[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 221 (Tuesday, November 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63915-63916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30627]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE


Ballistic Missile Defense Organization; Preparation of the 
National Missile Defense Deployment Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notifies the public that the Ballistic Missile Defense 
Organization (BMDO) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for a potential National Missile Defense (NMD) 
deployment, should the U.S. Government make such a decision. In 1996, 
at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, NMD was designated a 
Major Defense Acquisition Program. Concurrently, BMDO was tasked with 
developing an NMD system that could be deployed within three years. 
This three-year development period is to culminate in the year 2000. In 
the year 2000, a Department of Defense (DoD) Deployment Readiness 
Review will be held to review the technical readiness of NMD elements. 
Thereafter, the United States government will determine whether the 
threat, developed capability, and other pertinent factors justify 
deploying an operational NMD system by the year 2003. BMDO is preparing 
an EIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of deployment of 
an NMD system.
    Because the three-year development period is combined with an 
additional three-year deployment option, the total effort is referred 
to as the NMD ``3+3'' program. Should the deployment option not be 
exercised in the year 2000, improvements in NMD system element 
technology would continue, while an ability to deploy a system within 
three years of a decision would be maintained.
    The EIS is intended to support BMDO's planning for a potential 
deployment of an NMD system. The decision to be made is whether to 
deploy such a system. This decision will be based on an analysis of the 
potential limited strategic ballistic missile threat to the United 
States from a rogue nation, technical readiness of the NMD system for 
deployment, and other factors including potential environmental 
impacts. If the decision is to deploy, then sites would be selected 
from the range of locations studied in the EIS. The EIS will provide 
the U.S. Government with the information necessary to properly account 
for the environmental impacts of this decision.
    The NMD system would be a fixed, land-based, non-nuclear, hit-to-
kill missile defense system with land and space-based sensor support 
capable of responding to a limited strategic ballistic missile threat 
to the United States by a rogue nation. The NMD system would consist of 
five elements: Ground-based Interceptors (GBIs); Battle Management 
Command, Control, and Communications, which includes the Battle 
Management Command and Control (BMC2), communication lines, and the In-
Flight Interceptor Communications System (IFICS) as subelements; X-Band 
Radar (XBR); Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR); and Defense Support 
Program (DSP) satellites/Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) 
satellites. All elements of the NMD system would work together to 
protect the 50 United States against a limited strategic ballistic 
missile attack by a rogue nation.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The alternatives to be considered in this EIS are the No-Action 
Alternative and the Proposed Action. A No-Action Alternative would be a 
DoD recommendation not to deploy an NMD

[[Page 63916]]

system but to continue NMD system development to improve NMD system 
capabilities. With the Proposed Action Alternative, NMD elements and 
element locations would be selected from the range of locations studied 
in the EIS. The potential NMD element deployment locations would made 
maximum use of existing DoD land. The following paragraphs detail 
potential regions and locations that the U.S. Government would consider 
as possible sites for each element.
    Under the current Proposed Action an initial GBI missile field of 
20 missiles could be located at one of the following locations: Clear 
Air Station (AS), Alaska; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Fort Greely, Alaska; 
Yukon Maneuver Area (Fort Wainwright), Alaska; Grand Forks Air Force 
Base (AFB), North Dakota; or Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex 
(SRMSC) Missile Site Radar Site, North Dakota (the SRMSC is centered 
around the town of Langdon). Wherever the GBIs may be deployed, they 
would not be fired from their deployment site except in the Nation's 
defense.
    A BMC2 site could be located at one of the following locations: 
Clear AS, Alaska; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Fort Greely, Alaska; Yukon 
Maneuver Area (Fort Wainwright), Alaska; Cavalier AS, North Dakota; 
Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota; or SRMSC Missile Site Radar Site, North 
Dakota. Also, additional BMC2 facilities would be retrofitted into the 
existing United States Space Command communication and control 
facilities at Colorado Springs and other DoD command centers in the 
United States.
    Approximately 14 IFICS could be located at geographically separated 
locations in the general vicinity of other NMD elements and in the New 
England states. Identification of potential locations for IFICS is 
still in progress and will be based on operational requirements. When 
possible, the IFICS would be located on or near existing DOD 
installations. Locations tentatively identified to date include: Clear 
AS, Alaska; Eareckson AS (Shemya Island), Alaska; Eielson AFB, Alaska; 
Fort Greely, Alaska; Yukon Maneuver Area (Fort Wainwright), Alaska; 
Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota; Minot AFB, North Dakota, Missile Alert 
Facility ECHO (near the town of Hampden), North Dakota; SRMSC Missile 
Site Radar Site, North Dakota; and the Western Aleutians. Studies for 
potential locations for IFICS sites are still in their early stages. As 
the studies progress the North Dakota and Alaska locations listed above 
may be refined and potential locations identified in the New England 
states. This updated information will be announced in the Federal 
Register and additional scoping will be conducted to obtain public 
input regarding the potential environmental effects of deploying an 
IFICS at those locations.
    One XBR would be deployed and the following locations are under 
consideration: Eareckson AS (Shemya Island), Alaska; Cavalier AS, North 
Dakota; SRMSC Missile Site Radar Site, North Dakota; SRMSC Remote 
Sprint Launch Site 1, North Dakota; SRMSC Remote Sprint Launch Site 2, 
North Dakota; and SRMSC Remote Sprint Launch Site 4, North Dakota.
    Any deployment may require elements of the system to utilize 
existing fiber-optic lines, power lines, and other utilities. Some 
existing lines used to support the deployed system may require 
modifications. Deployment of elements to some locations may require the 
acquisition of new rights-of-way and installation of new utility and 
fiber optic cable. Potential new fiber optic cable locations include 
North Dakota and Alaska and an oceanic fiber optic cable along the 
Aleutian Islands from Seward or Whittier, Alaska, to Eareckson AS 
(Shemya Island), Alaska.

Scoping Process

    This EIS will assess environmental issues associated with 
deployment alternatives. Scoping will be conducted to identify 
environmental concerns and issues to be addressed in the EIS. Public 
scoping meetings will be held as part of the process. The schedule for 
the scoping meetings is as follows: (1) 1 December from 5-8 p.m. at the 
Cavalier County Courthouse Meeting Room, 901 3rd Street, Langdon, North 
Dakota; (2) 2 December from 5-8 p.m. at the Grand Forks Civic 
Auditorium, 615 1st Avenue, North, Grand Forks, North Dakota; (3) 7 
December from 5-8 p.m. at the Carlson Community Activity Center, 2010 
2nd Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska; (4) 8 December from 5-8 p.m. at Anderson 
School, Main Street, Anderson, Alaska; (5) 9 December from 5-8 p.m. at 
the Delta Junction Community Center, 2288 Deborah Street, Delta 
Junction, Alaska; (6) 10 December from 5-8 p.m. at Loussac Library, 
3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska; and (7) 16 December from 3-8 
p.m. at the Days Inn, 2000 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, 
Virginia.
    Public input and comments are solicited concerning the deployment 
alternatives and environmental issues related to the proposed NMD 
deployment program. To ensure the program office will have sufficient 
time to fully consider public input on issues, written comments should 
be mailed to ensure receipt no later than January 15, 1999.
    Comments concerning the EIS should be addressed to: SMDC-EN-V 
(Julia Hudson), U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, 106 Wynn 
Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, telephone (256) 955-4822.

    Dated: November 10, 1998.
L.M. Byrum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-30627 Filed 11-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M