[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 37783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13453]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


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

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

ACTION:  Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the FEIS which assesses the 
potential impacts of the design, construction, operation, and closure 
of one or more pilot-scale test facilities for an assembled chemical 
weapons destruction system at one or more chemical weapons stockpile 
sites. The FEIS examines the potential environmental impacts of the 
following alternatives, to include technologies that could be 
incorporated into a pilot-scale facility: (1) No action (continued 
storage on site with no ACWA pilot plant or destruction of the 
stockpile with no ACWA pilot plant); (2) chemical neutralization 
followed by biological treatment; (3) chemical neutralization followed 
by supercritical water oxidation; (4) chemical neutralization followed 
by transpiring wall supercritical water oxidation and gas phase 
chemical reduction; and (5) electrochemical oxidation.
    The chemical stockpile sites are Anniston Army Depot in Alabama, 
Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas, Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado 
(neutralization followed by transpiring wall supercritical water 
oxidation, and electrochemical oxidation are not alternatives at Pueblo 
due to restrictions of Public Law 106-398) and Blue Grass Army Depot in 
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 waiting period for this FEIS will end 30 days after 
publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the FEIS, contact the Program Manager 
for Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment, Attention: Mr. Miguel 
Morales, 5183 Blackhawk Road, Building E5101/223, Aberdeen Proving 
Ground, MD 21010-4005 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed action continues the process 
that began when Congress established the ACWA Program through passage 
of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997 (Pub. L. 104-208). 
With the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Pub. 
L. 105-261), 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 DoD published a Notice of Intent in the 
Federal Register on April 14, 2000 (65 FR 20139-20140) which provides 
notice (pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and 
implementing regulations), that it was preparing a draft EIS for 
follow-on tests including design, construction and operation of one or 
more pilot test facilities for assembled chemical weapons destruction 
technologies at one or more sites.
    Assembled chemical weapons are munitions containing both chemical 
agents and explosives that are stored in the United States unitary 
chemical weapons stockpile. This includes cartridges, land mines, 
mortar rounds, projectiles, and rockets. Unitary agents include 
chemical blister agents (e.g., the mustard agents HD and HT) and nerve 
agents (e.g., GB (Sarin) and VX).
    The PM for ACWA demonstrated the technologies considered to be 
viable. However, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2001 (Pub. L. 106-398) limited the technologies to be considered at 
Pueblo Chemical Depot to those demonstrated prior to May 1, 2000, by 
the PM for ACWA. The sites considered were selected based on the 
availability of assembled chemical weapons at the time actual testing 
would begin. All public comments received on the Draft EIS have been 
addressed in the FEIS.

    Dated: May 23, 2002.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health), OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 02-13453 Filed 5-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M