Welcome to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Reading Room. This site serves as a focal point for NNSA NEPA implementation and will contain information about past and current NNSA NEPA actions as well as other resources for NEPA practitioners and members of the public.

 

Second public meeting details announced for proposed LANL transmission line upgrade project

The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and cooperating agencies will hold a second public meeting Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, from 4-7 pm, regarding the Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-2199) (EA).

The public meeting will take place at Santa Fe Community College, Jemez Room, 6401 Richards Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87508. The meeting will start with a poster information session at 4 p.m., followed at 4:30 pm by a presentation on the draft EA and a comment period.

A hybrid option is available for the meeting and will start at 4:30 pm. The link to the virtual meeting is: http://tinyurl.com/LANLEPCUEA2

Meeting ID: 216 364 231 301      Passcode: KWf2M2

To join the meeting by telephone, call: 719-283-1404      Phone Conference ID: 660 740 035#

The first official comment period opened on Dec. 19, 2023, and ended Jan. 17, 2024. The cooperating agencies determined a second 30-day comment period is warranted based on multiple factors, including community concerns recently raised about the timing of the current comment period. The second comment period opened on January 22, 2024, and will close February 20, 2024. This second comment period will allow for greater public involvement and meaningful participation by interested parties. All written comments submitted during the official comment periods will be considered. Comments submitted during the first comment period do not need to be submitted again in the second comment period. Interested parties must submit specific comments during an official comment period in order to have standing to object as part of the Forest Service’s pre-decisional administrative review process (objection) 36 CFR 218 and 219.

The draft EA was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office. NNSA announced on Nov. 16, 2023, the availability and comment period for the draft EA.  

The draft EA includes proposed amendments to the 2022 Forest Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest that would allow for the designation of a utility corridor. The draft EA analyzes the construction and operation of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line and upgrading LANL’s existing electrical infrastructure. LANL requires a reliable and redundant electrical power supply to support mission programs and other activities conducted at LANL facilities. Electrical power supply forecasts project that existing transmission lines that serve LANL and Los Alamos County will reach capacity before 2030, jeopardizing DOE/NNSA’s electrical power supply to meet mission requirements.  

The draft EA provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the project or to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) authorities. 

The document is available in the NNSA NEPA Reading Room at: /nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room or directly at /nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project

Questions, EA and Forest Plan amendment comments, and/or requests for a paper copy of the draft EA may be submitted via U.S. mail to:   

NNSA Los Alamos Field Office   
ATTN: EPCU Project NEPA   
3747 West Jemez Road   
Los Alamos, NM 87544

or emailed to: EPCUEA@nnsa.doe.gov   

Comments may be submitted to the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office via mail or through the email address listed above. Comments will not be accepted over the telephone. All comments must be received during the official comment periods. 

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Adjustments made to LANL transmission line public meeting, weather could impact in-person accessibility
JANUARY 10th UPDATE:

The National Nuclear Security Administration has made adjustments to the Thursday, January 11, public meeting for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment to accommodate crowd-size and a potential snowstorm.

The meeting will be in the Jemez Rooms in the West Wing of Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave. Attendees are encouraged to enter via the Main Entrance. A campus map is available at the bottom of this notification and at https://www.sfcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Map-w_rooms-working_outlines.pdf

There will also be signs and meeting hosts to direct attendees to the correct room.

The in-person meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The virtual session begins at 4:30 p.m.

NNSA offers virtual access to the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If weather causes college administration to close the campus, NNSA will continue to hold the meeting virtually. Please check the college homepage for any announcement that the campus is closed: https://www.sfcc.edu/

The link to the virtual meeting is: http://tinyurl.com/LANLEPCUEA   Meeting ID: 228 221 321 784   Passcode: VjHXeB

To join the meeting by telephone, call: 719-283-1404  Phone Conference ID: 386 130 995# 

The draft environmental assessment is available online at: /nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project

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Public meeting and supplemental comment period details announced for proposed LANL transmission line upgrade project

The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and cooperating agencies will hold a public meeting Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, from 4-7 pm, regarding the Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-2199) (EA), and will hold a second public comment period for the document.

The public meeting will take place at Santa Fe Community College, Room 216, West Wing, 6401 Richards Ave., Santa Fe, NM, 87508. The meeting will start with a poster information session at 4 p.m., followed at 4:30 pm by a presentation on the draft EA and a comment period.

