[Federal Register: March 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 13534-13535]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13mr08-45]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Preparation of the Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (SPEIS) for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment To
Support Operations in the Pacific Theater
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Army intends to prepare an SPEIS in order to evaluate the
relative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of support operations
growth in the Pacific Theater as it transforms and aligns its forces to
address existing capabilities shortfalls. As part of Army growth, this
evaluation will be conducted to supplement the analysis and decisions
that were included in the PEIS for Grow the Army (for continental U.S.
(CONUS) locations), which was completed in January 2008.
The Army will use the SPEIS analysis to evaluate and compare the
environmental and socioeconomic impacts of alternatives for
implementing its Proposed Action. The Army's Proposed Action is to
grow, realign, and transform its forces to support operations in the
Pacific Theater and to ensure the proper capabilities exist to sustain
operations in promoting global and national security now and into the
foreseeable future. The implementation of the Proposed Action is needed
to better meet military operational and national security requirements
and the needs of the Army's Soldiers and their Families.
The SPEIS will assess the capacity of Army installations and their
ability to accommodate new units as part of Army growth and force
structure realignment to support operations in the Pacific Theater.
Alternatives in the SPEIS could include stationing of additional Combat
Support (CS) or Combat Service Support (CSS) units or new support
brigades. The following alternatives will be analyzed in the SPEIS: (1)
Grow, transform, and realign forces by stationing approximately 5,000
additional CS/CSS Soldiers in reasonable locations that support
operations in the Pacific Theater; (2) Grow, transform, and realign
forces by stationing approximately 7,500 additional CS/CSS Soldiers in
reasonable locations that support operations in the Pacific Theater and
(3) Grow, transform, and realign forces by stationing approximately
10,000 additional CS/CSS Soldiers in reasonable locations that support
operations in the Pacific Theater. The SPEIS will evaluate different
stationing scenarios in reasonable locations, which may include Army
installations in the CONUS, Hawaii and Alaska with the capability to
support operations in the Pacific Theater.
In addition to the above alternatives, the No Action Alternative
will be considered and used as a baseline for comparison of
alternatives. The No Action Alternative is to retain the U. S. Army
forces in the Pacific in their current end strength and force
structure. The No Action Alternative includes those stationing
decisions which have already been made to include stationing actions
directed by Base Realignment and Closure legislation in 2005, Army
Global Defense Posture Realignment, and Army Modular Forces
initiatives. The No Action Alternative is not a viable means for
meeting the current and future strategic security and defense
requirements of the nation.
The SPEIS will analyze the Proposed Action's impacts upon the
natural, cultural, and man-made environments at those stationing
locations which are capable of supporting the needs of the Army and its
Soldiers and Families. Viable alternatives include those stationing
locations that are able to meet Army unit requirements for training
ranges and maneuver space, housing and office space, maintenance and
vehicle parking, and Soldier and Family quality of life (e.g., schools,
gyms, medical facilities). In addition, viable alternatives must meet
the operational mission requirements of the Pacific Command (PACOM).
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to PublicComments@aec.apgea.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army
Environmental Command, Building E4460, 5179 Hoadley Road, Attention:
IMAE-PA, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5401; telephone: (410) 436-
2556; facsimile: (410) 436-1693. The Public Affairs Office is open
during normal business hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eastern Time.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The global security environment is
turbulent, unpredictable, and rapidly changing. It has placed
considerable demands on the nation's military and highlighted the need
for the Army to correct shortfalls in high-demand skills while
reassessing its force capabilities. To meet the challenges of the 21st
century security environment, the Army requires the growth and
restructuring of its forces to support operations in the Pacific
Theater to sustain the broad range of missions required to promote
regional, national, and global stability.
Final decisions for the implementation of Army stationing actions
within CONUS were published in the Federal Register in January 2008.
Force structure requirements for U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) are still
being evaluated. The SPEIS will consider the projected environmental
and socioeconomic impacts of different stationing actions at locations
capable of supporting operations in the Pacific Theater.
Alternatives for Army growth and force structure realignment to
support operations in the Pacific Theater could involve the addition of
new units, unit realignment from existing locations, and
reconfiguration of the existing force structure in accordance with Army
transformation. Adjustments to Army force structure could include
changes in the numbers of CS/CSS Soldiers needed to support USARPAC
operations with critical military skills such as military
[[Page 13535]]
police, engineers, explosive ordnance detachments, logistics and
command and control functions. Secondly, growth, realignment, and
transformation could involve the addition of new support brigades or
constituent units of support brigades at reasonable locations capable
of supporting operations in the Pacific Theater. Support brigade
stationing decisions could involve the stationing of an aviation
brigade, a fires brigade, a battlefield surveillance brigade, a
maneuver enhancement brigade, a sustainment brigade, an engineer
brigade, a military police brigade, or a combination of these support
brigades and the units that compose them. The Army is not considering
the stationing of new Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) in USARPAC at this
time.
Proposed alternatives to grow the Army to support operations in the
Pacific Theater could involve three primary actions depending on the
installation being analyzed. These actions include the construction of
housing and quality of life facilities (i.e., barracks, schools,
gymnasiums), the construction of new training ranges and
infrastructure, and changes in the intensity and frequency of use of
maneuver land and firing ranges. Evaluations will include strategic
military and national security considerations for new stationing
actions at locations that, if selected, are capable of supporting the
National Security Strategy (2006), the QDR (2006), National Military
Strategy, and the Army Campaign Plan.
Based on public scoping and the factors discussed above, the Army
will refine its range of reasonable alternatives to the extent possible
to accommodate both mission requirements and quality of life
considerations. In reaching its decision, the Army will assess and
consider public concerns. The SPEIS will compare the direct, indirect,
and cumulative environmental effects that may result from stationing
actions connected with initiatives to grow the Army. The primary
environmental issues to be analyzed will include those identified as
the result of the scoping process and installation-specific
considerations. These issues may include impacts to soil, water and air
quality, airspace conflicts, natural and cultural resources, land use
compatibility, noise, socioeconomics, environmental justice, energy
use, human health and safety considerations, and infrastructure and
range/training requirements.
Scoping and Public Comment: All interested members of the public,
federally-recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian
groups, federal, state, and local agencies are invited to participate
in the scoping process for the preparation of this SPEIS. Comments
identifying environmental issues, concerns and opportunities to be
analyzed in the SPEIS will be accepted for 30 days following
publication of this Notice of Intent in the Federal Register.
Dated: March 5, 2008.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E8-4882 Filed 3-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M