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Floodplain Statement of Finding for the Disposition of the Omega West Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 
[Federal Register: April 2, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 63)]
[Notices]
[Page 15555-15556]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02ap02-64]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
 
Floodplain Statement of Finding for the Disposition of the Omega 
West Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

AGENCY: Office of Los Alamos Site Operations, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Floodplain statement of finding.

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SUMMARY: This Floodplain Statement of Findings is for the disposition 
of the Omega West Facility from the Los Alamos Canyon floodplain at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico. This 
Statement of Findings is prepared in accordance with 10 CFR part 1022. 
The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA), Office of Los Alamos Site Operations plans to 
decontaminate and demolish the Omega West Facility from the Los Alamos 
Canyon bottom to reduce the potential for radioactive contaminant 
spread and debris dissemination in the event of a major flood. The 
Omega West Facility (the Facility) housed an old research reactor known 
as the Omega West Reactor (OWR). The OWR was shut down in 1992 and the 
fuel rods were removed from the Facility in 1994. The Facility, 
originally constructed in 1944, and its associated structures are of 
advanced age and not in a condition suitable for renovation or 
reapplication. Further, they are located within a potential flood 
pathway. There is no foreseeable future use for the Facility, which is 
eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. 
NNSA prepared a floodplain assessment describing the effects, and 
measures designed to avoid or minimize potential harm to or within the 
affected floodplains.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Withers, U. S. Department of 
Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site 
Operations Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos NM 87544. Telephone 
(505) 667-8690, or facsimile (505) 667-9998; or electronic address: 
ewithers@doeal.gov. For Further Information on General DOE Floodplain 
Environmental Review Requirements, Contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, 
Telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756; facsimile (202) 586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    A Notice of Floodplain Involvement was published in the Federal 
Register on February 20, 2002 (67 FR 7674). This Notice announced that 
the Floodplain Assessment would be issued together as part of the draft 
Environmental Assessment (EA). The draft EA was distributed to the 
State, Tribes, and interested parties, and was also placed in the DOE's 
public Reading Rooms in Los Alamos and Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 
4, 2002 for a 21-day comment period. No comments were received from the 
Federal Register notice on the proposed floodplain action.
    In May 2000, the Cerro Grande Fire burned across the upper and mid-
elevation zones of several watersheds, including the Los Alamos Canyon 
watershed. Several of the Omega Facility's small support buildings and 
structures were demolished and

[[Page 15556]]

disposed of during the first 6 months post Cerro Grande Fire. The 
remaining buildings, including Building 2-1 that houses the OWR vessel, 
and the associated structures and utilities and infrastructure, 
continue to be vulnerable to damage from flooding and mudflows as a 
result of the fire and the changed environmental conditions upstream 
from the Facility. While all buildings are vulnerable, the support 
buildings and structures are especially at risk due to their 
construction characteristics.

Project Description

    NNSA proposes to decontaminate and demolish (D&D) the OWR vessel 
and the remaining Omega West Facility structures located within Los 
Alamos Canyon at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New 
Mexico. The activities would consist of characterization and removal of 
radiological and other potential contamination in all the structures 
and subsequent demolition of the structures; dismantlement of the 
reactor vessel; segregation, size reduction, packaging, transportation, 
and disposal of wastes; and removal of several feet of potentially 
contaminated soil from beneath the reactor vessel; and recontouring and 
reseeding of the site. Decontamination of the Omega West Facility would 
include the removal of nonradiological and radiological contamination 
from building and structure surfaces throughout the Omega West 
Facility. The extent of decontamination performed would be limited to 
those activities required to minimize radiological and hazardous 
material exposure to workers, the public, and the environment. Once the 
Omega West Facility has been decontaminated, the buildings, structures, 
foundations, and other facility components would be demolished. All 
building and structural materials would be removed from the canyon and 
sent to appropriate disposal sites.

Alternatives

    The draft EA considers one alternative, the Phased Removal 
Alternative, in addition to the Proposed Action and the No Action 
alternatives. Under Phased Removal Alternative, part of the Omega West 
Facility would be demolished in the near-term and part would be left 
undemolished until some point in the next 20 to 30 years. The Proposed 
Alternative would remove the entire Omega West Facility from the 
floodplain, out of the canyon, disposition the waste from the 
demolition, and would restore the site to a near natural condition.

Floodplain Impacts

    The proposed action would benefit the floodplain. Removal of the 
Omega West Facility would restore floodplain values by removing 
obstructions to the natural flow and function of the floodplain. It 
would also remove a source of potential radioactive and non-
radiological contamination to the downstream floodplain. Should a rain 
event occur during this activity, there may be some sediment movement 
down canyon because of the loosened condition of the soil from all the 
demolition and disposition.

Floodplain Mitigation

    Best management practices for minimizing soil disturbance would be 
in place to reduce the potential for erosion. No debris would be left 
in the canyon bottom. There would be no vehicle maintenance or fueling 
within 100 feet of the stream channel. Any sediment movement from the 
site would be short term and temporary.

    Issued in Los Alamos, New Mexico on March 19, 2002.
Corey A. Cruz,
Acting Director, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Office of Los Alamos Site Operations.
[FR Doc. 02-7923 Filed 4-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
 

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