[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30862-30863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15438]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Wetlands Involvement for Effluent Reduction at Los
Alamos National Laboratory
AGENCY: Los Alamos Area Office, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of wetlands involvement.
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SUMMARY: DOE is proposing to reduce or eliminate the discharge of
industrial and sanitary wastewater from 29 outfalls at Los Alamos
National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos County, New Mexico. These
measures are necessary to comply with federal and state water quality
standards and directives issued by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). The measures would consist of both rerouting and connecting
wastewater discharges to an existing treatment facility and installing
recirculation systems. Remaining discharges would be primarily from
stormwater runoff. The objective of the proposed action is to insure
that wastewater discharges are environmentally safe. The elimination of
wastewater would reduce or terminate flows to approximately 25 wetlands
that have likely been created
[[Page 30863]]
as a consequence of these long-term discharges.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 3, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to: Elizabeth Withers, 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: Ken Zamora,
Project Manager, Office of Environment and Projects, Department of
Energy, Los Alamos Area Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544,
(505) 665-5047.
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:
1. Project Description
DOE proposes to implement measures to reduce or eliminate the
discharge of industrial and sanitary wastewater from 29 outfalls at
various facilities at LANL, Los Alamos County, New Mexico. These
measures are being taken as an integral part of an overall program of
corrective action to insure that wastewater discharges are
environmentally safe. Action is needed to comply with federal and state
water quality standards and directives issued by EPA. Corrective
measures would consist of both rerouting and connecting discharges to
the existing sanitary wastewater treatment system and installing
recirculation systems at the source of the wastewater. Only one of the
corrective actions would involve construction work outside of a
building. This action would consist of the excavation of a 82-foot-long
trench in a non-wetland area. No construction would occur within a
wetland. Remaining discharges would come primarily from stormwater
runoff.
2. Wetlands
The long-term discharge of wastewater has likely contributed to the
development of small wetlands at several facilities. These wetlands
have developed below outfalls and at various downstream locations in
the receiving stream channel. Other facilities discharging wastewater
have outfalls that are not thought to be associated with wetlands, and
others have had outfalls associated with wetlands but no longer
discharge wastewater to support them because of program changes.
Currently, 33 wetlands supported by wastewater discharges remain at
various locations at LANL. A small number of naturally occurring
wetlands are also present. These wastewater and natural wetlands
provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife on both a local and area-
wide scale.
Reduction or cessation of wastewater flows at 29 outfalls would
likely result in the gradual reversion of wetland plant communities at
25 wetlands to plant communities adapted to drier conditions, with a
resulting change in animal use. Some wetland communities could persist.
Wetlands associated with the wastewater treatment facility receiving
rerouted wastewater may experience a modest increase in size.
In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR 1022), DOE will
prepare a wetlands assessment for this proposed action. The wetlands
assessment will be included as an integral part of the EA that will be
prepared for this proposal in complying with NEPA.
Issued in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 4, 1996.
Elizabeth Withers,
NEPA Compliance Officer, Los Alamos Area Office, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-15438 Filed 6-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P