The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Sandia Field Office is preparing a new site-wide environmental impact statement for continuing operations at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. The new SWEIS will replace the existing 1999 Sandia/New Mexico SWEIS (DOE/EIS-0281). Its purpose is to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with continuing current Sandia/New Mexico operations and foreseeable new and/or modified operations and facilities for approximately the next 15 years.
Public participation, including the submittal of comments, is important to the development of the SWEIS. Opportunities for public involvement are available throughout the process, and this section will be updated with information on how you can participate.
Resources
- Notice of Intent
- Scoping guidelines and tips
- Scoping meeting materials:
- Fact sheets:
- Notice of Availability (once published)
- Draft and Final Sandia/New Mexico SWEIS documents (once published)
- Record of Decision (once published)
The Draft and Final Sandia/New Mexico SWEIS documents will also be available for review in the Information Repository located at the Zimmerman Library on the University of New Mexico campus. Information is also available from the NNSA NEPA Reading Room and the DOE Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance.
Public Scoping: April 21 – June 5, 2023
The purpose of scoping is to encourage public involvement and to solicit public comments on the proposed scope of the SWEIS, which helps identify the range of reasonable alternatives and the environmental issues to be analyzed.
How to Submit Comments
The public scoping period begins on April 21, 2023 and runs through June 5, 2023. Comments on the scope should be submitted verbally or in writing at the public meetings listed below. In addition, written comments can be submitted by U.S. mail or email to the addresses listed below.
| By U.S. mail to: Attn: SNL/NM SWEIS Comments National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office PO Box 5400 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 | By email to: SNL-SWEIS@nnsa.doe.gov |
Please mark envelopes and emails as: SNL/NM SWEIS Comments.
DOE/NNSA will consider comments submitted through the last day of the scoping period. Late comments will be considered as practicable based on resources and schedule. Both oral and written comments will be considered and given equal weight by DOE/NNSA regardless of how submitted.
| Before including your address, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be advised that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information (excluding telephone numbers)—may be made publicly available. If you wish for DOE/NNSA to withhold your name and/or other personally identifiable information, please state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. You may also submit comments anonymously. |
Public Scoping Meetings
DOE/NNSA will hold two scoping meetings:
| What | When | Where |
| In-person public meeting (with the option to listen in virtually) | Tuesday, May 9, 2023 6:30 p.m. – 8:50 p.m. MDT (preceded by a poster session and registration starting at 5:30 p.m.) | New Mexico Veterans Memorial, Museum, and Conference Center 1100 Louisiana Blvd SE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108 Listen only: Access by Internet: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1618755753 Access by Telephone: toll-free 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 161 875 5753 |
| Virtual public meeting | Thursday, May 11, 2023 6:30 – 8:50 p.m. MDT (virtual platform opens at 6:15 pm) | Access by Internet: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1608652437 Access by Telephone: toll-free 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 160 865 2437 |
Each speaker will get an initial 3 minutes to give comments, with additional 3-minute opportunities to comment if time allows.
If you require special accommodations, please email SNL-SWEIS@nnsa.doe.gov at least 2 weeks before the meeting.
Hearings
DOE/NNSA will hold public hearings and collect comments on the Draft SWEIS once it is published. This site will be updated with details on how to participate in that part of the process before publication of the Draft SWEIS.
Questions?
If you have further questions or would like to register to speak at a scoping meeting, submit a scoping comment, or be added to the mailing list, please send your request to SNL-SWEIS@nnsa.doe.gov.