[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 43 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10215-10216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4880]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Tracts 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 47, 61, 
62, and the Southern Portion of Tract 24 at the Former Cornhusker Army 
Ammunition Plant Located in Hall County, NE

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will address 
potential impacts from the proposed disposal and reuse of Cornhusker 
Army Ammunition Plant (CHAAP) properties. Two-thirds of the former 
ammunition plant has already been disposed of in recent years. The 
CHAAP is no longer needed by the United States Army for the nation's 
defense, and thus can be returned to the private sector and/or non-
Federal government ownership, and to Hall County tax rolls, in keeping 
with the intent of Public Law 103-337 and the recommendations of the 
CHAAP Reuse Committee as expressed the 1997 CHAAP Comprehensive Reuse 
Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, or to be added to the 
mailing list, contact Mr. Randal Sellers, CENWO-PM-AE, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, 106 South 15th Street, Omaha, NE 68102, telephone (402) 
221-3054, or e-mail: [email protected]. For additional 
information on CHAAP activities, contact the Project Manager, Mr. 
Joseph Laird, CENWO-PM-M, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 106 South 15th 
Street, Omaha, NE 68102, telephone (402) 221-3846, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This DEIS will examine disposal and reuse of 
ten tracts located in areas zoned by the CHAAP Reuse Committee for 
industrial use (industry/agriculture in the Comprehensive Reuse Plan). 
These tracts were the site of the CHAAP's

[[Page 10216]]

production lines when the ammunition plant was active. At the present 
time, a potential reuse proposed for these tracts is sale to the 
Nebraska Public Power District for the possible construction and 
operation of a coal-burning power plant, which may eventually contain 
two units at 400 megawatts (MW) generating capacity each, for a total 
of 800 MW of generating capacity.
    The DEIS will analyze potential direct and indirect impacts of 
disposal and the industrial reuse of the ten tracts, utilizing the 
construction and operation of a coal-burning power plant as an example 
of a potential industrial reuse. Topics to be addressed include 
potential impacts on air, water, soils, wildlife, vegetation, noise, 
recreation, cultural/historic resources, land use, transportation, 
aesthetics, as well as socioeconomic impacts--both beneficial and 
adverse--on the surrounding community. The DEIS will also briefly 
describe impacts from potential reconnected actions, like mining and 
transport of the coal to be used in the power plant, and cumulative 
impacts, long-term effects to the community, region, and nation from a 
number of actions, events, and trends, to which the proposed action may 
contribute incrementally.
    In addition, the DEIS will examine the No Action Alternative, under 
which no sale and reuse would occur and the subject tracts would remain 
in the possession of the Army. Under this alternative, gradual 
demolition of structures and cleanup of contaminated groundwater would 
continue.
    The Corps invites the participation of interested and affected 
Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian Tribes, and other private 
organizations and parties in helping determine the scope of the DEIS. A 
public information and scoping meeting will be held on March 11, 2004 
at the Mid-Town Holiday Inn, located at 2503 South Locust Street, Grand 
Island, Nebraska 68801. That meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 
8:30 p.m. This meeting will be announced in the local Grand Island 
media. In addition, the Corps will hold an informational meeting for 
interested agencies prior to the public scoping meeting. 
Representatives of the Corps will be available to discuss the proposed 
action, issues, environmental concerns, and the EIS process at both 
meetings. This Notice will also serve as an additional scoping method. 
Persons who may be interested in or affected by the proposed action/
DEIS are invited to participate in the scoping process by responding to 
this Notice with written comments. The scoping process will help define 
problems and determine which issues are to be addressed in the DEIS. 
Written comments should be postmarked no later than April 7, 2004.
    It is expected that the DEIS will be made available to the public 
by June 2004.

    Dated: February 19, 2004.
Candace M. Gorton,
Chief, Environmental, Economics and Cultural Resource Section, Planning 
Branch.
[FR Doc. 04-4880 Filed 3-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-62-M