[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42847-42849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20575]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Record of Decision for Site Preparation Activities at 
the Missile Defense System (MDS) Test Bed at Fort Greely, AK

AGENCY: Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.

ACTION: Record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization is issuing this 
Record of Decision (ROD) to conduct initial site preparation activities 
for the Fort Greely, Alaska portion of a Missile Defense System (MDS) 
Test Bed. Fort Greely is a potential deployment location in Alaska for 
Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) silos, Battle Management Command and 
Control (BMC2) facilities, and other support facilities for the Ground 
Based Midcourse Element (GBME), formerly called the National Missile 
Defense (NMD) system, of the MDS. This is a ROD to implement limited 
site preparation activities that could support construction of the MDS 
Test Bed facilities at Fort Greely. The Test Bed is a subset of the 
preferred alternative defined in the NMD Deployment Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS). The environmental impacts of the MDS Test Bed 
site preparation work will be of the same type, but reduced in scope, 
as the impacts of the preferred alternative in the NMD EIS.
    This decision is based on the determination of National Command 
Authorities that there is a ballistic missile threat to the United 
States, and that developing an effective Missile Defense System is 
dependent upon operationally realistic testing of the MDS elements. 
Although the decision on GBME deployment has not been made and 
construction of MDS test facilities is dependent on Congressional 
appropriations and also has not been made, the Department of Defense 
has determined that it is prudent to proceed with site preparation 
activities for MDS test bed facilities at Fort Greely to preserve the 
near term option to develop an MDS test bed. These site preparation 
activities would support proposed test bed facilities that would 
consist of a small number of the GBI silos, BMC2 and other support 
facilities that were analyzed in the EIS. Specifically, the site 
preparation work planned includes installing and developing two water 
wells; clearing trees and debris; preparing sites for test bed 
facilities including a single missile field; and installation of the 
Main Access Road. The site preparation includes cut, fill, grading and 
earthwork operations to the top of sub-base for all vehicle traffic 
areas and top of finish grade for all other areas excluding the 
building footprints, which will be graded to drain. The test bed would 
allow BMDO to prove out the design and siting of a GBI field that would 
be required to fire in a salvo without having the GBIs interfere with 
each other, to test the communication between all component parts, and 
to test for fuels degradation in the arctic environment, as well as to 
develop and rehearse maintenance and upkeep processes and procedures. 
There is no present intent to test fire interceptor missiles from Fort 
Greely. Any potential future decision to test fire at Fort Greely would 
only occur after a thorough environmental and safety analysis was 
performed. In the event of a missile attack on the United States, the 
test bed at Fort Greely could potentially be used for ballistic missile 
defense. Initiation of the site preparation activities is dependent on 
obtaining required permits and implementation of the attached 
Mitigation Monitoring Plan. Site preparation activities are not of 
sufficient magnitude to limit any later selection of alternatives 
analyzed in the EIS. Other factors considered in reaching this decision 
include cost and technical maturity of the GBME of the MDS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the NMD 
(now GBME) Deployment Final EIS or Record of Decision, contact Ms. 
Julia Hudson-Elliott, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, 
Attn: SMDC-EN-V, P.O. Box 1500, Huntsville, Alabama 35807-3801, (256) 
955-4822. Public

[[Page 42848]]

reading copies of the Final EIS and the Record of Decision are 
available for review at the public libraries within the communities 
near proposed activities and at the BMDO Internet site at 
www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/nmd.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This Record of Decision has been prepared pursuant to the Council 
on Environmental Quality regulations implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), Department of 
Defense (DoD) Instruction 4715.9, and the applicable service 
environmental regulations that implement these laws and regulations. 
The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and the Federal Aviation 
Administration participated as cooperating agencies in preparing the 
NMD Deployment EIS. The Proposed Action described in the EIS is to 
deploy a National Missile Defense System at several locations. The Fort 
Greely portion of the MDS Test Bed is essentially a down-scoped version 
of the preferred alternative for GBI analyzed in the NMD EIS. 
Alternative site locations for identified GBME, formerly called NMD, 
components (i.e., GBI, BMC2, and X-Band Radar (XBR)) were considered.

NEPA Process

    The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the deployment of the 
NMD program was published in the Federal Register on November 17, 1998, 
initiating the public scoping process. Public scoping meetings were 
held in December 1998 in communities perceived to be affected by the 
NMD. Notice of the availability of the NMD Deployment Draft EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on October 1, 1999. This initiated a 
period of public review and comment on the Draft EIS. Seven public 
hearings were held from October 26 through November 9, 1999, in the 
same locations as the public scoping meetings. Subsequently, a 
supplement to the Draft EIS was prepared to evaluate the potential 
impacts of upgrading existing Early Warning Radars for use by the NMD. 
A public hearing was held in Bourne, Massachusetts, on the Supplement. 
Comments on the Draft EIS and Supplement to the Draft EIS were 
considered in the preparation of the Final EIS. The Notice of 
Availability for the Final EIS was published in the Federal Register on 
December 15, 2000, initiating an additional 30-day review period.
    Comments received on the Final EIS have been considered in the 
decision process, culminating in this Record of Decision.

