Summary

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program (SPDP) (DOE/EIS-0549) that evaluates the potential environmental impacts of alternatives for the disposition of surplus plutonium.

Public Comment Opportunities

NNSA is making the Draft SPDP EIS available for public review and comment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NNSA has also announced three in-person public hearings and one online virtual meeting to receive comments on the Draft SPDP EIS.

NNSA prepared the Draft SPDP EIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of dispositioning 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium using capabilities at multiple sites across the Nation. NNSA’s preferred alternative would implement a dilute and dispose strategy, which includes processing surplus plutonium to plutonium oxide, diluting it with an adulterant to inhibit plutonium recovery, and disposing the resulting contact-handled transuranic waste in the existing Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility. The Draft SPDP EIS analyzes the preferred alternative including various sub-alternatives that would require capabilities at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the Pantex Plant in Texas, the WIPP facility in New Mexico, and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. The Draft SPDP EIS also analyzes a No Action Alternative.

The locations of the three in-person public hearings and the contact information for the virtual online meeting are provided below. Any changes to the meeting dates or times will be posted on this page.

Click on this link for a direct connection to the Online Zoom meeting for the January 30, 2023 meeting.

For the three in-person hearings, the first 30 minutes will be a poster session, which will be followed by a presentation by NNSA and a public comment session. Representatives will be available at the poster session to answer your questions. The posters will be available on this website prior to the meeting. During the public comment session, NNSA will receive formal public comments with transcription by a court stenographer. NNSA will not answer any questions during the formal public comment period. The meetings will conclude at the end of the posted meeting time or when the public comment period is finished, whichever is earlier.

OPTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS

NNSA invites Federal and state agencies, Native American Tribes, state and local governments, industry, other organizations, and members of the public to submit comments on the Draft SPDP EIS. NNSA will consider all comments received or postmarked by the end of the comment period in preparing the Final SPDP EIS. Comments received or postmarked after the comment period will be considered to the extent practicable.

Written comments on the Draft SPDP EIS should be received or postmarked by March 16, 2023 and sent to:

U.S. Mail

Maxcine Maxted, NEPA Document Manager

National Nuclear Security Administration

Office of Material Management and Minimization

Savannah River Site

P.O. Box A, Bldg. 730-2B, Rm. 328

Aiken, SC 29802

Phone: (803) 952-7434 to leave a message

E-mail:  SPDP-EIS@NNSA.DOE.GOV

You may submit comments anonymously. If you wish for NNSA to withhold your name and/or other personally identifiable information, please state this at the beginning of the comment. Otherwise, please be advised that your entire comment – including your personally identifiable information – may be made publicly available.