[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 98 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12644]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 23, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Continued Operation of the Pantex Plant and Associated Storage of
Nuclear Weapon Components
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (the Department) announces its
intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR
parts 1500-1508) and the Department's implementing procedures (10 CFR
part 1021). The purpose of this Notice is to invite public
participation in the process and to encourage public dialogue on
alternatives that should be considered. This Environmental Impact
Statement will address the potential environmental impacts concerning
the continued operation of the Pantex Plant, including near- to mid-
term foreseeable activities and the nuclear component storage
activities at other Department sites associated with nuclear weapon
disassembly at the Pantex Plant, over the next 5 to 10 years. The
Secretary of Energy committed to preparing this Environmental Impact
Statement in a letter to the Governor of Texas and also in the Finding
of No Significant Impact (59 FR 3674, January 26, 1994) for the
Environmental Assessment for Interim Storage of Plutonium Components at
Pantex (DOE/EA-0812, January 1994).
The Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, Texas, is the site at which the
Department fulfills its responsibilities regarding the disassembly of
nuclear weapons, certain maintenance and monitoring activities of the
nuclear weapons stockpile, modification and assembly of nuclear
weapons, and production of high explosive components for nuclear
weapons. The Department also conducts certain quality evaluation of
weapons, quality assurance testing of weapon components, and research
and development activities supporting nuclear weapons at the Pantex
Plant. The Department's responsibilities are mandated by statute,
Presidential direction, and Congressional authorization and
appropriation. Currently, most of the work taking place at the Pantex
Plant is the disassembly of nuclear weapons. The nuclear components
resulting from the disassembly of the weapons are either stored at the
Pantex Plant; stored or processed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
in Los Alamos, New Mexico; or stored or processed at the Oak Ridge
Reservation near Knoxville, Tennessee. Tritium pressure vessels are
processed and the tritium is recycled at the Savannah River Site near
Aiken, South Carolina.
In order to meet the Department's continuing responsibilities
regarding the nuclear weapons stockpile, the Department proposes to
continue the current operations of the Pantex Plant, continue the
current nuclear component storage activities at the various Department
sites, and implement projects and facility upgrades at Pantex
consistent with current responsibilities over the next 5 to 10 years.
Other alternatives being considered for discussion in this
Environmental Impact Statement include the relocation of some of the
Pantex Plant operations and relocation of current storage activities to
other Department or Federal sites, as well as the ``No Action''
alternative required by NEPA. In addition, an alternative discussing
the shutdown of operations at the Pantex Plant will be considered in
evaluating baseline conditions.
This Notice of Intent reflects commitments made to the State of
Texas and stakeholders during the public participation efforts
conducted for the Environmental Assessment for Interim Storage. The
Department will shortly announce other NEPA analyses that might affect
the scope of this Environmental Impact Statement or how commitments
will be addressed. If this occurs, updates on the proposed scope of
this Environmental Impact Statement will be published and the public
will be given the opportunity to discuss and comment on any changes
during the scoping process.
DATES: The Department invites the general public, other government
agencies, and all other interested parties to comment on the
appropriate scope and content of this Environmental Impact Statement
for the continued operation of the Pantex Plant and associated storage
of nuclear components to ensure that the full range of significant
environmental issues and alternatives related to this proposal are
addressed. The public scoping period will continue until June 30, 1994.
All comments and suggestions received or postmarked by that date,
whether written, oral, submitted directly to the Department, or
presented during the scoping meetings, will be given equal
consideration in defining the scope of this Environmental Impact
Statement and the issues to be discussed. Comments received or
postmarked after June 30, 1994 will be considered to the extent
practicable. In addition, the Department is committed to providing
opportunities for the involvement of interested individuals and groups
in this and other Department planning activities outside of the formal
scoping process of this Environmental Impact Statement.
