[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18775]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 2, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army

 

Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) and Environmental 
Assessment for Realignment of Fort Jackson, SC

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with procedures established by the Defense Base 
Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (BRAC), the 1993 Defense Base 
Closure and Realignment Commission recommended that the Chaplain Center 
and School (CHCS) be relocated from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, to Fort 
Jackson, South Carolina. The proposed action is necessary to implement 
this recommendation. Facility requirements of the CHCS include general 
and applied instructional facilities, administrative and operations 
area, historical property storage, and a library, as well as 
Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Moslem chapels.
    Realigning the CHCS and associated activities will involve 
approximately 100 permanent party soldiers, 50 civilian employees, and 
an average daily student load of 165. To accomplish the increased 
mission at Fort Jackson, construction of a new CHCS administrative and 
instructional facility will be required.
    The construction of a 136-unit Unaccompanied Officers Quarters 
(UOQ) is also included as part of this environmental assessment. 
However, the UOQ is not a BRAC 93 project, neither is it a result of 
the BRAC 93 realignment. The increase in unaccompanied officers due to 
the BRAC 91 realignment of the Soldier Support Institute (SSI) to Fort 
Jackson from Fort Benjamin Harrison has created a shortage of UOQ 
spaces. The construction of a new UOQ facility at Fort Jackson would 
reduce this deficit, requiring fewer unaccompanied officers to be 
housed off base. The UOQ was added to the BRAC 91 construction program 
after the Environmental Assessment prepared for the SSI was completed.
    Alternatives Considered: Alternatives considered in the 
Environmental Assessment (EA) include the following: the preferred 
alternative, which is to construct a CHCS facility near the Soldier 
Support Institute building currently under construction, and to 
construct a 136-unit Unaccompanied Officers Personnel Housing facility, 
which would provide housing for officer basic course student on 
temporary duty attending the Adjutant General, Finance, and Recruiting 
and Retention schools at the SSI; the No-Action Alternative; and 
various siting alternatives at the installation for both the CHCS and 
UOQ.
    Feasibility criteria were based on such factors as operational 
impacts, environmental constraints, future expansion capability, base 
vehicular traffic flow, ease of accessibility from on and off post, 
heating and air conditioning requirements, proximity to dining 
facilities and billets, demolition requirements, and conduciveness to a 
campus atmosphere. This latter criteria responds to a desire to have 
academic training areas set apart from other military training 
activities.
    Factors Considered in Determining that No Environmental Impact 
Statement is Required: Implementation of the proposed action would not 
significantly alter baseline environmental conditions at Fort Jackson. 
During construction there would be short-term increases in dust and 
particulate levels associated with construction activities. Mitigation 
measures are in place to minimize temporary impacts related to 
construction.
    Construction will have no significant impact on ground water or on 
any wild and scenic rivers in South Carolina; however, it may have 
short-term impacts on some surface waters. These impacts will be 
negligible, since proper erosion and siltation control measures, as 
well as building designs that minimize erosion and flooding potential, 
will be utilized.
    Combustion by-product emissions from construction equipment will be 
a short-term impact. Long-term increases in non-commercial vehicular 
emissions can be expected because of the additional personnel at Fort 
Jackson. Projected traffic increases are minor relative to the number 
of vehicles already on-post, and will not affect regional air quality 
attainment status; therefore, this impact is not considered 
significant.
    The City of Columbia's water supply system and water treatment 
system is easily capable of absorbing the very minor increase in water 
usage and wastewater generation that will accompany the proposed 
realignment. Therefore, this expected increase in water usage and sewer 
discharge is not considered significant. Increased demand for 
electricity and heating fuels is considered to be negligible.
    After coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the 
South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, it was 
determined that BRAC 93 activities have no negative impacts on 
federally listed or proposed threatened and endangered species, 
including the red-cockaded woodpecker population at Fort Jackson. 
Coordination with the Charleston District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
revealed that there are no jurisdictional wetlands that will be 
impacted by construction of BRAC 93 CHCS facilities and the UOQ at Fort 
Jackson. The proposed construction will not have any adverse affect on 
any historic or cultural resources eligible for inclusion on the 
National Register of Historic Places.
    The realignment action will have a positive impact on Richland and 
Lexington counties with respect to employment, population, business 
volume, and personal income. However, these increases will not 
significantly alter the socioeconomic characteristics of the Fort 
Jackson region.
    Conclusion: It has been determined that implementation of the 
proposed action would not have significant individual or cumulative 
impacts on the quality of the natural or human environment. Because 
there would be no significant environmental impacts resulting from the 
implementation of the proposed action, an Environmental Impact 
Statement is not required and will not be prepared.

DATES: Comments must be received September 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to comment may obtain a copy of the EA or 
inquire regarding this FNSI by writing to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN: Mr. Richard Muller, Planning Division, 803 Front 
Street, Norfolk, VA 23510-1096.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions regarding this FNSI may be directed to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN: Mr. Richard Miller, at (804) 441-7767.

    Dated: July 27, 1994.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupation Health) OASA (IL&E).
[FR Doc. 94-18775 Filed 8-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M