# Presentation: 106748

## Welcome to the Scoping Meeting for the Supplemental Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (S-SWEIS) for the Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National  Laboratory (LANL) 

- Elizabeth Withers
- Document Manager

## LANL S-SWEIS

**In 1999, DOE issued a Final LANL SWEIS and an associated Record of Decision (ROD).  In the ROD, DOE selected the  Expanded Operations Alternative with modifications to weapons related production work for implementation at LANL over the foreseeable future (about the next 10 years).**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**NNSA now needs to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) DOE implementing regulations that call for a review of site-wide NEPA compliance documents at least every 5 years (10CFR1021.330) by means of a Supplement Analysis**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Supplement Analysis is used to determine whether an EIS remains adequate or whether to prepare a supplemental EIS or a new EIS, as appropriate**
**In this case, we determined that we should prepare a Supplemental SWEIS rather than a new SWEIS**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Why prepare a Supplemental SWEIS rather than a new SWEIS?**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**DOE NEPA regulations (10CFR1021.314) require the preparation of a Supplemental SWEIS if there are substantial changes to a proposal or significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns.  **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**In this case, there are newly proposed actions that could result in changes to the modified Expanded Operations Alternative that are possibly substantial, but which are consistent with that Alternative**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**There are new circumstances and information about the existing LANL environment (2000 fire, tree thinning, drought, contamination spread, area population changes, and land conveyance and transfer actions).**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**LANL has been operating for the past 5 years well within the environmental impacts envelope established by the modified Expanded Operations Alternative; **
**NNSA is not at this time considering implementation of a different level of overall site operations at LANL; and**
**Our purpose and need for continuing to operate LANL hasn’t changed.  **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Therefore, we believe that the preparation of a S-SWEIS is appropriate at this time.**
**Alternatives identified for analysis in the S-SWEIS: The No Action and the Proposed Action Alternatives.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**No Action Alternative: continued implementation of the 1999 SWEIS ROD at LANL over the next 5 years together with other actions selected in RODs supported by separate NEPA reviews and the subject of Findings of No Significant Impact and actions categorically excluded. **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The Proposed Action is the continuation of the 1999 ROD activities and those actions with completed NEPA reviews (No Action), AND additional proposed projects, and changes to existing activities that may include enhancements to or decreases in levels of some facility operations.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The Proposed Action includes:**** **
**Operational changes at two existing facilities that are new “Key Facilities”.**
***“******Key Facilities” are described in the 1999 SWEIS as being those that:***
***House operations with potential to cause significant environmental impacts***
***Are of most interest or concern to the public based on scoping comments***
***Or, are facilities that would be most subject to change due to potential programmatic decisions***

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The two new “Key Facilities” are:**
**The Nicholas C. Metropolis Center for Modeling and Simulation (formerly called the Strategic Computing Center); and**
**The Nonproliferation and International Security Center (NISC).**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The Metropolis Center is currently operating at about a 30 teraops platform; original NEPA impact analysis considered up to a 50 teraops level.  NNSA is proposing to raise the operations up to 100 teraops.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The NISC facility is a likely candidate for relocating certain lower level security IV operations from a “Key Facility” – the TA-18 Pajarito Site.  Most TA-18 relocation activities were the subject of a 2002 EIS, but the relocation of security III and IV level operations at LANL and the disposition of the TA-18 facilities still need to be determined.  TA-18 will no longer be considered a “Key Facility”.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Other proposed activities include: **
**Changes to existing LANL operations (decreases in some work and projects, and changes in locations of various types of materials at risk),**
**Remediation of major material disposal areas and other applicable actions required under the draft State of New Mexico Compliance Order **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**and newly proposed construction and operation of facilities, such as:**
**new solid waste transfer station;**
**office and light laboratory complex;**
**consolidated warehouse and truck inspection station;****	**
**new radiography facility at TA-55; **
**increases to types and quantities of waste sealed sources; and**
**replacement facility for Radiological Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF).**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Environmental Issues and Resource Areas to be considered in the S-SWEIS are the same issues/areas considered in the 1999 SWEIS.  The S-SWEIS will look back over the past 5 years of LANL operations, and will look out over the next 5 years of LANL operations.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The site accident impact analyses will be updated. For example:**
**Different dose-to-risk values (or factors) are now being used by DOE from those used in 1999**
**The wildfire initiated accident scenario will be updated to reflect site changes**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**There are some “WILD CARDS” in the form of actions currently under going NEPA compliance reviews...**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Operation of the BSL-3 Facility at LANL**
**???????????**
**Subject of EA under preparation = draft EA will be completed soon and decision regarding need to prepare an EIS or issue a Finding of No Significant Impact will be made before the draft S-SWEIS is scheduled to be issued.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Remediation of Material Disposal Areas at the Los Alamos Airport**
**??????????? **
**Subject of EA under preparation = draft EA will be completed soon and decision regarding need to prepare an EIS or issue a Finding of No Significant Impact will be made before the draft S-SWEIS is scheduled to be issued.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Construction and Operation of a Modern Pit Facility at LANL**
**???????????**
**Draft Supplemental Programmatic EIS  was prepared a year ago... the preparation of a Final EIS and the proposal it supports are on indefinite hold.  If LANL were to be chosen, a site specific EIS would be needed.   **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Consolidation of Nuclear Operations Related to Production of Radioisotope Power Systems**
**???????????**
**Subject of EIS under preparation = draft EIS is scheduled to be issued in late spring 2006.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The Management and Review Team of NNSA, DOE and LANL staff will continue to evaluate all the various proposals and changes, and will ultimately determine which ones are evaluated in the S-SWEIS.  **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Purpose of this Public Scoping Meeting is to:**
**Engage interested parties early in the analysis process**
**Provide a forum for NNSA to communicate information**
**Solicit comments regarding the scope of the S-SWEIS (issues for impact analysis)**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**For Supplemental EISs, public scoping meetings are optional according to DOE NEPA regulations.  Nonetheless, we felt that it was important to engage interested parties in this S-SWEIS NEPA process early on and that having a scoping meeting was the right thing to do. We felt  that the impact analysis process would benefit from public scoping.  **

## LANL S-SWEIS

**Informal discussion opportunities – informational posters are grouped around the room, together with tables and chairs for your comfort.  There will be several subject matter experts at each table to answer questions and provide information about the various activities that are part of the Proposed Action to be analyzed in the S-SWEIS.  Flip charts are available for writing comments and ideas.**

## LANL S-SWEIS!  

**Verbal****	****	****Court reporter available ****	****	****	****	****	****tonight and toll free phone ****	****	****	****	****	****number has been set up **
**Written****	****Flip charts and comment ****	****	****	****	****	****forms available tonight; ****	****	****	****	****	****comments can be mailed, ****	****	****	****	****	****faxed, or e-mailed**

- We want your comments
- on the scope of the S-SWEIS!

## LANL S-SWEIS

**The potential scope of the S-SWEIS discussed tonight and identified in the Federal Register Notice of Intent (issued 12/29/04, published on 01/05/05) is tentative and intended to facilitate public comment.  It is not intended to be all-inclusive or imply predetermination of potential impacts.**

## LANL S-SWEIS

**We hope that you will give serious consideration to the issues and areas of concern that you think should be analyzed in the S-SWEIS and provide your comments to us.  The scoping period for the S-SWEIS ends ****February 27, 2005****.**

- We want YOUR HELP
- in scoping this S-SWEIS
- Impact Analysis

## Thank-you for coming

-  to tonight’s scoping
- meeting for the
- LANL S-SWEIS