[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 163 (Monday, August 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51247-51248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20810]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2015-OS-0032]


Notice of Availability for a Finding of No Significant Impact for 
the Environmental Assessment Addressing the Upgrade and Storage of 
Beryllium at the DLA Strategic Materials Depot in Hammond, IN

AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) for a Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA) Addressing the 
Upgrade and Storage of Beryllium at the DLA Strategic Materials Depot 
in Hammond, IN.

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SUMMARY: On April 10, 2015, DLA published a NOA in the Federal Register 
(80 FR 19290) announcing the publication of the EA Addressing the 
Upgrade and Storage of Beryllium at the DLA Strategic Materials Depot 
in Hammond, IN. The EA was available for a 30-day public comment period 
that ended May 11, 2015. The EA was prepared as required under the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. In addition, the EA 
complied with DLA Regulation 1000.22. No comments were received during 
the public comment period. This FONSI documents the decision of DLA to 
proceed with the Upgrade and Storage of Beryllium at the DLA Strategic 
Materials Depot in Hammond, IN. DLA has determined that the Proposed 
Action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment within the context of NEPA and that no 
significant impacts on the human environment are associated with this 
decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira Silverberg at 703-767-0705 during 
normal business hours Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m. (EST) or by email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DLA completed an EA to address the potential 
environmental consequences associated with the proposed upgrade and 
storage of beryllium at the DLA Strategic Materials Depot in Hammond, 
IN. This FONSI incorporates the EA by reference and summarizes the 
results of the analyses in the EA.
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the Proposed Action is 
to upgrade and store a portion of the existing U.S. National Defense 
Stockpile (NDS) of beryllium. DLA Strategic Materials has determined 
that a portion of the existing beryllium billets are not in forms 
readily useable by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or its 
subcontractors in times of national emergency. The proposed upgrade 
would convert the existing beryllium billets into one or more final 
products that would meet current specifications for many modern DoD 
applications. The upgraded and converted beryllium is also expected to 
be applicable to these same manufacturing processes for the foreseeable 
future.
    Proposed Action and Alternatives: Under the proposed action, the 
DLA Strategic Materials would have up to 20 tons (18,140 kg) of the 
existing NDS beryllium billets upgraded and converted at one or more 
off-site commercial facilities and then will return the converted 
beryllium to the Hammond Depot for continued safe and environmentally 
sound long-term storage.
    Each crate containing a single beryllium billet would be removed 
from its storage location at the Hammond Depot by forklift and loaded 
onto a truck located adjacent to the storage structure. The truck would 
then transport the crate/billet to an off-site commercial facility 
where the upgrade and conversion process would occur. All such upgrade 
and conversion activities would be conducted at the off-site facilities 
in compliance with all applicable state, local and federal laws, 
regulations, requirements and permits. The upgraded billet would then 
be returned and received for storage at the Hammond Depot. DLA 
Strategic Materials expects to complete the beryllium upgrade and 
conversion portion of the Proposed Action within a five-year period and 
before the end of calendar year 2020.
    Under the Proposed Action, long-term storage of the upgraded and 
converted forms of beryllium at the Hammond Depot would then continue 
after that date. A minimally intrusive inspection methodology would be 
employed by DLA Strategic Materials for the periodic, on-going quality 
surveillance of the upgraded and converted beryllium and to verify the 
continued integrity of the storage containers, the internal inert 
atmosphere status, and the product quality for the duration of the 
long-term storage period.
    The proposed beryllium upgrade and conversion would result in the 
creation of forms of beryllium that are highly compatible with the 
inputs required for current and future manufacturing processes. The 
Proposed Action is also required to ensure that the installation is 
able to meet its current and future mission requirements.
    Description of the No Action Alternative: Under the No Action 
Alternative, DLA would not upgrade the beryllium. The NDS beryllium 
stockpile would continue to be stored at the Hammond Depot in its 
current billet form. In the event the beryllium was needed to satisfy 
future critical U.S. security, military or aerospace uses, it would not 
be available in the forms required as input to current manufacturing 
processes, and the billets would likely require conversion at that 
time. DLA Strategic Materials has obtained estimates that it takes 
about 10 weeks to turn beryllium billets into powder. Hence, the 
usefulness of the beryllium in billet form would be questionable for 
any such future U.S. critical needs. The No Action Alternative would 
not meet the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action.
    Potential Environmental Impacts: No significant effects on 
environmental resources would be expected from the Proposed Action. 
Potential insignificant, adverse effects on transportation, land use, 
water resources, and ecological resources, air quality, and waste 
management could be expected. No effects on environmental justice, 
cultural resources, noise, recreation, socioeconomics, or aesthetics 
would be expected. Details of the environmental consequences are 
discussed in the EA, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
    Determination: Based on the analysis of the Proposed Action's 
potential impacts to the human environment from routine operations, it 
was concluded that the Proposed Action would produce no significant 
adverse impacts. Human environment was interpreted comprehensively to 
include the natural and physical environment and the relationship of 
people with that environment. No significant cumulative effects were 
identified. Implementation of the Proposed Action will not violate any 
Federal, state, or local laws. Based on the results of the analyses 
performed during preparation of the EA, Ms. Mary D. Miller, Director, 
DLA Installation

[[Page 51248]]

Support, concludes that the Upgrade and Storage of Beryllium at the DLA 
Strategic Materials Depot in Hammond, IN does not constitute a major 
Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment within the context of NEPA. Therefore, an environmental 
impact statement for the Proposed Action is not required.

    Dated: August 19, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015-20810 Filed 8-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P