96-12592. Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Land Transfer to the State of California for the Purpose of Developing a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at Ward Valley

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 97 (Friday, May 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24951-24952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12592]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-930-06-1430-00]


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for a Proposed Land Transfer to the State of California for 
the Purpose of Developing a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal 
Facility at Ward Valley

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California intends to 
prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for a 
proposed land transfer to the State of California for the purpose of 
developing a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility at Ward 
Valley. The SEIS will address new information that has become available 
and new circumstances that have occurred since the Environmental Impact 
Statement/Report (EIS/EIR) was completed in April 1991 and the initial 
SEIS was completed in September 1993. The site of the proposed Federal 
land transfer is located in San Bernardino County, CA, approximately 20 
miles west of the city of Needles.

DATES: The public is invited to submit formal written comments on the 
scope of the SEIS, or provide new information about the site and 
proposed actions. All written comments must be received by BLM at the 
address listed below no later than July 1, 1996.
    Three public scoping workshops will also be held, and each will be 
open to the public at the following dates and locations:

June 3 in Sacramento 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Cal Expo Club, 1600 
Exposition Blvd;
June 5 in San Bernardino from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the National 
Orange Show Grounds, Arrowhead Avenue, Gate 9, Renaissance Room;
June 12 in Needles from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Elks Lodge No. 1608, 
1000 Lily Hill Drive.

    These workshops will provide the public additional opportunities to 
supply additional information and to identify issues to be addressed in 
the SEIS. They will be conducted in an open house format; BLM will 
simply record the issues identified or information offered by the 
public. Submission of written comments is strongly encouraged to 
facilitate the sessions.

ADDRESSES: Any written comments or requests to be placed on the mailing 
list should be sent to Ward Valley Land Transfer Coordinator (CA-930), 
Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard F. Johnson or John S. Mills at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SEIS will focus on new information and 
circumstances, including the May 1995 National Academy of Sciences 
Report; the results of tritium and related testing to be conducted at 
the site; recent U.S. Geological Survey information concerning tritium 
and other radioactive materials detected in proximity to a closed LLRW 
facility at Beatty, Nevada, and other evidence of migration of 
radioactive and other wastes from the Beatty facility; the results of 
consultation with Native American Tribes; the possible effect of the 
proposed transfer, construction, and operation of the LLRW facility on 
areas of cultural importance to nearby Native American Tribes and any 
Tribal rights recognized by federal law; the designation of Ward Valley 
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat for the 
desert tortoise and a 1995 FWS Biological Opinion evaluating the 
potential impacts of the land transfer and facility on the tortoise and 
its critical habitat; a report prepared by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency concerning release of radionuclides into the 
atmosphere and effects on desert tortoise habitat; a hydrogeologic 
report on the proposed facility site commissioned by the Metropolitan 
Water District of Southern California; and other information submitted 
by the public. Issues that were fully analyzed in the 1991 EIS/EIR and 
the 1993 SEIS (which was limited to the changed land transfer method 
from indemnity selection to direct sale), and are not the subject of 
new information or circumstances, will not be addressed in this SEIS.
    A separate public notice will be issued in the near future 
regarding procedures for the tritium and related testing to be done at 
the site.


[[Page 24952]]


    Dated: May 14, 1996.
Ed Hastey,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-12592 Filed 5-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-M