Public comment period extended for EIS

By Mark Waite

The U.S. Department of Energy extended the public comment period for the draft environmental impact statement for the Nevada National Security Site from Oct. 27 to Dec. 2.

It will be the first EIS prepared for the NNSS, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site since 1996. It is an analysis of how current and potential missions at the site and off-site locations may affect the environment for the next 10 years.

"This document provides the community an in-depth analysis of the impacts resulting from current and potential activities," said Scott Wade, assistant manager for environmental management.

The National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing three alternatives, for expanded operations, reduced operations and no changes. The preferred alternative will be identified in the final EIS.

The NNSS is where the nation conducts testing of the nuclear weapons stockpile. It is also being used for a counterterrorism program, storing low level nuclear waste and a part of Area 25 is proposed for a renewable energy test zone.

The NNSA held five public hearings on the plan, including one at the Pahrump Nugget Casino Sept. 21, which was sparsely attended.

Nye County Commissioners approved a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy during a special Oct. 24 videoconference, in which they said the EIS didn't correctly evaluate the current conditions. The DOE failed to acknowledge historic federal actions like land withdrawals and the effect on water availability, the county states.

Nye County supported a resolution passed by the Nevada Legislature this session asking the federal government to enter into discussions on mitigation with Nye County from the impact of nuclear testing at the NNSS. Nye County was denied access to water rights on the NNSS.

In its comments on the EIS, Nye County reiterates comments made in the state resolution that the DOE should coordinate groundwater studies with Nye County scientists and asks the NNSS to provide funding to conduct independent, groundwater studies. The county believes the vast majority of the water on the NNSS is safe for public use.

The EIS is deficient in it doesn't include the impacts of the Yucca Mountain repository, the county letter states.

Nye County supports the DOE plan to develop renewable energy on the former test site, the county notes the four basins contain 5,844 to 8,964 acre feet, the water demand from solar power in the EIS would be a maximum of 3,124 acre feet per year. But the county wants funding to study the perennial yield.

However the county said a solar power project on Area 25, near Lathrop Wells, would conflict with highway and rail access to the Yucca Mountain repository; a solar tower there could create problems with U.S. Air Force flight restrictions. Nye County also questions commercial scale power production as being part of the NNSS mission of weapons-related testing. Nye County also questioned a statement in the EIS a 240-megawatt, commercial solar power facility would create 150 full-time operating jobs as unrealistic.

The reduced operations alternative under the EIS would limit access to underground monitoring wells on Pahute Mesa, the county said. The EIS also doesn't provide enough detail on transportation shipping routes, like the source of shipments and number of shipments of low and mixed level nuclear waste, the letter states.

The expanded operations scenario would allow the DOE to ship low level nuclear waste through the Spaghetti Bowl and over Hoover Dam in Clark County.

The expanded operations scenario would double the number of dynamic experiments and quintuple conventional explosive experiments. Three areas would be established for conducting explosive experiments with depleted uranium under the expanded operations.

Shock physics experiments would increase, and at the Large Bore Powder Gun. The Atlas Facility would be activated, plasma physics and fusion experiments at the DOE North Las Vegas facility would also increase. A new, 85,000-square-foot, multi-story security building would be constructed and an urban warfare complex. A facility would simulate the release of radionuclides.

The draft document can be accessed on line at www.nv.energy.gov or by calling 1-877-781-6105. Public comments can be provided via the web site, or by calling 1-877-781-6105, or faxing 1-702-295-5300. Comments may be mailed to P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, Nev. 890193-8518, attention NNSS SWEIS document manager.

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