Please feel free to print and complete the following letter to Ms. Elizabeth Withers, NEPA Compliance Officer, DOE's Office of Environment, and let her know that would like an extension of time to comment on the proposed Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory at LANL.

January _____, 2002

Ms. Elizabeth Withers
NEPA Compliance Officer
Office of Environment
528 35th Street
Los Alamos, NM 87544

Re: Predecisional Draft Environmental Assessment
Proposed Construction and Operation of a Biosafety Level 3 Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory DOE/EA-1364

Dear Ms. Withers:

The predecisional draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will not support a finding of no significant impact. There are too many unknowns and uncertainties that are not addressed in the EA. The Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) must prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement with opportunity for public comment and public hearing.

There are many unknowns and uncertainties in the draft EA. These include an incomplete analysis of the human health risks where DOE/NNSA propose using LANL's past experience with BSL-1 and BSL-2 laboratories to assign risk because "information on human health effects specifically related to BSL-3 laboratories located in the United States is not tracked in any formal manner." Other unknowns and uncertainties include where the BSL-3 waste would be disposed of, a complete seismic activity analysis, and increased transportation risk analysis of the communities along the transportation route.

While I appreciate the 30-day extension to comment on the draft EA, it is too short for a complete review of the large EA and its supporting documents. I request a 120-day comment period on the EA.

Sincerely,

______________________
(name)

______________________
(address)

______________________
(city, state, zip)

You can email this letter to Ms. Elizabeth Withers at ewithers@doeal.gov.



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