Since Livermore Lab’s January announcement that it is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to analyze its proposal for “Enhanced Plutonium Facility Utilization,” Tri-Valley CAREs has focused on organizing the community to engage in the public “scoping” process. This included helping assisting interested individuals and organizations prepare oral comments at a virtual public hearing as well as assisting with the preparation of longer written comments. Click here for more about our organizing work.
The public comment period has now come to a close (although the Lab will accept late comments “to the extent practicable, so if you still have a comment to make, you can try to submit it, click here for more). There were over 70 people who participated in the public hearing on January 28th (most of whom were Tri-Valley CAREs members) and many more who have contacted us to help with thier written comments.
Behind the scenes, our staff also worked with to prepare a Tri-Valley CAREs technical comment on the document. Our comment touches on a wide range of concerns, suggested alternatives to analyze, potential impacts to analyze and questions for the Draft version of the SEIS to answer.
The proposal would raise the security category from Category III to Category II, allowing for a significant increase in the “throughput” of nuclear weapons-grade plutonium at the Livermore Lab. The National Environmental Policy Act requires this scoping public comment period for major actions the government proposes such as this in order to improve the environmental review process and make the analysis one that responds to public needs.
As we now wait for the Draft SEIS, we will continue to keep you informed on the process.
Click here for the Federal Register Notice >
Click here for Tri-Valley CAREs’ Press Release >
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