A hybrid option is available for the meeting and will start at 4:30 pm. The link to the virtual meeting is: http://tinyurl.com/LANLEPCUEA
Meeting ID: 228 221 321 784   Passcode: VjHXeB

To join the meeting by telephone, call: 719-283-1404  Phone Conference ID: 386 130 995# 

The first official comment period opened on Dec. 19, 2023, and runs through Jan. 17, 2024. The cooperating agencies determined a second 30-day comment period is warranted based on multiple factors, including community concerns recently raised about the timing of the current comment period. The second comment period will be open from Jan. 22, 2024, for 30 days calculated with the publication of the legal notice in the newspaper of record. The comment period will close Feb. 20, 2024. 

This second comment period will allow for greater public involvement and meaningful participation by interested parties. All written comments submitted during the official comment periods will be considered. Interested parties must submit specific comments during an official comment period in order to raise an issue during a future objection period under Forest Service regulations. 

The draft EA was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office. NNSA announced on Nov. 16, 2023, the availability and comment period for the draft EA.  

The draft EA includes proposed amendments to the 2022 Forest Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest that would allow for the designation of a utility corridor. The draft EA analyzes the construction and operation of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line and upgrading LANL’s existing electrical infrastructure. LANL requires a reliable and redundant electrical power supply to support mission programs and other activities conducted at LANL facilities. Electrical power supply forecasts project that existing transmission lines that serve LANL and Los Alamos County will reach capacity before 2030, jeopardizing DOE/NNSA’s electrical power supply to meet mission requirements.  

The draft EA provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the project or to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) authorities. 

The document is available in the NNSA NEPA Reading Room at: /nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room or directly at /nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project

Questions, EA and Forest Plan amendment comments, and/or requests for a paper copy of the draft EA may be submitted via U.S. mail to:   

NNSA Los Alamos Field Office
ATTN: EPCU Project NEPA
3747 West Jemez Road
Los Alamos, NM 87544   

or emailed to: EPCUEA@nnsa.doe.gov   

Comments may be submitted to the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office via mail or through the email address listed above or at the public meeting. Comments will not be accepted over the telephone outside of the public meeting. All comments must be received during the official comment periods.

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL POWER CAPACITY UPGRADE (EPCU) PROJECT AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LAB, NEW MEXICO, DOE/EA-2199, AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT

NNSA invites the public to review and comment on the draft Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (EPCU EA) (DOE/EA-2199). The EPCU EA was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office. The draft EA includes proposed amendments to the 2022 Forest Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest that would allow for the designation of a utility corridor and permanent easement on SFNF-administered lands.    

The draft EA analyzes the construction and operation of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line and upgrading LANL’s existing electrical infrastructure. LANL requires a reliable and redundant electrical power supply to support mission programs and other activities conducted at LANL facilities. Electrical power supply forecasts project that existing transmission lines that serve LANL and Los Alamos County will reach capacity before 2030, jeopardizing DOE/NNSA’s electrical power supply to meet mission requirements.  

The draft EA provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the project or to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act authorities. 

The first official comment period opened on Dec. 19, 2023, and runs through Jan. 17, 2024. The cooperating agencies determined a second 30-day comment period is warranted based on multiple factors, including community concerns recently raised about the timing of the current comment period. The second comment period will be open from Jan. 22, 2024, for 30 days calculated with the publication of the legal notice in the newspaper of record. The comment period will close Feb. 20, 2024.

Please submit any EPCU EA and Forest Plan amendment comments, questions, and/or requests for a paper copy of the draft EA by February 20, 2024.

By email to: EPCUEA@nnsa.doe.gov

By U.S. mail to:
NNSA Los Alamos Field Office 
ATTN: EPCU Project NEPA
3747 West Jemez Road
Los Alamos, NM 87544   

Comments may be submitted to the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office via mail or through the email address listed above. Comments will not be accepted over the telephone. Comments received after January 17, 2024, will be considered to the extent practicable for preparation of the final EA and decision document. A public meeting will be scheduled during the comment period and announced on this website and via the LANL GovDelivery system.

The Draft EPCU EA is available here for your review:
/nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) NEPA documents

Sandia National Laboratory (Sandia) Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) NEPA documents

Record of Decision (ROD) for the final EIS for Plutonium Pit Production at the Savannah River Site (SRS)

Amended Record of Decision (AROD) of the Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (CT SPEIS) for Pit Production at SRS  

Final SRS Pit Production EIS

NNSA’s Notice of Availability (NOA) of the final SRS Pit Production EIS in the Federal Register

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Notice of Availability (NOA) of the final SRS Pit Production EIS in the Federal Register

Amended Record of Decision (AROD) of the Complex Transformation Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (CT SPEIS) for Pit Production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

AROD of the 2008 LANL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for Pit Production at LANL

Final SA of the SWEIS for pit production at LANL

The draft SA of the 2008 SWEIS for Continued Operations of LANL is available here for your review

More information on the 2008 SWEIS for Continued Operations of LANL is available here.