Public Scoping Meetings
Public scoping meetings are scheduled to be held at the following
times and locations:
Amarillo Civic Center, 400 South Buchanan, Amarillo, Texas
Date: Tuesday, June 7, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Los Alamos High School, 1300 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Date: Thursday, June 9, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Holiday Inn, 325 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Aiken Conference Center, 214 Park Avenue, Southwest, Aiken, South
Carolina
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Pollard Auditorium, 210 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Date: Thursday, June 16, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Holiday Inn Capital, 550 ``C'' Street, Washington, DC
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 1994
Time: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Oral and written comments may be presented at the public scoping
meetings. The Department will publish additional notices on the dates
and locations of the scoping meetings in local newspapers well in
advance of the scheduled meetings. If it becomes necessary to change
any of the dates, times, or locations of the meetings, the changes will
be announced in the local media and in the Federal Register, if
appropriate.
Oral Comments
All interested parties are invited to record their comments or
suggestions concerning this Environmental Impact Statement or their
request to be placed on the distribution list by calling the Pantex
Plant Environmental Impact Statement Hotline at 1-800-788-0306. The
Hotline will give instructions on how to record your comments.
Written Comments
Written comments or suggestions to assist the Department in
identifying significant environmental issues and the appropriate scope
of the Pantex Plant Environmental Impact Statement, questions
concerning the Pantex Plant or the other Department sites involved,
requests for speaking times, requests to be placed on the Pantex Plant
Environmental Impact Statement mailing list, requests for copies of the
Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan, and requests to be
placed on the Environmental Impact Statement distribution list should
be directed to: Mr. David E. Rosson, Jr., U.S. Department of Energy,
Albuquerque Operations Office, P.O. Box 5400, Albuquerque, New Mexico
87185-5400.
As an alternative, written comments and requests can be submitted
using the Pantex Plant Environmental Impact Statement Faxline at 1-800-
822-5499. Envelopes and facsimiles should be marked: ``Pantex Plant
Environmental Impact Statement.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on DOE's NEPA process,
please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of NEPA Oversight (EH-25), 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-4600 or 1-800-472-2756.
ADDRESSES: Copies of all written comments, transcripts of all oral
comments, and copies of the Environmental Impact Statement
Implementation Plan will be prepared and retained by the Department for
inspection by the public at the following locations:
U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Reference Department,
Lynn Library and Learning Center, Amarillo College, 2201 South
Washington, 4th Floor, Amarillo, Texas 79109, 806-371-5400
U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Carson County Public
Library, 401 Main Street, P.O. Box 339, Panhandle, Texas 79068, 806-
537-3742
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Community Reading Room, Museum Parke
Office Complex, 1450 Central Avenue, Suite 101, Los Alamos, New
Mexico 87544, 505-665-2127 or 1-800-543-2342
Oak Ridge Public Reading Room, 55 Jefferson Avenue, Oak Ridge,
Tennessee 37830, 615-576-0887
U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office Public Reading
Room, 2753 S. Highland Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, 702-295-1274
U.S. Department of Energy, Public Document Room, 2nd Floor,
University Library, University of South Carolina, Aiken Campus, 171
University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801, 803-648-6851
U.S. Department of Energy, National Atomic Museum Public Reading
Room, Kirtland Air Force Base, Building 20358, Wyoming Boulevard,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87115, 505-845-6670/4378
U. S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room,
room 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20825 202-586-6020
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Historically, the Department's national security mission has
included the assembly and disassembly of nuclear weapons as mandated by
statute, Presidential direction, and Congressional authorization and
appropriation. The Department has carried out this mission at the
Pantex Plant, located in the Panhandle of Texas in Carson County near
Amarillo. Assembled weapons are transported and transferred to the
Department of Defense for deployment and retired weapons are returned
to the Pantex Plant for disassembly. The Pantex Plant is owned by the
Department and currently operated under contract with the Department by
the Mason & Hanger-Silas Mason Co., Inc.
Over the years, activities at the Pantex Plant have included four
major types of operations: (1) Fabrication of conventional high
explosives, (2) assembly of nuclear weapons from these high explosives
and prefabricated weapons components received from off-site suppliers,
(3) maintenance, modification, and quality assurance testing of nuclear
weapons already in the military stockpile, and (4) disassembly of
nuclear weapons. The Pantex Plant has conducted these activities in a
safe and responsible fashion for more than 40 years. In the past, the
Pantex Plant's primary activity was the assembly of nuclear weapons.
