[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58112-58114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23099]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for 
the Proposed Conveyance of Land at the Hanford Site, Richland, WA and 
Notice of Potential Floodplain and Wetland Involvement

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) NEPA implementing regulations, DOE is 
announcing its intention to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA; 
DOE/EA-1915) to assess the potential environmental effects of conveying 
approximately 1,641 acres of Hanford Site land to a local economic 
development organization. Conveyance of the land could include title 
transfer, lease, easement, license, or a combination of these realty 
actions. The Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), a DOE designated 
Community Reuse Organization (CRO) and 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation, 
submitted a proposal to DOE in May 2011 (amended October 2011) 
requesting the transfer of approximately 1,641 acres of land located in 
the southeastern corner of the Hanford Site near the City of Richland 
in Benton County, Washington for economic development purposes. DOE 
anticipates that there may be continuing mission needs, such as 
security and safety buffer zones on some of the requested lands, making 
them less suitable for conveyance. Therefore, the lands that will be 
addressed in the EA analysis will include the acreage requested by 
TRIDEC and approximately 2,772 additional acres adjacent to the 
requested lands. The EA will evaluate the potential environmental 
impacts of conveying approximately 1,641 acres of the total 4,413 acres 
included in the analysis area. The acreage being considered in the EA 
analysis is part of approximately 59 square miles of Hanford Site lands 
previously designated by DOE for industrial uses under the Hanford 
Comprehensive Land-Use Plan (CLUP), based on analyses presented in the 
Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement 
(HCP-EIS) [DOE/EIS-0222; September 1999; Record of Decision (ROD) (64 
FR 61615; November 12, 1999)]. The HCP-EIS recognized the potential for 
future conveyance of some industrial-designated lands to the local 
community for economic development. The CLUP was reaffirmed in a 
Supplement Analysis to the HCP-EIS (DOE/EIS-0222-SA-01; June 2008) and 
amended ROD (73 FR 55824; September 26, 2008).
    The EA will analyze the reasonably foreseeable environmental 
effects associated with the probable future uses of lands in the 
analysis area, based upon industry targets described in the TRIDEC 
proposal, including warehousing and distribution; research and 
development; technology manufacturing; food processing and agriculture; 
and ``back office'' (i.e., business services). The proposed action may 
affect floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent also serves 
as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with 
DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.

DATES: DOE invites public comment on the scope of this Hanford Site 
Land Conveyance EA during a 30-day public scoping period beginning 
September 19, 2012 and ending on October 19, 2012. DOE will consider 
all comments received or postmarked by the end of the scoping period to 
define the scope of this EA. Comments received or postmarked after the 
end date will be considered to the extent practicable. A public scoping 
meeting is scheduled for October 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 
8:30 p.m. at the Richland Public Library in Richland, Washington. DOE 
will issue stakeholder and media notifications and publish an 
additional notice on the date, time and location of the scoping meeting 
in the local newspaper before the scheduled meeting. DOE will notify 
stakeholders and the media of any changes concerning the scoping 
meeting.
    Scoping comments may be submitted by regular mail and addressed as 
follows: Ms. Paula Call, NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Richland Operations Office, P.O. Box 550, MSIN A2-15, Richland, 
WA 99352.
    Scoping comments may also be submitted by email to 
[email protected].

