Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) Transformation Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Evaluation of Environmental Effects of Continued Land and Mineral Withdrawal Under Public Law 104-201, 33983-33984 [07-3026]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 20, 2007 / Notices
To obtain a copy of the FEIS
contact the Fort Carson National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPAP)
Coordinator, Directorate of
Environmental Compliance and
Management, 1638 Elwell Street,
Building 6236, Fort Carson, Colorado
80913–4000; e-mail:
carsdecamnepa@conus.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fort
Carson NEPA Coordinator at (719) 526–
4666 or fax (719) 526–1705.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final
Fort Carson Transformation EIS
evaluates the environmental and
socioeconomic effects of implementing
three Army transformation programs at
Fort Carson: BRAC 2005, Integrated
Global Presence and Basing Strategy
(also known as Global Defense Posture
Realignment), and the Army Modular
Force initiative. These programs are part
of the overall Army restructuring and
are needed to prepare the Army’s
combat forces for deployment around
the world.
The Proposed Action evaluated in the
Final Fort Carson Transformation EIS is
the Army’s preferred alternative to
implement the three transformational
programs. The Proposed Action
includes three primary components: (1)
Changes in force structure resulting in a
net gain of military units and personnel;
(2) facility construction, renovation, and
demolition; and (3) increased frequency
of live-fire and maneuver training. The
EIS also documents the compliance of
the Proposed Action with the General
Conformity Rule requirements of the
Clean Air Act. In addition, the Final EIS
evaluates the environmental effects of
renewal of the current withdrawal and
reservation of 3,133.02 acres of public
land and 11,415.16 acres of federally
owned minerals at Fort Carson (as
required by Section 2908 of Public Law
104–201).
Under the Proposed Action
alternative, the number of troops at Fort
Carson will increase by approximately
8,500 Soldiers. Military dependent,
civilian, and contractor worker
populations supported by Fort Carson
also will increase. In total, Soldiers,
their dependents, and support
personnel will grow to approximately
59,700 by 2011, an increase of
approximately 21,300 persons (60
percent) over the implementation
period.
The Army will construct 25 projects,
primarily in the Cantonment area. In
addition, facilities and infrastructure no
longer needed to support the Proposed
Action alternative will be demolished;
facilities will be relocated to support
new construction; and existing facilities
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:25 Jun 19, 2007
Jkt 211001
and infrastructure will be renovated to
support the new population and
training activities.
The Proposed Action alternative will
provide for increased frequency of
training for existing and new units
stationed at Fort Carson. The
installation’s downrange area will be
used more frequently for individual and
crew live fire, maneuver, and combined
live fire and maneuver training. Fort
Carson will continue to implement its
existing land and environmental
management programs to balance
training requirements and land
sustainability. Large area maneuver
training for Fort Carson’s troops will
continue to occur at the Pinon Canyon
Maneuver Site, which is Fort Carson’s
maneuver-training area located
approximately 150 miles southeast of
Fort Carson.
The Final EIS also evaluated the No
Action alternative, which would result
in not implementing the Proposed
Action troop restationing; construction,
renovation, and demolition projections;
and increased frequency of training. The
No Action alternative is not feasible
because restationing has been directed
by BRAC 2005. It was included in the
Final EIS, as required by the Council on
Environmental Quality and the Army’s
NEPA implementing regulations, to
provide a benchmark by which to
compare the magnitude of
environmental effects of the Proposed
Action.
Permanent restationing alternatives,
therefore, were not considered in the
Final EIS in accordance with the BRAC
Act of 1990, which does not permit
decisions on restationing troops to
alternate installations to be revisited in
NEPA documents. Other alternatives
considered by the Army, but determined
not to be feasible, included training
troops at other locales, acquiring
additional land for training, or varying
training schedules to account for
operational deployments. These
alternatives were determined not to be
reasonable because they either did not
meet the purpose and need of the action
or unreasonably restricted the Army’s
ability to react to changing conditions.
