[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 50 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12167-12168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1214]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for DTRA Activities on White Sands Missile Range, New 
Mexico

AGENCY: Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Defense Threat Reduction 
Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final programmatic environmental 
impact statement (PEIS) for increased testing activities at White Sands 
Missile Range (WSMR), NM.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (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), DTRA has prepared and 
issued a final PEIS for the proposed testing activities at WSMR. The 
PEIS addresses the potential environmental impacts associated with 
implementing the proposed action, alternative, and no action 
alternative over a 10 year period. The purpose of the proposed action 
is to provide adequate test areas and facilities to evaluate the 
lethality effectiveness of weapon systems used against simulated enemy 
ground targets producing, storing, or controlling Weapons of Mass 
Destruction (WMD). There is a need to improve weapon systems designed 
to defeat enemy military assets including hardened and reinforced 
structures. These enemy military assets can house WMD and pose a 
significant threat to international stability and peaceful coexistence 
among nations. The military structures and equipment of the United 
States and its allies must also be refined to better withstand attack 
by enemy weapons systems to reduce collateral damage. The PEIS presents 
descriptions of the proposed action, an overview of the affected 
environment at and near the test sites, and the potential environmental 
consequences associated

[[Page 12168]]

with the proposed action and alternatives, including the no action 
alternative.
    The final PEIS evaluates two alternatives in addition to the no 
action alternative. The proposed action (alternative 1, DTRA's 
Preferred Alternative) involves expanding existing test beds and 
creating new ones; expanding the range of test types including targets, 
simulants, delivery systems and explosives; implementing infrastructure 
improvements at the Permanent High Explosive Test Site Administrative 
Park; and testing special weapons and delivery systems.
    Alternative two contains all of the actions described in 
alternative one plus the use of chemical simulants and taggants/tracers 
that are considered to have higher toxicity levels than those 
considered under alternative one. The increased hazards of using these 
chemicals lead to identifying alternative one as the preferred 
alternative.

DATES: Effective Dates: DTRA will take no final action on the proposed 
activities before April 15, 2007 or April 16, 2007. After April 15, 
2007, DTRA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD). This ROD will 
document the Agency's final determinations, in light of the PEIS, with 
regard to its intended activities at WSMR. A NoA will be published in 
the Federal Register announcing the ROD's availability for public 
viewing.

ADDRESSES: The final PEIS is available for public viewing on the DTRA 
Web site, http://www.dtra.mil, and at the following public libraries: 
Albuquerque Public Library, 501 Copper Ave. Northwest, Albuquerque, NM; 
Socorro Public Library, 401 Park Street, Socorro, NM; Alamogordo Public 
Library, 920 Oregon Ave., Alamogordo, NM; Branigan Memorial Library, 
200 East Picacho Ave., Law Cruces, NM; Consolidated Library Building 
464, White Sands Missile Range, NM; Holloman Air Force Base Library, 
596 4th Street, Holloman Air Force Base, NM; and the El Paso Public 
Library, 501 North Oregon Street, El Paso, TX.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DTRA Public Affairs Office; (800) 701-
5096 or (703) 767-5870.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A draft PEIS was published in the Federal 
Register on January 27, 2006 (71 FR 4571) for a 60-day public review 
and comment period that ended March 28, 2006. Public hearings were held 
February 28, 2006 in Alamogordo, March 1, 2006 in Las Cruces, and March 
2, 2006 in Socorro, NM. All comments received were addressed and 
incorporated into the final PEIS.

    Dated: March 9, 2007.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, DoD.
[FR Doc. 07-1214 Filed 3-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-M