[Federal Register: May 29, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 103)]
[Notices]
[Page 32020-32021]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29my03-46]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Notice of Availability for Public Viewing of the Draft
Environmental Assessment for the Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis Cargo
Inspection System Test Facility at the Ysleta Port of Entry Commercial
Cargo Facility, El Paso, TX
AGENCY: Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office (CTDPO), DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The notice announces that a draft Environmental Assessment
(EA) regarding potential environmental impacts resulting from the
Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis (PFNA) Cargo Inspection System Test
Facility is available for public review. The facility will be
constructed at the Ysleta Port of Entry cargo lot in El Paso, Texas.
The Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office (CTDPO) will
consider comments before issuing a final EA.
DATES: The draft EA will be available for public review for a 30-day
period beginning on May 29, 2003. Written comments must be received by
June 30, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to the Department of
Defense, Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office, Naval
Surface Warfare Center, 17320 Dahlgren Road, Dahlgren, Virginia 22448-
5100, Attn: Dr. Stephen Haimbach. Copies of the draft EA will be
available for viewing at the above address. Copies may also be obtained
by telephone request through the following phone number: 540/653-2374,
and by accessing the following Internet address: http://www.scainc.biz/EA
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Stephen Haimbach at 540/653-2374
or at PFNAmail@dodcounterdrug.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Introduction
In its counter-terrorism and counter-drug efforts, the Federal
government has invested considerable resources into developing
technologies for detecting explosives, narcotics or other contraband
hidden among the freight imported into the United States. Radiation-
based, non-intrusive inspections systems, such as X-ray and gamma ray,
have been in use for several years by Federal government agencies. A
related technology, called Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis (PFNA), was
developed several years ago for cargo inspection. PFNA is designed to
directly and automatically detect and measure the presence of specific
materials, such as cocaine or explosives, which may have been hidden
within the vehicle. PFNA technology uses pulses of neutrons as the
radiation source to non-intrusively examine packages and containers for
suspect materials. While PFNA has been successfully demonstrated in a
laboratory setting, it
[[Page 32021]]
has yet to be tested in an operational environment.
The Department of Defense (DoD) in cooperation with the United
States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation
Security Administration plans to conduct a six-month operational test
of a PFNA system at the Ysleta/Zaragosa Border Station in Ysleta,
Texas. Ysleta is next to the Rio Grande River just southeast of the
city of El Paso. Ysleta was selected as the test location principally
because it had space available (no additional land purchase was
required) and sufficient commercial traffic.
The test facility will consist of an inspection building
(approximately 220 feet by 60 feet) housing the PFNA equipment and
several smaller structures for electronic equipment and operators.
Inspection Process
Vehicles will be selected for inspection from the routine stream of
commerce and will be directed to the PFNA test facility. The driver
will leave the vehicle and wait in a designated area. A self-powered
towing machine will slowly pull the unoccupied vehicle through the
facility and past the scanning device in the inspection building. Once
all safety checks are verified, the vehicle is scanned with the
neutrons. The pulsed beam moves up and down while the vehicle slowly
passes by to ensure that all of the contents are inspected.
Many of the neutrons pass through the vehicle unaffected and are
stopped by the shield walls of the inspection building. Some of the
neutrons hit individual atoms, subsequently giving off a gamma ray of a
specific frequency that is characteristic of a chemical element.
Sensors located along the walls of the corridor detect the quantities
for each of the specific frequencies of gamma rays for the short period
of time of each pulse of neutrons. The system's electronics and
computers compile the gamma ray information to determine the properties
of individual material locations within the vehicle. For the chemical
makeup of specific explosives and narcotics, the computers
automatically alert operators of the presence of these substances. The
PFNA system generates three-dimensional images of the target materials
on computer monitors to help pinpoint the location of suspect materials
for U.S. Customs inspectors.
Radiation Properties
While the neutron generator used in PFNA systems does not contain
radioactive material, the neutron production process does produce a
trace amount of radioactive material. Specifically, a small amount
(less than 1/100th of the levels allowed by the EPA regulations) of the
radioisotope tritium (radioactive hydrogen) is a byproduct of the
process, which is vented to the atmosphere.
The neutrons produce radioactive isotopes of some of the atoms
within the vehicle. This may increase the level of radioactivity of
scanned cargo materials. Computer modeling has shown that the level of
induced radioactivity is of little consequence to human health.
Residual radioactivity measurements will be made during the test to
confirm the absence of significant levels of radioactivity.
For safety, personnel are shielded from radiation by staying out of
the equipment area during operations. The facility's walls are designed
to prevent all but minute amounts of radiation from leaving the area.
X-rays and gamma rays are produced both by the fast moving neutrons
themselves as they collide with atoms, and the neutron producing
equipment. X-rays and gamma rays are both forms of ionizing radiation,
which by virtue of their high energy, can convert molecules into
charged ions, and pose an increased risk of cancer with excessive
exposure. Visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves
are non-ionizing forms of electromagnetic radiation because of their
relatively lower energies.
It is believed that the PFNA inspection system is safe, with
exposures to radioactive materials and ionizing radiation to the
general public and US Customs personnel well below Federal and State
standards. The facility design, including radiation shielding, will be
designed to ensure that levels of exposure will be statistically
indistinguishable from local area background.
Public Review of the Draft Environmental Assessment
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the
Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500-1508), the assessment has been
conducted to determine whether the proposed action is a major federal
action having significant effects on the environment, which would
require preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or
whether the impacts of the proposed action (after mitigation) are less
than significant, which would result in preparation of a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI).
This notice announces a 30-day period for public review of the
draft EA and a 30-day period for submitting comments to CTDPO, both
periods commencing on the date this document is published in the
Federal Register.
Evaluation of Environmental Impact
Significant comments received from the public and agencies during
the comment period will be addressed in, and included as an Appendix
to, the final EA. Notice of issuance of the final EA will be published
in the Federal Register.
Should CTDPO determine, based on comments received and any
additional relevant information developed, that the design,
construction, and/or operation of PFNA system will not have a
significant impact on the environment, CTDPO will prepare a FONSI,
notice of which will be published in the Federal Register. Should CTDPO
determine that significant environmental impacts exist due to the
project, CTDPO will proceed with preparation of an EIS as required
under the NEPA, the CEQ Regulations (40 CFR part 1502), and the
Department of Defense's environmental policies and procedures.
Public Review and Comments
The draft EA will be available for public review for a period of 30
days beginning on the date this document is published in the Federal
Register. The draft EA can be reviewed at the following address: Ysleta
Branch of the El Paso Public Library, 9321 Alameda Ave., El Paso, Texas
79907. Printed copies of the draft EA are $50.00 each and may be
obtained by telephone request through the following phone number: 410/
593-9909, or freely downloaded by accessing the following Internet
address: www.scainc.biz/EA.
Comments regarding the draft EA may be submitted as set forth in
the ADDRESSES section of this document.
Dated: May 23, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 03-13516 Filed 5-27-03; 10:44 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-P