Department of the Army December 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of the Army announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) and United States Army Garrison, Hawai`i (USAG-HI) intend to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for modernizing training ranges, training support infrastructure (roads and utilities), and training support facilities in the cantonment area at P[omacr]hakuloa Training Area (PTA) to meet better the readiness needs of military units in Hawai`i. The PEIS will evaluate PTA's long-term vision for modernizing training ranges, training support infrastructure, and the cantonment area to improve a current shortfall in collective (group) live-fire training capabilities for units stationed in Hawai`i. The PEIS also includes an analysis for constructing and operating an Infantry Platoon Battle Area (IPBA) that would include an Infantry Platoon Battle Course (IPBC), Live-fire Shoothouse, and Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility. The IPBC would augment the existing non-standard IPBC (located at Range 10 on PTA), which is undersized and cannot be modernized in its current footprint. The Range 10 IPBC would continue to be used for non-standard collective live-fire training exercises. Many of the training ranges and infrastructure at PTA do not meet current doctrinal training and standard range design requirements. Many of the range assets at PTA also do not have sufficient throughput capacity to meet collective live-fire training requirements. Alternatives analyzed in the PEIS will consider modernizing the training ranges, training support infrastructure, and the cantonment area at PTA, and a No Action alternative. Under the No Action alternative, the Army would continue utilizing current training lands and facilities as efficiently as possible. The PEIS will also present a range of alternatives for the IPBA at either the Western Range Area of PTA, Charlie's Circle, or along the southwest side of Range 20, or to not build and operate the IPBA at all. The primary environmental issues to be analyzed in the PEIS include (but are not limited to) air quality, traffic, biological resources, cultural resources, public services and utilities, wildfires, and hazardous materials and waste. There could be significant impacts to cultural resources, air quality, and risk from igniting wildfires. Also, we anticipate that some federally-listed threatened or endangered plants would be affected. Predicted environmental impacts associated with implementing the initial range project of constructing and operating the IPBA will be analyzed to include an increase in vehicle traffic, air quality impacts, and live-fire activities at currently underutilized range locations at PTA. The proposed action may increase the risk of igniting wildfires or may result in a loss of cultural resources. The Army will identify mitigation measures that could be implemented to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts to the environmental resources.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of the FEIS, which evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with the disposal and reuse of Fort McPherson, Georgia.

Department of the Army proposes to alter a system of records notices in its existing inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

The Department of the Army announces that, unless there is an objection, after 15 days it contemplates granting an exclusive license to Polymer Processing Institute, a not-for-profit corporation having a place of business in the New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus in Newark, New Jersey, to produce the following inventions: ARDEC Reference 2006-043, and U.S. patent application 12/ 483420``Foamed Celluloid Mortar Propellant Increment Containers'' Inventors Ming-Wan Young, Costas G. Gogos; Niloufar Faridi; Linjie Zhu; Peter Bonnett; Howard Shimm; Elbert Caravaca; Joseph Palk. ARDEC Reference 2006-043 continuation (disclosure) ``Foamed Celluloid and Applications Therefor''. ARDEC Reference 2009-014 (disclosure)``Prepare Foamed Energetic Material at a High Production Rate''Inventors Linjie Zhu; Fei Shen; Ming-wan Young; Costas G. Gogos; Chong Peng; Mohamed Elalem; Joseph Palk; Howard (Howie) Shimm, Dale Conti; Elbert Caravaca; Peter Bonnett. ARDEC Reference 2009-015 (disclosure)``Prepare Foamed Energetic Material by Expandable Bead Methodology''Inventors Niloufar Faridi; Linjie Zhu; Ming-wan Young; Costas G. Gogos; Kuanyin Lin; Mohamed Elalem; Joseph Palk; Elbert Caravaca; Dale Conti. Any license granted shall comply with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.