[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 44247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22107]



[[Page 44247]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Mission and Master Plan, Fort Bliss, Texas and 
New Mexico

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS). The DPEIS assesses the 
potential environmental impacts of the approval of revisions to 
components of the Fort Bliss Real Property Master Plan and adoption of 
the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, Integrated Cultural 
Resources Management Plan, and the Training Area Development Concept, 
as well as modifies the general land use plan to increase the 
availability of controlled access field training sites in the Fort 
Bliss Training Complex.

DATES: The public comment period for the DPEIS will end 45 days after 
publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the DPEIS, contact Vicki Hamilton, U.S. 
Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Directorate of the 
Environment, ATTN: AZC-DOE-C (PEIS), Building 624 North, Pleasanton 
Road, Fort Bliss, TX 79916-6812.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Vicki Hamilton at (915) 568-2774, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The alternatives to no action (continuation 
of current mission, land use and management) considered in this DPEIS 
are:
    a. Alternative 1: Incorporates the current missions assigned to 
Fort Bliss as described in the no action alternative. Alternative 1 is 
to adopt recent updates to components of the Fort Bliss Real Property 
Master Plan (the Long-range Component, Short-range Component, and 
informal modifications to the Mobilization Component). In addition, the 
Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, the Integrated Cultural 
Resource Management Plan and the supplement to the Long-range component 
with a definitive land use plan for the Fort Bliss Training Complex 
presented in Chapter 3.0 (Current Conditions) of the Training Area 
Development Concept would be adopted. Adoption of these plans would 
authorize the steps leading to program and appropriate project 
implementation as described in the DPEIS.
    b. Alternative 2: Adopts the general land use plan for increasing 
the availability of controlled access field training sites on the Fort 
Bliss Training Complex in addition to actions in Alternative 1. If 
adopted programmatically, evaluation of proposed specific sites will be 
accomplished in a separate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
document(s) that may be tiered off of the Final PEIS that follows this 
DPEIS.
    c. Alternative 3: Adopts the general land use plan for conceptual 
uses of the Fort Bliss Training Complex presented in Chapter 4.0 
(Future Development Concept) of the Training Area Development Concept 
in addition to actions in Alternatives 1 and 2. If approved 
programmatically, evaluation of specific projects proposed in the 
future will be accomplished under the NEPA. The document includes 
analyses of the environmental consequences each alternative may have on 
land use, infrastructure, airspace, earth resources, air quality, water 
resources, biological resources, cultural resources, noise, safety, 
hazardous materials and items of special concern, socioeconomics, and 
environmental justice. The findings indicate that potential 
environmental impacts from each alternative may include changes to land 
use, increased soil erosion, slight impacts to biological and cultural 
resources, and cumulative impacts to water resources. Improved 
management practices are anticipated under Alternatives 1, 2 and 3. The 
level of land use may increase under Alternatives 2 and 3.
    A public meeting for the purpose of receiving comments on this 
DPEIS will be in El Paso, Texas; and Las Cruces and Alamogordo, New 
Mexico. Additional detail will follow in the media, or contact the Fort 
Bliss Public Affairs Office at (915) 568-4505. Public comments received 
on the DPEIS will be addressed in the Final PEIS and considered by the 
Army in its Record of Decision.
    The revised Long-range Component of the Fort Bliss Real Property 
master Plan, the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, the 
Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan, and the Training Area 
Development Concept are available for review in the following 
libraries: (1) El Paso Public Library main Library, 501 North Oregon 
Street, El Paso, TX 79901, (2) Irving Schwartz Branch, El Paso Public 
Library, 1865 Dean Martin Drive, El Paso, TX 79936; (3) Westside 
Branch, El Paso Public Library, 125 Belvidere Street, El Paso, TX 
79912; (4) Library, Dell City, TX 79837; (5) University of Texas at El 
Paso, Library, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968; (6) 
Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E Picacho Avenue, Las Cruces, NM 88001; 
(7) Library, 920 Oregon, Alamogordo, NM 88310; (8) New Mexico State 
University Branson Library, Frenger at Williams, Las Cruces, NM 88003; 
(9) New Mexico State University, Roswell, Library, 52 University 
Boulevard, Roswell, NM 88202-6000; (10) Library, 20 Curlew Place, 
Cloudcraft, NM 88317-9998.

    Dated: August 12, 1998.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health), OASA (I,L&E).
[FR Doc. 98-22107 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M