[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 33273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13494]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Disposal and 
Reuse of Fort Monroe, VA

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 the 
FEIS which evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic 
impacts associated with the disposal and reuse of Fort Monroe, 
Virginia.

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

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the FEIS contact Ms. Robin Mills, Chief, 
Directorate of Public Works, 318 Cornog Lane, Fort Monroe, VA 23651 or 
e-mail request to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS covers activities associated with 
the disposal and reuse of Fort Monroe. The 2005 BRAC Commission Report 
directed the closure of Fort Monroe and the relocation of certain 
tenant organizations to Fort Eustis, Virginia and Fort Knox, Kentucky. 
Closure is required no later than September 15, 2011.
    Following closure, the property (approximately 565 acres) will be 
excess to Army needs and the Army proposes to dispose of its remaining 
real property interests. The Fort Monroe Federal Area Development 
Authority (FMFADA) developed the Fort Monroe Reuse Plan formally 
adopted in August 2008. The plan is available as an appendix of the 
FEIS. On July 1, 2010, the FMFADA will restructure and become the Fort 
Monroe Authority. After September 15, 2011, when Fort Monroe is no 
longer used for national defense purposes, there will be property 
reverting to the Commonwealth of Virginia and property disposed of by 
the Federal Government. For non-reverting property, there are four 
alternatives analyzed in the FEIS: Alternative 1, No Action 
Alternative, under which the Army would continue operations at Fort 
Monroe at levels similar to those occurring prior to the BRAC 
Commission's recommendation for closure; Alternative 2, Early Transfer 
Alternative, under which transfer and reuse of the property would occur 
before environmental remediation actions have been completed on all 
individual parcels; Alternative 3, Traditional Disposal Alternative, 
under which transfer and reuse of the property would occur once 
environmental remediation is complete on all individual parcels of the 
installation; and Alternative 4, Caretaker Status Alternative, which 
begins following the closure of the installation in the event that the 
Army is unable to dispose of the property, after which time the 
maintenance of the property would be reduced to minimal activities not 
inconsistent with the Programmatic Agreement necessary to ensure 
security, health, and safety, and to avoid physical deterioration of 
facilities. The Army's preferred alternative for the disposal of Fort 
Monroe is Alternative 2, the early transfer of non-reverting property. 
Under this alternative, the Army transfers the non-reverting property 
before completion of all environmental cleanup. Three reuse scenarios, 
based on lower bracket, middle bracket, and upper bracket intensity 
levels of reuse are also evaluated as secondary actions of disposal of 
Fort Monroe. The FEIS addresses reuse of all property on Fort Monroe, 
including property that will revert back to the Commonwealth of 
Virginia. These reuse scenarios encompass the level of reuse expected 
under the Reuse Plan, which is considered the middle bracket scenario.
    For early transfer (Alternative 2) and traditional disposal 
alternatives (Alternative 3), significant adverse effects would be 
expected to occur to transportation, and moderate adverse effects would 
be expected to occur to noise, land use, biological resources, and 
cultural resources. The caretaker alternative (Alternative 4) would 
have moderate adverse effects on aesthetic/visual resources, cultural 
resources, and utilities. Of the three reuse scenarios analyzed in the 
FEIS, middle and upper bracket reuse would be expected to result in 
significant adverse effects in the area of transportation. Middle and 
upper bracket reuse would also be expected to result in moderate 
adverse effects on noise, land use, biological resources, and cultural 
resources. Lower bracket reuse would not have any moderate or 
significant adverse effects. The FEIS identifies potential mitigation 
and management measures that would decrease the level of adverse 
effects of disposal and reuse.
    A Record of Decision will not be issued earlier than 30 days after 
this notice. An electronic version of the FEIS can be viewed or 
downloaded from the following Web site: http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_eis_docs.htm.

    Dated: May 26, 2010.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-13494 Filed 6-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P