U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 

EXPANSION OF THE VOLPENTEST 

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE 

TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER 

HANFORD SITE, RICHLAND, WASHINGTON 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

 November 2002 

 1 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

 

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 2 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy 

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), 

DOE/EA-1412, for expanding training and equipment testing facilities at the Volpentest Hazardous 

Materials Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center (HAMMER) on the 

Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. Based on the analysis in the EA, and considering tribal and agency 

comments, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major federal action significantly 

affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not 

required. 

ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION:

Single copies of the EA and further information about the proposed action is available from: 

Randy W. Small 

Security & Emergency Services Division 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Richland Operations Office 

P. O. Box 550 A6-35 

Richland, Washington 99352-0550 

(509) 373-6290 

For further information regarding the DOE NEPA Process, contact: 

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director 

Office of NEPA Oversight 

U.S. Department of Energy 

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20585 

Phone: (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756 

E-mail: Carol.Borgstrom@hq.doe.gov 

PURPOSE AND NEED: The U.S. Department of Energy needs to provide additional cost-effective

personal protection and public safety through expanding training and equipment testing facilities at the 

Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center 

(HAMMER) on the Hanford Site. 

BACKGROUND: Currently HAMMER, which began operation in September 1997, provides training 

for both radioactive and chemical hazardous response, firefighting, law enforcement, and occupational, 

safety, and health training. The mission for HAMMER is to host, broker, and provide training with its 

partners, involving the hands-on use of realistic props and settings to save lives and reduce injuries, 

increase personnel productivity, and serve as a catalyst for a regional training industry. 

 3 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

HAMMER began as a local community initiative based on the concept that one training center could 

serve both the Hanford Site and the region. From that beginning, HAMMER has grown to a national 

training resource and is well known for its unique partnering approach, its training facility, and its 

realistic props and simulations. 

The original HAMMER was completed in June 1997 on 80 acres (32.3 hectares) of the original 120-acre 

(48.6-hectares) site. The remaining 40 acres (16.2 hectares) were reserved for future expansion. The 

existing 10,000-acre (4,047-hectare) Hanford Patrol Academy located immediately north of HAMMER 

was merged into HAMMER in September 1998. That portion was rededicated as the Law Enforcement 

and Security Training Center (LESTC). HAMMER operates LESTC in conjunction with the Hanford 

Patrol. LESTC also is available for use by outside agencies for training purposes. LESTC encompasses 

approximately 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares), which includes the current firing ranges and safety zones. 

HAMMER currently consists of an administration and classroom building, burn house with computerized 

burn system, training support building, a number of large training pads for craft-specific and fire training, 

stream and pond, training tower, aboveground pipelines, various transportation props, a 

remediation/characterization site, confined space prop, simulated buried waste site, and a 

junction/diversion box with simulated underground waste tank prop. 

Emergency Vehicle Operations Course 

The Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) had been located on Port of Benton land at the old 

bus parking lot located north of the 1163 Building (the warehouse located at 2355 Stevens.) Recently, 

this space was leased to a commercial company. EVOC has suspended operations pending availability of 

a new site. 

National Utility Training Services Site 

The Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) is a non-profit association that has created 

partnerships with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and approximately 200 public utilities, 

including four local public utilities [Benton Public Utility District (PUD), Franklin PUD, City of 

Richland, and Douglas PUD], for the purpose of providing education and training services for utility 

personnel throughout the western United States. The goal of NWPPA is to establish National Utility 

Training Services (NUTS) as a state-of-the-art training facility to provide hands-on training without 

jeopardizing power reliability or endangering personnel and equipment. 

The NUTS site consists of 80 acres (32.4 hectares) for use in connection with training equipment. 

Ownership of this 80 acres (32.4 hectares) is being transferred to the NWPPA. In addition, DOE-RL has 

granted an easement for road and utility access across an approximate 4-acre (1.6-hectare) parcel of land 

immediately south and between the property and Horn Rapids Road. This easement has been covered by 

other National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 documentation. 

Cold Test Facility 

The newly constructed Cold Test Facility (CTF) adjacent to HAMMER provides a test bed for full-scale 

testing of tank waste retrieval, transfer, and sampling hardware to be procured by the Single-Shell Tank 

Closure Project and the Double-Shell Tank Waste Delivery Project. The construction and operation of 

CTF has been evaluated under separate NEPA documentation. Potential impacts of habitat mitigation for 

CTF are discussed in this EA for completeness. 

