[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28374-28375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13722]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Release of the Notice of Availability on the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (Final EIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of Fort Ritchie,
Maryland
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The proposed action evaluated by this Final EIS is the
disposal of Fort Ritchie, Maryland, in accordance with the Defense Base
Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, Public Law 101-510.
[[Page 28375]]
The EIS analyzes the environmental consequences of the disposal and
subsequent reuse of the 638 acres comprising Fort Ritchie. Two disposal
alternatives were analyzed: (1) The No Action Alternative, which
entails maintaining the property in caretaker status after closure; and
(2) the Encumbered Disposal Alternative, which entails transferring the
property to future owners with Army-imposed limitations, or
encumbrances, on the future use of the property. Additionally, the
Final EIS analyses the potential environmental and socioeconomic
consequences of three reuse alternatives: (1) Low Intensity Reuse
Alternative; (2) Low-Medium Intensity Reuse Alternative; and (3) Medium
Intensity Reuse Alternative. Disposal alternatives were developed by
the Army. Reuse alternatives were developed by the Fort Ritchie Local
Redevelopment Authority. The resources areas evaluated for potential
impacts by the proposed action (disposal) and the secondary action
(reuse) include: Land Use; Climate; Air Quality; Noise; Geology, Soils,
and Topography; Water Resources; Infrastructure; Hazardous and Toxic
Substances; Biological Resources and Ecosystems; Cultural Resources;
Legacy Resources; Sociological Environment; Economic Development;
Quality of Life; Installation Agreement, and Permits and Regulatory
Authorizations. The Army's preferred alternative for disposal of Fort
Ritchie is disposal with encumbered title on all Fort Ritchie property
transfers. An encumbrance is any Army-imposed or legal constraint on
the future use or development of the property. Encumbrances support
future Army interests, regulatory and statutory compliance, promote
continued protection of sensitive resources to foster environmentally
sustainable redevelopment, hasten availability of property, or provide
mitigation requirements. Encumbrances determined relevant in the EIS to
disposal of Fort Ritchie relate to wetlands, historical resources,
threatened and endangered species, utilities easements, easements and
rights-of-way, access easements, utility interdependencies, remedial
activities, and lead-based paint. Property will be remediated as
appropriate and retained in caretaker status until transfer by
encumbered title.
The Army proposes to make the 638 acres available for conveyance
to, and subsequent reuse by, the Fort Ritchie Local Redevelopment
Authority (LRA).
COPIES: Comments received on the Draft EIS have been considered and
responses included in a document dated January 1998. This document,
together with the Draft EIS dated July 1997, constitute the Final EIS.
Copies of the January 1998 document, along with the July 1997 Draft
EIS, will be available for review at the following locations: Adams
County Library, Gettysburg, PA; Alexander Hamilton Library, Waynesboro,
PA; Blue Ridge Summit Library, Blue Ridge Summit, PA; C. Burr Artz
Central Library, Frederick, MD; Robert F. Barrick Library, Fort
Ritichie, MD; and the Washington County Free Library, Hagerstown, MD.
DATES: Written pubic comments and suggestions received within 30 days
of the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of
Availability for this action will be considered by the Army during
final decision making.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the January 1998 document and the July 1997 Draft
EIS, together which constitute the Final Impact Statement, may be
obtained from, and comments provided to, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, ATTN: Mr. Clifford Kidd (CENAB-PL-EM), Baltimore District,
P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, or by calling direct to
(410) 962-3100.
Dated: May 14, 1998.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health) OASA (I,L&E).
[FR Doc. 98-13722 Filed 5-21-98; 8:45 am]
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