96-16122. Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site Investigation Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Area of Responsibility

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 32785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16122]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site Investigation 
Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Area of 
Responsibility

AGENCY: Oak Ridge Operations Office, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Floodplain Statement of Findings.

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SUMMARY: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site 
Investigation Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), 
McCracken County, Kentucky, prepared in accordance with 10 CFR Part 
1022 Compliance With Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review 
Requirements. DOE proposes to conduct preliminary engineering and site 
investigation activities as required under the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), underground storage tank 
regulations, or other regulations and directives within the PGDP area 
of responsibility. Some site investigation activities may occur within 
500-year or 100-year floodplains of streams within the study area. The 
areas of the 100- and 500-year floodplains are 1.12 km\2\ (112.1 
hectares, 276.9 acres) and 1.24 km\2\ (123.5 hectares, 305.2 acres), 
respectively. DOE has prepared a floodplain assessment describing the 
possible effects, alternatives, and measures designed to avoid or 
minimize potential harm to floodplains or their flood storage 
potential. Actions will not be located in floodplains if practicable 
alternatives exist. DOE will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review 
after publication of the statement of findings before conducting site 
investigations or preliminary engineering activities in floodplains at 
the PGDP area of responsibility. Actions conducted under CERCLA will 
comply with the substantive requirements of 10 CFR 1022 and 33 CFR 330 
as provided for under the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300, et 
seq.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mr. Robert C. Sleeman, Director, 
Environmental Restoration Division (EW-91), DOE Oak Ridge Operations 
Office, Post Office Box 2001, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8540, Telephone: 
[phone], Facsimile: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL DOE FLOODPLAIN/WETLAND 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, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-
4600 or [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Floodplain Involvement was 
published in the Federal Register on October 5, 1993 (58 FR 51812), and 
a floodplain assessment was prepared. The floodplain assessment covers 
a variety of intrusive and non-intrusive preliminary engineering and 
site investigation activities that may be used at one or more sites 
within the PGDP area of responsibility. These activities include (as 
detailed in the October 5, 1993, notice), but are not limited to: ``(a) 
Sampling of air, surface water, groundwater, sediments, surface and 
deeper soils; sampling assessment, and evaluation of terrestrial and 
aquatic biota, and measurement of meteorological characteristics; (b) 
drilling of boreholes to obtain soil/geological samples (some of the 
boreholes would be completed as groundwater monitoring wells); (c) 
digging soil test pits by hand or backhoe; (d) taking a variety of non-
invasive surveys (such as radiological surveys); (e) taking invasive 
surveys (such as with soil penetrometers and similar devices); and (f) 
conducting underground tests (such as aquifer pump, tracer geophysical 
log, vertical seismic profile, and seismic tests).''
    Sampling sites will be located outside of floodplains to the extent 
practicable (i.e., when data quality is not compromised). Sampling 
activities within floodplains are expected to be limited to activities 
related to surface and sediment sampling and a minimum number of 
boreholes, wells, and soil test pits. Most of the activities addressed 
by the floodplain assessment will result in no measurable impact on 
floodplain cross-sections or flood stage, and thus do not increase the 
risk of flooding. Those specific activities that are identified during 
review of sampling plans as possibly impacting negatively upon the 
floodplain (e.g., installation of flumes and construction of access 
roads) may require separate floodplain assessments and the 
implementation of mitigative measures. Alternatively, DOE may opt to 
omit the activity or relocate the activity to an alternate site outside 
of the floodplain. Site investigation activities addressed in the 
floodplain assessment conform to applicable floodplain protection 
standards.

    Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on June 5, 1996.
James L. Elmore,
Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-16122 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
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