[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 233 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75677-75678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30756]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Design, Construction, and Operation and Closure of a 
Facility for the Destruction of Chemical Agents and Munitions at Blue 
Grass Army Depot (BGAD), Kentucky

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This announces the Army's intent to prepare a site-specific 
EIS on the potential impacts of the design, construction, operation and 
closure of a facility to destroy all of the chemical agents and 
munitions currently stored at the BGAD, Kentucky. The EIS will examine 
potential environmental impacts of the following destruction facility 
alternatives: a baseline incineration facility; a full-scale facility 
to pilot test an alternative technology successfully demonstrated by 
the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) Program; and no action 
(an alternative that will continue the storage of the chemical agent 
and munitions at the BGAD). If any reasonable alternatives are 
identified during the environmental analysis process, they will be 
considered as alternative courses of action.
    The United States has a statutory and international treaty 
obligation to destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons, including 
those at the BGAD. The technique of using incineration (herein referred 
to as baseline incineration) has already been tested safely and 
successfully in full-scale facilities. Alternatives to baseline 
incineration have been tested at the demonstration level, but not in 
pilot scale or full-scale facilities. Before additional federal funds 
can be spent on any alternative technology, sec. 142 of the Strom 
Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, Pub. 
L. 105-261, requires that three findings be made. First, an alternative 
technology would have to be determined to be as safe as and as cost 
effective as baseline incineration. Second, it must also be capable of 
completing destruction of the stockpile by the later of either the 
Chemical Weapons Convention destruction date or the date the BGAD 
stockpile would be destroyed if baseline incineration were used. 
Finally, it must comply with Federal and State health and safety laws.

DATES: Written comments must be received not later than February 2, 
2001 in order to be considered in the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be forwarded to the Program Manager for 
Chemical Demilitarization, Public Outreach and Information Office 
(ATTN: Mr. Gregory Mahall), Building E-4585, Aberdeen Proving Ground, 
MD 21010-4005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory Mahall by mail at the 
above listed address, by phone at 410-436-

[[Page 75678]]

1093, by fax at 410-436-5122, or by email at 
[email protected]. For additional general information 
or questions on this process, please call 1-800-488-0648 to leave a 
message.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (Title 40, CFR, Parts 1500 through 1508), the 
Army will prepare an EIS to assess the health and environmental impacts 
of the design, construction, operation and closure of a facility to 
destroy all of the chemical agents and munitions stored at the BGAD. 
Federal law and an international treaty require that the chemical 
agents and munitions be destroyed. This EIS will analyze the impact of 
the various methods of destroying the BGAD stockpile. The ACWA Program 
is currently in the process of programmatically addressing pilot tests 
for alternative technologies at one or more Army chemical agent 
stockpile sites (FR 65 20139, April 14, 2000). These two separate and 
distinct analyses serve complementary but different purposes.
    This site-specific EIS continues the process that began when 
Congress established the Program for Chemical Demilitarization in Pub. 
L. 99-145 in 1985. The law requires destruction of the chemical weapons 
stockpile by a deadline established by treaty; that date is April 2007. 
This requirement still exists, notwithstanding the establishment of the 
ACWA Program. The Chemical Demilitarization Program published a 
Programmatic EIS in January 1988. Its Records of Decision (ROD) states 
that the stockpile of chemical agents and munitions should be destroyed 
in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner by on-site 
incineration. Site-specific Environmental Impact Statements that tier 
off the Programmatic EIS have been prepared for Johnston Atoll Chemical 
Agent Disposal System, Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, 
Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, Umatilla Chemical Agent 
Disposal Facility, Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, 
Aberdeen Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, and Newport Chemical Agent 
Disposal Facility. An updated report and Record of Environmental 
Consideration have also been done on the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal 
Facility.
    The specific purpose of the current analysis is to determine the 
environmental impacts of the methods that could accomplish the 
destruction of the stockpile at the BGAD by the required destruction 
date on April 2007. The environmental impact analysis will determine 
whether construction of a full-scale plant operated initially as a 
pilot facility and using one of the technologies successfully 
demonstrated in the ACWA Program is capable of destroying the stockpile 
at the BGAD by the reburied destruction date (or as soon thereafter as 
could be achieved by constructing a destruction facility using the 
baseline incineration technology), and if doing so is as safe as the 
baseline incineration technology. The 1988 Programmatic EIS ROD does 
not limit or predetermine the results of the selection of a destruction 
technology for the BGAD, and it does not dictate the decision to be 
made in the ROD following completion of the EIS for this action at the 
BGAD. The ACWA Program has already successfully demonstrated and 
validated neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation. The 
ACWA Program is currently evaluating two additional technologies--
electrochemical oxidation with nitric acid and neutralization/
supercritical water oxidation/gas phase reduction. If one or more of 
these technologies are later considered to be a reasonable alternative, 
they will also be considered in this site-specific EIS. The ACWA 
Program EIS for potential follow-on pilot testing of successful ACWA 
Program demonstration tests pursuant to the process established by 
Congress in Pub. L. 104-208 and 105-261 addresses a separate but 
related purpose. That purpose is to determine if any ACWA Program 
technologies can be pilot tested, and, if so, at which site or sites. 
The ACWA Program EIS will be distinct from this site-specific EIS 
because its emphasis will be on the feasibility of pilot testing one or 
more of the successfully demonstrated and validated ACWA Program 
technologies considering the unique characteristics of various sites, 
where chemical weapons are currently stored, including the BGAD. At the 
conclusion of both of these Environmental Impact Statements, Records of 
Decision will be issued.
    The Army will hold scoping meetings to aid in determining the 
significant issues related to the proposed action that will be 
addressed in the site-specific EIS. The scoping process will include 
public participation and seek input from Federal, Commonwealth of 
Kentucky, and local government agencies, as well as residents within 
the affected environment. The dates, times, and locations of scoping 
meetings will be announced in appropriate news media at least 15 days 
prior to these meetings.

    Dated: November 28, 2000.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health), OASA(I&E).
[FR Doc. 00-30756 Filed 12-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M