[[Page 58113]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on DOE's proposed 
action, contact Ms. Call by mail or email as noted above in ADDRESSES, 
or at 509-376-2048.
    For general information concerning DOE's 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 20585-0119, Telephone: 202-586-4600, Fax: 202-586-7031, 
Voice mail message: 1-800-472-2756, Email: [email protected].
    Additional information regarding DOE's NEPA activities is available 
on the DOE NEPA Web site at http://energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Situated along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington, DOE's 
586-square-mile Hanford Site is undergoing extensive efforts to clean 
up contamination resulting from past nuclear defense research and 
development activities dating back to World War II. DOE has real 
property conveyance authority under a number of different laws 
including the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA). Section 161(g) of the 
AEA authorizes DOE to convey real property by sale or lease to another 
party.
    DOE may hold harmless and indemnify a person or entity to whom real 
property is conveyed against liability for pre-existing contamination 
that may have resulted from DOE (or predecessor agency) activities at 
the site. Such indemnification is consistent with the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 
Section 120(h)(3)(A)(ii)(II); EPA's ``Policy Towards Landowners and 
Transferees of Federal Facilities'' (EPA, 1997); and DOE regulation 10 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 770, Transfer of Real Property 
at Defense Nuclear Facilities for Economic Development.
    Significant progress has been made in cleanup of the Hanford Site, 
particularly as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
(111th Congress: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). 
Accordingly, there is heightened focus in the local community on the 
need to transition away from an economy focused largely on DOE and 
Hanford activities to one based on private sector or other non-DOE 
Federal agencies. As the designated CRO for the Hanford Site, TRIDEC's 
charter is to promote these economic development goals. Beginning in 
1996, and continuing in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005, TRIDEC commissioned 
studies to develop strategies and target industries that would be most 
appropriate for future economic development. TRIDEC also engaged in 
marketing and recruitment activities during this time period. 
Industries that were targeted in these studies and recruitment efforts 
included warehousing and distribution; research and development; 
technology manufacturing; food processing and agriculture; and ``back 
office'' (i.e., business services).
    In February 2011, the Secretary of Energy established a DOE-wide 
Task Force on an Asset Revitalization Initiative (ARI), to initiate a 
comprehensive review of DOE assets and possible disposition paths. DOE 
submitted its report to Congress on the progress of this Initiative in 
August 2011 (Asset Revitalization Initiative Report to Congress, 
Department of Energy, August 2011). Also in 2011, TRIDEC submitted a 
request to DOE for title transfer of approximately 1,641 acres of 
undeveloped land located near the southeastern boundary of the Hanford 
Site, pursuant to 10 CFR part 770. TRIDEC's proposal states its intent 
to work with the City of Richland, the Port of Benton, and Benton 
County to establish the property as an Industrial Development and 
Energy Park. The proposal states that TRIDEC may subsequently transfer 
ownership either to a private user or to one of its public agency 
partners, such as the City of Richland.

Purpose and Need for Agency Action

    TRIDEC, the recognized CRO for the Hanford Site, has requested 
transfer of 1,641 acres of Hanford lands for economic development. 
Consistent with the Hanford CLUP which designates the subject lands for 
industrial use, and the HCP-EIS which recognized the potential for 
future conveyance of industrial-designated lands to the local community 
for economic development, DOE will consider the TRIDEC request for the 
transfer of 1,641 acres of Hanford lands to support local economic 
development.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    In response to the TRIDEC proposal, DOE proposes to convey 
approximately 1,641 acres of Hanford land to the CRO for the purposes 
of facilitating local economic development and assisting the local 
community in the transition away from an economy focused largely on DOE 
and Hanford-related funding. Conveyance of the land could include title 
transfer, lease, easement, license, or a combination of these realty 
actions. It is important to note that at this time, no specific end 
users or development proposals have been identified or proposed. In 
addition to reasonable alternatives that may be identified during 
public scoping, the EA will analyze two alternatives: the No Action 
Alternative and the Proposed Action Alternative. Under the No Action 
Alternative, DOE would retain ownership and management of the land.
    Under the Proposed Action Alternative, DOE would convey 
approximately 1,641 acres of undeveloped land in response to the CRO's 
land transfer request. The CRO plans to use, market, lease, sell, or 
otherwise develop the land to conduct industrial development and 
commercial activities that are consistent with local zoning and 
comprehensive land use plans. These lands are generally bounded by Horn 
Rapids Road and Highway 240 to the south; Route 10 to the west; and 
Stevens Drive or Route 4 South to the east and north, and are located 
near the northeast boundary of the City of Richland. The TRIDEC request 
includes two parcels: (1) A 1,341-acre parcel located northwest of the 
intersection of Horn Rapids Road and Stevens Drive, with the west and 
north boundaries adjacent to the Hanford Firing Range and an active 
borrow pit; and (2) a 300-acre parcel located \1/2\-mile north of the 
1,341-acre parcel, separated from the 1,341-acre parcel by the active 
borrow pit. DOE anticipates that there may be continuing mission needs, 
such as security and human health and safety buffer zones, on portions 
of the lands requested by TRIDEC. Therefore, the EA analysis will 
consider for conveyance the parcels requested by TRIDEC as well as the 
adjacent 2,772-acre parcel roughly bounded by the 1,341-acre parcel to 
the south, the Hanford Firing Range to the west, the Hanford Railroad 
and Route 4 South to the east, and a straight line extending from the 
northeastern tip of the Hanford Firing Range to the Hanford Railroad to 
the north. The EA will evaluate whether to convey approximately 1,641 
acres of the total 4,413 acres included in the analysis area.
    Consistent with the CLUP analyses of reasonably foreseeable 
environmental effects associated with the probable future use of the 
lands, DOE intends to base its analyses in the EA on the previous 
TRIDEC target industry studies and TRIDEC's intent to market the land 
as an Industrial Development and Energy Park including:
    (i) Warehousing&Distribution--such as manufactured parts/materials 
distribution, food/agricultural;

