[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 207 (Friday, October 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63460-63463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25420]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of Final Complex Transformation
Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
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
separately-organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),
announces the availability of the Complex Transformation Supplemental
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Complex Transformation
SPEIS, DOE/EIS-0236-S4). The Complex Transformation SPEIS analyzes the
potential environmental impacts of reasonable alternatives to continue
transformation of the nuclear weapons complex to be smaller, and more
responsive, efficient, and secure in order to meet national security
requirements. It is a supplement to the Stockpile Stewardship and
Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SSM PEIS, DOE/
EIS-0236). NNSA prepared the SPEIS in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40
CFR Parts 1500-1508), and DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part
1021).
DATES: NNSA intends to issue one or more Records of Decision (RODs)
based on the Complex Transformation SPEIS thirty or more days after the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes a notice of
availability of the Final Complex Transformation SPEIS in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Requests for additional information on the Complex
Transformation SPEIS, including requests for copies of the document,
should be directed to: Mr. Theodore A. Wyka, Complex Transformation
SPEIS Document Manager, Office of Transformation, NA-141, Department of
Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, toll
free 1-800-832-0885 ext. 63519. A request for a copy of the document
may also be sent by facsimile to 1-703-931-9222, or by e-mail to
complextransformation@nnsa.doe.gov.The Complex Transformation SPEIS and
additional information regarding complex transformation are available
on the Internet at http://www.ComplexTransformationSPEIS.com and
http://www.nnsa.doe.gov. The Complex Transformation SPEIS and
referenced documents are available for review at the DOE Reading Rooms
and public libraries listed at the end of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on NNSA's
proposal, please contact: Mr. Theodore A. Wyka, NA-141, Complex
Transformation SPEIS Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy,
National Nuclear Security Administration, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585, or telephone at 1-800-832-0885 ext. 63519.
For general information about the DOE NEPA process contact: Ms. Carol
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-20),
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 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.gc.energy.gov/NEPA.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: National security policies require the U.S.
DOE, through the NNSA, to maintain the United States' nuclear weapons
stockpile,\1\ as well as core competencies in nuclear weapons. Since
completion in 1996 of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
for Stockpile Stewardship and Management (SSM PEIS, DOE/EIS-0236) and
associated ROD (61 FR 68014; December 26, 1996), DOE has implemented
these policies through the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP). The SSP
emphasizes development and application of greatly improved scientific
and technical capabilities to assess the safety, security, and
reliability of existing nuclear warheads without the use of nuclear
testing. Throughout the 1990s, DOE also took steps to consolidate the
Complex from 12 sites to its current configuration of three national
laboratories (plus an
[[Page 63461]]
associated flight test range), four industrial plants, and a nuclear
test site.
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\1\ The nuclear weapons stockpile consists of nuclear weapons
that are both deployed to the military services (``operationally
deployed'') and ``reserve weapons'' that could be used to augment
the operationally deployed weapons or to provide replacements for
warheads that experience safety or reliability problems.
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The Complex Transformation SPEIS evaluates alternatives for
continuing transformation of the nuclear weapons complex (Complex) into
a smaller, more efficient enterprise that can respond to changing
national security challenges. These changes would build upon decisions
made in the 1990s following the end of the Cold War and the cessation
of nuclear weapons testing.
The SPEIS contains NNSA's responses to comments submitted during
the public comment period, which opened on January 11, 2008, and closed
on April 30, 2008, as well as changes that were made to the Draft SPEIS
as a result of these comments.
The specific alternatives for restructuring special nuclear
materials (SNM) \2\ facilities are divided into two broad categories:
Programmatic, which looks at ways to consolidate and modernize
manufacturing and SNM activities; and project specific, which look at
ways to consolidate and modernize specific research, development, and
testing activities. For the programmatic alternatives, NNSA evaluated:
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\2\ As defined in section 11 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954,
special nuclear material is: (1) Plutonium, uranium enriched in the
isotope 233 or in the isotope 235; or (2) any material artificially
enriched by any of the foregoing and any other material which the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be special nuclear
material.
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No Action Alternative: Under the No Action Alternative,
NNSA would make no major changes to the SNM missions now assigned to
NNSA sites and would continue to implement actions for which NNSA has
previously announced its decision in a ROD. With respect to SNM
consolidation, ongoing actions to transfer Category I/II \3\ SNM from
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are included within the
No Action Alternative.
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\3\ Special nuclear material is categorized into Security
Categories I, II, III, and IV based on the type, attractiveness
level, and quantity of material. Categories I and II require the
highest level of security.
