain all capabilities, but would support an even further 
reduced production level than Alternative 4.
    A Complex Command Center (CCC), which would house equipment and 
personnel for the plant shift superintendent, Fire Department, and 
Emergency Operations Center, is also analyzed as a proposed action in 
all action alternatives (alternatives 2, 3, 4, and 5).
    The Draft SWEIS was issued in October 2009 for public review and 
comment over a 90-day period. NNSA considered all comments received on 
the Draft SWEIS in preparing the Final SWEIS. The Final SWEIS includes: 
(1) A detailed wetlands assessment related to construction of a 
proposed Haul Road extension corridor that would affect wetlands; and 
(2) NNSA's responses to all comments received, including those received 
on the wetlands assessment.
    Subsequent Document Preparation: NNSA will consider the 
environmental impact analysis presented in the Final Y-12 SWEIS, along 
with other information, in making decisions regarding the continued 
operation of Y-12. NNSA will not issue any RODs for at least 30 days 
following publication in the Federal Register of the Environmental 
Protection Agency's notice of availability. NNSA will publish all RODs 
in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC on February 25, 2011.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-4987 Filed 3-3-11; 8:45 am]
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