[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 23682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11704]



[[Page 23682]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Design, 
Construction, and Operation of One or More Pilot Test Facilities for 
Assembled Chemical Weapon Destruction Technologies at One or More Sites

AGENCY: Program Manager (PM), Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment 
(ACWA), DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the PM ACWA DEIS which 
assesses the potential impacts of the design, construction, operation, 
and closure of one or more pilot-scale test facilities for an assembled 
chemical weapon destruction system at one or more chemical weapons 
stockpile sites. The DEIS examines the potential environmental impacts 
of the following alternatives, to include technologies that could be 
incorporated into a pilot-scale facility: (a) No action (continued 
storage until destruction of the stockpile); (b) chemical 
neutralization followed by biological treatment (c) chemical 
neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation; (d) chemical 
neutralization followed by transpiring wall supercritical water 
oxidation and gas phase chemical reduction; and (e) electrochemical 
oxidation.
    The chemical stockpile sites are Anniston Army Depot, Alabama; Pine 
Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; Pueblo Chemical Depot, Colorado 
(neutralization followed by transpiring wall supercritical water 
oxidation, and electrochemical oxidation are not alternatives at 
Pueblo); and Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky. The PM ACWA pilot tests 
will not halt or delay the operation or construction of any baseline 
incineration facility currently in progress.

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

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be forwarded to Mr. Jon Ware, Assembled 
Chemical Weapons Assessment EIS, 9700 S. Cass Ave./Post Office Box 
8369, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4871, through the ACWA website at http://www.pmacwa.org, by email to [email protected] or by fax to 630-252-
4611.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Collins at 888-482-4312 or 
via email at [email protected], or via mail at Horne 
Engineering, 2014 Tollgate Road, Suite 208, Bel Air, Maryland 21015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed action continues the process 
that began when Congress established the Assembled Chemical Weapons 
Assessment Program through passage of Public Law 104-208. With the 
National Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1999, Congress 
directed the PM ACWA to plan for the pilot-scale testing of 
alternatives to baseline incineration for the destruction of assembled 
chemical weapons. The Department of Army published a Notice of Intent 
in the Federal Register (65 FR 20139-20140, April 14, 2000) which 
provides notice (pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and 
implementing regulations) it was preparing a DEIS for follow-on tests 
including design, construction and operation of one or more pilot test 
facilities for assembled chemical destruction technologies at one or 
more sites.
    Assembled chemical weapons (munitions containing both chemical 
agents and explosives) are stored in the United States unitary chemical 
weapons stockpile. These weapons include cartridges, land mines, mortar 
rounds, projectiles, and rockets. Unitary agents include chemical 
blister agents (e.g., the mustard agents H, HD, and HT) and nerve 
agents (e.g., G (Sarin) and VX).
    The PM ACWA demonstrated the technologies considered to be viable. 
However, Public Law 106-398 limited the technologies to be considered 
at Pueblo Chemical Depot to those demonstrated prior to May 1, 2000, by 
the PM ACWA. The sites considered were selected based on the 
availability of assembled chemical weapons at the time actual testing 
would begin.
    Public meetings will be held in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, and 
Kentucky. The dates, times, and locations of these meetings will be 
provided at least 15 days in advance by public notices in the news 
media serving the regions where the meeting will be located. All public 
comments received will be considered and addressed in the final EIS.

    Dated: May 4, 2001.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 01-11704 Filed 5-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M