[Federal Register: February 27, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 39)]

[Notices]               

[Page 9065]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr27fe03-61]                         



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY



 

Los Alamos Site Office; National Nuclear Security Administration; 

Notice of Floodplain Involvement for the Fire Road Project at Los 

Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM



AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site 

Office, DOE.



ACTION: Notice of floodplain involvement.



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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los 

Alamos Site Office of the Department of Energy (DOE) plans to improve 

existing firebreaks and access roads into remote forested areas at Los 

Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the purpose of providing reliable 

access for fire fighting crews. Improvements will focus on changes to 

drainage crossings and improved roadbeds within floodplain areas. 

Improvements would be minor and would mostly consist of installing 

culverts and stabilizing roadbeds. These roads are limited use roads 

that are restricted to official access only. In accordance with 10 CFR 

part 1022, NNSA has prepared a floodplain/wetland assessment and will 

perform this proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize 

potential harm to or within the affected floodplain.



DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than March 14, 

2003.



ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Elizabeth Withers, 

Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los 

Alamos Site Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544, or submit 

them to the Mail Room at the above address between the hours of 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Written comments may also be sent 

electronically to: ewithers@doeal.gov or by facsimile to (505) 667-



9998.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Everett Trollinger, Department of 

Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site 

Office, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Telephone (505) 667-

0281, facsimile (505) 667-9998.

    For Further Information on General DOE Floodplain Environmental 

Review Requirements, contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of 

NEPA Policy and Compliance, EH-42, 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: After the May 2000 Cerro Grande Fire event, 

NNSA developed a Wildfire Hazard Reduction Program for LANL. This 

program includes the improvement of firebreaks and the improvement of 

access to remote portions of LANL through the upgrade and maintenance 

of the existing fire road network. There are about 12 firebreaks and 40 

fire roads at LANL that will be improved as part of this project. These 

improvements will require: clearing each road of hazard trees (mostly 

these are dead or dying trees); grading of the roads and realignment of 

sharp curves; cut and fill of road areas where needed to accommodate 

heavy fire fighting equipment.

    Culverts will be installed where necessary based on road substrate, 

and rock gabions and other erosion control features may also be 

installed. Disturbed soil will be revegetated after work is completed. 

Firebreak and road improvements will commence in fiscal year 2003 and 

be completed over the next 9 months.

    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 

and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), NNSA 

has prepared a floodplain/wetland assessment for this action, which is 

available by contacting Elizabeth Withers at the previously identified 

addresses, phone and facsimile numbers. The floodplain/wetland 

assessment is available for review at the DOE Reading Room at the Los 

Alamos Outreach Center, 1619 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM 878544; and 

the DOE Reading Room at the Zimmerman Library, University of New 

Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. The NNSA will publish a floodplain 

statement of findings for this project in the Federal Register no 

sooner than March 14, 2003.



    Issued in Los Alamos on February 14, 2003.

Ralph E. Erickson,

Manager, U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 

Administration, Los Alamos Site Office.

[FR Doc. 03-4607 Filed 2-26-03; 8:45 am]



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