[Federal Register: December 10, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 237)]
[Notices]
[Page 75851-75852]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10de02-32]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability of the Draft Mission Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the
APG Draft Mission EIS for public review and comment. The EIS provides
APG and its stakeholders an analysis of the environmental impacts
resulting from all reasonably foreseeable future mission activities at
APG, located in northeastern Maryland.
DATES: The public comment period will end 45 days after the publication
of the notice of availability in the Federal Register by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: Anyone wishing to receive a copy of the Draft EIS or the EIS
Executive Summary may send a postcard or letter with their name and
address to: U.S. Army Garrison Aberdeen Proving Ground, Directorate of
Safety, Health and Environment, ATTN: AMSSB-GSH-ER (Buddy Keesee),
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Buddy Keesee at (410)-278-6755, or via
email at buddy.keesee@usag.apg.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army proposes to provide for the future
operation of APG, located in Maryland at the northern end of the
Chesapeake Bay. APG is composed of two principal areas separated by the
Bush River: the Aberdeen Area situated north of the river and the
Edgewood Area to the south. Three alternatives have been identified and
assessed for the future operation of APG: (1) Alternative A: future
planned activities plus mitigation alternative (proposed action), (2)
Alternative B: future planned activities alternative, and (3)
Alternative C: no action alternative. The future planned activities
plus mitigation alternative (Alternative A) would provide for the
Army's future operation of APG through the adoption of a comprehensive
environmental baseline assessment of APG mission activities for use in
environmental manage-ment decision-making, to include the analysis of
cumulative effects, as well as the implementation of a mitigation
program to nullify any potential adverse impacts of all reasonable
foreseeable future mission activities. Alternative A is distinct from
the other alternatives as it represents a comprehensive approach to the
management of the APG environment. The future planned activities
alternative (Alternative B) would encompass all reasonable foreseeable
future mission activities. However, individual actions requiring
National Environmental Policy Act documentation would be implemented
piecemeal and a means for comprehensive environmental management,
including a current environmental baseline, would not be established.
The no action alternative (Alternative C) is defined as the
continuation of current ongoing mission activities at approximately the
same levels, intensities, rates, and conditions as they currently exist
(i.e., status quo). Under no action, the baseline established by the
1978 installation-wide EIS would be the only comprehensive point of
reference for the analysis of environmental effects, including
cumulative effects. Mitigation measures would be implemented on a
project-by-project basis.
The analysis in the Draft Mission EIS indicates that no significant
adverse impacts that cannot be avoided, minimized, or mitigated are
anticipated to occur under the proposed action (Alternative A) or the
no action alternative (Alternative C). Although there is an opportunity
to mitigate future adverse impacts under the
[[Page 75852]]
proposed action and current adverse impacts under the no action
alternative, there is a fundamental difference in the approach. Under
the proposed action, a means for comprehensive environmental
management, including a current environmental baseline, would be
established. Mitigation may be applied comprehensively within this
context. In the case of the no action alternative, environmental
consideration and documentation will be performed on a prpoject-by-
project basis with the baseline established by the 1978 installation-
wide EIS. A comprehensive mitigation program would not be implemented.
When requesting copies of the EIS, please specify whether you wish
to receive only the Executive Summary or the full document including
the appendices.
Comments received after the 45-day comment period will be
considered to the extent practicable. The Army will use the comments
received to help prepare the the APG Final Mission EIS. Public
information meetings on the Draft EIS will be held in Harford,
Baltimore and Kent Counties in Maryland. The meetings will provide
opportunities for information exchange and discussion among members of
the Army, APG, and the public. Exact dates and locations will be
advertised in the local media at least 15 days prior to the meetings.
Additional information on the public meetings can also be obtained from
the DPG Public Affairs Office at (410) 278-1147.
Persons and organizations wishing to comment on the Draft EIS may
attend the public meetings or may send written comments to: Commander,
U.S. Army Garrison Aberdeen Proving Ground, ATTN: AMSSB-GSH-ER (Draft
APG EIS), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005.
The full Draft EIS and EIS Executive Summary will be available at
the following public reading rooms: Harford County Library (Aberdeen
Branch), 21 Franklin Street, Aberdeen; Harford County Library (Edgewood
Branch), 2205 Hanson Road, Edgewood; Kent County Public Library, 408
High Street, Chestertown. Copies at the public reading rooms are for
review purposes only and extra copies of the documents will not be
available at these locations.
Dated: December 2, 2002.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health), OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 02-31137 Filed 12-9-02; 8:45 am]
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