 4 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

PROPOSED ACTION: The proposed action includes constructing and operating the EVOC, which 

would be located on approximately 60 acres (24.2 hectares); expanding, operating, and transferring 

ownership of NUTS, which is located on approximately 80 acres (32.3 hectares) [40 acres (16.2 hectares) 

from the original HAMMER footprint and 40 additional acres (16.2 hectares) from the expansion]; and 

reserving the remaining space [approximately 92 acres (37.2 hectares)] north of the original HAMMER, 

NUTS, and the CTF and south of the BPA power lines for future development. EVOC would provide 

training to emergency service personnel when driving in emergency response situations. NUTS would 

provide training for utility personnel. 

Emergency Vehicle Operations Course 

EVOC would be located on the approximate 60-acre (24.2-hectare) section to the west of Ila Lane and 

north of Horn Rapids Road. EVOC would consist of an asphalt course approximately 36 feet (11 meters) 

wide and 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) long. The course would include a quarter mile (0.4 kilometer) 

straightaway, a 180-degree corner, and a serpentine of several more turns of varying degrees and radii. 

The straightaway would be level while the rest of the course would follow approximately the natural 

elevations of the land. In addition to the asphalt course, a 160,000 square foot (14,864 square meter) 

asphalt pad would be constructed as a skills course for low speed vehicle maneuvers. A parking area, 

connex box pad, and shelter area pad also would be constructed at the entrance to the course. The parking 

area would be approximately 12,500 square feet (1,161 square meter), and the connex box and shelter 

area pads would be approximately 1,500 square feet (139 square meters) and 600 square feet (55.7 square 

meters) respectively. 

National Utility Training Services Site 

Title to the 80 acres (32.3 hectares) NUTS site would be transferred to the NWPPA. The NUTS site 

would have properly positioned spans of both wooden and steel transmission lines with room for erecting 

and dismantling. An area would be used for a helipad, a parking garage for equipment, and an area for 

earthmoving training. 

Areas Reserved for Future Development 

Approximately 92 acres (37.2 hectares) are reserved for future development and would be addressed 

under a future NEPA review once plans have been developed. These areas are located to the north of the 

original HAMMER and to the north of the CTF and south of the BPA power lines. 

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED: No-Action: The no action alternative would mean that the EVOC 

would not be built at HAMMER; the NUTS site would not be expanded beyond the current size of 40 

acres (16.2 hectares). These areas would remain undeveloped and not specified for future expansion. 

 

Alternatives to Locating EVOC and NUTS: Relocation of the EVOC to another location off the Hanford 

Site was considered. 

Use of existing training facilities or other locations for the NUTS Facility was considered including a 

training facility at Camp Rilea near Astoria, OR. The primary use of Camp Rilea is as a National Guard 

Camp and utility training is considered a secondary use. Available land near the I-5 corridor was also 

considered, as was land near the HAMMER Facility that is zoned for an industrial park. 

 5 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:

No adverse impacts to cultural or historic properties are expected. Intermittent monitoring by an 

archaeologist would to ensure that potential historic properties are not impacted by project activities. 

Small quantities of gaseous, particulate, or thermal discharges from typical construction activities, such as 

trucks for transporting building materials and solid waste, heat and exhaust fumes from construction 

equipment motors, or backfilling, could be generated for short periods of time during the construction 

phase for each site of the proposed action. Watering down soil would control dust emissions. 

During routine operations of the proposed action, small quantities of gaseous, particulate, or thermal 

discharges from such activities as the motor vehicles on the EVOC course or vehicles/machines involved 

in activities at NUTS would be generated. Small quantities of emissions could occur at the CTF from the 

simulants as various types of mixing equipment are tested. Small amounts of emissions would occur from 

vehicles arriving and leaving EVOC, NUTS, and CTF. The CTF has a design life of 30 years. It is 

expected that the design life of NUTS and EVOC also would be approximately 30 years. Eventual 

decommissioning and dismantlement of EVOC, NUTS, and CTF would comply with applicable 

regulations and procedures in effect at that time. The impacts of the operations and post-operations of the 

proposed action are considered to be relatively minor. No substantial increases in the overall emissions 

are envisioned from the proposed action. 

Ecological Impacts: Development of the EVOC and NUTS would disturb previously undisturbed soil. 