Alternatives Considered

No-Action Alternative

    As required by the CEQ regulations, the EIS evaluated a No-action 
Alternative. Under this alternative, the NMD deployment decision would 
be deferred, while development of the NMD, technologies and 
architectures would continue. Non-NMD activities currently occurring or 
planned at potential deployment sites would continue.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action analyzed in the EIS was to deploy 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. The NMD system 
consisted of five elements: Battle Management, Command, Control, and 
Communications (BMC3), which includes the BMC2, the communication 
lines, and the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System (IFICS) Data 
Terminals (IDTs) as subelements; GBI; XBR; Upgraded EWR (UEWR); and a 
space-based detection system. The initial space-based detection 
capability would be the existing Defense Support Program early-warning 
satellites to be replaced by Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) 
satellites currently being developed by the Air Force. Since the NMD 
EIS was completed, the Ballistic Missile Defense architecture has 
evolved into a multi-layered approach that does not distinguish between 
national and theater threats. The GBME is the successor to the NMD 
system in the revised Ballistic Missile Defense architecture. The GBME 
consists of the same elements, at the same preferred locations, as the 
NMD system analyzed in the NMD EIS. The Fort Greely portion of the MDS 
Test Bed consists of a down-scoped version of the preferred alternative 
for GBI analyzed in the NMD EIS. By locating MDS Test Bed components at 
potential future GBME deployment locations, the Ballistic Missile 
Defense Organization can conduct operationally realistic testing of the 
GBME components being developed.

Decision

    The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization will proceed with 
initial site preparation activities at Fort Greely, Alaska that could 
support the construction of the MDS Test Bed (GBI silos, BMC2, and 
other support) facilities. Initial site preparation activities will 
include site layout, clearing of vegetation, initial earthwork related 
to site and road grading, and preparation for facility construction 
activities. Specific planned actions include installing and developing 
two water wells; site preparation work for test bed buildings, the main 
access road up to the Alaska Oil Pipeline crossing, and a single 
missile field. This decision does not include construction and 
operation of MDS Test Bed facilities at Fort Greely. Any decisions to 
construct and operate MDS Test Bed facilities will require preparation 
of a subsequent decision document or documents.

Environmental Impacts of Alternatives

    The EIS analyzed the environment in terms of 15 resource areas: air 
quality, airspace, biological resources, cultural resources, geology 
and soils, hazardous materials and wastes, health and safety, land use 
and aesthetics, noise, socioeconomics, transportation, utilities, water 
resources, environmental justice, and subsistence. Each resource area 
with a foreseeable impact at the respective alternative sites was 
addressed in the EIS. The analysis in the EIS was commensurate with the 
importance of the potential impacts. Where it was determined through 
initial evaluation that no impacts would occur to resources at certain 
sites, these resources were not analyzed in the EIS. The potential for 
cumulative impacts was also evaluated in the EIS.
    Since this ROD affects only the EIS preferred alternative for 
siting of the GBI, BMC2 and test support facilities at Fort Greely, 
only the environmental effects relating to Fort Greely are described 
for the no action alternative and initial site preparation activities.

No-Action Alternative--Environmental Impacts

    This section discusses the environmental effects that would result 
from a decision not to initiate initial site preparation activities. 
Under this No-action Alternative, only the locations and environmental 
resources discussed below were anticipated to have environmental 
impacts from continued ongoing operations.
    Fort Greely, Alaska. There would be impacts to geology and soils, 
socioeconomics, and water resources from continued activities at Fort 
Greely. These impacts could include some soil damage from vehicles, 
weapons, and fires. Some soil erosion with net soil loss and water 
quality impacts would occur near training activities. Localized long-
term damage to permafrost could occur as a result of ground training 
and fire damage from training. The Army

[[Page 42849]]

has developed mitigation measures to minimize these impacts. The loss 
of jobs associated with realignment of Fort Greely would likely result 
in a decline in local population and a commensurate fiscal loss for the 
community. Training maneuvers, if conducted repeatedly in the same 
area, could result in cumulative impacts to water resources. The Army 
has implemented measures to minimize impacts to water resources.

Initial Site Preparation--Environmental Impacts

    This section discusses the potential environmental effects of the 
initial site preparation activities.
    Fort Greely, Alaska. This was the preferred alternative for the GBI 
element in the EIS and is the selected site for initial site 
preparation activities for GBME test bed facilities. The site 
preparation activities would involve the same type of impacts as those 
assessed in the EIS, but at a reduced scope, due to the reduced size of 
the Test Bed as compared with the deployment site analyzed. It is 
anticipated that initial site preparation activities for GBME test bed 
facilities at Fort Greely could result in a minor short-term increase 
in erosion and sediment in surface water. Appropriate permits and storm 
water plans would be implemented to minimize impacts to soils and water 
resources. Initial site preparation activities would also provide an 
economic benefit to the surrounding regions, partially offsetting the 
loss of jobs at the base as a result of its realignment.

Alternatives Not Selected--Environmental Impacts

    Several alternative locations in the NMD Deployment Final EIS are 
not selected at this time. A discussion of the environmental impacts at 
those locations would be included in a future Record of Decision 
related to MDS Test Bed construction or a GBME deployment decision.

Mitigation Measures and Monitoring

    The mitigation measures specified for the site selected for initial 
site preparation activities at Fort Greely, Alaska as described above 
and contained in the attached Mitigation Monitoring Plan will be 
implemented and all the required permits will be obtained as part of 
this decision. The Mitigation Monitoring Plan has been developed to 
assist in tracking and implementing these mitigation measures. With the 
implementation of the mitigation measures, all practicable means have 
been adopted to avoid or minimize environmental harm for initial site 
preparation activities at Fort Greely.

Environmentally Preferred Alternative

    The environmentally preferred alternative is the No-action 
Alternative (no site preparation activities). Continuation of current 
site operations at the location would result in few additional 
environmental impacts.

Conclusion

    In accordance with NEPA, the Department of Defense has considered 
the information contained within the NMD Deployment Final EIS in 
deciding to initiate site preparation activities at Fort Greely, 
Alaska. The site preparation activities are limited to those that would 
support the MDS Test Bed facilities (a limited number of GBI silos, 
BMC2 facilities, and other support facilities) at Fort Greely, Alaska, 
if they were approved for construction at a later date.

    Dated: August 10, 2001.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 01-20575 Filed 8-10-01; 3:54 pm]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-P