[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28374-28375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13722]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Release of the Notice of Availability on the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (Final EIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of Fort Ritchie, 
Maryland

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action evaluated by this Final EIS is the 
disposal of Fort Ritchie, Maryland, in accordance with the Defense Base 
Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, Public Law 101-510.


[[Page 28375]]


    The EIS analyzes the environmental consequences of the disposal and 
subsequent reuse of the 638 acres comprising Fort Ritchie. Two disposal 
alternatives were analyzed: (1) The No Action Alternative, which 
entails maintaining the property in caretaker status after closure; and 
(2) the Encumbered Disposal Alternative, which entails transferring the 
property to future owners with Army-imposed limitations, or 
encumbrances, on the future use of the property. Additionally, the 
Final EIS analyses the potential environmental and socioeconomic 
consequences of three reuse alternatives: (1) Low Intensity Reuse 
Alternative; (2) Low-Medium Intensity Reuse Alternative; and (3) Medium 
Intensity Reuse Alternative. Disposal alternatives were developed by 
the Army. Reuse alternatives were developed by the Fort Ritchie Local 
Redevelopment Authority. The resources areas evaluated for potential 
impacts by the proposed action (disposal) and the secondary action 
(reuse) include: Land Use; Climate; Air Quality; Noise; Geology, Soils, 
and Topography; Water Resources; Infrastructure; Hazardous and Toxic 
Substances; Biological Resources and Ecosystems; Cultural Resources; 
Legacy Resources; Sociological Environment; Economic Development; 
Quality of Life; Installation Agreement, and Permits and Regulatory 
Authorizations. The Army's preferred alternative for disposal of Fort 
Ritchie is disposal with encumbered title on all Fort Ritchie property 
transfers. An encumbrance is any Army-imposed or legal constraint on 
the future use or development of the property. Encumbrances support 
future Army interests, regulatory and statutory compliance, promote 
continued protection of sensitive resources to foster environmentally 
sustainable redevelopment, hasten availability of property, or provide 
mitigation requirements. Encumbrances determined relevant in the EIS to 
disposal of Fort Ritchie relate to wetlands, historical resources, 
threatened and endangered species, utilities easements, easements and 
rights-of-way, access easements, utility interdependencies, remedial 
activities, and lead-based paint. Property will be remediated as 
appropriate and retained in caretaker status until transfer by 
encumbered title.
    The Army proposes to make the 638 acres available for conveyance 
to, and subsequent reuse by, the Fort Ritchie Local Redevelopment 
Authority (LRA).

COPIES: Comments received on the Draft EIS have been considered and 
responses included in a document dated January 1998. This document, 
together with the Draft EIS dated July 1997, constitute the Final EIS. 
Copies of the January 1998 document, along with the July 1997 Draft 
EIS, will be available for review at the following locations: Adams 
County Library, Gettysburg, PA; Alexander Hamilton Library, Waynesboro, 
PA; Blue Ridge Summit Library, Blue Ridge Summit, PA; C. Burr Artz 
Central Library, Frederick, MD; Robert F. Barrick Library, Fort 
Ritichie, MD; and the Washington County Free Library, Hagerstown, MD.

DATES: Written pubic comments and suggestions received within 30 days 
of the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of 
Availability for this action will be considered by the Army during 
final decision making.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the January 1998 document and the July 1997 Draft 
EIS, together which constitute the Final Impact Statement, may be 
obtained from, and comments provided to, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN: Mr. Clifford Kidd (CENAB-PL-EM), Baltimore District, 
P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, or by calling direct to 
(410) 962-3100.

    Dated: May 14, 1998.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I,L&E).
[FR Doc. 98-13722 Filed 5-21-98; 8:45 am]
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