[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56043-56044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20813]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of the Ballistic Missile Defense System 
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
regulations, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is initiating a public 
review and comment period for a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS). This notice announces the availability of the 
Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Draft PEIS, which analyzes the 
potential impacts to the environment as MDA proposes to develop, test, 
deploy, and plan for decommissioning activities to implement an 
integrated MDBS. This Draft PEIS addresses the integrated BMDS and the 
development and application of new technologies; evaluates the range of 
complex programs, architecture, and assets that comprise the BMDS; and 
provides the framework for future environmental analyses as activities 
evolve and mature. The Draft PEIS has been prepared in accordance with 
NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), and the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508).

DATES: The public comment period for the NEPA process begins with the 
publication of this notice and request for comments in the Federal 
Register. Public hearings will be conducted as a part of the PEIS 
development process to ensure opportunity for all interested government 
and private organizations and the general public to provide comments on 
the environmental areas considered in the Draft PEIS. Schedule and 
location for the public hearings are:
    [squf] October 14, 2004, 6:30 p.m., Marriott Crystal City, 1999 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
    [squf] October 19, 2994, 6 p.m., Sheraton Grand Hotel, 1230 J. St., 
Sacramento, CA.
    [squf] October 21, 2004, 6:30 p.m., Sheraton Hotel, 401 E. 6th 
Ave., Anchorage, AK.
    [squf] October 26, 2004, 6 p.m., Best Western Hotel, 3253 N. Nimitz 
Hwy, Honolulu, HI.
    Copies of the Draft PEIS will be made available for review at 
various libraries. A list of library locations and a downloadable 
electronic version of the Draft PEIS are available on the MDA public 
access Internet Web site: http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/peis/html/home.html. To ensure all comments are addressed in the Final PEIS, 
comments should be received at one of the addressed listed below no 
later than November 17, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written and oral comments regarding the Draft PEIS should be 
directed to MDA BMDS PEIS, c/o ICF Consulting, 9300 Lee Highway, 
Fairfax, VA 22031, phone (Toll-Free) 1-877-MDA-PEIS (1-877-632-7347), 
Fax (Toll-Free) 1-877-851-5451, e-mail mda.bmds,[email protected], 
or Web site http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/peis/html/home.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please call Mr. Rick Lehner, MDA 
Director of Communications at (703) 697-8997.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MDA has a requirement to develop, test, 
deploy, and prepare for decommissioning the BMDS to protect the United 
States (U.S.), its deployed forces, friends, and allies from ballistic 
missile threats. The proposed action would provide an integrated BMDS 
using existing infrastructure and capabilities, when feasible, as well 
as emerging and new technologies, to meet current and evolving threats 
in support of the MDA's mission. Conceptually, the BMDS would be a 
layered system of weapons, sensors, Command and Control, Battle 
Management, and Communications (C2BMC), and support assets; each with 
specific functional capabilities, working together to defend against 
all classes and ranges of threat ballistic missiles in all phases of 
flight. Multiple defensive weapons would be used to create a layered 
defense comprised of multiple intercept opportunities along the 
incoming threat missile's trajectory. This would provide

[[Page 56044]]

a layered defense system of capabilities designed to back up one 
another.
    This Draft PEIS considers two alternative approaches for 
implementing the integrated BMDS. In Alternative 1, the MDA would 
develop, test, deploy, and plan to decommission land-, sea-, and air-
based platforms for BMDS weapons components and related architecture 
and assets. The BMDS envisioned in Alternative 1 would include space-
based sensors but would not include space-based weapons. In Alternative 
2, the MDA would develop, test, deploy, and plan to decommission land-, 
sea-, air-, and space-based platforms for weapons and related 
architecture and assets. Alternative 2 would be identical to 
Alternative 1, with the addition of space-based defensive weapons.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the MDA would not test, develop, 
deploy, or plan for decommissioning activities to implement an 
integrated BMDS. Instead, the MDA would continue existing test and 
development of discrete missile defensive systems as stand-alone 
defensive capabilities. Under the No Action Alternative, individual 
components would continue to be tested to determine the adequacy of 
their stand-alone capabilities, but would not be subjected to 
integrated system-wide tests. In addition, the C2BMC architecture would 
be designed around the needs of individual components and would not be 
designed to manage an integrated system.
    The approach and methods for deployment and decommissioning of 
components under the No Action Alternative would be the same as under 
the proposed action. This alternative would not meet the purpose of or 
need for the proposed action or the specific direction of the President 
and the U.S. Congress to defend the U.S. against ballistic missile 
attack.
    Potential impacts of Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 were analyzed 
in the Draft PEIS, including impacts to air quality, airspace, 
biological resources, geology and soils, hazardous materials and waste, 
health and safety, noise, transportation, orbital debris, and water 
resources. The impacts of the No Action Alternative would be the same 
as the impacts of developing and testing individual components, which 
would continue to comply with NEPA analyses and documentation 
requirements on a program-specific basis. Potential cumulative impacts 
of the proposed action are also addressed in the Draft PEIS.

    Dated: September 10, 2004.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 04-20813 Filed 9-16-04; 8:45 am]
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