Final Y-12 SWEIS released; preferred alternative for UPF remains the same; peace group hints at court challenge

From knoxnews.com:

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, which has vigorously opposed construction of a new UPF at Y-12, issued a statement today saying the NNSA had "dismissed" concerns raised during the Draft SWEIS hearings and also hinted that a legal challenge to the document could be forthcoming.

The peace group said it was confident that UPF -- estimated to cost between $4.2 billion and $6.5 billion -- will "eventually fail under the weight of mounting opposition based not only on the exorbitant cost and the diminishing need, but also a growing recognition of the provocative nature of the new bomb plant."

OREPA said, "A quick analysis of the Final SWEIS reveals that the NNSA dismissed concerns raised in the public comment period of the EIS process and downplays the destruction and disruption of wetlands areas as irrelevant to environmental concerns. (p.1-37). The NNSA did not include wetlands destruction, the construction of a haul road and concrete batch plant, or the excavation, transport and disposal of hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of soil in the Draft SWEIS and rejected public requests to reopen the SWEIS to allow full public comment when the information was disclosed."

The group said this "deficiency may have opened the door for a legal challenge to the Final SWEIS."

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