The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-1107, analyzing the environmental effects relating to the construction and operation of an office building at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). SLAC is a national facility operated by Stanford University, California, under contract with DOE. The center is dedicated to research in elementary particle physics and in those fields that make use of its synchrotron facilities. The objective for the construction and operation of an office building is to provide adequate office space for existing SLAC Waste Management (WM) personnel, so as to centralize WM personnel and to make WM operations more efficient and effective. Based on the analyses in the EA, the DOE has determined that the proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. This report contains the Environmental Assessment, as well as the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

This environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with continued and enhanced operation of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), including modifications, upgrades, and new facilities, at Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) in DuPage County, Illinois. This proposed action is needed to meet DOE's mission of sponsoring cutting-edge science and technology. Continued operation would include existing research activities. In 2002, 23 user teams had beamlines in use in 28 sectors of the experiment hall, and approximately 2,000 individual users visited annually (see Section 3.1.1). Enhanced scientific capabilities would include research on Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) materials in an existing area originally constructed for such work, and would not require new construction or workforce (see Section 3.1.2). A new experimental unit, the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM), would be constructed along the west side of the APS facility and would be used for bench-scale research in nanoscience (see Section 3.1.3). Under the No Action Alternative, current APS operations would continue. However, initiation of BSL-3 research would not occur, and the proposed CNM research facility would not be constructed. The environmental consequences of the Proposed Action are minor. Potential effects to the environment are primarily related to ecological effects during construction and operation of the proposed CNM and human health effects during BSL-3 activities. The potential ecological effects of construction and operation of the CNM would be impacts of stormwater runoff into a restored wetland to the north of the CNM. DOE would minimize stormwater impacts during construction of the CNM by ensuring adequate erosion control before and during construction. Stormwater impacts would be minimized during operation of the CNM by collecting and pumping to the south, away from the restored wetland, most of the runoff from the CNM parking lot and by providing adequate detention and treatment for roof runoff and overflow runoff from the parking lot. Adverse ecological impacts are not expected to result from implementing the Proposed Action.