[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8408-8409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4096]



[[Page 8408]]

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs
[OJP (OJP)-1209]
RIN 1121-ZB43


Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support; Notice 
of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for 
the Office of Justice Programs' Center for Domestic Preparedness at 
Fort McClellan, Alabama

AGENCY: Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support, 
Office of Justice Programs, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: In response to the increased threat from international and 
domestic terrorism, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of 
Justice Programs (OJP), was tasked with the establishment of the Center 
for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) at Fort McClellan, Alabama, to provide 
training to state and local emergency first responders on handling of 
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. Through DOJ's Fiscal 
Year 1998 Appropriations Act (Pub. L. No. 105-119) and the accompanying 
Conference Report, Congress expressed its concern regarding the reality 
and potential catastrophic effects of incidents involving weapons of 
mass destruction, including chemical and biological terrorism. Congress 
declared that while the Federal government plays an important role in 
preventing and responding to these types of threats, it is state and 
local public safety personnel who will be first responders on the scene 
when such incidents occur. A critical element in the national domestic 
preparedness initiative is the training and support available to states 
and local communities.
    Congress appropriated funds so the OJP could establish the CDP at 
Fort McClellan to develop national operational standards in domestic 
preparedness and to train emergency first responders on handling of 
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. Two crucial factors 
contributed to Congress' direction that the CDP locate at Fort 
McClellan. The first was that the U.S. Army's Chemical Defense Training 
Facility (CDTF) at Fort McClellan was the only such facility in the 
United States that provided live chemical agent decontamination 
training, and thus the only existing location that could provide the 
highest level of this type of training to potential responders. The 
second factor was congressional recognition that a very real threat 
currently exists, and that time was not available to design and build 
new facilities for this training initiative.
    The purpose of the CDP is to establish and maintain national 
operational standards in domestic preparedness and to provide high-
level training through the utilization of facilities that would not 
otherwise be available to most local emergency first responders.
    Courses focus on emergency operations center training, including 
simulations and computer models/scenarios to teach operational 
standards and test state and local procedures. Other advanced awareness 
training courses will be designed for different levels of personnel 
within the emergency first responder community, from basic emergency 
medical technician, fireman, or policeman to high-level supervisors. 
Central to the establishment of the CDP and the location of this 
training at Fort McClellan is the ability of trainers and students from 
Federal, State, and local agencies to interact in a real environment 
involving the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the unique 
opportunity to train with live chemical agents. The live agent 
environment reinforces confidence in the PPE and provides the most 
realistic scenarios available for those who will be first on the scene 
of an incident involving weapons of mass destruction.
    Fort McClellan is scheduled to close on October 1, 1999, pursuant 
to the 1995 recommendation of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 
Commission. The establishment of the CDP at Fort McClellan and the 
development of this training was proposed to occur in stages. The first 
stage of CDP training, which is an interim program and which is 
ongoing, involves the use of existing U.S. Army facilities and training 
programs at Fort McClellan by the CDP, but under the auspices of the 
Army. This interim action was the subject of a separate National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment (EA).
    The proposed final stage involves the transfer of ownership from 
the Army to OJP of several existing training and support facilities at 
Fort McClellan and the assumption of responsibility for the training 
program to be provided to state and local emergency first responders. 
The proposed training program will use existing housing, buildings, and 
facilities, and train approximately 10,000 students per year or about 
200 students a week. With the departure of the Army upon closure of 
Fort McClellan, some existing operational procedures will be changed. 
By law, the U.S. Army is the only agency authorized to manufacture and 
transport the chemical agents used in the first responder training. If 
OJP assumes full responsibility for the first responder training after 
the closure of Fort McClellan, the Army can no longer produce chemical 
agents at Fort McClellan but will transport approximately two liters of 
chemical agents annually to the CDP from the Army's production facility 
at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Use of the Anniston and/or 
Talladega Airport is under consideration for purpose. This NOI pertains 
to the planned preparation of a DEIS to assess the proposed CDP 
operations and training at Fort McClellan subsequent to base closure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. L Z Johnson, Director, Center for 
Domestic Preparedness, Post Office Box 5100, Fort McClellan, AL 36205-
5100, telephone (256) 848-4139; or E-mail: HYPERLINK mail to: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

    The DEIS is to assess the environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed OJP assumption of responsibility for and the conduct of 
emergency first responder training in support of State and local needs. 
The training is proposed to be conducted at Fort McClellan, using 
existing U.S. Army facilities that would be transferred to OJP upon 
closure of the base pursuant to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 
Commission recommendation of 1995.

2. Alternatives

    The only reasonable alternative to be considered in this DEIS is 
the No Action Alternative. Congress mandated and funded the use of Fort 
McClellan by OJP, in large measure because of the availability of an 
existing live chemical agent training capability there. If it should be 
determined that OJP will not assume responsibility for continued 
emergency first responder training at Fort McClellan after base 
closure, a new review of needs and alternatives involving coordination 
at the national level would then be required.

3. Scoping Process and Public Participation

    Letters and informational fliers describing the proposed action and 
soliciting comments will be sent to appropriate Federal, State and 
local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens and citizen 
groups who

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have previously expressed or are known to have an interest in 
activities associated with the closure of Fort McClellan. Additionally, 
two public scoping meetings will be held. One meeting will be held in 
Talladega, AL and the other scoping meeting will be held in Anniston, 
Alabama. The public, as well as Federal, State, and local agencies are 
encouraged to participate in these scoping meetings and/or submit data, 
information, and comments by mail identifying relevant environmental 
and socioeconomic issues to be addressed in this environmental 
analysis. Comments and information should be mailed to Mr. L Z Johnson 
at the above address. Requests to be placed on the mailing list for 
announcements and the Draft EIS should also be sent to Mr. L Z Johnson. 
The first public scoping meeting will be held at the Colony House 
Motel, Banquet Room, 65600 Highway 77 North, Talladega, AL at 7:30 PM, 
CST, on Tuesday, March 16, 1999. The second public scoping meeting will 
be held at the City Meeting Center, Meeting Room B, 1615 Noble Street, 
Anniston, AL at 7:30 PM, CST, on Wednesday, March 17, 1999.

4. Related Documents

    Environmental Assessment For the Center for Domestic Preparedness, 
Fort McClellan, Alabama, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 
Programs, July 1998 and Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
Disposal and Reuse of Fort McClellan, Alabama, U.S. Department of the 
Army, August 1998.
Laurie Robinson,
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-4096 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
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