Environmental statements; notice of intent: Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM; Biosafety Level 3 Facility,

[Federal Register: December 30, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 250)]

[Notices]

[Page 77379-77380]

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

[DOCID:fr30de05-41]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration

Extension of Scoping Period for the Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Summary: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is extending the scoping period for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Dates: The scoping period for the EIS is extended from December 29, 2005, to January 17, 2006. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

Addresses: Written comments or suggestions concerning the scope of the Biosafety Level 3 Facility (BSL-3) EIS or requests for more information on the EIS and public scoping process may be directed to: Ms. Lisa Cummings, EIS Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Los Alamos Site Operations, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544; facsimile at (505) 665- 4873; or e-mail at lcummings@doeal.gov. A message may be left for Ms. Cummings at 1-866-506-2862.

For Further Information Contact: For information about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.

Supplementary Information: Subsequent to issuing an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact in February 2002, NNSA constructed a BSL-3 Facility at LANL. The BSL-3 Facility has never been operated. On November 29, 2005 (70 FR 71490), NNSA issued an NOI to prepare an EIS for the proposed operation of the BSL-3 Facility. As originally announced in the Notice of Intent, DOE has conducted public scoping meetings on the EIS in Los Alamos, Santa Fe, and Espa[ntilde]ola. The original public scoping period was to continue until December 29, 2005. However, in response to public comments and to ensure that the public has ample opportunity to provide

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comments, DOE is extending the public scoping period until January 17, 2006.

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 28, 2005. Alice C. Williams, NNSA NEPA Compliance Officer.

[FR Doc. 05-24689 Filed 12-29-05; 8:45 am]

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