[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55207-55208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21874]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Record of Decision (ROD) for 
Disposal of Chemical Weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD), 
Colorado

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the ROD for the design, 
construction, and operation of a facility for the destruction of 
chemical agents at the PCD. The ROD documents and explains the Defense 
Acquisition Executive's decision to select chemical neutralization 
followed by biotreatment for the destruction of the mustard chemical 
agent stored at the PCD. A variety of factors were considered in making 
this decision, including, but not limited to, mission needs, cost, 
schedule, environmental considerations, public concerns, and compliance 
with the Chemical Weapons Convention.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the ROD, contact the Program Manager for 
Chemical Demilitarization, Public Outreach and Information Office 
(ATTN: Ms. Sandra Clawson-Freeo), Building E-4585, Aberdeen Proving 
Ground, Maryland 21010-4005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sandra Clawson-Freeo at 410-436-
1479,

[[Page 55208]]

by fax at 410-436-5122, by electronic mail at Sandra.Clawson-
Freeo@pmcd,apgea,army.mil or by mail at the above listed address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its ROD on February 26, 1988 (53 FR 5816, 
February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), the 
Department of 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 will destroy its lethal 
chemical stockpile. The Department of the Army published a Notice of 
Intent in the Federal Register (65 FR 20140-41, April 14, 2000) which 
provides notice that, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and implementing regulations, it was preparing a draft site-
specific EIS for the Pueblo Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. On May 
11, 2001, the Army published a Draft EIS to assess the site-specific 
health and environmental impacts of on-site disposal of the chemical 
agents and munitions stored at the PDC. The Final EIS was published on 
April 17, 2002. All public comments received during the NEPA process 
have been considered in making this decision.
    The Program Manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment 
(ACWA) prepared a separate EIS. The ACWA EIS is for follow-on pilot 
testing of the ACWA Program pursuant to the process established by 
Congress in Public Laws 104-208 and 105-261. The ACWA EIS emphasizes 
the feasibility of pilot testing one or more of the ACWA technologies 
at one of more sites. One of the four sites evaluated in the ACWA EIS 
was the PCD. Information provided by the ACWA Program concerning the 
neutralization technologies provided the basis for analysis of the 
neutralization technologies and comparison with incineration in this 
site-specific EIS for stockpile destruction at Pueblo. This site-
specific EIS and the ACWA EIS serve complementary purposes.

    Dated: August 21, 2002.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health, OASA(I&E).
[FR Doc. 02-21874 Filed 8-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M