The Proposed Action has the potential
to result in adverse effects to land use,
air quality, geology and soils, water
resources, biological resources, cultural
resources, transportation, utilities, and
hazardous and toxic materials. It could
also result in cumulative environmental
effects. Beneficial effects of the
Proposed Action will result for
socioeconomic resources. With
implementation of mitigation measures
and best management practices,
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
33983
significant adverse environmental
impacts will not occur.
An electronic version of the Final EIS
can be viewed or downloaded online at
https://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/
nepa_eis_docs.htm. Copies can be
requested from the Fort Carson NEPA
Coordinator or viewed at local libraries.
Dated: June 13, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army
(Environmental, Safety and Occupational
Health).
[FR Doc. 07–3025 Filed 6–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–08–M
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final
Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS)
Transformation Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and Evaluation of
Environmental Effects of Continued
Land and Mineral Withdrawal Under
Public Law 104–201
Department of the Army,
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Army announces the
availability of the Final PCMS
Transformation EIS evaluating the
environmental effects of implementing
restationing actions of the Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005
and other Army transformation
programs at the PCMS training area in
Las Animas County in southeastern
Colorado. The Final EIS also documents
the U.S. Army’s evaluation of
environmental effects of withdrawal of
public land and mineral rights under
Public Law 104–201.
DATES: The waiting period for the Final
EIS will end 30 days after publication of
an NOA in the Federal Register by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the FEIS
contact the PCMS National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Coordinator, Directorate of
Environmental Compliance and
Management, 1638 Elwell Street,
Building 6236, Fort Carson, CO 80913–
4000; e–mail:
carsdecampcmsnepa&conus.army.mil
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
PCMS NEPA Coordinator at (719) 526–
0912 or fax (719) 526–17050.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final
PCMS Transformation EIS evaluates the
environmental and socioeconomic
effects of implementing three Army
transformation programs at the Fort
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
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rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
33984
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 20, 2007 / Notices
Carson: BRAC 2005; Integrated Global
Presence and Basing Strategy (also
known as Global Defense Posture
Realignment); and the Army Modular
Force initiative. These programs are part
of the overall Army restructuring and
are needed to prepare the Army’s
combat forces for deployment around
the world.
The Proposed Action evaluated in the
Final PCMS Transformation EIS is the
Army’s preferred alternative to
implement the three transformation
programs. The Proposed Action
includes: (1) Increased use of the PCMS
training areas to provide training for
approximately 8,500 realigned Active
Component (AC) soldiers and additional
Reserve Component (RC) soldiers
assigned to, or otherwise under the
control of, Fort Carson, and (2)
construction of facilities in the
cantonment and training areas. The
Final EIS also evaluates the
environmental effects of the current
withdrawal and reservation of 2,517.12
acres of public land and 130,139 acres
of federally owned minerals within the
PCMS borders (as required by Section
2908 of Pub. L. 140–201.
The Proposed Action will provide for
increased frequency of training for
existing and new units stationed at, or
otherwise assigned to Fort Carson.
Training and maneuver activities would
be similar to the types of activities that
presently occur on the PCMS. The
increased training requirements of
additional AC and RC units, however,
will result in increased frequency of use
of the training areas. The Army will
continue to implement land and
environmental management programs
and practices to sustain its training
lands for continued use.
Support facilities will be constructed
in the PCMS cantonment area, including
a brigade support complex, medical
facilities, storage facilities, minimum
soldier support functions, a vehicle
maintenance facility, motor pools and
upgrade of roads and utilities. Similar to
existing facilities at the PCMS, the
cantonment facilities constructed under
the Proposed Action alternative would
be austere. No units will be permanently
stationed at the PCMS; therefore, the
PCMS will not support long-term
soldier care and will have no role in
providing permanent support for
dependents, civilian contractors, or
personnel other than minimal custodial
staff. Outside the cantonment, the Army
will construct and operate a live hand
grenade range, ammunition holding
area, protective equipment training
facility, and communication facilities,
and upgrade an existing small-arms
range building. These projects are
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:25 Jun 19, 2007
Jkt 211001
necessary to allow the PCMS to certify
soldiers for operational deployments.