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Programmatic Alternative 1: Distributed Centers of
Excellence (DCE). The DCE alternative would locate the three major SNM
functional capabilities (plutonium operations, uranium operations, and
weapon assembly/disassembly) involving Category I/II quantities of SNM
at two or three separate Complex sites. This alternative examines the
potential creation of a Consolidated Plutonium Center (CPC) for
research and development (R&D), storage, processing, and manufacture of
plutonium parts (pits) for the nuclear weapons stockpile. A CPC could
consist of new facilities, or modifications to existing facilities at
one of the following sites: Los Alamos,\4\ Nevada Test Site (NTS),
Pantex, Savannah River Site (SRS), or Y-12. This alternative assumes
that highly-enriched uranium and uranium storage, and uranium
operations, would continue at Y-12, either at a new Uranium Processing
Facility (UPF) or at upgraded, existing facilities. It also assumes
that the weapons Assembly/Disassembly/High Explosives (A/D/HE) mission
would remain at Pantex.
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\4\ In general, when referring to the Los Alamos National
Laboratory, the SPEIS refers to this site as ``LANL.'' The term
``Los Alamos'' is used to describe this site as an alternative
location for a CPC or Consolidated Nuclear Production Center (CNPC).
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Programmatic Alternative 2: Consolidated Centers of
Excellence (CCE). Under this alternative, NNSA would consolidate the
three major SNM functions (plutonium, uranium, and weapon assembly/
disassembly) involving Category I/II quantities of SNM at one or two
sites. Two options are assessed: A single site option referred to as
the consolidated nuclear production center (CNPC) option, and a two-
site option, referred to as the Consolidated Nuclear Center (CNC)
option. Under the CNPC option, a new CNPC with facilities dedicated to
modernizing plutonium, uranium, and weapon assembly/disassembly
operations could be established at Los Alamos, NTS, Pantex, SRS, or Y-
12. The SPEIS analyzes the impacts of each of these facilities
separately and in combination at all potential locations. Under the CNC
option, the plutonium and uranium nuclear component manufacturing
missions could be separate from the A/D/HE mission. The A/D/HE
functions could remain at Pantex or move to the NTS, while the
plutonium and uranium missions could be located at sites different than
the A/D/HE function.
Programmatic Alternative 3: Capability-Based Alternative.
Under this alternative, NNSA would maintain a basic capability for
manufacturing components for all stockpile weapons, as well as
laboratory and experimental capabilities to support the stockpile,
while reducing production facilities in-place to the extent that would
allow NNSA to produce a nominal level of replacement components
(approximately 50 components per year). Pit production capacity at LANL
would not be expanded beyond the capability to produce 50 pits per
year. Within this alternative, NNSA also considered a No Net
Production/Capability-Based Alternative, in which NNSA would maintain
capabilities to continue surveillance of the weapons stockpile, produce
limited life components, and continue dismantlement. This alternative
involves a minimum production (production of 10 sets of components or
assembly of 10 weapons per year), within facilities with a larger
manufacturing capability.
For the project specific alternatives, NNSA evaluated:
High Explosives (HE) Research and Development (R&D)
Tritium R&D
Flight Test Operations
Hydrodynamic Testing
Major Environmental Testing
Weapons Support Functions at Sandia National Laboratories
(SNL), California
Alternatives for each of these project areas generally include: No
action, consolidation, and downsizing in place. In the case of Flight
Test Operations, NNSA also considered additional alternatives that
would relocate Flight Test Operations to either White Sands Missile
Range, or the Nevada Test Site.
Preferred Alternatives: In accordance with CEQ regulations at 40
CFR 1502.14(e), NNSA identified the following preferred alternatives in
the SPEIS:
Preferred Alternatives for Restructuring SNM Facilities
Plutonium manufacturing and R&D: Los Alamos would provide
a consolidated plutonium research, development, and manufacturing
capability within Technical Area-55 (TA-55), enabled by construction
and operation of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement-
Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF). The CMRR-NF is needed to replace the
existing Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) Facility (a 50-year
old facility that has significant safety issues that cannot be
addressed in the existing structure), to support movement of plutonium
R&D and Category I/II quantities of SNM from LLNL, and consolidate
weapons-related plutonium operations at Los Alamos. Until completion of
a new Nuclear Posture Review in 2009 or later, the net production at
Los Alamos would be limited to a maximum of 20 pits per year. Other
national security actinide needs and missions would continue to be
supported at TA-55 on a priority basis (e.g., emergency response,
material disposition, nuclear energy).
