[Federal Register: August 21, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 161)]
[Notices]               
[Page 48542]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21au06-55]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

 
Preparation of the Brigade Combat Team Transformation 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), Fort Irwin, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Army Installation Management Agency and the Fort Irwin 
National Training Center will prepare a PEIS to analyze the impacts of 
mission realignment in support of the Army Transformation, the Army 
Campaign Plan, and other Army initiatives. Under the proposed action, 
the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment will expand to become a full-size, 
multi-component Heavy Brigade Combat Team (BCT), deployable throughout 
the world. Other, smaller units will also be stationed at Fort Irwin. 
Training rotations will increase from 10 per year to 12. The PEIS will 
evaluate the new construction, new land use, and changes in training, 
area use necessary to implement the proposed action at Fort Irwin.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Office: Major John 
Clearwater, Attention: IMSW-IRW-PA Fort Irwin, CA 92310; telephone: 
(760) 380-3078; or Directorate of Public Works: Mr. Mickey Quillman, 
Attention: PEIS; IMSW-IRW-PWE, Building 602, Fort Irwin, CA 92310; fax: 
(760) 380-2677, or e-mail mickey.quillman@irwin.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PEIS will assess the environmental 
impacts associated with the stationing and training of new soldiers at 
Fort Irwin. Under the proposed action, approximately 690 additional 
soldiers would be stationed at Fort Irwin, with approximately 760 
family members accompanying them. The proposed action will increase 
training by about 20% on all Fort Irwin training areas and may involve 
some new range construction. This increased usage will ultimately 
involve the maneuver training areas into which Fort Irwin expanded, as 
decided in 2006. The proposed action will result in additional 
construction in the Fort Irwin cantonment area for such projects as 
soldier and family housing, schools, infrastructure, utilities, and 
related facilities. These changes would provide the capability to train 
additional units and represent a realignment of existing missions for 
the installation. The action may have environmental impacts to air 
quality, water usage, waste water and other utilities, and biological 
resources. Fort Irwin will continue to train rotational units and would 
now support the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), a multi-component 
Heavy BCT.
    A range of reasonable alternatives, including an alternative of 
considering no action as required by the National Environmental Policy 
Act, will be developed and analyzed in the PEIS. The range of 
alternatives will include varying amounts of new construction and 
training area changes. During the scoping process, other alternatives 
may be developed and added for consideration. The PEIS will also 
analyze each alternative's impact upon the natural, cultural, and man-
made environments at Fort Irwin and in the surrounding region.
    Tribal, Federal, state and local agencies, as well as the public 
are invited to participate in the scoping process for the preparation 
of this PEIS. Scoping meetings will be held in convenient locations 
near the installation. Notification of the times and locations for the 
scoping meetings will be published in local newspapers. The scoping 
process will help identify additional possible alternatives, potential 
environmental impacts, and key issues of concern to be analyzed in the 
PEIS. To ensure scoping comments are fully considered in the Draft 
PEIS, comments and suggestions should be received within the 30-day 
scoping period or no later than 15 days following the last scoping 
meeting, whichever is later.

    Dated: August 8, 2006.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health), OASA(I&E).
[FR Doc. 06-7054 Filed 8-18-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710-08-M