Summary

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE), is preparing a new Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for the Continued Operation of Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico. The purpose and need for continued operation of SNL/NM has not changed from those identified in the 1999 SNL/NM SWEIS and continues to include supporting NNSA and other DOE missions as directed by Congress and the President. Currently, facilities and capabilities that support many NNSA and other DOE mission priorities are found only at SNL/NM. NNSA needs to continue SNL/NM operations to meet its core mission requirements. A further purpose of the continued operation of SNL/NM is to provide capabilities available at the site in support of strategic partnership projects, under which SNL/NM oversees national security-related research, development, and testing programs, and conducts work for other entities, including other federal and state government agencies, industry, and academic institutions.

This EIS is being prepared to replace DOE/EIS-0466 which was started in 2011.

Public Comment Opportunities

NNSA invites federal agencies, tribes, state and local governments, industry, organizations, public interest groups, local businesses, and members of the general public to submit comments on the scope of the SNL/NM SWEIS through June 5, 2023. NNSA will consider all comments on the scope of the SNL/NM SWEIS received or postmarked during the comment period. Comments received or postmarked after the comment period ends will be considered to the extent practicable. NNSA will accept public comments on the proposed scope of the SNL/NM SWEIS in written and verbal form, and it will give equal weight to comments provided by either method.

NNSA will conduct two public scoping meetings at which verbal comments may be provided, including one in-person meeting with a virtual link for listening only and one virtual meeting, scheduled as follows:

• In-person Meeting: Tuesday, May 9, 2023; 6:30-8:50 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, preceded by a poster session starting at 5:30 p.m., at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial, Museum & Conference Center, 1100 Louisiana Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. Listen-in for May 9: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1618755753, toll-free 833-568- 8864, Meeting ID: 161 875 5753.

• Virtual Meeting: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 6:30-8:50 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, Listen-in and Participation for May 11: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1608652437, tollfree 833-568-8864, Meeting ID: 160 865 2437.

• Further information about the public scoping meetings, including any changes in dates, places, or times, will be posted on the NNSA NEPA Reading Room.

Written comments on the scope of the SNL/NM SWEIS or requests for information related to the SNL/NM SWEIS may be sent via postal mail to:

SNL/NM SWEIS Comments
National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office
PO Box 5400
Albuquerque, NM 87185

or by email to:

SNL-SWEIS@nnsa.doe.gov or adria.bodour@nnsa.doe.gov

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment, please be advised that your entire comment - including your personally identifiable information - might be made publicly available. If you wish for NNSA to withhold your name and/or other personally identifiable information, please state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. You may submit comments anonymously.