[[Page 58114]]

    (ii) Research and Development--such as scientific research, 
software, data security, computation, energy, environmental, or 
biotechnology;
    (iii) Technology Manufacturing--such as defense manufacturing, 
sensor manufacturing, or medical devices;
    (iv) Food/Agriculture--such as wine, food processing, or 
agricultural products;
    (v) ``Back Office'' (i.e. business services)--such as call centers, 
administrative processing, or data processing.
    DOE's analysis of the Proposed Action Alternative will also assume 
that future uses would be developed in accordance with local zoning and 
current City of Richland (2008) and Benton County (2006) comprehensive 
land use plans that were developed to comply with the Washington State 
Growth Management Act. In order to identify environmental effects that 
could result from implementation of the proposed action, DOE intends to 
use analytical assumptions in the EA that would tend to maximize 
estimates of reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts associated 
with footprint, infrastructure, utilities, emissions, construction of 
buildings, projected workforce and traffic, water usage, and similar 
requirements.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

    Issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA include the 
reasonably foreseeable effects associated with: land use; ecological 
resources; cultural and historic resources; geology and soils; water 
resources; climate and air quality; noise; transportation; accidents 
and intentional destructive acts; socioeconomics; environmental 
justice; visual resources; waste management; infrastructure; and human 
health and safety. The proposed action may affect floodplains and 
wetlands. This NOI serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland 
action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental 
review requirements (10 CFR part 1022). The EA will include an 
assessment of potential impacts to floodplains and wetlands, and if 
required, a statement of findings following DOE regulations for 
compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review (10 CFR 
part 1022). The analyses will identify the environmental effects that 
are reasonably foreseeable to the local region as well as to ongoing 
DOE missions and activities at the Hanford Site. The analysis will also 
consider cumulative environmental effects. The EA will also explore 
potential mitigation measures that could result in imposing deed 
restrictions aimed at precluding or minimizing environmental 
consequences.

National Historic Preservation Act

    Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) 
requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their 
undertakings on historic properties. Federal agencies are encouraged to 
coordinate compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA with any steps taken 
to meet the requirements of NEPA. In the interest of being 
comprehensive and less duplicative, DOE plans to coordinate the NEPA 
review and Section 106 compliance processes for the preparation of this 
EA to the greatest extent possible.

Scoping Process

    DOE has established a 30-day scoping period during which Federal 
agencies, State, Tribal and local governments, special interest groups, 
concerned citizens and any other interested parties are invited to 
comment on the scope of the EA, including specific issues that should 
be addressed in the EA. In keeping with DOE's plans to coordinate the 
NEPA and NHPA Section 106 requirements, DOE also invites comments 
regarding the identification of historic properties governed by the 
NHPA, and any potential adverse effects that may result from the 
proposed action, along with suggested actions DOE might take to 
mitigate any such adverse effects. A public meeting will be held during 
the scoping period. At the public meeting, DOE will provide an overview 
of the proposed action, an informal question-and-answer period to 
clarify the information presented, and an opportunity for individuals 
to provide formal written or oral statements. DOE will consider all 
comments received during the scoping period in preparing the draft EA.
    If at any time during preparation of the EA DOE determines that an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) is needed, DOE will issue a 
revised Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS in the Federal 
Register. In that case, the current scoping process will serve as the 
scoping process that normally would follow an NOI to prepare an EIS. 
Accordingly, DOE will consider any comments on the scope of the EA 
received during this scoping process in preparing the EIS.

    Issued in Richland, WA on September 12, 2012.
Matt McCormick,
Manager, Richland Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-23099 Filed 9-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P