Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Proposed Conveyance of Land at the Hanford Site, Richland, WA and Notice of Potential Floodplain and Wetland Involvement

Résumé

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) NEPA implementing regulations, DOE is announcing its intention to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA; DOE/EA-1915) to assess the potential environmental effects of conveying approximately 1,641 acres of Hanford Site land to a local economic development organization. Conveyance of the land could include title transfer, lease, easement, license, or a combination of these realty actions. The Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), a DOE designated Community Reuse Organization (CRO) and 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation, submitted a proposal to DOE in May 2011 (amended October 2011) requesting the transfer of approximately 1,641 acres of land located in the southeastern corner of the Hanford Site near the City of Richland in Benton County, Washington for economic development purposes. DOE anticipates that there may be continuing mission needs, such as security and safety buffer zones on some of the requested lands, making them less suitable for conveyance. Therefore, the lands that will be addressed in the EA analysis will include the acr