[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 203 (Thursday, October 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 56774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27501]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on
Transportable Treatment Systems for Non-Stockpile Chemical Warfare
Materiel
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS)
has been prepared by the Army in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, regulations of the President's
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508), and Army
Regulation 200-2. The Department of the Army, as Executive Agent for
the DoD, is responsible for destroying that portion of the nation's
chemical warfare materiel (CWM) referred to as ``non-stockpile'' CWM.
This non-stockpile CWM must be destroyed in order to protect human
health and safety, comply with an international treaty, and carry out
the requirements of the U.S. Congress. Non-stockpile CWM covered under
this DPEIS includes: (1) Munitions containing chemical agent or
industrial chemicals, (2) chemical agents or industrial chemicals
contained in other than munitions configurations, and (3) chemical
agent identification set items containing small quantities of pure or
diluted agent used for training purposes.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 4, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Questions and written comments regarding the DPEIS, or a
request for a copy of the document, should be directed to: Program
Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-NP (Mr. John K.
Gieseking/PEIS), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-4005 or via email at
john.gieseking@pmcd.apgea.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John K. Gieseking at (410) 436-
3768 or by fax at (410) 436-8737.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army's Product Manager for Non-Stockpile
Chemical Materiel has analyzed the potential environmental and
socioeconomic consequences of two alternative courses of action in the
DPEIS with respect to the Army's chemical demilitarization
responsibilities:
(1) Using transportable chemical treatment systems, under which the
Army would use as many as four different types of transportable systems
currently being developed to chemically treat non-stockpile CWM.
(2) The no action alternative, under which the Army would
discontinue development of the transportable treatment systems
currently being developed and continue storage of non-stockpile CWM
until other technologies are developed.
Other alternatives that were considered, but not evaluated in
detail, are: (1) Using stockpile CWM disposal facilities; (2) using
other treatment systems or technologies, none of which have currently
been sufficiently developed as part of an integrated system for the
treatment of non-stockpile CWM; and (3) using commercial treatment
facilities, which would require changes in federal law and Army policy.
The Army has determined, based on the DPEIS, that the no-action
alternative could lead to the United States violating the Chemical
Weapons Convention timetable requirements for destroying currently
stored non-stockpile CWM or CWM recovered in the near future. The Army
further concludes that using stockpile disposal facilities, other
treatment systems, or commercial treatment facilities are not feasible
alternatives given certain legal requirements, in addition to the time
restraints of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Army's preferred alternative course of action is to complete
the development of transportable chemical treatment systems and make
them available for deployment. Subsequent environmental reviews by the
appropriate DoD authorities would address the impacts of actual
deployment to specific locations.
A series of public meetings will be held at nine U.S. locations
during the comment period to afford the public the opportunity to
provide oral and written comments on the DPEIS. These meetings will
tentatively be held in the vicinity of Aberdeen, MD; Alexandria, LA;
Anchorage, AK; Huntsville, AL; Indianapolis, IN; Salt Lake City, UT;
San Antonio, TX; Santa Rosa, CA; and Tampa, FL. The specific time,
locations, and dates of these meetings will be announced in appropriate
news media at least 15 days prior to each meeting. Comments made at the
public meetings and written comments received during the comment period
will be used in the preparation of the Final PEIS.
Copies of the DPEIS have been forwarded to the EPA; other federal
state, and local agencies; Native Americans; public officials; and
organizations and individuals who previously provided substantive
comments during the PEIS scoping process or have expressed interest in
the Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Program. Copies of the DPEIS can
also be obtained by calling the Public Outreach and Information Office
of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization at 1-800-488-0648
or (410) 436-3445; fax (410) 436-8737 or may be accessed at the
following web site: http://www-pmcd.apgea.army.mil/nscmp/index.html.
Dated: October 14, 1999.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health) OASA(I&E).
[FR Doc. 99-27501 Filed 10-20-99; 8:45 am]
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