[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50212-50213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20546]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Sandia National 
Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM)

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

ACTION: Notice of Re-opening of Public Scoping period and Announcement 
of additional Public Scoping Meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On June 24, 2011, the National Nuclear Security Administration 
(NNSA), a semiautonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy 
(DOE), published a Notice of Intent (NOI) for the preparation of a 
Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for the Sandia 
National Laboratories, New Mexico (DOE/EIS-0466). That notice stated 
that the public review and comment period would continue until 45 days 
after publication in the Federal Register, ending on August 8, 2011. In 
response to a request from the public, NNSA has decided to Re-open the 
public comment period through September 12, 2011, and to hold two 
additional public scoping meetings on Thursday September 1, 2011, in 
Albuquerque, NM.

DATES: The public comment period for the SNL/NM SWEIS is being re-
opened through September 12, 2011. The schedule for the additional 
public scoping meetings on the SWEIS with all dates, times, and 
locations is the following:
     Thursday, September 1, 2011--1-4 p.m., Hilton Albuquerque 
Hotel, 1901 University Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
     Thursday, September 1, 2011--6-9 p.m., Hilton Albuquerque 
Hotel, 1901 University Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ADDRESSES: The NOI and scoping meeting materials are available for 
review on the NNSA NEPA Web site at: http://nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/sandiasweis. The NOI may be obtained upon request by leaving a message 
on the Sandia Site Office (SSO) SWEIS Hotline at (toll free) 1-855-766-
4651; or by writing to: U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear 
Security Administration, Sandia Site Office, P. O. Box 5400, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, Attn: Ms. Jeanette Norte, SNL/NM SWEIS 
Document Manager; or by facsimile ((505) 284-7197); or by e-mail at: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Mary Martin (NA-GC), NNSA NEPA 
Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, or telephone 202-586-9438. For 
general information concerning 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 Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20585; (202) 586-4600; leave a message at (800) 472-2756; or send an 
e-mail to [email protected]. Additional information regarding DOE 
NEPA activities and access to many DOE NEPA documents are available on 
the Internet through the DOE NEPA Web site at http://energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE's NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR 
1021.330) require DOE to prepare SWEISs for certain large, multiple-
facility DOE sites; DOE is required to evaluate site wide NEPA 
documents prepared under Sec.  1021.330(c) at least

[[Page 50213]]

