[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 213 (Friday, November 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66686-66687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24069]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Availability for the Draft Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement for Continued Operation of the Lawrence Livermore 
National Laboratory

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-
autonomous agency within the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy 
(DOE), announces the availability of a Draft Site-Wide Environmental 
Impact Statement for Continued Operation of the Lawrence Livermore 
National Laboratory (Draft LLNL SWEIS) (DOE/EIS-0547) in compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NNSA is also 
announcing a 60-day public comment period and three public hearings to 
receive comments on the Draft LLNL SWEIS. NNSA prepared the Draft LLNL 
SWEIS to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with 
continuing LLNL operations and foreseeable new and/or modified 
operations and facilities for approximately the next 15 years.

DATES: NNSA invites other Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, 
state and local governments, industry, other organizations, and members 
of the public to review and submit comments on the Draft LLNL SWEIS 
through January 3, 2023. NNSA will hold three public hearings (two in-
person and one virtual) to receive comments on the Draft LLNL SWEIS. 
Dates, locations, and times for the public hearings are listed in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this Notice of Availability. Any 
changes or updates to the public hearing will also be published in 
local newspapers and on social media platforms at least 15 days before 
the hearings.

ADDRESSES: Written and verbal comments will be given equal weight and 
NNSA will consider all comments received or postmarked by the end of 
the comment period in preparing the Final LLNL SWEIS. Comments received 
or postmarked after the comment period will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Written comments on the Draft LLNL SWEIS or requests for 
information related to the Draft LLNL SWEIS should be sent by email to: 
[email protected] or to Ms. Fana Gebeyehu-Houston, LLNL SWEIS 
Document Manager, DOE/NNSA, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 
20585. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personally identifiable information in your comment, please be 
advised that your entire comment--including your personally 
identifiable information--may be made publicly available. If you wish 
for NNSA to withhold your name and/or other personally identifiable 
information, please state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. You may also submit comments anonymously.
    The Draft LLNL SWEIS is available online at: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and https://www.energy.gov/nepa/listings/latest-documents-and-notices. Copies of the Draft LLNL 
SWEIS will also be available for review at the Livermore Public 
Library, 1188 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, California, and the 
Tracy Public Library, 20 East Eaton Avenue, Tracy, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about this 
notice, please contact Ms. Fana Gebeyehu-Houston, LLNL SWEIS Document 
Manager, DOE/NNSA, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585; 
call 833-778-0508 to leave a message or via email at: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NNSA is responsible for meeting the national 
security requirements established by the President and Congress to 
maintain and enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of the 
U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The continued operation of LLNL is 
critical to NNSA's Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program, to 
prevent the spread and use of nuclear weapons worldwide, and to many 
other areas that may impact national security and global stability. The 
Draft LLNL SWEIS analyzes two alternatives: (1) the No-Action 
Alternative and (2) the Proposed Action. The Draft LLNL SWEIS also 
analyzes the new hybrid work environment under both alternatives due to 
increases in remote work at LLNL. Under the No-Action Alternative, NNSA 
would

[[Page 66687]]

continue current facility operations throughout LLNL in support of 
assigned missions. The No-Action Alternative includes previously 
approved construction of new facilities; modernization, upgrade, and 
utility projects; and decontamination, decommissioning, and demolition 
of excess and aging facilities through 2022.
    The Proposed Action includes the scope of the No-Action Alternative 
and an increase in current facility operations or enhanced operations 
that may require new or modified facilities and that are reasonably 
foreseeable over the next 15 years. Continued re-investment in site 
infrastructure would allow LLNL to meet mission deliverables and 
sustain science, technology, and engineering excellence to respond to 
future national security challenges. The Proposed Action includes 75 
new projects, totaling 3.3 million square feet, between 2023 and 2035. 
This comprises 61 proposed projects, totaling 2.9 million square feet, 
at LLNL's main site in Livermore, California and 14 proposed projects, 
totaling 385,000 square feet, at LLNL's remote testing site, Site 300, 
near Tracy, California. In addition, NNSA proposes 20 types of 
modernization, upgrade, and utility projects, each involving several 
facilities. Under the Proposed Action, NNSA would also decontaminate, 
decommission, and demolish 150 facilities, totaling 1,170,000 square 
feet. NNSA proposes operational changes that would increase the tritium 
emission limits in the National Ignition Facility (Building 581) and 
the Tritium Facility (Building 331), decrease the administrative limit 
for fuels-grade-equivalent plutonium in the Superblock (Building 332), 
increase the administrative limits for plutonium-239 at Building 235, 
and revise the National Ignition Facility radioactive materials 
administrative limits to be consistent with DOE's Facility Hazard 
Categorization Standard (DOE-STD-1027).
    NNSA will hold three public hearings (two in-person and one 
virtual) to receive comments on the Draft LLNL SWEIS:

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          Date and time                Location             Address
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December 7, 2022; 6:00-8:30 p.m.  Garr[eacute]        7986 Tesla Road,
 p.s.t.                            Vineyard & Winery.  Livermore, CA
                                                       94550.
December 8, 2022; 6:00-8:30 p.m.  Tracy City Hall,    333 Civic Center
 p.s.t.                            City Council        Drive, Tracy, CA
                                   Chambers.           95376.
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    For the in-person hearings, NNSA will hold an Open House from 6:00 
p.m. until 6:30 p.m. to provide the public with an opportunity to 
engage with NNSA personnel and ask questions about the Draft SWEIS and 
NNSA activities at LLNL. Following the Open House, NNSA will make a 
presentation on the Draft SWEIS lasting approximately 20-minutes, then 
answer any clarifying questions on the presentation. Following this 
presentation, NNSA will receive formal public comments with 
transcription by a court stenographer. NNSA will not answer questions 
during the formal public comment period.
    In addition to the two in-person hearings, NNSA will hold an on-
line virtual public hearing. The date and time of the virtual public 
hearing will be announced at least 15 days before the hearing, access 
instructions will be published in local newspapers, posted on social 
media platforms, and available on the following websites: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and https://www.energy.gov/nepa/listings/latest-documents-and-notices.
    Following the public comment period, and after consideration of 
comments received, NNSA will prepare a Final LLNL SWEIS. NNSA will 
announce the availability of the Final LLNL SWEIS in the Federal 
Register and local media outlets. Following completion of the Final 
LLNL SWEIS, NNSA intends to decide how operations will be conducted at 
LLNL, including construction and operation of new facilities, 
modification and upgrade of existing facilities and utilities, 
operational changes, and/or decontamination, decommission and 
demolition of excess and aging facilities. These decisions will be 
provided in an NNSA Record of Decision published in the Federal 
Register, which would be issued no sooner than 30 days after 
publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the notice of 
availability of the Final LLNL SWEIS.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on October 24, 
2022 by Jill Hruby, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and 
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, pursuant to 
delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with 
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For 
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of 
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the 
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document 
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on November 1, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-24069 Filed 11-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P