[Federal Register: October 13, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 198)]
[Notices]
[Page 60481-60482]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13oc06-35]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Transformation Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Draft Clean Air Act General
Conformity Determination, and Evaluation of Continued Land Withdrawal
Under Public Law 104-201 at Fort Carson, CO
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army announces the availability of a DEIS that
evaluates implementing transformational activities at Fort Carson, a
military installation located south of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Actions associated with these transformational activities include
restationing of troops; construction, demolition, and renovation of
facilities at the Cantonment and range areas; and increased use of
training lands.
DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after
publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
ADDRESSES: Written comments or materials should be forwarded to the
Fort Carson NEPA Coordinator (proponent), Directorate of Environmental
Compliance and Management, 1638 Elwell Street, Building 6236, Fort
Carson, Colorado 80913-4000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fort Carson NEPA Coordinator via phone
at (719) 526-4666; fax: (719) 526-1705; or e-mail:
nepa@carson.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action and subject of the DEIS
is the implementation of the following three major Army transformation
programs at Fort Carson: Base Realignment and Closure; Integrated
Global Presence and Basing Strategy (also known as Global Defense
Posture Realignment); and the Army Modular Force initiative.
Implementing these programs would require restationing of troops;
construction, demolition, and renovation of facilities at Fort Carson's
cantonment and range areas; and increased use of Fort Carson's training
lands.
The transformation of Fort Carson would occur between 2006 and
2011. Upon completion of transformation activities, military personnel
at Fort Carson would increase approximately 60 percent (from
approximately 14,500 to approximately 23,000) and the Fort Carson
installation population (including civilians, contractors, and military
dependents) would increase from approximately 38,300 to approximately
59,700 by 2011. To support the new Soldiers and their dependents, the
Army proposes to construct support facilities in the cantonment and
range areas at Fort Carson. Fort Carson's training lands would also be
subject to increased training rotations to support the maneuver and
live-fire training requirements of the additional Soldiers.
The alternatives considered in the DEIS include the Proposed Action
(Preferred Alternative) and No Action. Other action alternatives were
considered and discussed in the DEIS but were not analyzed further
because they did not meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action.
The substantive issues analyzed in this DEIS include land use, air
quality, noise, geology and soils, water resources, biological
resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics (including environmental
justice), transportation, utilities, hazardous and toxic substances,
and cumulative environmental effects.
To document that the Proposed Action complies with the General
Conformity Rule requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
and demonstrate that the action conforms with the Colorado State
Implementation Plan for air quality, the Army also prepared a Draft
General Conformity Determination pursuant to the requirements of 40 CFR
part 93, subpart B. The Colorado Springs area is currently in
attainment with air quality standards for all criteria pollutants and
is a maintenance area for carbon monoxide.
After conducting appropriate air quality analyses, the Army has
concluded that the Proposed Action will not cause or contribute to new
violations of the carbon monoxide national ambient air quality
standards in the Colorado Springs maintenance
[[Page 60482]]
area. The EPA and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
will review the Army's findings and provide comments or concurrence.
Additionally, the Army has made a determination of a need for the
continued withdrawal of 3,133.02 acres of public land and 11,416.16
acres of publicly owned mineral rights from the public domain. The
withdrawal of these lands and mineral rights was extended until 2011 by
Public Law 104-201, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 1997. The law requires the Army reevaluate the need for these
withdrawals to continue after 2011 and hold a public hearing concerning
the evaluation. The DEIS documents the Army's continued military need
for these lands and evaluates the environmental effects of the
continued military use of withdrawn lands.
The Army will hold a public meeting to receive comments on the
DEIS, conformity determination, and land withdrawal on Wednesday,
November 1, 2006 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Mesa Right High School,
6070 Mesa Ridge Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80911.
An electronic version of the DEIS can be viewed or downloaded from
the following URL: http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_eis_docs.htm
.
Dated: October 6, 2006.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 06-8640 Filed 10-12-06; 8:45 am]
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