Currently, the Pantex Plant's primary activity is the disassembly of
nuclear weapons, although all of the historical missions are being or
may still be performed.
After the weapons have been disassembled, the disposition of the
associated components depends on their characteristics, the facilities
that the Department has available, and any future need for these
components. Nuclear components, those containing significant amounts of
tritium or Special Nuclear Material (enriched uranium or plutonium),
are either retained by the Department at the Pantex Plant or sent to
facilities at other Department sites. The major nuclear components and
their respective destinations are as follows:
(a) Plutonium components (pits), which are assemblies containing
encapsulated weapons grade plutonium (the major constituent being the
fissile plutonium isotope Pu-239), are currently retained at the Pantex
Plant;
(b) Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators, which are components
containing an encapsulated plutonium heat source (the major constituent
being the nonfissile isotope Pu-238), are shipped to the Los Alamos
National Laboratory where the heat source is removed and either stored
or de-encapsulated and may be shipped offsite for additional
processing;
(c) Secondaries, which contain enriched uranium, are sent to the
Oak Ridge Reservation for storage; and
(d) Reservoirs, which are tritium-containing pressure vessels, are
sent to the Savannah River Site where the tritium is purified and
reused in the enduring stockpile.
Non-nuclear components are recycled, salvaged, or disposed of at
the Pantex Plant or at other sites. These components include high
explosives, electronics, and structural parts (some of which contain
depleted uranium). Some disposition of these parts is handled through
commercial firms.
The Department recently completed the Environmental Assessment for
Interim Storage of Plutonium Components at Pantex. The Department
evaluated the proposed interim storage of up to 20,000 pits. In
response to comments received from State and local officials and other
stakeholders, the Department decided to store no more than 12,000 pits
at Pantex until a site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (i.e., this
Environmental Impact Statement) covering all current and proposed
facilities and activities at Pantex is completed. Additionally, this
Environmental Impact Statement will address the environmental impacts
at other sites which may result from the storage of highly enriched
uranium, tritium, and weapons components resulting from the
dismantlement of nuclear weapons. A Record of Decision for this
Environmental Impact Statement will be issued by November 15, 1996. The
Department is preparing to initiate separate NEPA documentation that
will address the long-term disposition of the materials and components
covered in this Environmental Impact Statement, as well as other
materials.
Preliminary Identification of Alternatives and Issues
A preliminary set of alternatives and issues for evaluation in the
Environmental Impact Statement has been identified below. The final set
of alternatives and issues to be considered in the Environmental Impact
Statement will reflect consideration of the public input received
during the scoping period.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is to meet the Department's responsibilities
over the next 5 to 10 years by continuing to operate the Pantex Plant
with its current missions, and by continuing to store nuclear
components at the Department sites currently used for that purpose.
Continuing operations include production of high explosives, weapon
components, assembly and disassembly of nuclear weapons, modification
and maintenance of the nuclear weapon stockpile, quality assurance
testing of weapon components, evaluation and surveillance of nuclear
weapons, and research and development activities supporting nuclear
weapons. In addition, the proposed action also involves implementing
those facility upgrades, modifications, replacement facilities, and new
proposed projects that are foreseeable over the next 5 to 10 years,
pursuant to the missions at Pantex as established by Congress and the
President. This alternative would involve storing, on an interim basis,
up to 20,000 pits at the Pantex Plant. The proposed action at the
Pantex Plant would include the establishment of a new research center,
the potential for new mixed-waste treatment facilities, environmental
cleanup and restoration activities, cooperative agreements with Texas
Technical University, and activities associated with the technology
transfer program. The proposed action would also include all routine
activities such as infrastructure and building maintenance, operations
and equipment relocations and consolidations, modifications to
buildings, general landscaping, site characterization, transportation
of materials, and similar support activities.
The proposed action will also consider and analyze to the extent
practicable any environmental issues or impacts that may arise from the
implementation of decisions by Congress and the President to allow
third-party inspection at the Pantex Plant as part of any
implementation of national nonproliferation policy.
