[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 23664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10875]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent; withdrawal.
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SUMMARY: On November 29, 2005, the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), announced its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to evaluate the operation of a
Biosafety Level (BSL)-3 Facility at LANL. NNSA has determined that, at
this point in time, it does not have a need to operate a BSL-3 Facility
at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Therefore, NNSA is withdrawing the Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS
and is terminating the NEPA EIS process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Wolf, Deputy Director, Office of
Public Affairs, National Nuclear Security Administration. Phone (202)
586-2561 or via email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NNSA published a notice of intent to prepare
an EIS in the November 29, 2005, issue of the Federal Register (70 FR
71490). In 2002, NNSA prepared an Environmental Assessment for the
construction and operation of the Facility. On February 26, 2002, NNSA
issued an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) for the construction and operation of the BSL-3
Facility.
Construction on the windowless, single-story, 3,200-square foot
BSL-3 Facility, housing one BSL-2 laboratory, and two BSL-3
laboratories began in late 2002, and was completed in the fall of 2003.
After completion of the NEPA process and BSL-3 Facility construction,
NNSA determined there were seismic concerns that had not been
adequately analyzed during the design of the BSL-3 Facility. As a
result, in February 2004, NNSA withdrew the FONSI with respect to the
operation of the BSL-3 Facility and subsequently decided to prepare an
environmental impact statement. The EIS would have evaluated the
potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Federal
action and reasonable alternatives. NNSA is now terminating the NEPA
EIS process.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 4th day of May, 2018.
Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty,
Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Administrator, National Nuclear
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-10875 Filed 5-21-18; 8:45 am]
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