Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fire Protection Systems Upgrade, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Oak Ridge

National Laboratory Fire Protection Systems Upgrade, Oak Ridge,

Tennessee

AGENCY: Office of Science, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to upgrade

the fire suppression and life safety systems in selected facilities at

the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Fire suppression and life

safety systems in these facilities are over 30 years old, obsolete, and

do not provide adequate fire protection for personnel, equipment, and

research activities. The installation of belowground waterlines would

include disturbances of two small wetland areas and the 100-year

floodplain of White Oak Creek (WOC). In accordance with 10 CFR Part

1022, DOE will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment which will

assess impacts to these resources and consider practicable alternatives

to locating the action in the floodplain and wetlands. This proposed

action will be performed in a manner so as to avoid or minimize

potential harm to or within the affected floodplain and wetlands.

DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than October 1,

1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Mr. Stanley Frey, Capital

Asset Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Post Office Box 2008,

Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6269. Comments may be faxed to (423) 574-

9275.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PROPOSED ACTION, CONTACT: Stanley D.

Frey, U.S. Department of Energy, Post Office Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN

37831-6269, (423) 576-0136.

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, (202) 586-4600 or (800)

472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DOE is conducting response actions at

its ORNL Oak Ridge Site under the direction of the DOE Office of

Science. ORNL is located on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation in Roane and

Anderson Counties, Tennessee. As part of a comprehensive upgrade of the

existing fire alarm and suppression systems, DOE is proposing to

replace deteriorated and obsolete systems, and to extend coverage of

automatic fire alarm and sprinkler systems to areas not previously

served. The upgrades would reduce maintenance costs and the new systems

would bring affected facilities into compliance with current fire

safety codes and standards.

The proposed action would involve removing old fire alarm and

suppression systems and installing new ones, including: (1) Replacing

antiquated fire alarm systems in seven major research buildings

(Buildings 4500N, 4500S, 4501, etc.); (2) installing a sprinkler system

in offices and corridors of Wings 1-4 of Building 4500N; (3) replacing

and adding redundancy in the fire alarm and circuit monitoring systems

where needed; and (4) replacing an existing 16-inch-diameter water

pipeline in the 6000 area with approximately 7,200 ft of new (16-in-

diameter) water piping. Installation of new water mains would include

pressure reducing valves, isolation valves, fittings, hydrants, valve

pits, and other associated equipment and materials.

Installation of the belowground waterlines would include

disturbances of two small wetland areas and the floodplains of WOC in

the 6000 area of ORNL. WOC and its tributaries would be disturbed at

four locations by the following activities: (1) Constructing a coffer

dam or similar structure; (2) routing the stream water around the site

by constructing a bypass using a culvert or similar device; (3)

removing stream bed rock in preparation for the under-creek,

reinforced-concrete pipe trench; (4) pouring the concrete; (5)

embedding the pipeline in the concrete structure; (6) covering the

structure to the level of the original stream bed; and (7) routing the

stream water back into the stream bed. Construction activities would

also involve removing asphalt paving for the installation of the 16-in-

diameter pipe (ductile iron, mechanical joint), digging a trench

approximately 4 ft deep in the access roadway and parking lot areas,

and filling and repaving these areas after installation of the

pipeline.

Water quality within WOC and its tributaries would be protected

during excavation to the extent practicable by several measures.

Administrative controls would be used to stop work during major storm

events. When excavations would remain exposed overnight, erosion

controls would be installed to prevent the transport of silt downstream

by stormwater flows. Additionally, silt dams will be constructed within

the drainage in areas where the existing right-of-way route deviates

significantly from the defined channel. Restoration of excavated areas

within the drainage would include grading to avoid steep or vertical

slopes, and to minimize ponding and backfilling. Areas of exposed soil

outside the stream channels would be mulched and reseeded with an

annual grass to minimize erosion and allow the natural seedbank to

reestablish vegetative cover.

Wetland 1 is a 5-to-8 ft wide and approximately 50 ft long emergent

wetland, while Wetland 2 is an approximately 30-ft diameter irregular

shaped scrub-shrub wetland. An approximately 5-ft-wide by 4-ft-deep

trench would be excavated through the southern portion of the two

wetlands for the installation of belowground piping. Equipment and

personnel in the wetland area will be limited in accordance with an

approved Best Management Practices (BMP) plan, and excavated hydric

soils would be placed next to the site and reused as fill material. In

addition, silt fences would be installed to minimize runoff into the

wetlands in accordance with the BMP. No seeding or the planting of

vegetation will take place, and the wetlands will be allowed to return

to their natural states after completion of excavation activities.

In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain

and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), DOE

will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment for this proposed DOE

action. After DOE issues the assessment, a floodplain Statement of

Findings will be published in the Federal Register.

Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on August 30, 1999.

James L. Elmore,

Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.

[FR Doc. 99-24161 Filed 9-15-99; 8:45 am]

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