Other Alternatives
The following is an initial list of other alternatives for analysis
in this Environmental Impact Statement. The list is tentative and is
not intended to be all-inclusive, nor does it imply any predetermined
selection of any alternative or decisions. Changes to this list may
occur as the result of public input and the scoping process.
Alternatives to the proposed action that have been preliminarily
identified include:
1. One alternative upon which the Department requests the public's
views would consist of continuing the current course of operations at
the Pantex Plant and the current component storage and recycling
activities at the various Department sites. This is commonly referred
to as a ``no action'' alternative. This alternative would not include
any new projects or general facility upgrades or modifications. Current
Pantex operations would include those projects already authorized and
funded through Fiscal Year 1995, transportation activities (both onsite
and offsite), environmental cleanup and restoration activities, and
routine maintenance. The interim storage of up to 12,000 pits at the
Pantex Plant would continue. The storage of highly enriched uranium
components at the Oak Ridge Reservation, and the recycling of tritium-
containing components at the Savannah River Site and Radioisotopic
Thermoelectric Generators at Los Alamos would also continue. No Action
would result in curtailing dismantlement or the relocation of pits
above 12,000 to another site for interim storage.
2. A second alternative upon which the Department requests the
public's views would discuss those activities that could be relocated
or performed somewhere other than at the Pantex Plant and the current
storage locations. This alternative will discuss the transfer of some
or all of pit storage activities from the Pantex Plant and relocation
of the other nuclear component storage from other sites. Discussion of
alternate locations for some Pantex Plant operations will include the
Nevada Test Site. Discussion of alternate locations for nuclear
component storage will include certain Department sites and other
Federal facilities, including those currently owned and operated by the
Department of Defense. This alternative will analyze and consider, to
the extent practical, any environmental issues or impacts that may
arise from the implementation of decisions by Congress and the
President to allow third-party inspection at the Pantex Plant as part
of any implementation of national nonproliferation policy.
Department of Defense Sites as Storage Alternatives
The Department of Energy solicits comments on the inclusion of
Department of Defense sites as possible alternatives for the storage of
nuclear components resulting from weapons disassembly. Through the
public comment process on the Environmental Assessment for Interim
Storage, a number of questions were raised in regard to the possibility
of using Department of Defense sites as interim storage locations.
Since the fact that nuclear weapons exist at a specific Department of
Defense site is classified by the Department of Defense, the
Environmental Assessment analyzed three generic sites: an active
nuclear weapons storage facility, an inactive nuclear weapons storage
facility, and an active conventional weapons storage facility. The use
of Department of Defense sites was not considered as a viable
alternative to the interim storage of plutonium components at the
Pantex Plant under the Environmental Assessment for Interim Storage
because it was not timely (per the immediate need), would cost more,
and offered no environmental benefit.
The Department of Energy is again considering Department of Defense
sites as alternatives for near to mid-term storage of nuclear
components at Department of Energy sites. Preliminary meetings have
been held with Department of Defense staff to discuss the process for
identifying facilities that are now or will be in excess to the
Department of Defense needs that could be made available to the
Department of Energy or those facilities where a joint tenant agreement
could permit the Department to occupy a part of a larger facility.
Based on the result of a facility review and preliminary assessment
process, the degree of additional analysis, which may include
additional scoping meetings at specific locations, and consideration of
the Department of Defense facility alternatives will be determined.
