[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 2359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1070]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Revised Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored at 
Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the Notice of Availability of the Revised Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the construction and operation 
of the proposed chemical agent demilitarization facility at the 
Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon. The proposed facility will be used to 
demilitarize all stockpiled chemical agents and munitions currently 
stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The Revised FEIS examines the 
potential impacts of on-site incineration, alternative sites within 
Umatilla Chemical Depot and the ``no action'' alternative. The ``no 
action'' alternative is considered to be a deferral of demilitarization 
with continued storage of agents and munitions at the Umatilla Chemical 
Depot.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its Record of Decision (53 FR 5816, 
February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), the 
Department of the Army selected on-site disposal by incineration at all 
eight chemical munition storage sites within the continental United 
States as the method by which it will destroy its lethal chemical 
stockpile. On February 6, 1989, the Department of the Army published a 
Notice of Intent (54 FR 5646) which announced that, pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act and implementing regulations, it 
would prepare a draft site-specific EIS for the Umatilla chemical 
munitions disposal facility. In 1991, the Department of the Army 
prepared a Draft EIS to assess the site-specific health and 
environmental impacts of on-site incineration of chemical agents and 
munitions stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. In late 1991, 
preparation of a site-specific EIS for Umatilla was suspended pending 
the outcome of a National Research Council (NRC) study of alternative 
technologies for the destruction of chemical agents and munitions and 
the Army's review of that study. After completion of the NRC study in 
1994 and an Army review, the draft EIS was revised. A Notice of 
Availability for this Revised Draft EIS was published on review, the 
draft EIS was revised. A Notice of Availability for this Revised Draft 
EIS was published on January 26, 1996 (61 FR 2508) and made available 
for public comment. Comments on the Revised Draft EIS were considered 
and responses were included in the FEIS. A Notice of Availability for 
this FEIS was published on June 21, 1996 (61 FR 31939). After 
publication of this FEIS, the program performed an additional review 
and determined more detailed responses to the public comments were 
necessary. These responses were incorporated into a Revised FEIS which 
is the subject of this Notice of Availability. After a 30-day waiting 
period the Army will publish a Record of Decision. Copies of the 
Revised FEIS may be obtained by writing to the following address: 
Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-ME, 
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5401.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will 
also publish a Notice of Availability for the Revised FEIS in the 
Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Above address, or Ms. Lori Geckle at 
(410) 671-1411/3629.

    Dated: December 20, 1996.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I, L&E).
[FR Doc. 97-1070 Filed 1-15-97; 8:45 am]
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