every five years. In 1999 DOE/NNSA completed the first SNL/NM SWEIS 
which examined existing and potential impacts to the environment from 
ongoing and anticipated future DOE/NNSA operations conducted over 
approximately a 10-year period of time at SNL/NM and other DOE 
operations on and around Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB). NNSA issued a 
Record of Decision (ROD) for the SWEIS in December 15, 1999 (64 FR 
69996) announcing its decision to continue operations at SNL/NM under 
the expanded operations alternative. In August 2006, DOE/NNSA completed 
a 5-year review of the 1999 SNL/NM SWEIS with the preparation of a 
Supplement Analysis (SA) (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-04), to determine the 
adequacy of the existing EIS. Based on the 2006 Final Supplement 
Analysis for the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Sandia 
National Laboratories, New Mexico (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-04), DOE/NNSA 
determined that there were no substantial changes to the actions or 
impacts evaluated in the SNL/NM SWEIS, and there were no significant 
new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns; 
thus, the existing SNL/NM SWEIS was adequate and neither a supplemental 
EIS nor a new EIS was required.
    The new SWEIS No Action Alternative will include the implementation 
of other decisions supported by separate NEPA analyses completed since 
the issuance of the Final 1999 SNL/NM SWEIS. This includes five 
Supplement Analyses resulting in the determination that further NEPA 
documentation was not required: (1) Supplement Analysis for the Final 
Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Sandia National 
Laboratories, New Mexico to Reestablishing Long-Term Pulse Mode Testing 
Capability at the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR), Sandia National 
Laboratories, New Mexico (ACRR Pulse Mode SA) (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-01); (2) 
Supplement Analysis for the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact 
Statement for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico for Isentropic 
Compression and Flyer Plate Experiments Involving Plutonium at the Z 
and Saturn Accelerators (Pu-ICE SA) (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-02); (3) 
Supplement Analysis for the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact 
Statement for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico for the 
Installation of a Petawatt Laser System in TA-IV (Petawatt Laser System 
SA) (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-03); (4) Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico 
Final Supplement Analysis for the Site-Wide Environmental Impact 
Statement (2006 SNL/NM SWEIS SA) (DOE/EIS-0281-SA-04); and (5) Final 
Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (DOE/EIS-0235-S4) and its RODs (73 FR 77644 and 73 FR 77656). 
In addition the following seven environmental assessments and their 
associated Findings of No Significant Impacts will also be included in 
the No Action Alternative as well as actions categorically excluded 
from the need for preparation of either an EA or an EIS: (1) 
Environmental Assessment for the Microsystems and Engineering Sciences 
Applications Complex, DOE/EA-1335, September 2000; (2) Final 
Environmental Assessment for the Test Capabilities Revitalization at 
Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, DOE/EA-1446, January 2003; 
(3) Final Environmental Assessment for the Center for Integrated 
Nanotechnologies at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, DOE/EA-
1457, March 2003; (4) Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed 
Consolidation of Neutron Generator Tritium Target Loading Production, 
DOE/EA-1532, June 2005; (5) Final Environmental Assessment for the 
Expansion of Permitted Land and Operations at the 9940 Complex and 
Thunder Range at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, DOE/EA-1603, 
April 2008; (6) Final Environmental Assessment for the Removal Actions 
at the technical Area III Classified Waste Landfill, Sandia National 
Laboratories, New Mexico, DOE/EA-1729, August 2010; (7) Final 
Environmental Assessment for Proposed Construction and Lease of New 
Facilities for the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Office of Secure Transportation (Albuquerque 
transportation and Technology Center) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U. S. 
General Services Administration, July 2006. These various documents can 
be reviewed at the DOE/NNSA Public Reading Room at Government 
Information/Zimmerman Library, MSC05 3020, 1 University of New Mexico, 
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, Tel: 505/277-5441 Fax: 505/277-6019; E-
mail: [email protected]; Reading Room Web site: http://elibrary.unm.edu/doe; and on the Internet at: http://nepa.energy.gov.
    On June 24, 2011, (76 FR 37100), NNSA published a NOI for the 
preparation of a SWEIS (DOE/EIS-0466) for the continued operation of 
DOE/NNSA activities at SNL/NM on KAFB and within the Albuquerque area, 
and other DOE activities at both on-site and off-site locations (i. e., 
the NNSA Service Center, the NNSA Office of Secure Transportation, NNSA 
Kirtland Operations, the NNSA Aviation Facility, and the DOE National 
Training Center). The NOI stated that the public scoping period would 
continue for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register, ending 
on August 8, 2011. NNSA has decided to re-open the public scoping 
period through September 12, 2011. NNSA has also decided to hold two 
additional public scoping meetings during the comment period. The newly 
added public scoping meetings will take place on Thursday September 1, 
2011, in Albuquerque, NM. The complete schedule for the additional 
public scoping meetings on the SWEIS with all dates, times, and 
locations is the provided above, under DATES.
    The SWEIS scoping meetings will use a format to facilitate dialogue 
between DOE/NNSA and the public and will provide individuals the 
opportunity to give written or oral statements. DOE/NNSA welcomes 
specific comments or suggestions on the SWEIS process. NNSA invites 
stakeholders and members of the public to submit comments on the scope 
of the SWEIS during the public scoping period, which started with the 
publication of the NOI in the Federal Register on June 24, 2011, and 
will now be continued through September 12, 2011. NNSA will consider 
comments received after this date to the extent practicable as it 
prepares the draft SWEIS. Questions or Comments concerning the scope of 
the SWEIS can be submitted to the NNSA SSO at the same postal and 
electronic addresses given above. Additionally, the SSO SWEIS Hotline 
provides instructions on how to record comments. Please mark all 
envelopes, faxes and e-mail: ``Scoping Comments SSO SNL/NM SWEIS''.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 9, 2011.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-20546 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P