The Final SA for the Complex Transformation SPEIS is available here for your review.

The Notice of Availability of Final Supplement Analysis for the Complex Transformation SPEIS is available here for your review.

The Draft SA for the Complex Transformation SPEIS is available here for your review.

The Federal Register Notice of Availability is available here for your review.

More information on the Complex Transformation SPEIS is available for your review.

The Federal Register Notice of Intent for the Savannah River Site (SRS) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) announcing the plutonium pit production NEPA strategy is available here for your review.

SRS Pit Production EIS Scoping Meeting presentation from 6/27/2019 public scoping meeting.

The draft SRS Pit Production EIS

NNSA’s Federal Register Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft SRS Pit Production EIS

The Environmental Protection Agency’s NOA of the draft SRS Pit Production EIS in the Federal Register

The SRS Pit Production EIS page

  • Environmental Assessment (EA) - A concise public document that a Federal agency prepares under NEPA to provide sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether a proposed agency action would require preparation of an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact.
  • Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) - The detailed written statement that is required by section 102(2)(C) of NEPA for a proposed major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
  • Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) - A public document issued by a Federal agency briefly presenting the reasons why an action for which the agency has prepared an environmental assessment will not have a significant effect on the human environment and, therefore, will not require preparation of an environmental impact statement.
  • A Floodplain and Wetland Assessment is an evaluation that DOE prepares under DOE Floodplain and Wetland Environmental Review Requirements (10 CFR Part 1022) consisting of a description of a proposed action, a discussion of its potential effects on the floodplain or wetland, and consideration of alternatives. A Floodplain Statement of Findings is a brief document issued pursuant to 10 CFR 1022.14 that describes the results of the floodplain assessment.
  • A Mitigation Action Plan is a document DOE prepares in accordance with DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR 1021.331) that describes the plan for implementing commitments made in a DOE environmental impact statement and its associated record of decision, or, when appropriate, an EA or FONSI, to mitigate adverse environmental impacts associated with an action.
  • Notice of Availability (NOA) is a formal notice, published in the Federal Register, that announces the issuance and public availability of a draft or final EIS. The Environmental Protection Agency NOA is the official public notification of an EIS; a DOE NOA is an optional notice used to provide information to the public.
  • Notice of Intent (NOI) is a formal announcement of intent to prepare an EIS as defined in Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1508.22). DOE publishes NOIs in the Federal Register in accordance with DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR 1021.311). On rare occasions we may produce and issue an Advance NOI which means a formal public notice of DOE's intent to prepare an EIS, which is published in advance of an NOI in order to facilitate public involvement in the NEPA process.
  • Programmatic NEPA document means a broad-scope EIS (PEIS) or EA that identifies and assesses the environmental impacts of a DOE program; it may also refer to an associated NEPA document, such as an NOI, ROD, or FONSI.
  • A Record of Decision (ROD) is a concise public document that records a Federal agency's decision(s) concerning a proposed action for which the agency has prepared an environmental impact statement (See CEQ and DOE NEPA regulations at 40 CFR 1505.2 and 10 CFR 1021.315, respectively).
  • Scoping means the process described at 40 CFR 1501.7; “public scoping process” refers to that portion of the scoping process where the public is invited to participate, as described at 40 CFR 1501.7 (a)(1) and (b)(4).
  • Site-wide NEPA document means a broad-scope EIS (SWEIS) or EA that is programmatic in nature and identifies and assesses the individual and cumulative impacts of ongoing and reasonably foreseeable future actions at a DOE site; Site-wide may also refer to an associated NEPA document, such as an NOI, ROD, or FONSI.
  • Supplement Analysis (SA) means a DOE document used to determine whether a supplemental EIS should be prepared pursuant to 40 CFR 1502.9(c), or to support a decision to prepare a new EIS.
  • Supplemental EIS (SEIS) means an EIS prepared to supplement a prior EIS as provided at 40 CFR 1502.9(c).

For more information about the NEPA law and guidance, please go to this page.

For more information about NNSA NEPA documents, please contact NEPA@nnsa.doe.gov.