Mercury Storage EIS
 The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 directed the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to designate a facility
or facilities for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States.
As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, DOE prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider the impacts of the required action. DOE
issued the Final Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Environmental Impact Statement (Final Mercury Storage EIS) in January 2011. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and
the Mesa County Board of Commissioners (Mesa County, Colorado) are cooperating agencies on this EIS.
DOE is committed to robust public involvement. Scoping meetings on this EIS were held near potential mercury storage sites during the summer of 2009, and both oral and written comments were accepted during a 45-day public comment period on the scope
of the EIS. These comments were considered in preparing the draft EIS. Following release of the draft EIS in January 2010, nine public hearings were held near sites analyzed in the draft EIS, and oral and written comments were
accepted during a 60-day comment period. All comments were considered by DOE in the final EIS.
The final EIS evaluates seven candidate sites for a long-term mercury storage facility or facilities. DOE identified the Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas, as the
preferred alternative. The final EIS includes all comments received during the public comment period along with DOE's
responses. The EIS Summary and Guide for Stakeholders, fact sheets, and other informational materials
explain the major areas analyzed and the potential impacts identified for each site.
The final EIS or its Summary and Guide for Stakeholders have been distributed to stakeholders who requested them. The EIS and the
summary are available on this site and at http://www.nepa.energy.gov/1630.htm. DOE expects to make a decision in the spring of 2011. The selection of a
site will be based on this final EIS and other appropriate factors and will be announced in a Record of Decision in the Federal Register.
Adobe's Acrobat Reader required to view some documents on this site.
|
