Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Army Growth at Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training Center (YTC), WA, 78336 [E8-30174]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 246 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 78336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30174]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Army Growth at Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training Center 
(YTC), WA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army intends to prepare an EIS to analyze the 
environmental and socioeconomic impacts of implementing the stationing 
and realignment decisions in the 2007 ``Grow the Army'' Programmatic 
EIS (GTA PEIS) and other ongoing Army realignment and stationing 
initiatives that pertain to Fort Lewis and YTC. The GTA PEIS Record of 
Decision (ROD) made the decision to station additional units at Fort 
Lewis including an Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and specified 
unit restructuring actions that would increase active duty strength at 
Fort Lewis by approximately 1,900 Soldiers. This EIS will also analyze 
Fort Lewis and YTC as potential locations for the stationing of 
additional units, to include approximately 1,000 combat service support 
(CSS) Soldiers consisting of Quartermaster, Medical, Transportation or 
Headquarters units to support combat operations, and a Combat Aviation 
Brigade (CAB) consisting of approximately 2,800 soldiers and 110 
helicopters. These actions could occur over the next five years.

ADDRESSES: Questions regarding this proposal or written comments should 
be forwarded to: Department of the Army, Directorate of Public Works, 
Attention: IMWE-LEW-PWE MS 17 (Mr. Paul T. Steucke, Jr.), Box 339500, 
Fort Lewis, WA 98433-9500.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Van Hoesen, Fort Lewis NEPA 
Coordinator at (253) 966-1780 during business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Lewis is a major Army installation (one 
of 15 U.S. power projection platforms) encompassing 86,176 acres in 
western Washington, approximately 35 miles south of Seattle. The 
327,231 acre YTC is a sub-installation of Fort Lewis located about 7 
miles northeast of the City of Yakima in central Washington. Fort Lewis 
and YTC are important Army facilities for weapons qualification and 
field training. In addition to the units stationed there, Reserve and 
National Guard units, as well as units from allied nations, train at 
Fort Lewis and YTC.
    Stationing and force structure realignment actions across the Army 
were identified in the GTA PEIS that would increase the Army by 
approximately 74,000 Soldiers in the next five years. In addition to 
analyzing the effects of implementing the proposed GTA decisions 
pertaining to Fort Lewis and YTC, this EIS will analyze the effects 
from related stationing and force structure decisions of ongoing Army 
initiatives interconnected with and essential to implementing the GTA 
decisions. These ongoing initiatives are the Base Realignment and 
Closure Act of 2005, the Global Defense Posture Realignment, and 
transition to the Army Modular Force. These actions include stationing 
and unit restructuring, increased intensity of use of maneuver and 
live-fire training areas, and construction activity. New construction 
will be required for new training facilities and ranges; cantonment 
area development projects such as troop and family housing, 
administrative facilities, motor pools, child development centers; and 
infrastructure upgrades.
    The EIS will evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives and their 
subsequent potential environmental impacts resulting from the proposed 
construction and training activities in order to support the potential 
stationing of additional CSS units and a CAB. Under the No Action 
alternative, the proposed site-specific actions to implement the 
decisions of the GTA and related Army initiatives would not be 
implemented. Other alternatives may be identified as part of the public 
scoping process initiated by this NOI.
    An impact analysis will be performed for a wide range of 
environmental resource areas including, but not limited to, air 
quality, water quality, cultural resources, sensitive species and 
habitats, soil erosion, traffic and transportation, noise, 
socioeconomics, land use, utilities, and solid and hazardous materials/
waste. The impact analysis will include consideration of the direct, 
indirect and cumulative impacts of the proposed action and reasonable 
alternatives. Additional resources and conditions may be identified as 
a result of the scoping process initiated by this NOI.
    Public Participation: The public will be invited to participate in 
the scoping process, which includes scoping meetings, and encouraged to 
provide input on the proposed actions and alternatives in the EIS. The 
scoping process is intended to assist the agency in identifying, among 
other things, important issues of environmental concern and reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action. The public will also be invited to 
review and comment on the Draft EIS. These public involvement 
opportunities will be announced in the local news media. To ensure 
comments are fully considered in the Draft EIS, comments and 
suggestions should be received no later than 45 days following 
publication of this NOI. The process will be concluded by preparation 
of a Final EIS and a ROD choosing a particular course of action.

    Dated: December 12, 2008.
Addison D. Davis IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
 [FR Doc. E8-30174 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M