[Federal Register: September 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 183)]
[Notices]
[Page 54391]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19se08-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Fort Monroe, VA, Resulting From the
2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission's Recommendations
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare an EIS for the
disposal and reuse of Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia. Pursuant to the
BRAC law, Fort Monroe is to close by September 14, 2011. Other actions
included in the closing of Fort Monroe are relocating the Headquarters,
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); the Installation
Management Command (IMCOM) Northeast Region; the U.S. Army Network
Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) Northeast Region; and the Army
Contracting Agency Northeast Region Office to Fort Eustis, Virginia.
The U.S. Army Accessions Command and the U.S. Army Cadet Command will
be relocated to Fort Knox, Kentucky. These relocations have been or
will be addressed in separate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
documents for those locations.
DATES: The scoping meeting for the EIS will be held on October 28,
2008, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Northampton Community Center, 1435 Todds Lane,
Hampton, VA 23666.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jennifer Guerrero; phone: (757)
788-5363; e-mail: jennifer.lee.guerrero@us.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Monroe is a 570-acre U.S. Army Garrison
located at the southeastern tip of the Virginia Lower Peninsula between
Hampton Roads and the Lower Chesapeake Bay. The hallmark of Fort Monroe
is its stone fortress and moat.
The proposed action (Army primary action) is to dispose of the
surplus property generated by the BRAC-mandated closure of Fort Monroe.
Reuse of Fort Monroe by others is a secondary action resulting from
disposal. The Army has identified two disposal alternatives (early
transfer and traditional disposal), a caretaker status alternative, and
the no action alternative (as required by NEPA). The EIS will analyze
the impact of each reuse alternative upon a wide range of environmental
resource areas including, but not limited to, air quality, traffic,
noise, biological resources, water resources, geology and soils,
cultural resources, socioeconomic, utilities, land use, aesthetics and
visual resources, hazardous and toxic substances, and cumulative
environmental effects.
The Army will conduct an environmental impact analysis that will
focus on the effects of closure and reuse. One preliminary finding is
that transportation impacts will have the most significant effect, with
or without a major tourism component in the reuse plan. Also, at this
early stage, impacts to air quality, infrastructure, and land use are
not considered significant. With respect to cultural resources,
significant adverse impacts are possible, but these can be mitigated by
provisions contained in the Programmatic Agreement between the Army and
the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Additional resources and conditions may be identified as a result
of the scoping process initiated by this NOI. Other opportunities for
public participation will be announced in the respective local news
media. The public will be invited to participate in scoping activities
for the EIS and comments from the public will be considered before any
action is taken to implement the disposal and reuse of Fort Monroe.
Dated: September 12, 2008.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E8-21807 Filed 9-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M