Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 05 Realignment and Transformation Actions at Fort Benning, GA, 19474-19475 [07-1916]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army
• Army Department

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19474-19475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1916]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 05 
Realignment and Transformation Actions at Fort Benning, GA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army announces the availability of the DEIS, which 
evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of 
transformation activities at Fort Benning, Georgia. These 
transformation proposed actions include implementation of the 05 BRAC 
Commission recommendations, the Global Defense Posture Realignment 
(GDPR) overseas re-stationing actions, Army Modular Force (AMF) 
initiatives, and other discretionary stationing activities.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Monica Manganaro, Fort Benning 
Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-3438, or Mr. Brandon Cockrell at 
(706) 545-3210 during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action and subject of the DEIS 
covers the construction activities and movement of personnel associated 
with the BRAC actions, proposed transformation activities at Fort 
Benning, Georgia, and follow-on operations and training.
    The 2005 BRAC Commission recommended the relocation of the Armor 
Center and School from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Fort Benning, as well as 
several other unit relocations, which would increase the Fort Benning 
population by approximately 4,486 military and 1,226 civilian 
personnel, and an annual student/trainee population of approximately 
8,357. Fort Benning also proposes to implement other transformation 
actions as the Army undergoes restructuring to meet the demands of the 
21st century. The AMF initiative involves the Army's transition from a 
division-centric design to a standard brigade organization. The 
reshaping of the domestic military force structure also includes 
provision for the return of units currently based overseas to United 
States installations as part of the GDPR. Finally, discretionary 
stationing actions (activations, inactivations, realignments and 
relocations) are proposed, which contribute to and are interrelated 
with the transformation process.
    The proposed action will provide the facilities, infrastructure, 
and equipment needed to support the transformation activities at Fort 
Benning. All construction activities associated with the proposed 
action would occur on Fort Benning. The proposed construction, 
renovation, and expansion of administrative, supply/storage, 
maintenance, barracks, commercial services, community facilities, 
medical and dental, and recreation facilities, as well as associated 
infrastructure support, is focused on the already-established 
cantonment areas: Main Post, Kelley Hill, Sand Hill, and Harmony 
Church. Throughout the cantonment areas, new facility construction will 
be sited to coincide with and/or be a complement to existing missions, 
facility operations, and functions. In order to minimize potential 
impacts to the environment (e.g., avoiding sensitive species habitat), 
existing infrastructure would be used to the greatest extent possible, 
and transformation activities would be located on previously 
distributed/developed areas. Training assets, in the form of ranges and 
maneuver areas, currently are found throughout the Installation. The 
proposed improvements/upgrades to existing ranges and maneuver areas 
and proposed new ranges were selected o align with these existing 
assets. Training range and maneuver area construction and operation/
maintenance activities will occur on approximately 157,000 acres set 
aside for such activities.
    In development of the DEIS, three alternatives were carried forward 
for analysis: (1) Transformation Alternative A, which entails 
cantonment area development, construction of small- and large-caliber 
weapons ranges, heavy maneuver areas and corridors, a driver's training 
course, off-road driver's training area, and vehicle recovery area to 
support the training range requirements; (2) Transformation Alternative 
B (the Army's Preferred Alternative), is similar to Transformation 
Alternative A with a combination of existing ranges and development of 
new tank training areas in the Good Hope area; and (3) the No Action 
Alternative, under which Fort Benning missions would continue as they 
were being performed in November 2005, when the BRAC Commission 
recommendations became law.
    Environmental resources addressed in the DEIS include land use, 
aesthetics and visual resources, noise,

[[Page 19475]]

socioeconomics, transportation, utilities, hazardous and toxic 
substances and waste, air quality, water resources, geology and soils, 
biological and cultural resources, and safety.
    The DEIS analyses indicate that implementation of Alternative A 
would have significant impacts on transportation; biological resources 
(vegetation, aquatic habitats, wildlife, and special status species); 
and cultural resources. Implementation of Alternative B (the preferred 
alternative) would have no significant impacts to visual and aesthetic 
resources; socioeconomics (economic development, housing, quality of 
life, environmental justice); noise; air quality; hazardous and toxic 
materials and waste (hazardous material storage, use and handling; 
contaminated sites); water resources (surface water, hydrogeology/
groundwater, floodplains, and wetlands); geology and soils; biological 
resources (Unique Ecological Areas); safety; land use; or utilities. 
Alternative locations for some of the projects as presented in 
Alternative B would provide similar impacts and benefits as Alternative 
A in all resources except for biological (special status species), 
where the impacts to the Red-cockaded Woodpecker would be substantially 
less, and cultural (archaeological sites), where impacts would be 
greater. The No Action alternative provides the environmental baseline 
conditions for comparison to the impacts associated with the action 
alternatives.
    The Army invites the public, local governments, and state and other 
Federal agencies to submit written comments or suggestions concerning 
the alternatives and analyses addressed in the DEIS. The public and 
government agencies also are invited to participate in a public meeting 
where oral and written comments and suggestions will be received. The 
public meeting will be held on May 10, 2007 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 
the Columbus, Georgia Convention and Trade Center, 801 Front Avenue, 
Room 205. Copies of the DEIS will be available for review at several 
local libraries prior to the public meeting. The DEIS may also be 
reviewed electronically at: https://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_
eis_docs.htm.
    Please send written comments on the DEIS to: Mr. John Brent, Fort 
Benning Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Division, 
Bldg 6 (Meloy Hall), Room 310, Fort Benning, GA 31905. E-mail 
comments should be sent to: john.brent@benning.army.mil.

    Dated: April 10, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-1916 Filed 4-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M