The Bureau of Land Management said June 28 that it has selected Argonne National Laboratory as the prime contractor for preparation of the environmental impact statement on renewal of the right of way for the trans-Alaska pipeline system. 
BLM is the lead federal agency in the Joint Pipeline Office, a consortium of six federal and seven state of Alaska agencies that oversee the pipeline. 
Gary Reimer, BLM's deputy authorized officer, said, "Argonne has extensive experience in credibly assessing complex projects of national and regional importance, a significant consideration for us." 
Argonne will begin work immediately. Current plans call for a draft EIS to be published in July 2002 and a final EIS in November 2002.