[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 23 (Thursday, February 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 6140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2379]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Implementation of Fort Carson's Grow the Army 
(GTA) Stationing Decisions

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 an 
FEIS for the implementation of the decision to station a new Infantry 
Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) and other combat support units at Fort 
Carson, Colorado, and the potential stationing of a Combat Aviation 
Brigade (CAB) at Fort Carson in the future.

DATES: The waiting period will end 30 days after the publication of an 
NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency.

ADDRESSES: For specific questions regarding the FEIS, please contact: 
Fort Carson National Environmental Policy Act Coordinator, 1638 Elwell 
Street, Building 6236, Fort Carson, CO 80913-4000 or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Dee McNutt, Fort Carson Public 
Affairs Office, at (719) 526-1269, during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action and analysis in the FEIS 
includes constructing new facilities at Fort Carson to support an IBCT 
and other combat support units (approximately 3,900 additional Soldiers 
and their dependents) and the potential stationing of a CAB 
(approximately 2,800 Soldiers and their dependents), upgrading ranges 
at Fort Carson, and increased use of live-fire training ranges and 
maneuver areas at Fort Carson and the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site 
(PCMS). Implementation of the Proposed Action is anticipated in 2009 
and would begin following the signing of the Record of Decision (ROD). 
The Proposed Action does not include the expansion of PCMS or any 
construction at PCMS.
    The GTA EIS is not directly related to the Fort Carson or Pinon 
Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) Transformation EISs published in 2007. 
Those EISs analyzed actions that were separate from and independent of 
the GTA program. Further, those EISs were completed before the GTA 
action had been proposed and evaluated. The GTA actions combined with 
the Transformation actions will, however, produce cumulative effects 
that are analyzed in this GTA EIS.
    The stationing of additional BCTs and other force structure 
realignment actions across the Army was analyzed in the 2007 Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Army Growth and Force 
Structure Realignment. The ROD determined that Fort Carson would 
receive an additional IBCT and other combat support units contingent on 
site-specific NEPA analysis. This FEIS is that site-specific analysis 
of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of alternatives for 
implementing the Army's previous stationing decision. The FEIS also 
analyzes the potential stationing of a CAB.
    The FEIS analyzes the impacts of several alternatives for 
construction of the IBCT facilities and the No Action alternative. 
Under the No Action alternative, the stationing of a new IBCT and CAB 
at Fort Carson would not be implemented. The No Action alternative 
provides the baseline conditions for comparison to the Proposed 
Alternative. After reviewing the alternatives presented in the EIS, the 
Army has selected the Operational Training Readiness Center alternative 
for the siting of IBCT facilities as its preferred alternative.
    Copies of the FEIS are available at local libraries surrounding 
Fort Carson and PCMS and may also be accessed at http://www.aec.army.mil. Comments from the public will be considered before 
any final decision is made.

    Dated: January 26, 2009.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E9-2379 Filed 2-4-09; 8:45 am]
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