Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Consolidation of Certain Dynamic Experimentation Activities at the Two-Mile Mesa Complex Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires Federal agency officials to consider the environmental consequences of their proposed actions before decisions are made. In complying with NEPA, the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), follows the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508) and DOE's NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021). The purpose of an environmental assessment (EA) is to provide Federal decision makers with sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) or issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a national security laboratory located at Los Alamos, New Mexico, that comprises about 40 square miles (mi{sup 2}) (103.6 square kilometers [km{sup 2}]) of buildings, structures, and forested land (Figure 1). It is administered by NNSA for the Federal government and is managed and operated under contract by the University of California (UC). The NNSA must make a decision whether to consolidate and construct new facilities for the Dynamic Experimentation Division (DX) to create a central core area of facilities, including offices, laboratories, and other support structures, at LANL's Two-Mile Mesa Complex, which comprises portions of Technical Area (TA) 6, TA-22, and TA-40. This Proposed Action would involve constructing new buildings; consolidating existing operations and offices; enhancing utilities, roads, and security infrastructure; and demolishing or removing older buildings, structures, and transportables at various technical areas used by DX (Figure 2). This EA has been prepared to assess the potential environmental consequences of this proposed construction, operational consolidation, and demolition project. The objectives of this EA are to (1) describe the underlying purpose and need for NNSA action; (2) describe the Proposed Action and identify and describe any reasonable alternatives that satisfy the purpose and need for agency action; (3) describe baseline environmental conditions at LANL; (4) analyze the potential indirect, direct, and cumulative effects to the existing environment from implementation of the Proposed Action, and (5) compare the effects of the Proposed Action with the No Action Alternative and other reasonable alternatives. For the purposes of compliance with NEPA, reasonable alternatives are identified as being those that meet NNSA's purpose and need for action by virtue of timeliness, appropriate technology, and applicability to LANL. The EA process provides NNSA with environmental information that can be used in developing mitigative actions, if necessary, to minimize or avoid adverse effects to the quality of the human environment and natural ecosystems should NNSA decide to proceed with implementing the Proposed Action at LANL. Ultimately, the goal of NEPA, and this EA, is to aid NNSA officials in making decisions based on an understanding of environmental consequences and in taking actions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment.
- Research Organization:
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site Office (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 823415
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EA-1447; TRN: US200427%%614
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 3 Nov 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Construction and Operations of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Environmental Assessment for Electrical Power System Upgrades at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico - Final Document
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
COMPLIANCE
CONSTRUCTION
DEMOLITION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
IMPLEMENTATION
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
NATIONAL SECURITY
REGULATIONS
SECURITY
TIME DELAY
US CEQ
US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
EA
LANL
DYNAMIC EXPERIMENTATION DIVISION
NNSA
TA
TECHNICAL AREA