However, due to the same concerns regarding the classification of
information about specific Department of Defense sites, the Department
may be required to use the generic site method described above to
discuss Department of Defense alternatives. The Department solicits
comments on how to conduct the analysis of alternative Department of
Defense storage sites so that maximum public participation is possible.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues
The issues listed below have been tentatively identified for
analysis in this Environmental Impact Statement as being applicable to
the operation of the Pantex Plant and the storage of nuclear
components. The list is tentative and should be considered as
illustrative to facilitate public comment on the scope of this
Environmental Impact Statement. It is not intended to be all-inclusive,
nor does it imply any predetermination of potential impacts. The
Department invites suggestions for the addition or deletion of items on
this list. Identified issues include:
--Potential effects on the public and workers from releases of
radiological and hazardous materials during normal operations and from
reasonably postulated accidents, including aircraft crashes;
--Potential effects of natural disasters including floods, tornadoes,
and seismic events;
--Potential effect on air and water quality and other environmental
consequences of normal operations and potential accidents;
--Potential cumulative effects of operations at the Pantex Plant and
the storage activities at other sites, including relevant impacts from
transportation activities, environmental restoration, present
operations, and reasonably foreseeable activities at the sites;
--Potential socioeconomic impacts on surrounding communities, including
demographics, economic base, labor pool, housing, transportation,
utilities, public services/facilities, and education;
--Potential impacts on environmental justice;
--Potential effects on endangered species, economically and
recreationally important species, floodplains, wetlands, and historic
and archaeological resources, including paleontological sites and
Native American resources;
--Potential effects on future decontamination and decommissioning
decisions;
--Potential impacts from energy requirements and conservation
alternatives;
--Effects on near and long-term waste management practices and
activities, including pollution prevention, waste minimization, and
waste stream characterization;
--Potential effects on agricultural lands and practices;
--Potential impacts of noise levels to the ambient environment and
sensitive receptors;
--Potential impacts to scenic and visual resources;
--Potential impacts on land use plans, policies, and controls;
--Unavoidable adverse environmental impacts;
--Short-term uses of the environment versus long-term productivity; and
--Potential irretrievable and irreversible commitment of resources.
Related Documentation
Background information regarding the operation of the Pantex Plant
is available in the public reading rooms listed above. The Department
will prepare transcripts of the oral comments received during the
scoping meetings. The records of all comments, both oral and written,
received during the scoping period will be made available for public
review in the reading rooms listed earlier. All additional background
documents and references developed during the Environmental Impact
Statement process will also be made available in the reading rooms. The
following is a list of forthcoming NEPA documentation related to this
Environmental Impact Statement that have the potential for affecting
its scope:
(a) Reconfiguration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement--On
July 23, 1993, the Department published a revised Notice of Intent to
prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for
reconfiguration of its nuclear weapons complex due to nuclear weapons
stockpile reductions. The Department will soon issue an update to its
revised Notice of Intent which will reflect recent budget and stockpile
reduction decisions;
(b) Fissile Materials Storage and Disposition Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement--A draft Notice of Intent has been
provided to stakeholders for review and comment. In the near future,
the Department plans to publish a Notice of Intent in the Federal
Register for a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to address
long-term storage of all fissile nuclear materials and disposition of
surplus fissile nuclear materials; and
(c) Proposed Interim Storage of Highly Enriched Uranium above the
Maximum Historical Storage Level at the Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge,
Tennessee. This Environmental Assessment addresses proposed storage of
highly enriched uranium above the maximum historical storage level at
the Y-12 Plant. The draft Environmental Assessment has been reviewed by
the State and by stakeholders, and is being revised.
Public Meeting Registration and Format
Oral and written comments may be presented at the public scoping
meetings. Persons desiring to speak at any of these meetings should
register by calling the Pantex Plant Environmental Impact Statement
Hotline by 3 p.m. two working days in advance of the scoping meeting;
writing to Mr. Rosson at the Albuquerque Operations Office address; or
submitting written requests using the Pantex Plant Environmental Impact
Statement Faxline. Persons wishing to speak that have not registered in
advance may register at the entrance of the meeting room. Individuals
speaking on behalf of an organization should identify the organization
represented.
In order to solicit individual viewpoints and facilitate
interactive communication between participants and representatives of
the Department, separate meeting rooms will be established concurrent
with the formal scoping meetings for questions and informal discussions
regarding the issues in this Environmental Impact Statement.
Subsequent Document Preparation
After the completion of the public scoping process, the Department
will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan (the
Plan) and make it available to the public upon request and place it in
the public reading rooms. The Plan will record the results of the
scoping process and define the alternatives and issues that the
Department will evaluate in this Environmental Impact Statement. The
Department intends to complete the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
in November 1995 and will announce its availability in the Federal
Register. The Department will solicit comments from the public,
organizations, and other agencies on the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement, and will consider all comments in its preparation of the
Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 1994.
Tara O'Toole,
Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 94-12644 Filed 5-20-94; 8:45 am]
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