Uranium manufacturing and R&D: Y-12 would continue as the
uranium
[[Page 63462]]
center producing components and canned subassemblies, and conducting
surveillance and dismantlement. NNSA has completed construction of the
HEUMF and will consolidate HEU storage in that facility.\5\ NNSA would
build a Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at Y-12 in order to provide a
smaller and modern highly-enriched uranium production capability to
replace existing 50-year old facilities. The site-specific impacts and
candidate locations for a UPF will be analyzed in a new SWEIS for Y-12
that NNSA is currently preparing.
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\5\ The environmental impacts at HEUMF and its alternatives are
analyzed in the 2001 Y-12 SWEIS (DOE/EIS-0309).
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Assembly/disassembly/high explosives production and
manufacturing: Pantex would remain the Assembly/Disassembly/High
Explosives production and manufacturing center. NNSA would consolidate
non-destructive surveillance operations at Pantex.
Consolidation of Category I/II SNM: NNSA would continue to
transfer Category I/II SNM from LLNL under the No Action Alternative
and phase out Category I/II operations at LLNL Superblock by the end of
2012. NNSA would consolidate Category I/II SNM at Pantex within Zone
12, and close Zone 4.
Preferred Alternatives for Restructuring R&D and Testing Facilities
HE R&D: NNSA would reduce the footprint of its HE production and
R&D related to nuclear weapons and reduce the number of firing sites.
Use of energetic materials (greater than 1 kg) for environmental
testing conducted at SNL, New Mexico (SNL/NM) would continue (e.g.,
acceleration or sled tracks, shock loading, or in explosive tubes) and
is not included in HE R&D. NNSA would consolidate weapons HE R&D and
testing within the following locations, without constraining transfer
and operation of weapons programs firing sites to other NNSA,
Department of Defense (DoD), and national security sponsors, as
follows:
Pantex would remain the HE production (formulation,
processing, and testing) and machining center. All HE production and
machining to develop nuclear explosive packages would continue at
Pantex. HE experiments up to 22 kg HE would remain at Pantex;
NTS would remain the testing center for large quantities
of HE (greater than 10 kg);
LLNL would be the HE R&D center for formulation,
processing, and testing (processing capability to handle up to 15 kg
and testing less than 10 kg) HE at the High Explosives Applications
Facility (HEAF); formulation and processing of HE would be conducted
either at a new HEAF Annex built adjacent to HEAF, or at existing Site
300 facilities (but using less space than currently used for these
activities);
SNL/NM would remain the HE R&D center for non-nuclear
explosive package components (less than 1 kg of HE) at the Explosive
Components Facility (ECF); and
LANL would produce war reserve main charge detonators,
conduct HE R&D experimentation and support activities, and move towards
contained HE R&D experimentation.
Each site would maintain one weapons program open-burn and
one open-detonation area for safety and treatment purposes.
Tritium R&D: NNSA would consolidate tritium R&D at SRS. SRS would
remain the site for tritium supply management and provide R&D support
to production operations and gas transfer system development. Neutron
generator target loading at SNL/NM and production of National Ignition
Facility targets at LLNL, which involve small quantities of tritium,
would continue and would not be included in this consolidation. NNSA
would move bulk quantities of tritium from LANL to SRS by 2009; and
remove tritium materials above the 30 gram level from the Weapons
Engineering Tritium Facility (WETF) at LANL by 2014.
NNSA flight test operations: NNSA would reduce the footprint of
Tonopah Test Range, upgrade equipment with mobile capability, and
operate in campaign mode. NNSA expects it would not use Category I/II
SNM in future flight tests.
Major Hydrodynamic Testing: By the end of fiscal year 2008, NNSA
would contain the hydrodynamic testing (consisting of Integrated
Weapons Experiments and Focused Experiments) at LLNL at the Contained
Firing Facility and at LANL at the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic
Test (DARHT) facility. At LANL, firing site operations for weapon
programs required by NNSA's hydrodynamic test program would be moved to
contained firing. In addition:
Hydrotesting at LLNL Site 300 would be consolidated to a
smaller footprint by 2015.
The goal is to minimize open-air testing at LANL. Open-air
hydrotests at LANL's DARHT, excluding SNM, would only occur if needed
to meet national security requirements.
NNSA would allow open-air firing at LANL TA-36 until
adequate radiographic capabilities and associated supporting
infrastructure are available for open-air firing at NTS.
Major Environmental Test Facilities: NNSA would consolidate major
environmental testing at SNL/NM and, infrequently, conduct operations
requiring Category I/II SNM in security campaign mode there. NNSA would
close LANL's and LLNL's major environmental testing facilities by 2010
(except those in LLNL Building 334 and the Building 834 Complex). NNSA
would move environmental testing of nuclear explosive packages and
other functions currently performed in LLNL Buildings 334 and 834 to
Pantex by 2012.