The relatively high diversity of forbs and residual sprouting of bitterbrush following the June 2000 

Command 24 fire will be impacted by construction activities and surviving sagebrush “islands” may be 

impacted. These impacts would be mitigated by revegetation with native species as described in the 

Mitigation Action Plan (Appendix C of the EA). 

A burrowing owl was located on the EVOC site. To mitigate potential impacts on the burrowing owlz , 

the EVOC entrance, parking lot, and two pads were moved south during design to avoid impacting the 

nest site, and artificial burrows will be placed per the Mitigation Action Plan. To avoid potential impacts 

on migratory birds such as loggerhead shrikes, if construction has not been completed by March 15, 2003, 

a biological survey would be conducted and bird avoidance measures would be in place to reduce the 

likelihood of an 'unlawful take' of migratory birds as much as reasonably as possible. As practicable, 

construction activities would not occur during nesting season. 

Safety Impacts: No significant impacts are expected. It is not expected that there would be any 

radioactive or hazardous substances present during construction and only small amounts of potential 

hazardous waste (e.g., waste oil and/or cleaning agents) would be expected to be generated during 

operations. 

Accident consequences were considered for the proposed action. 

Construction Phase. The reasonably foreseeable accidents during construction would be typical 

construction accidents. Nonradiological risks to personnel from occupational illness or injury are based 

on statistics for DOE and DOE contractor experience. The lost workday rate is 63 per 200,000 hours of 

construction work. The fatality rate is close to zero per 200,000 hours of work. About 2 lost workdays 

and no fatalities would be expected during the construction phases. All construction personnel for DOE 

projects would follow approved DOE safety procedures for construction activities. All construction 

personnel for NUTS would follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1910.267 

standards. Typical construction hazards would exist; however, the risk of severe accidents would be 

 6 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

small. 

Operational Phase 

EVOC. Reasonably foreseeable accidents during operation would be vehicle collisions or single vehicle 

accidents that would occur while training on the course. Potential vehicle accidents are remote since there 

would be individual runs of vehicles. Possible fires from catalytic converters might occur. In either case, 

a local fire or police agency would be notified. The soft sand surrounding the EVOC would prevent 

errant vehicles from the course from entering Horn Rapids Road to the south or Ila Lane to the east of the 

EVOC. Physical barriers would be added as necessary. 

NUTS. The Northwest Line Joint Apprentice Training Committee operates a training school on the 

Oregon coast that consists of steel towers, wood towers with transmission lines, a pole yard, and an 

indoor pole yard for 'hot sticking' (the use of fiberglass poles with steel attachments for handling of 

electrically charged lines). This school has been in operation for 40 years with approximately 250 

students per year attending. Approximately 3 to 4 minor accidents occur each year. These accidents are 

classified as non-time loss accidents. In 40 years, only one major accident occurred when a student fell 

from a pole. It is expected that NUTS would experience a similar minimal accident rate. 

CTF. Reasonably foreseeable accidents during operation would be falls from scaffolding, hazards 

commonly associated with the installation of equipment such as electrical hazards, hazards from lifting, or 

the use of power tools. Accidents occurring from these types of activities are minimal. 

Socioeconomic Impacts: Less than two dozen additional people are expected to be employed due to the 

proposed action. There would be no discernible impact to employment levels within Benton and Franklin 

Counties. 

Environmental Justice: Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in 

Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, requires that federal agencies identify and address, as 

appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs 

and activities on minority and low-income populations. The analysis of the impacts in this EA indicates 

that there will be minimal impacts to both the offsite population and potential workforce by implementing 

the proposed action, because the proposed action will occur predominately on the Hanford Site and the 

offsite environmental impacts from the proposed action in this EA are expected to be minimal. Therefore, 

it is not expected that there will be any disproportionately high and adverse impacts to any minority or 

low-income portion of the community. 

Cumulative Impacts: No substantial cumulative impacts are expected. 

DETERMINATION: Based on the analysis contained in the EA, and considering the pre-approval 

comments of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Yakama Nation, the State of Washington Department of Fish and 

Wildlife, and the Oregon Office of Energy I conclude that the proposed action to provide additional 

personal protection and public safety through expanding training and equipment testing facilities at the 

Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center 

(HAMMER) on the Hanford Site does not constitute a “major federal action significantly affecting the 

quality of the human environment” within the meaning of NEPA. Therefore, an EIS is not required. 

 7 November 2002 
U.S. Department of Energy Finding of No Significant Impact 

 8 November 2002