The Final EIS also evaluated the No
Action alternative in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality
and Army NEPA implementing
regulations to provide a benchmark
against which to compare the magnitude
of environmental effects of the Proposed
Action. Under the No Action
alternative, no additional soldiers
would train at the PCMS despite the
stationing of significant numbers of
additional soldiers at Fort Carson. The
Proposed Action’s construction would
not occur. Existing land and
environmental management programs
would continue. This alternative is not
feasible because restationing at Fort
Carson has been directed by BRAC
2005, and soldiers assigned to Fort
Carson need to be trained.
Alternatives for the BRAC
realignment at Fort Carson were not
considered in the Final EIS in
accordance with the BRAC Law, which
exempts such alternatives from
consideration. Other alternatives
considered by the Army, but determined
not to be feasible, included training
troops at other locales, acquiring
additional land for training, or varying
training schedules to account for
operational deployments. These
alternatives were determined not to be
reasonable because they did not meet
the purpose and need of the action or
unreasonably restricted the Army’s
ability to react to changing conditions.
Acquisition of additional land was also
not considered reasonable, in part,
because not enough information about it
is currently known.
The Proposed Action has the potential
to result in adverse effects to land use,
air quality, noise, geology and soils,
water resources, biological resources,
cultural resources, transportation,
utilities, and hazardous and toxic
substances. With implementation of
mitigation measures and best
management practices, none of the
impacts would be significant. Minor
temporary beneficial effects will occur
for socioeconomic resources.
The Proposed Action does not include
expansion of the PCMS or land
acquisition. The Proposed Action
incorporates modifications to training
requirements to best meet current
training needs. The Army plans to
prepare a separate EIS for PCMS land
expansion once a proposed action and
initial set of alternatives have been
developed for that action.
An electronic version of the Final EIS
can be viewed or downloaded from the
following Web site: https://
www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
nepa_eis_docs.htm. Copies can be
requested from the PCMS NEPA
Coordinator or viewed at local libraries.
Dated: June 13, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army
(Environment, Safety and Occupational
Health).
[FR Doc. 07–3026 Filed 6–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–08–M
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Proposed Information
Collection Requests
Department of Education.
The Acting Leader,
Information Management Case Services
Team, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management, invites comments on the
proposed information collection
requests as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before August
20, 2007.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires
that the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) provide interested
Federal agencies and the public an early
opportunity to comment on information
collection requests. OMB may amend or
waive the requirement for public
consultation to the extent that public
participation in the approval process
would defeat the purpose of the
information collection, violate State or
Federal law, or substantially interfere
with any agency’s ability to perform its
statutory obligations. The Acting
Leader, Information Management Case
Services Team, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management, publishes that notice
containing proposed information
collection requests prior to submission
of these requests to OMB. Each
proposed information collection,
grouped by office, contains the
following: (1) Type of review requested,
e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or
reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of
the collection; (4) Description of the
need for, and proposed use of, the
information; (5) Respondents and
frequency of collection; and (6)
Reporting and/or Recordkeeping
burden. OMB invites public comment.
The Department of Education is
especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) Is
this collection necessary to the proper
functions of the Department; (2) will
AGENCY:
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33983-33984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3026]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Pinon Canyon Maneuver
Site (PCMS) Transformation Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and
Evaluation of Environmental Effects of Continued Land and Mineral
Withdrawal Under Public Law 104-201
AGENCY: Department of the Army, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Army announces the availability of the Final PCMS
Transformation EIS evaluating the environmental effects of implementing
restationing actions of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005
and other Army transformation programs at the PCMS training area in Las
Animas County in southeastern Colorado. The Final EIS also documents
the U.S. Army's evaluation of environmental effects of withdrawal of
public land and mineral rights under Public Law 104-201.
DATES: The waiting period for the Final EIS will end 30 days after
publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the FEIS contact the PCMS National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Coordinator, Directorate of
Environmental Compliance and Management, 1638 Elwell Street, Building
6236, Fort Carson, CO 80913-4000; e-mail:
carsdecampcmsnepa&conus.army.mil
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PCMS NEPA Coordinator at (719) 526-
0912 or fax (719) 526-17050.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final PCMS Transformation EIS evaluates
the environmental and socioeconomic effects of implementing three Army
transformation programs at the Fort
[[Page 33984]]
Carson: BRAC 2005; Integrated Global Presence and Basing Strategy (also
known as Global Defense Posture Realignment); and the Army Modular
Force initiative. These programs are part of the overall Army
restructuring and are needed to prepare the Army's combat forces for
deployment around the world.
