[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 95 (Monday, May 18, 1998)] [Notices] [Page 27271] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-13143] [[Page 27271]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Availability of the Draft Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), DOE/ EIS-0238, for public review and comment. The SWEIS provides DOE and its stakeholders an analysis of the environmental impacts resulting from ongoing and reasonably foreseeable new operations and facilities, as well as reasonable alternatives at LANL, located in north-central New Mexico. DATES: Written comments on the Draft SWEIS are invited from the public and may be submitted through the end of the comment period which ends Wednesday, July 15, 1998 (see ADDRESS section for more details). Comments must be postmarked by July 15, 1998, to ensure consideration; late comments will be considered to the extent practicable. The DOE will use the comments received to help prepare the final version of the LANL SWEIS. Public hearings on the Draft SWEIS will be held as follows: June 9, 1998 (Tuesday), Department of Energy, Los Alamos Area Office Conference Room, Los Alamos, New Mexico; June 10, 1998 (Wednesday), Sweeney Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico; June 24, 1998 (Wednesday), New Mexico Community College, Espanola, New Mexico. The hearings will provide opportunities for information exchange and discussion among DOE, LANL, and the public, as well as submitting prepared statements. Public hearing times will be announced in local media closer to the meeting dates. For more information call (800) 898- 6623. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in writing or orally to DOE by contacting: Corey Cruz, LANL SWEIS Project Manager, U.S. DOE, Albuquerque Operations Office, PO Box 5400, Albuquerque, NM 87185, telephone (800)898-6623 and fax (505)845-6392. Oral and written comments may also be submitted at the public meetings described in the DATES section. Requests for copies of the Draft LANL SWEIS or other matters regarding this environmental review should be addressed to Mr. Cruz at the address above. The Draft EIS will be available under the NEPA Analyses Module of the DOE NEPA Web Site at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/ nepa/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20585. Ms. Borgstrom may be contacted by calling (202) 586-4600 or by leaving a message at (800) 472-2756. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft SWEIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.], the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations [40 CFR part 1500] and the DOE NEPA regulations [10 CFR part 1021]. The Department proposes to continue operating the Los Alamos National Laboratory, located in north-central New Mexico. DOE has identified and assessed four alternatives for the operation of LANL: (1) No Action, (2) Expanded Operations (DOE's preferred alternative), (3) Reduced Operations, and (4) Greener. In the No Action Alternative, DOE would continue the historical mission support activities LANL has conducted at planned operational levels. In the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE would increase, as needed, the level of existing operations to the highest foreseeable levels, including full implementation of the mission assignments from recent programmatic documents. Under the Reduced Operations Alternative, DOE would operate LANL at the minimum levels of activity necessary to maintain the capabilities to support its assigned DOE mission in the near term. Under the Greener Alternative, DOE would operate LANL to maximize operations in support of nonproliferation, basic science, materials science, and other nonweapons areas, while minimizing weapons activities. The DOE's preferred alternative is Expanded Operations. The Draft LANL SWEIS compares the environmental impacts that would be expected to occur from continuing to operate existing facilities at current activity levels at LANL (the No Action Alternative) with the consequences that would be expected to occur if DOE implemented the Preferred Alternative (Expanded Operations) or one of two other operational alternatives. DOE has distributed copies of the Draft LANL SWEIS to appropriate Congressional members and committees, the State of New Mexico, American Indian tribal governments, local county governments, other federal agencies, and other interested parties. After the public comment period, which ends July 15, 1998, the Department will consider the comments received, revise the Draft SWEIS, and issue a Final SWEIS. The Department will consider the Final SWEIS, along with other considerations such as economic and technical, to make a decision on the appropriate level of operations for LANL. Signed in Washington, DC, this 12th day of May, 1998, for the United States Department of Energy. Gary T. Palmer, NEPA Compliance Officer, Defense Programs. [FR Doc. 98-13143 Filed 5-15-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P