Sandia National Laboratories, California Weapons Support Functions:
NNSA would continue operations under the No Action Alternative.
As to any other programmatic and project-specific alternatives not
mentioned above, NNSA's preferred alternative at this time is to
continue with the No Action Alternatives.
NNSA will consider the environmental impact analysis presented in
the Complex Transformation SPEIS, along with other information, in
making decisions regarding its continuing transformation of the
Complex. NNSA intends to issue one or more Records of Decision 30 or
more days after EPA publishes a notice of availability of the Final
Complex Transformation SPEIS in the Federal Register. It is anticipated
that several Records of Decision may be issued based on the Complex
Transformation SPEIS over the next several years. NNSA will publish all
Records of Decision in the Federal Register. The Complex Transformation
SPEIS and referenced documents are available for review at the
following DOE Reading Rooms and public libraries:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Public Reading Room, Discovery
Center, Building 6525, Livermore, CA 94550, Phone: (925) 422-3272.
Livermore Public Library, 1188 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, CA
94550-9315, Phone: (925) 937-5500.
Tracy Public Library, 20 East Eaton Avenue, Tracy, CA 95376, Phone:
(209) 937-8221.
Southeastern Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Public
Reading Room, 1166 Athens Tech Road, Elberton, GA 30635-6711, Phone:
(706) 213-3800.
East-Central Georgia Regional Library, 902 Greene Street, Augusta, GA
30901, Phone: (706) 821-2600.
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Central Library, 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105, Phone:
(816) 701-3400.
North-East Branch, 6000 Wilson Road, Kansas City, MO 64123, Phone:
(816) 701-3485.
Kansas City Site Office, Mid-Continent Public Library, Blue Ridge
Branch, 9253 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64138, Phone: (816)
761-3382.
NNSA Nevada Site Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading
Room, 755 East Flamingo Road; Room 103, Las Vegas, NV 89119, Phone:
(702) 784-5121.
Office of Repository Development, Bechtel SAIC Company LLC, Reading
Room, Science Center, 4101 B Meadows Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89107, Phone:
(702) 295-1312.
Las Vegas Library, 833 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV 89101,
Phone: (702) 507-3500.
Indian Springs Library, 715 Gretta Lane, Indian Springs, NV 89018,
Phone: (702) 879-3845.
Beatty Community Library, 400 North 4th Street, Beatty, NV 89003,
Phone: (775) 553-2257.
Tonopah Public Library, 167 South Central Street, Tonopah, NV 89049,
Phone: (775) 482-3374.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Public Reading Room, PO Box 1663, Mail
Stop M9991, Los Alamos, NM 87545, Phone: (505) 667-0216.
National Nuclear Security Administration Service Center, DOE Reading
Room, Government Information Department, Zimmerman Library, University
of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1466, Phone: (505) 277-7180.
Mesa Public Library, 2300 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM 87544, Phone:
(505) 662-8250.
Santa Fe Main Library, 145 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501,
Phone: (505) 955-6780.
Socorro Public Library, 401 Park Street, Socorro, NM 87801, Phone:
(505) 835-1114.
Savannah River Operations Office, Gregg-Graniteville Library,
University of South Carolina-Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, SC
29801, Phone: (803) 641-3320.
Aiken County Public Library, 314 Chesterfield Street South, Aiken, SC
29801, Phone: (803) 642-2020.
Barnwell County Public Library, 617 Hagood Avenue, Barnwell, SC 29812,
Phone: (803) 259-3612.
Oak Ridge Office, DOE Information Center, 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak
Ridge, TN 37830, Phone: (865) 241-4780 or 1 (800) 328-6938, Option 6.
Oak Ridge Public Library, Civic Center, 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak
Ridge, TN 37830, Phone: (865) 425-3455.
Kingston Public Library, 1004 Bradford Way, Kingston, TN 37763, Phone:
(865) 376-9905.
Central Library, 413 E 4th Avenue; Amarillo, TX 79101, Phone: (806)
378-3054.
North Branch, 1500 NE 24th Avenue, Amarillo, TX 79107, Phone: (806)
381-7931.
DOE Reading Room, Lynn Library/Learning Center, Amarillo College,
Washington Street Campus, 2201 South Washington Street, Amarillo,
Texas, Phone: (806) 371-5400.
Carson County Library, 401 Main Street, Panhandle, Texas 79068, Phone:
(806) 537-3742.
U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Act Reading Room,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW., IE-190, Washington, DC 20585-0001,
Phone: (202) 586-5955.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 21st day of October 2008.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-25420 Filed 10-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P