DOE/EA-1410 Environmental Assessment of the Proposed
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DOE/EA-1410 Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Disposition of the Omega West Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico March 28, 2002 Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Los Alamos Site Operations EA for Disposition of the Omega West Facility TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...........................................................................................................S-1 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Background........................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Statement of Purpose and Need for Agency Action................................................ 1-4 1.4 Scope of This Environmental Assessment ............................................................... 1-6 1.5 Public Involvement................................................................................................. 1-6 2.0 Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives........................................................... 2-1 2.1 History and Description of the Omega West Facility............................................... 2-1 2.1.1 History of Omega West Facility.................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Omega West Facility Description................................................................. 2-3 2.2 Proposed Action: Complete Removal Alternative.................................................... 2-8 2.2.1 Special Considerations and Conditions Associated with the Omega Facility............................................................................ 2-11 2.2.2 Decontamination of Omega West Facility Structures................................... 2-12 2.2.3 Demolition of Omega West Facility............................................................ 2-14 2.2.4 Waste Management ................................................................................... 2-15 2.2.5 Post-D&D Actions.................................................................................... 2-19 2.3 Phased Removal Alternative................................................................................. 2-20 2.4 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 2-22 2.5 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Analysis ............................... 2-22 2.5.1 Historical Preservation of Reactor Vessel and Omega West Facilities Alternative ................................................................................. 2-22 2.5.2 Moving Reactor Vessel Alternative............................................................. 2-22 2.6 Related Actions ................................................................................................... 2-23 2.6.1 Final Site-wide EIS for the Continued Operation of the LANL............................................................................................ 2-23 DOE NNSA OLASO i March 28, 2002 EA for Disposition of the Omega West Facility 2.6.2 Final EIS for the Conveyance and Transfer of Certain Land Tracts Administered by the DOE and Located at LANL, Los Alamos and Santa Fe Counties, New Mexico.................................... 2-23 2.6.3 Special EA for Actions Taken in Response to the Cerro Grande Fire at LANL, Los Alamos, New Mexico................................................ 2-24 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT........................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Regional and Local Setting..................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Environmental Resources Not Affected .................................................................. 3-2 3.3 Environmental Resources Potentially Affected......................................................... 3-3 3.3.1 Human Health.............................................................................................. 3-3 3.3.2 Air Quality................................................................................................... 3-3 3.3.3 Waste Management ..................................................................................... 3-4 3.3.4 Transportation............................................................................................. 3-6 3.3.5 Noise .......................................................................................................... 3-7 3.3.6 Biological Resources.................................................................................... 3-7 3.3.7 Cultural Resources....................................................................................... 3-7 3.3.8 Water Resources......................................................................................... 3-9 3.3.9 Geology, Soils and Seismicity..................................................................... 3-12 3.3.10 Visual Resources ..................................................................................... 3-13 3.3.11 Socioeconomic Resources ....................................................................... 3-13 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Human Health.............................................................................................. 4-1 4.1.2 Air Quality................................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.3 Waste Management ..................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.4 Transportation............................................................................................. 4-4 4.1.5 Noise .......................................................................................................... 4-5 4.1.6 Biological Resources.................................................................................... 4-5 4.1.7 Cultural Resources....................................................................................... 4-6 4.1.8 Water Resources......................................................................................... 4-6 4.1.9 Geology, Soils and Seismicity....................................................................... 4-6 DOE NNSA OLASO ii March 28, 2002 EA for Disposition of the Omega West Facility 4.1.10 Visual Resources ....................................................................................... 4-7 4.2 Phased Removal Alternative................................................................................... 4-7 4.2.1 Human Health.............................................................................................. 4-7 4.2.2 Air Quality................................................................................................... 4-8 4.2.3 Waste Management ..................................................................................... 4-8 4.2.4 Transportation........................................................................................... 4-10 4.2.5 Noise ........................................................................................................ 4-10 4.2.6 Biological Resources.................................................................................. 4-10 4.2.7 Cultural Resources..................................................................................... 4-11 4.2.8 Water Resources....................................................................................... 4-11 4.2.9 Geology, Soils and Seismicity..................................................................... 4-11 4.2.10 Visual Resources ..................................................................................... 4-11 4.3 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 4-11 4.4 Accident Analysis ................................................................................................ 4-12 5.0 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS............................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 AGENCIES AND PERSONS CONSULTED.................................................................. 6-1 7.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 7-1 8.0 GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS................................................................ 8-1 APPENDICES DOE NNSA OLASO iii March 28, 2002 EA for Disposition of the Omega West Facility LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1. Los Alamos National Laboratory and Technical Areas............................................ 1-3 Figure 1-2. Technical Area 2 and Omega West Facility............................................................ 1-5 Figure 2-1. Relative Location of Omega West Facility, Including the Omega Stack.................... 2-2 Figure 2-2. First and Second Floorplans of Omega West Building 2-1...................................... 2-4 Figure 2-3. Basement Floorplan of Omega West Building 2-1................................................... 2-5 Figure 2-4. Cutaway View of Omega West Reactor................................................................