Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site Investigation Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Area of Responsibility

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site Investigation

Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Area of

Responsibility

AGENCY: Oak Ridge Operations Office, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Floodplain Statement of Findings.

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SUMMARY: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings for Site

Investigation Activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP),

McCracken County, Kentucky, prepared in accordance with 10 CFR Part

1022 Compliance With Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review

Requirements. DOE proposes to conduct preliminary engineering and site

investigation activities as required under the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), underground storage tank

regulations, or other regulations and directives within the PGDP area

of responsibility. Some site investigation activities may occur within

500-year or 100-year floodplains of streams within the study area. The

areas of the 100- and 500-year floodplains are 1.12 km\2\ (112.1

hectares, 276.9 acres) and 1.24 km\2\ (123.5 hectares, 305.2 acres),

respectively. DOE has prepared a floodplain assessment describing the

possible effects, alternatives, and measures designed to avoid or

minimize potential harm to floodplains or their flood storage

potential. Actions will not be located in floodplains if practicable

alternatives exist. DOE will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review

after publication of the statement of findings before conducting site

investigations or preliminary engineering activities in floodplains at

the PGDP area of responsibility. Actions conducted under CERCLA will

comply with the substantive requirements of 10 CFR 1022 and 33 CFR 330

as provided for under the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300, et

seq.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mr. Robert C. Sleeman, Director,

Environmental Restoration Division (EW-91), DOE Oak Ridge Operations

Office, Post Office Box 2001, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8540, Telephone:

(423) 576-3534, Facsimile: (423) 576-6074.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL DOE FLOODPLAIN/WETLAND ENVIRONMENTAL

REVIEW REQUIREMENTS, CONTACT: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of

NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-

4600 or (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Floodplain Involvement was

published in the Federal Register on October 5, 1993 (58 FR 51812), and

a floodplain assessment was prepared. The floodplain assessment covers

a variety of intrusive and non-intrusive preliminary engineering and

site investigation activities that may be used at one or more sites

within the PGDP area of responsibility. These activities include (as

detailed in the October 5, 1993, notice), but are not limited to: ``(a)

Sampling of air, surface water, groundwater, sediments, surface and

deeper soils; sampling assessment, and evaluation of terrestrial and

aquatic biota, and measurement of meteorological characteristics; (b)

drilling of boreholes to obtain soil/geological samples (some of the

boreholes would be completed as groundwater monitoring wells); (c)

digging soil test pits by hand or backhoe; (d) taking a variety of non-

invasive surveys (such as radiological surveys); (e) taking invasive

surveys (such as with soil penetrometers and similar devices); and (f)

conducting underground tests (such as aquifer pump, tracer geophysical

log, vertical seismic profile, and seismic tests).''

Sampling sites will be located outside of floodplains to the extent

practicable (i.e., when data quality is not compromised). Sampling

activities within floodplains are expected to be limited to activities

related to surface and sediment sampling and a minimum number of

boreholes, wells, and soil test pits. Most of the activities addressed

by the floodplain assessment will result in no measurable impact on

floodplain cross-sections or flood stage, and thus do not increase the

risk of flooding. Those specific activities that are identified during

review of sampling plans as possibly impacting negatively upon the

floodplain (e.g., installation of flumes and construction of access

roads) may require separate floodplain assessments and the

implementation of mitigative measures. Alternatively, DOE may opt to

omit the activity or relocate the activity to an alternate site outside

of the floodplain. Site investigation activities addressed in the

floodplain assessment conform to applicable floodplain protection

standards.

Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on June 5, 1996.

James L. Elmore,

Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-16122 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]

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