BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
According to a notice in the Federal Register, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced the availability of the Draft Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
NNSA also has announced a 60-day public comment period and four public hearings to receive comments on the Draft LANL SWEIS. NNSA prepared the Draft LANL SWEIS to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with continuing LANL operations and foreseeable new and/or modified operations and facilities for approximately the next 15 years.
Other other Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, state and local governments, industry, other organizations, and members of the public are to be invited by NNSA to review and submit comments on the Draft LANL SWEIS through March 11. NNSA will hold four public hearings (two of which will include a virtual component) to receive comments on the Draft LANL SWEIS.
The announcement of the Draft LANL SWEIS analyzes three alternatives:
(1) the No-Action Alternative,
(2) the Modernized Operations Alternative, and
(3) the Expanded Operations Alternative.
Under the No-Action Alternative, NNSA would continue current facility operations throughout LANL in support of assigned missions. The No-Action Alternative activities have previously completed NEPA reviews and include construction of new facilities; modernization, upgrade, and utility projects; and decontamination, decommissioning, and demolition (DD&D) of excess and aging facilities.
The No-Action Alternative also includes the continued legacy cleanup and environmental remediation in accordance with the Consent Order and the recently signed Settlement Agreement. The No-Action Alternative includes 87 new projects, totaling almost 1.5 million square feet, that would be implemented between 2024 and 2038.
Also, under No-Action, NNSA would implement 11 projects involving facility upgrades, utilities, and infrastructure affecting about 216 acres of the LANL site. About 1.6 million square feet of excess or aging facilities would undergo DD&D under the No-Action Alternative. The No-Action Alternative also includes changes in operations, examples of which include increased plutonium pit production and the remediation of a chromium plume in Mortandad Canyon (which was the subject of a recent environmental assessment).
The Modernized Operations Alternative includes the scope of the No-Action Alternative plus additional modernization activities, including (1) construction of replacement facilities; (2) upgrades to existing facilities, utilities, and infrastructure; and (3) DD&D projects. Under the Modernized Operations Alternative, NNSA would replace facilities that are approaching their end of life, upgrade facilities to extend their lifetimes, and improve work environments to enable NNSA to meet operational requirements.
The Modernized Operations Alternative also includes proposed projects to reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions. The Modernized Operations Alternative includes 139 new projects, totaling over 3.4 million square feet, that would be implemented between 2025 and 2038.
Under Modernized Operations, NNSA would implement 27 projects involving facility upgrades, utilities, and infrastructure affecting about 925 acres of the LANL site. Of these 925 acres, up to 795 acres are proposed for installation of up to 159 megawatts of solar photovoltaic arrays across the site. An additional 1.2 million square feet of excess or aging facilities would undergo DD&D under the Modernized Operations Alternative.
The Expanded Operations Alternative includes the actions proposed under the Modernized Operations Alternative, plus actions that would expand operations and missions to respond to future national security challenges and meet increasing requirements. This alternative includes construction and operation of new facilities that would expand capabilities at LANL beyond those that currently exist. The Expanded Operations Alternative includes 18 additional new projects, totaling about 947,000 square feet, that would be implemented between 2025 and 2038.
Under Expanded Operations, NNSA would implement 4 additional projects involving utilities and infrastructure affecting about 46 acres of the LANL site. Most of the utilities and infrastructure projects would be directly related to proposed projects under the Expanded Operations Alternative.
The Expanded Operations Alternative also includes changes in operations, examples of which include revised wildland fire risk reduction treatments and management of feral cattle.
Following the public comment period, and after consideration of comments received, NNSA will prepare the Final LANL SWEIS. Decisions about future operations at the Laboratory will be provided in an NNSA Record of Decision published in the Federal Register , which would be issued no sooner than 30 days after publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the notice of availability of the Final LANL SWEIS.
To view the document go to https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-00265