[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 164 (Friday, August 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48620-48621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4149]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (DPEIS) for Army Growth and Force Structure 
Realignment

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of a 
DPEIS for the growth and realignment of the U.S. Army. Pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Army 
has prepared a DPEIS that evaluates the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic effects associated with alternatives for growing and 
realigning the Army's force structure. Potential impacts have been 
analyzed at installations which are being considered for the stationing 
of 1,000 or more Soldiers in efforts to grow and realign the Army.

DATES: Written comments on the DPEIS will be accepted for 45 days 
following the publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: Send all written comments and suggestions concerning this 
DPEIS to: Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Environmental Command, 
Building E4460, Attention: IMAE-PA, 5179 Hoadley Road, Aberdeen Proving 
Ground, MD 21010-5401. Comments may also be sent to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Office at (410) 436-
2556; facsimile at (410) 436-1693 (during normal business hours Monday 
through Friday).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action and analysis within the 
DPEIS covers those activities needed to increase the Army's end 
strength and realign its force structure from Fiscal Year 2008 through 
Fiscal Year 2013 to a size and composition that is better

[[Page 48621]]

able to meet national security and defense requirements. The Proposed 
Action involves stationing decisions to align Army forces in support of 
military transformation, unit equipment and training readiness, and 
Soldier and Family quality of life needs. To implement the Proposed 
Action, new units must be stationed at locations that are able to 
accommodate unit training, garrison operations, maintenance activities, 
and Soldiers and their Families. In addition, final stationing 
locations must support the strategic deployment and mobilization 
requirements of the nation's Combatant Commanders to ensure they will 
have the forces necessary to support regional contingency operations 
and planning requirements.
    The current global security environment is turbulent, 
unpredictable, and rapidly changing. It has placed considerable demands 
on the nation's military, and highlighted the need for the Army to 
correct shortfalls in high-demand skills while conducting a thorough 
assessment of its force capabilities. No one has felt the impacts from 
the increased demands of the modern security environment more than the 
Soldiers and Families of the U.S. Armed Forces. To meet the challenges 
posed by a wider range of security threats present in the 21st century, 
the Army requires the growth and restructuring of its forces in order 
to sustain the broad range of operations needed to ensure national and 
global stability.
    The DPEIS is being prepared to comply with NEPA (42 U.S.C. and et 
seq.) and meet Army NEPA procedures, which are outlined in 
Environmental Analysis of Army Actions (32 CFR Part 651). These 
regulations require the Army to consider the environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts of its proposed action and alternatives and to 
solicit the views of the public, so it can make an informed final 
decision regarding how to proceed.
    The DPEIS examines major Army training installations and their 
ability to support new unit stationing actions in connection with the 
growth and realignment of the U.S. Army. The DPEIS will provide the 
Army senior leadership with a hard look at environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts associated with the Proposed Action and inform 
the decision-making process for selecting the final stationing 
locations for new units. This effort includes analysis of specific 
actions that will need to be taken (such as the construction of housing 
and quality of life facilities, the construction of new training ranges 
and infrastructure, and changes in the intensity of use of maneuver 
land and firing ranges) to station new units as part of the Army's 
overall efforts to grow and realign the force.
    After reviewing a full range of alternatives sites, 17 
installations capable of supporting the Army's growth and realignment 
have been evaluated for their ability to support three action 
alternatives. The installations carried forward for analysis include: 
Fort Benning, GA; Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Bliss, TX; Fort Campbell, KY; 
Fort Carson, CO; Fort Drum, NY; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA; 
Fort Irwin, CA; Fort Knox, KY; Fort Lewis, WA; Fort Polk, LA; Fort 
Riley, KS; Fort Stewart, GA; White Sands Missile Range, NM; Yakima 
Training Center, WA; and Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ. Each of these 
installations could receive 1,000 or more additional Soldiers as part 
of alternatives being examined.
    Alternatives carried forward for analysis in the DPEIS include; (1) 
Implementing Army force structure modifications between Fiscal Years 
2008 and 2013 to support the Army's Modular transformation and Global 
Defense Posture Review (GDPR) decisions; (2) Executing those actions 
discussed as part of Alternative 1 and, in addition, adding 
approximately 30,000 Combat Support (CS) and Combat Service Support 
(CSS) Soldiers to the Army to address critical shortfalls in high 
demand military skills in both Active Army and Reserve components; (3) 
Executing those actions proposed in Alternatives 1 and 2 and, in 
addition, grow the Army by up to 6 Active Duty Brigade Combat Teams 
(BCTs). Additional BCTs would be stationed at existing or newly 
established Army stationing locations within the continental United 
States. In addition to these alternatives, the No Action Alternative is 
described and its impacts are fully assessed and considered.
    Analysis within the DPEIS covers those activities required to 
implement unit stationing actions associated with Army growth and 
realignment. Site-specific actions which will need to be taken include 
the construction of housing and quality of life facilities (i.e., 
gymnasiums, hospitals, shopping areas), the construction of new 
training ranges and infrastructure, and changes in the intensity of use 
of maneuver land and firing ranges associated with the increased 
frequency of training events. Stationing decisions made as part of this 
effort will also consider strategic military and national security 
considerations, New stationing actions must take place at locations 
which, if selected, are capable of supporting the National Security 
Strategy (2006), the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR, 2006), National 
Military Strategy, and the Army Campaign Plan (ACP).
    Direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the Proposed Action 
have been considered in the DPEIS. The DPEIS identifies the 
environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with various unit 
stationing actions at each of the 17 installations carried forward for 
analysis. Impacts at sites would result from construction and training 
activities related to the growth and realignment of Army forces. 
Significant impacts to resources could be direct and long term. 
Decisions from the PEIS will be tiered into site-specific NEPA analysis 
at the installation level as specific stationing decisions are 
determined. The DPEIS will provide Army planners and decision makers 
with critical and timely information on the capacity and condition of 
each of the installation's environmental and socioeconomic resources 
preceding specific stationing actions. The No Action Alternative 
provides the baseline conditions for comparison to proposed 
alternatives. Additional concerns or impacts may be identified as a 
result of comments received on the DPEIS.
    The Army invites full public participation to promote open 
communication and better decision making. All persons and organizations 
that have an interest in the growth and realignment of the Army's 
forces and associated stationing actions are invited to participate in 
this NEPA evaluation process. Assistance will be provided upon request 
to anyone having difficulty understanding how to participate.
    The availability of the PDEIS for public comment will also be 
announced through notices and national and local media news releases. 
Information on the DPEIS will be posted on the U.S. Army Environmental 
Command's Web site (www.aec.army.mil) for public access during the 
public comment period.

    Dated: August 15, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-4149 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M