[CPEO-MEF] REUSE: Energy Department responds to Energy Communities letter on land transfer policy

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

>From Energy Communities Alliance <bulletin@energyca.org>

ECA just received two letters from DOE in response to ECA's concerns regarding the Final Rule on land transfer issue. See the letters here.
 
Mayor Beehan in his letter raised several concerns including:
	• Lack of Public Input
	• Concern about the changes in the language of the rule impacting certain defense nuclear facilities
	• DOE's need to process land transfer requests in a timely manner (due to DOE deleting the requirement to respond in 90 days)
In a letter written to ECA from the DOE Acting General Counsel Fygi, he explained that DOE will not change the way it processes land transfer requests and that all DOE "defense nuclear sites" that are eligible prior to the change in the rule are still eligible.
 
Specifically, the letter states that "the addition of the terms 'closed or downsized' simply reflects that if a defense nuclear site has land that is unneeded, temporarily underutilized, or underutilized and the Department determines to consider transferring or conveying the land, this would be considered 'downsizing.'  If there is land that is located on a defense nuclear facility, and is not subject to a land withdrawal order issued by the Department of Interior, then that property can be considered for transfer and reuse."

...

To download the letters, go to
http://www.energyca.org/PDF/DOEresponseLandxfer.tif

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650-961-8918 or 650-969-1545
Fax: 650-961-8918
LSiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org




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