[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 1995)] [Notices] [Page 7947] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-2940] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army Notice of Availability of the Final Environment Impact Statement for Disposal and Reuse of Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the President's Council on Environmental Quality, the Army has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for disposal of lands that will become surplus at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. The Primary Army action analyzed in the FEIS is the disposal of 2,357 acres of surplus property at Fort Benjamin Harrison (FBH). In addition, the FEIS analyzes impacts associated with potential reuse activities as a secondary action to be accomplished by other (non-Army) entities. The Army disposal action is evaluated in the context of three alternatives: (1) the No Action Alternative (NAA) which analyzes the effects of maintaining the installation in caretaker status after closure; (2) the Encumbered Disposal (ED) Alternative which analyzes the effects of the Army disposing property with certain reuse constraints (encumbrances) on future owners as a condition of disposal and reuse; and (3) the Unencumbered Disposal (UD) Alternative which analyzes the effects of removing existing constraints to allow property disposal with less or no Army-imposed restrictions to future use. The EIS identifies the Encumbered Disposal Alternative as the preferred Army action. No significant adverse impacts are anticipated as a result of this Army action. The Army does not have a preference regarding the reuse of FBH excess lands, nor does it have the ability to maintain direct control of the ultimate use of any property disposed. Therefore, surplus property reuse is analyzed as a secondary, non-Army action resulting from property disposal. The EIS evaluates three reuse alternatives that represent a range of reuse actions that could occur at FBH. The EIS identifies the type and relative magnitude of impacts that are expected to occur under each of the intensity-based reuse alternatives. In addition, the Fort Harrison Transition Task Force (FHTTF) submitted a Preliminary Community Concept Plan (PCCP) for reuse to the Army as part of their comments on the Draft EIS. A copy of the PCCP Executive Summary has been included as Appendix F of the FEIS; and an analysis of the impacts associated with the PCCP has been included as Appendix G. The FHTTF final reuse plan is not expected to change significantly from the PCCP. DATES: The FEIS on the disposal and reuse of Fort Benjamin Harrison was distributed to interested agencies and the public prior to or simultaneously with filing of this Notice of Availability for the FEIS with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Following a 30 day post- filing waiting period, the Department of the Army will prepare a Record of Decision which will become part of the environmental documentation presented for the final decision. ADDRESSES: Questions regarding the FEIS, or a request for copies of the document may be directed to Mr. William Ray Haynes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, P.O. Box 59, Louisville, Kentucky 40201-0059, or call (502) 582-6475. Dated: January 26, 1995. Lewis D. Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health) OASA (IL&E). [FR Doc. 95-2940 Filed 2-9-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710-08-M