[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 71332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29691]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent (Noi) To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
Minuteman III and Peacekeeper Silo Elimination/Dismantlement Malmstrom 
Missile Field, Montana, F.E. Warren Missile Field, Wyoming, Vandenberg 
Air Force Base, CA

AGENCY: U.S. Air Force.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and 
procedures (32 CFR part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to prepare an EA to evaluate the 
potential environmental impacts of dismantling Minuteman III and 
Peacekeeper Missile Systems.
    The dismantlement of Minuteman III and Peacekeeper silos is 
required by the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) (February 
5, 2011) and requires the Air Force to dismantle 103 non-operational 
Launch Facilities (LFs). The LFs and associated Missile Alert 
Facilities (MAFs) are located at the Malmstrom Missile Field (MF) (50 
Minuteman LFs of the deactivated 564th Missile Squadron and 5 MAFs), 
F.E Warren MF (50 Peacekeeper LFs of the deactivated 400th Missile 
Squadron and 5 MAFs), and Vandenberg AFB (3 Test LFs). The treaty 
identified three possible methods for dismantlement including 
implosion, excavation, and backfill. The Treaty requires complete 
dismantlement of LFs by February 4, 2018. In order to meet the Treaty 
deadline, dismantlement activities could start as early as the summer 
of 2013.
    Public scoping meetings are planned in the towns of Great Falls, 
Shelby, Choteau, and Conrad, Montana; and Cheyenne, Torrington, and 
Chugwater, Wyoming. The purpose of these meetings is to determine the 
scope of issues to be addressed and to help identify significant 
environmental issues to be analyzed in depth. Notice of the times and 
locations of the meetings will be made available to the community using 
the local news media. The schedule for the scoping meetings is as 
follows:

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                   Date                              Location                              Time
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December 5, 2011.........................  Choteau, MT.................  6:30-8:30 p.m.
December 6, 2011.........................  Conrad, MT..................  6:30-8:30 p.m.
December 7, 2011.........................  Great Falls, MT.............  6:30-8:30 p.m.
December 8, 2011.........................  Shelby, MT..................  6:30-8:30 p.m.
January 10, 2012.........................  Cheyenne, WY................  6:30-8:30 p.m.
January 11, 2012.........................  Torrington, WY..............  6:30-8:30 p.m.
January 12, 2012.........................  Chugwater, WY...............  6:30-8:30 p.m.
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    To ensure the Air Force will have sufficient time to fully consider 
public inputs on issues, written comments should be mailed for receipt 
no later than January 31, 2012.
    Please direct written comments or requests for further information 
concerning the Minuteman III and Peacekeeper missile systems 
dismantlement EA to:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct any written comments or 
requests for information to Ms Dana McIntyre, Compliance and 
Conservation Program Manager AFGSC/A7AN, 41 Orville Wright Avenue, 
Barksdale AFB, LA, 71110, ph: (318) 456-2407, email: 
[email protected]

Shannon N. Sanchez,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-29691 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]
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