[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 79 (Friday, April 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22977-22978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09519]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Activities 
and Operations at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for 
Activities and Operations at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG). This document 
analyzes and evaluates potential environmental impacts associated with 
short-term and long-term proposed construction projects and proposed 
changes to YPG's testing and training mission. The potential for 
environmental impacts is greatest for the following resource areas: 
Soils, air quality, solid and hazardous materials/waste, vegetation, 
and wildlife. Best management practices and other mitigation measures 
were identified in the FPEIS.

DATES: The waiting period will end 30 days after publication of the NOA 
in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: For questions concerning the FPEIS, please contact Mr. 
Sergio Obregon, U.S. Army Garrison Yuma Proving Ground, National 
Environmental Policy Act Coordinator, IMYM-PWE, Yuma, AZ 85365-9498. 
Questions may be mailed to that address or emailed to 
[email protected].

[[Page 22978]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chuck Wullenjohn, Yuma Proving 
Ground Public Affairs Office, at (928) 328-6189, Monday through 
Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mountain Time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: YPG consists of approximately 840,000 acres 
of DoD-managed land in the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona. The 
Department of the Army prepared a FPEIS to analyze potential impacts 
from new construction, changes in testing and training, and activities 
conducted under private industry partnerships.
    Two alternatives were analyzed in the FPEIS: (1) No Action, which 
describes the resulting conditions if there were no changes in testing 
and training activities conducted at YPG and (2) the Proposed Action/
Preferred Alternative, which includes new construction and associated 
demolition, testing and training activities occurring on YPG, and new 
testing and training proposed by tenants to meet anticipated testing or 
training needs. The Preferred Alternative was determined after 
consideration of Native American concerns and feedback from agencies 
and resulted in reduction of the proposed impact areas for four 
projects.
    The FPEIS addressed the following types of activities:
     Short-term, well-defined activities at known locations 
that could be implemented without additional NEPA analysis once a 
decision is made.
     Short-term, less well-defined activities for which 
locations are not known or for which additional information regarding 
site-specific implementation must be developed that would receive 
additional site-specific NEPA analysis prior to project implementation.
     Long-term, less well-defined activities that would occur 
later in time and would receive additional site-specific NEPA analysis 
prior to project implementation.

    The FPEIS provided thorough analysis under NEPA for the short-term 
well-defined projects and allows less well-defined projects to be 
implemented following a focused, site-specific NEPA analysis that would 
tier from this analysis.
    The Army is not seeking to expand the boundaries of YPG and all 
proposed activities would be conducted within the boundaries of the 
installation or its currently authorized airspace. No changes were 
proposed to ongoing military activities conducted at off-post areas in 
Arizona and California that are used for specific military testing 
activities under conditions not found at YPG. Therefore, activities 
conducted in these areas were not included in the analysis in the 
FPEIS.
    The potential for environmental impacts is greatest for the 
following resource areas: soils, air quality, solid and hazardous 
materials/waste, vegetation, and wildlife. Impacts to these resources 
may occur as a result of converting existing land use to support 
military testing and training or from increasing the scope or magnitude 
of testing activities. Best management practices and other mitigation 
measures were identified in the FPEIS.
    The Army will observe a waiting period of 30 days following the 
publication of the Notice of Availability for the FPEIS in the Federal 
Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before making a 
decision. Copies of the FPEIS have been sent to affected Federal, 
State, and local government agencies, to federally recognized Native 
American tribes, and to other stakeholders. Copies of the FPEIS are 
available for public inspection at the Yuma County Library, Main 
Branch, 2951 S. 21st Drive and the Yuma Proving Ground Post Library. 
The FPEIS can also be viewed at the following Web sites: http://www.yuma.army.mil/Documents.aspx, and http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/eisdata.html.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-09519 Filed 4-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3710-08-P