[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices]               
[Page 47125-47126]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04au04-52]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

 
Chemical and Biological Defense Program Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (CBDP FPEIS)

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Army has prepared an FPEIS covering the execution of an 
integrated CBDP designed to protect the members of the Armed Forces 
from the evolving chemical and biological (CB) threats they may 
encounter on the battlefield. The FPEIS includes an evaluation of how 
the various environmental compliance programs in the military services, 
the Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, and 
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency would be able to mitigate 
environmental impacts.

DATES: The waiting period for the FPEIS will end 30 days after 
publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ADDRESSES: Written comments or requests for copies of the FPEIS may be 
made to: Ms. JoLane Souris, Command Environmental Coordinator, U.S. 
Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Office of Surety, Safety, 
and Environment, 504 Scott Street, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5012 or visit 
the CBDP PEIS Web site at http://chembioeis.detrick.army.mil.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. JoLane Souris at phone at (301) 
619-2004, or by fax at (301) 619-6627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Prior to 2003, the mission of the DoD CBDP 
was to provide CB defense capabilities to allow the military forces of 
the United States to survive and successfully complete their 
operational missions in battle space environments contaminated with CB 
warfare agents. Now this mission has expanded to cover military 
capability to operate in the face of threats in homeland security 
missions, as well as war fighter missions. If our military forces are 
not fully and adequately prepared to meet these threats, the 
consequences could be devastating. The CBDP to support this mission 
comprises research, development, and acquisition activities. Each of 
the Military Services, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical 
and Biological Defense, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency conduct CBDP activities. Some of these CBDP activities 
necessarily involve the use of hazardous chemicals or infectious 
disease agents for research, development, and production purposes. The 
controls on and the potential environmental consequences of such use 
for both the proposed action and the alternative were primary focuses 
of the CBDP FPEIS.
     The activities take place at numerous military installations and 
contractor facilities throughout the United States. Details concerning 
the CBDP are contained in the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, 
Annual Report to Congress, April 2003 at http://www.acq.osd.mil/cp/reports.html.
 The proposed action consists of the execution of an 

integrated CBDP designed to protect the members of the Armed Forces 
from the evolving CB threats they may encounter on the battlefield. The 
No Action Alternative, continuation of current CBDP operations as 
described in and covered by existing environmental analyses, also was 
evaluated. No other alternatives

[[Page 47126]]

were identified during the public scoping process.
     Although numerous environmental documents dating back to the 
Biological Defense Research Program Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (April 1989) have been prepared analyzing the 
potential environmental consequences of various elements of the CBDP, 
no one document analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the 
full range of CBDP activities. In keeping with the purposes of NEPA, 
DoD has now prepared such a document in the form of the CBDP FPEIS. 
This document creates an overarching framework that will continue to 
ensure fully informed Government decision making within the CBDP and 
will provide a single, up-to-date information resource for the public. 
The FPEIS addresses and incorporates comments received on the Draft 
PEIS during the public comment period.

    Dated: July 28, 2004.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 04-17750 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am]

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