[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6548-6549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2844]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Environmental Impact Statement for the Implementation of Energy, 
Water, and Solid Waste Sustainability Initiatives at Fort Bliss, TX

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army advises interested parties of its 
intent to conduct public scoping under the National Environmental 
Policy Act to gather information to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) that will evaluate the environmental impacts associated 
with the implementation of the Energy, Water, and Solid Waste 
Initiatives at Fort Bliss. These initiatives will work to enhance the 
energy and water security of Fort Bliss, Texas, which is operationally 
necessary, financially prudent and essential to the installation's 
mission. Elements of the implementation of the initiative would occur 
in Texas and New Mexico. By implementing these initiatives at Fort 
Bliss, the installation can help ensure that it has access to energy 
from renewable sources and ample water supplies now and into the 
future.
    The decision maker at Fort Bliss will use the analysis in the EIS 
to determine which alternative(s) to implement. Actions to be evaluated 
in the EIS include: (1) The aggressive implementation of waste 
reduction, and energy and water conservation policies and practices; 
(2) the construction of a new pipeline to transport reclaimed water for 
best uses on Fort Bliss; (3) the construction of a Waste-to-Energy 
plant with adjacent landfill in the Southern Training Area of Fort 
Bliss, or on land to be exchanged with the Texas General Land Office; 
(4) the development and construction of dry-cooled concentrating solar 
thermal arrays in Fort Bliss Southern Training Area; (5) the 
development of geothermal resources on Fort Bliss in New Mexico for 
power generation and heating; (6) the development of existing wind 
energy resources on the eastern central and northern portions of Fort 
Bliss in New Mexico; and (7) the development of up to 20 MW of natural 
gas powered turbines as a complementary source of back-up power to 
renewable energy facilities to provide for Fort Bliss energy security. 
The EIS will also analyze a long-term program that considers the 
implementation of energy technologies on previously disturbed land, 
existing infrastructure, or other Army owned lands that would be 
compatible with Army mission and sustainability criteria. Alternatives 
include implementation of a combination of these projects and the no 
action alternative that will allow for a comparison of each of the 
possible actions to existing baseline environmental conditions. Other 
reasonable alternatives that are raised during the scoping process and 
capable of meeting the project purpose and need and criteria will be 
considered and included for evaluation in the EIS.
    Environmental impacts associated with the implementation of the 
proposed action at Fort Bliss could include significant impacts to 
airspace, biological resources and migratory birds, soils and 
vegetation, noise impacts, increased traffic impacts, cultural 
resources, air quality, and surface and ground water.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be forwarded to Dr. John Kipp, Fort 
Bliss Directorate of Public Works, Attention: IMBL-PWE (Kipp), Building 
624 Pleasonton Road, Fort Bliss, Texas 79916; email: 
[email protected]; fax: (915) 568-3548.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Ms. Jean Offutt, Fort 
Bliss Public Affairs Office, ATTN: IMBL-PA (Offutt), Building 15 Slater 
Road, Fort Bliss, Texas 79916; phone: (915) 568-4505; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decisions to be made by the installation 
and cooperating agencies will be to determine whether and how best to 
implement energy, water, and solid waste technologies at Fort Bliss in 
both Texas and New Mexico. The EIS would assess the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative environmental impacts associated with various proposed 
alternatives. Alternatives evaluated in the EIS include different 
sitings and technologies that will be evaluated.
    Cooperating Agencies: Some of the proposed projects considered in 
the alternatives being evaluated could occur on Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) military-withdrawn lands in New Mexico. The BLM Las 
Cruces District Office and the US Air Force Holloman

[[Page 6549]]

Air Force Base will be invited as cooperating agencies for this 
proposal.
    Scoping And Public Comments: Native Americans, federal, state, and 
local agencies, organizations, and the public are invited to be 
involved in the scoping process for the preparation of this EIS by 
participating in scoping meetings and/or submitting written comments. 
Written comments will be accepted within 30 days of publication of the 
NOI in the Federal Register. The scoping process will help identify 
possible alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key issues 
of concern to be analyzed in the EIS. Scoping meetings will be held in 
El Paso, Texas, and Alamogordo and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Notification 
of the times and locations for the scoping meetings will be locally 
announced and published.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-2844 Filed 2-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P