[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 164 (Thursday, August 24, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 44023-44024] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-21062] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Proposed High Explosives Waste Water Treatment Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE). ACTION: Notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: DOE is giving notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement for a proposal to improve its treatment of wastewater from high explosives (HE) research and development activities. The proposed High Explosives Wastewater Treatment Facility (HEWTF) project would focus on greatly reducing the amount of wastewater needing treatment. This would entail extensive process modifications, including installation of new equipment and improvements in existing systems. The thrust of these modifications would be to prevent hazardous chemicals and HE from entering the wastewater stream and to curtail water use in the HE operations. The result would be a reduction in wastewater discharges of approximately 90 percent from the current volume being discharged to wetlands located in the vicinity of the proposed facility in Los Alamos County, New Mexico. Remaining discharges would be primarily from stormwater run-off. In accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022, DOE will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment and include it in the Environmental Assessment (EA) being prepared for the proposed action. DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than September 8, 1995. ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to: Elizabeth Withers, Acting NEPA Compliance Officer, Office of Environment and Projects, Department of Energy, Los Alamos Area Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544, (505) 667-8690 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PROPOSED ACTION, CONTACT: Jesus Amezquita, Project Manager, Office of Environment and Projects, Department of Energy, Los Alamos Area Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544, (505) 667-2268 [[Page 44024]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL DOE FLOODPLAIN/WETLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS, CONTACT: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH- 42, U. S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Project Description DOE proposes to improve its treatment of wastewater from HE research and development activities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The proposed HEWTF project would focus on greatly reducing the amount of HE-contaminated wastewater needing treatment prior to its discharge to the environment. This would entail extensive facility and process modifications, including installation of new equipment and improvements in existing systems. The thrust of these modifications would be to prevent hazardous chemicals and HE from entering the wastewater stream and to curtail water use in the HE operations. The result would be an approximately 90 percent decrease in wastewater volume from the current level of 5,539,700 L/mo (1,463,598 gal./mo) to 535,549 L/mo (138,206 gal./mo). LANL would use two vacuum trucks to transport wastewater from HE processing facilities to one new treatment building. A new treatment plant would be built to handle all HE wastewater. The proposed location of the treatment plant is on a mesa top in Technical Area (TA) 16. The treated wastewater would be discharged into an existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted outfall at TA-16. The number of NPDES outfalls for HE contaminated wastewater would be reduced from 16 to 1. All effluent would meet or exceed effluent quality standards in the recently revised NPDES permit, which took effect on August 1, 1994. II. Floodplain/Wetland Effects In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) mapped wetlands at LANL in accordance with the National Wetlands Inventory standards. The USFWS survey identified one wetland area in the project area. This is an engineered pond in TA-16 behind Building 90 and is classified as a ``palustrine, unconsolidated shore, seasonally flooded, and diked/ impounded (PUSCh) wetland area.'' The pond received liquid waste sometime between the 1940s and 1980s. It now receives only seasonal rain and snowfall and may dry up for approximately four weeks each year. In addition to the USFWS-described wetlands, there are 27 NPDES outfalls within the area, 15 of which are classified as HE- contaminated. Of these, eight (05A-052, 05A-053, 05A-054, 05A-058, 05A- 061, 05A-069, 05A-071, and 05A-072) support hydrophytic vegetation. These are man-induced wetlands. A man-induced wetland is an area that has developed characteristics of naturally-occurring wetlands due to human activities. Implementation of the HEWTF project would not involve construction within the boundaries of any wetlands. However, the HEWTF would stop the flow from over one-half of the outfalls in the area and inevitably eliminate some wetland areas. At the same time, it may enhance the wetland at the new treatment facility as a result of a four-fold increase in effluent volume. However, total discharge volume would be reduced. Canon del Valle and Water Canyon, both affected by HE wastewater outfalls, contain small floodplains. Floodplains in Los Alamos County have been mapped using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' computer-based Flood Hydrograph Package to define the 100-year frequency, 6-hour design storm events. None of the proposed HEWTF falls within this floodplain. In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), DOE will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment for this proposed DOE action. The assessment will be included in the EA being prepared for the proposed project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. A floodplain statement of findings will be included in any finding of no significant impact that it issued following the completion of the EA or may be issued separately. Issued in Los Alamos, New Mexico on August 14, 1995. Joseph C. Vozella, Assistant Area Manager for Environment and Projects. [FR Doc. 95-21062 Filed 8-23-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P