The Proposed Action evaluated in the Final PCMS Transformation EIS
is the Army's preferred alternative to implement the three
transformation programs. The Proposed Action includes: (1) Increased
use of the PCMS training areas to provide training for approximately
8,500 realigned Active Component (AC) soldiers and additional Reserve
Component (RC) soldiers assigned to, or otherwise under the control of,
Fort Carson, and (2) construction of facilities in the cantonment and
training areas. The Final EIS also evaluates the environmental effects
of the current withdrawal and reservation of 2,517.12 acres of public
land and 130,139 acres of federally owned minerals within the PCMS
borders (as required by Section 2908 of Pub. L. 140-201.
The Proposed Action will provide for increased frequency of
training for existing and new units stationed at, or otherwise assigned
to Fort Carson. Training and maneuver activities would be similar to
the types of activities that presently occur on the PCMS. The increased
training requirements of additional AC and RC units, however, will
result in increased frequency of use of the training areas. The Army
will continue to implement land and environmental management programs
and practices to sustain its training lands for continued use.
Support facilities will be constructed in the PCMS cantonment area,
including a brigade support complex, medical facilities, storage
facilities, minimum soldier support functions, a vehicle maintenance
facility, motor pools and upgrade of roads and utilities. Similar to
existing facilities at the PCMS, the cantonment facilities constructed
under the Proposed Action alternative would be austere. No units will
be permanently stationed at the PCMS; therefore, the PCMS will not
support long-term soldier care and will have no role in providing
permanent support for dependents, civilian contractors, or personnel
other than minimal custodial staff. Outside the cantonment, the Army
will construct and operate a live hand grenade range, ammunition
holding area, protective equipment training facility, and communication
facilities, and upgrade an existing small-arms range building. These
projects are necessary to allow the PCMS to certify soldiers for
operational deployments.
The Final EIS also evaluated the No Action alternative in
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality and Army NEPA
implementing regulations to provide a benchmark against which to
compare the magnitude of environmental effects of the Proposed Action.
Under the No Action alternative, no additional soldiers would train at
the PCMS despite the stationing of significant numbers of additional
soldiers at Fort Carson. The Proposed Action's construction would not
occur. Existing land and environmental management programs would
continue. This alternative is not feasible because restationing at Fort
Carson has been directed by BRAC 2005, and soldiers assigned to Fort
Carson need to be trained.
Alternatives for the BRAC realignment at Fort Carson were not
considered in the Final EIS in accordance with the BRAC Law, which
exempts such alternatives from consideration. Other alternatives
considered by the Army, but determined not to be feasible, included
training troops at other locales, acquiring additional land for
training, or varying training schedules to account for operational
deployments. These alternatives were determined not to be reasonable
because they did not meet the purpose and need of the action or
unreasonably restricted the Army's ability to react to changing
conditions. Acquisition of additional land was also not considered
reasonable, in part, because not enough information about it is
currently known.
The Proposed Action has the potential to result in adverse effects
to land use, air quality, noise, geology and soils, water resources,
biological resources, cultural resources, transportation, utilities,
and hazardous and toxic substances. With implementation of mitigation
measures and best management practices, none of the impacts would be
significant. Minor temporary beneficial effects will occur for
socioeconomic resources.
The Proposed Action does not include expansion of the PCMS or land
acquisition. The Proposed Action incorporates modifications to training
requirements to best meet current training needs. The Army plans to
prepare a separate EIS for PCMS land expansion once a proposed action
and initial set of alternatives have been developed for that action.
An electronic version of the Final EIS can be viewed or downloaded
from the following Web site: https://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_
eis_docs.htm. Copies can be requested from the PCMS NEPA Coordinator
or viewed at local libraries.
Dated: June 13, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-3026 Filed 6-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M
