[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 251 (Friday, December 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 82983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33281]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of The National Missile Defense Deployment 
Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) announces 
the availability of the National Missile Defense (NMD) Deployment Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS assesses the potential 
impacts associated with the possible deployment of the NMD system.

COMMENTS: The review period for the FEIS will end on January 29, 2001 
and comments must be received by this date. Written comments and 
inquiries on the FEIS or a request for a copy of the FEIS should be 
directed to: SMDC-EN-V (Ms. Julia Hudson), U.S. Army Space and Missile 
Defense Command, PO Box 1500, Huntsville, AL 35807-3801, telephone 
(256) 955-4822.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BMDO announced the availability of the 
National Missile Defense Deployment Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) on October 1, 1999 (64 FR 190 53364) providing notice 
that the DEIS was available for comment. The public review period was 
from October 1, 1999 through January 19, 2000. Public hearings were 
held October 26 through November 9, 1999. Comments from the DEIS review 
and public hearings have been considered and included along with 
responses in the FEIS. Additionally, availability of an Upgraded Early 
Warning Radar Supplement to the NMD Deployment DEIS was announced on 
March 3, 2000 (65 FR 43 11560) with the public comment period from 
March 3, 2000 to May 12, 2000. This analysis and the comments and 
responses to the supplement to the DEIS have been included in the NMD 
Deployment FEIS.
    The NMD System would be a fixed, land-based, non-nuclear missile 
defense system with a land and space-based detection system capable of 
responding to limited strategic ballistic missile threats to the United 
States. Potential deployment locations for the NMD elements include 
sites in Alaska and North Dakota. In addition, as the operational 
requirements are refined other regions may be identified.
    The Preferred Alternative is deployment of a NMD system with up to 
100 Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) silos and Battle Management Command 
and Control (BMC2) facilities at Fort Greely, Alaska; and an X-Band 
Radar (XBR) at Eareckson Air Station (AS) (Shemya Island), Alaska. 
Under the Preferred Alternative, the NMD system would make use of the 
existing Early Warning Radars (EWR), upgraded for NMD and the existing 
space-based detection system that would be in place at the time of 
deployment. The existing EWRs are located at Beale Air Force Base 
(AFB), California, Clear As, Alaska, and Cape Cod AS, Massachusetts. A 
decision on implementation of the EWR upgrades for NMD, however, is 
contingent upon the outcome of the U.S. Air Force's EIS that addresses 
modernization, maintenance, and sustainment of operations of the three 
radar facilities. Since the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System 
(IFICS) Data Terminals locations have not been identified, no preferred 
location has been selected.
    Copies of the FEIS have been distributed to Federal, state, and 
local agencies; public officials; and organizations and individuals 
that previously requested copies of the DEIS or FEIS. Copies of the 
FEIS will be available for review at public libraries in communities 
adjacent to the potential NMD deployment sites. These communities 
include: Cavalier, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Langdon in North Dakota; 
Anchorage, Anderson, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Healy, Kodiak, and 
Nenana in Alaska; Live Oak, Marysville, and Yuba City in California; 
Bourne, Falmount, Mashpee, Sandwich, and West Barnstable in 
Massachusetts. The library locations and the FEIS are also available on 
the BMDO internet site: www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/nmd.html.

    Dated: December 1, 2000.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liason Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 00-33281 Filed 12-28-00; 8:45 am]
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