[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 37784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13452]



[[Page 37784]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Disposal of Chemical Munitions at Blue Grass 
Army Depot (BGAD), Kentucky

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the DEIS that assesses the 
potential environmental impacts of the design, construction, operation 
and closure of a facility to destroy the chemical agents and munitions 
stored at BGAD. The DEIS examines the potential environmental impacts 
of the following destruction facility alternatives: (1) A baseline 
incineration facility used by the Army at Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent 
Disposal System on Johnston Island and currently in use at Desert 
Chemical Depot, (2) chemical neutralization followed by supercritical 
water oxidation (SCWO), (3) chemical neutralization followed by SCWO 
and gas phase chemical reduction, (4) electrochemical oxidation, and 
(5) no action (continued storage of chemical munitions at BGAD). 
Although the no action alternative is not viable under Public Law 99-
145 (Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1986); it was analyzed 
to provide a baseline comparison to the proposed action.

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

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the DEIS or submit comments, contact the 
Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, Public Outreach and 
information Office (ATTN: Mr. Greg Mahall), Building E-4585, Aberdeen 
Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-4005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory Mahall at (410) 436-1093, 
by fax at (410) 436-5122, by e-mail at 
[email protected] or by mail at the above listed 
address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its Record of Decision (ROD) (53 FR 5816, 
February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), the Army 
selected on-site disposal by incineration at all eight chemical 
munition storage sites located within the continental United States as 
the method by which it would destroy its lethal chemical stockpile. The 
Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register (65 FR 75677-
75678, December 4, 2000) providing notice that, pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations, a 
site-specific EIS for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Disposal Facility 
was being prepared. Public scoping meetings were held in Richmond, KY 
on January 9, 2001. All public comments received during the scoping 
process have been considered in preparation of this DEIS.
    This site-specific EIS continues the process that began when 
Congress established the Chemical Demilitarization program in Public 
Law 99-145 (1985). This law, as amended, requires the destruction of 
the chemical weapons stockpile by a stockpile elimination deadline. 
This requirement still exists, notwithstanding the establishment of the 
Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWS) Program. The Chemical 
Demilitarization program published a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) in January 1988. The 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 EISs that tier off the PEIS 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, and for the Pine bluff Chemical Agent Disposal 
Facility.
    The specific purpose of the current analysis is to determine the 
environmental impacts of the alternatives identified in this summary 
that could accomplish the destruction of the stockpile at BGAD by the 
required destruction date. In the course of the environmental impact 
analysis, it will be determined whether construction of a full-scale 
plant operated initially as a pilot facility and utilizing any of the 
technologies successfully demonstrated in the ACWA Program is capable 
of destroying the stockpile at BGAD by the required destruction date 
(or as soon thereafter as could be achieved by constructing a 
destruction facility using the baseline incineration technology) and as 
safely as use of the baseline incineration technology. The ROD (based 
on the 1988 PEIS) does not limit or predetermine the results of this 
consideration, and it does not dictate the decision to be made in the 
ROD following completion of the EIS for this action at BGAD.
    The second document announcing the programmatic analysis for 
follow-on pilot testing of successful ACWA Program demonstration tests 
pursuant to the process established by Congress in Public Laws 104-208 
and 105-261 addresses a distinct but related purpose. That purpose is 
to determine which technologies can be pilot tested and, if so, at 
which site or sites. That PEIS can be distinguished from this site-
specific EIS in that its emphasis will be on the feasibility of pilot 
testing one or more of the demonstrated and approved ACWA Program 
technologies considering the unique characteristics of the alternative 
sites to include BGAD. The PEIS will not consider the use of a full-
scale facility operated initially as a pilot facility at BGAD. As 
discussed above, this alternative will be considered in the site-
specific EIS for BGAD.
    A decision on which of the alternatives will be implemented in 
carrying out the destruction of the chemical munitions at BGAD will be 
made by the Defense Acquisition Board through a process that will 
consider a wide range of factors. The factors include, but are not 
limited to, environmental considerations, laws and regulations, mission 
needs (at BGAD as well as from a national perspective), implications 
for compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, budget 
considerations, schedule and public concerns.

    Dated: May 23, 2002.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health), OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 02-13452 Filed 5-29-02; 8:45 am]
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