Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 05 Actions at Fort Monroe, VA, 46986-46987 [E9-21931]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 176 (Monday, September 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46986-46987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21931]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 05 Actions at Fort Monroe, VA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
DEIS, which evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic 
impacts of BRAC actions at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

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. Public meeting date is: October 6, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 
p.m., Hampton Roads Convention Center, 1610 Coliseum Drive, Hampton, 
VA.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments on the DEIS to: Ms. Robin 
Mills, Chief, Directorate of Public Works, 318 Cornog Lane, Fort 
Monroe, VA 23651. E-mail comments should be sent to 
monr.post.nepapublic@us.army.mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Mills, Chief, Directorate of 
Public Works, 318 Cornog Lane, Fort Monroe, VA 23651. E-mail comments 
should be sent to monr.post.nepapublic@us.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS covers activities associated with 
the BRAC actions at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The 2005 BRAC Commission 
recommended the closure of Fort Monroe and the relocation of the U.S. 
Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Headquarters; the 
Installation Management Agency (IMA) Northeast Region Headquarters; the 
U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) Northeast 
Region Headquarters; and the Army Contracting Agency Northern Region 
Office to Fort Eustis, VA. The 2005 BRAC Commission also recommended 
the U.S. Army Accessions Command and U.S. Army Cadet Command relocate 
to Fort Knox, KY. Under BRAC, closure will be no later than September 
15, 2011.
    Following closure, Fort Monroe will be surplus to Army needs and 
the Army will dispose of its real property interests. The Army has 
recognized the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority (FMFADA) 
as the local reuse authority for reuse planning. The FMFADA Fort Monroe 
Reuse Plan was approved by the Governor in August

[[Page 46987]]

2008 and is available at: https://www.fmfada.com/business/reuse_planning/.
    Fort Monroe is a 570-acre U.S. Army Garrison located on Old Point 
Comfort at the southeastern tip of the Virginia Lower Peninsula between 
Hampton Roads and the Lower Chesapeake Bay. The Fort Monroe property is 
still almost completely surrounded by the waters of the lower 
Chesapeake Bay, the harbor of Hampton Roads, and Mill Creek. The 
installation's northern extension ties into land in the city of Hampton 
and the community of Buckroe Beach.
    The primary Army action is to dispose of the surplus Federal 
property generated by the BRAC-mandated closure of Fort Monroe. Reuse 
of Federal property at Fort Monroe by others is a secondary action 
resulting from disposal. The Army identified two disposal alternatives 
(early transfer and traditional disposal), a caretaker status 
alternative and the no action alternative. The reuse scenarios 
encompass the FMFADA's Reuse Plan and include higher and lower levels 
of development intensities. The Army expresses no preference with 
respect to reuse scenarios. The EIS analyzes each alternative's impact 
upon the natural and cultural environments in the surrounding vicinity.
    Four alternatives are analyzed in the DEIS: (1) An early transfer 
alternative, under which transfer and reuse of the property would occur 
before environmental remedial action has been completed; (2) a 
traditional disposal alternative, under which transfer and reuse of the 
property would occur once environmental remediation is complete for 
individual parcels of the installation; (3) a caretaker status 
alternative, which would arise in the event that the Army is unable to 
dispose of all or portions of the property within the period of time 
defined for initial caretaking, after which time the maintenance of the 
property would be reduced to minimal activities necessary to ensure 
security, health, and safety, and to avoid physical deterioration of 
facilities; and (4) a no action alternative, under which the Army would 
continue operations at Fort Monroe at levels similar to those occurring 
prior to the BRAC Commission's recommendation for closure. Three reuse 
scenarios (based on low, middle, and upper bracket intensity scenarios 
of reuse) are evaluated as secondary actions of disposal of Fort 
Monroe. These reuse scenarios bracket the intensity of reuse expected 
under the FMFADA's reuse plan.
    The evaluated resource areas include land use, aesthetics and 
visual resources, air quality, noise, geology and soils, water 
resources, biological resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics, 
transportation, utilities, and hazardous and toxic substances. Direct 
and indirect impacts of each disposal alternative on the resource areas 
include a variety of short- and long-term impacts, both adverse and 
beneficial. Under the early transfer and traditional disposal 
alternatives, minor to significant adverse effects would be expected in 
the areas of noise and transportation. For the caretaker status 
alternative, minor adverse effects would be expected to occur for all 
resources areas with the exception of minor beneficial effects 
estimated for air quality and noise. The no action alternative would 
result in no new adverse direct, indirect, or cumulative impacts. The 
three reuse scenarios evaluated have the potential for a variety of 
adverse and beneficial short- and long-term effects.
    The Army invites the public, local governments, and state and 
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. 
Copies of the DEIS will be available for review at Hampton, VA, 
libraries prior to the public meeting. The DEIS may also be viewed 
online at: https://www.hqda.army.mil/acsimweb/brac/nepa_eis_docs.htm.

    Dated: September 2, 2009.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E9-21931 Filed 9-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M