60482 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 198 / Friday, October 13, 2006 / Notices 

area. The EPA and Colorado Department 

of Public Health and Environment will 

review the Army’s findings and provide 

comments or concurrence. 

Additionally, the Army has made a 

determination of a need for the 

continued withdrawal of 3,133.02 acres 

of public land and 11,416.16 acres of 

publicly owned mineral rights from the 

public domain. The withdrawal of these 

lands and mineral rights was extended 

until 2011 by Public Law 104–201, the 

National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 1997. The law requires the 

Army reevaluate the need for these 

withdrawals to continue after 2011 and 

hold a public hearing concerning the 

evaluation. The DEIS documents the 

Army’s continued military need for 

these lands and evaluates the 

environmental effects of the continued 

military use of withdrawn lands. 

The Army will hold a public meeting 

to receive comments on the DEIS, 

conformity determination, and land 

withdrawal on Wednesday, November 

1, 2006 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 

Mesa Right High School, 6070 Mesa 

Ridge Parkway, Colorado Springs, 

Colorado 80911. 

An electronic version of the DEIS can 

be viewed or downloaded from the 

following URL: http:// 

www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/ 

nepa_eis_docs.htm. 

Dated: October 6, 2006. 

Addison D. Davis, IV, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, 

(Environment, Safety and Occupational 

Health). 

[FR Doc. 06–8640 Filed 10–12–06; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army 

Notice of Availability (NOA) of the 

Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS), 

Colorado, Transformation Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement 

(DEIS) and Evaluation of Continued 

Land Withdrawal under Public Law 

104–201 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army announces the 

availability of a DEIS that evaluates the 

implementation of transformational 

activities at the PCMS, Colorado. The 

PCMS is a training center area 

administered and used by military units 

stationed at, or otherwise under the 

responsibility of, Fort Carson, Colorado. 

Implementation actions associated with 

these transformational activities include 

training of additional Soldiers at the 

PCMS, and as funds become available, 

constructing a limited number of 

facilities in the cantonment and training 

areas, and increasing the use of the 

PCMS maneuver training lands. 

DATES: The public comment period for 

the DEIS will end 45 days after 

publication of an NOA in the Federal 

Register by the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments or 

materials should be forwarded to the 

PCMS NEPA Coordinator (proponent), 

Directorate of Environmental 

Compliance and Management, 1638 

Elwell Street, Building 6236, Fort 

Carson, Colorado 80913–4000. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

PCMS NEPA Coordinator via phone at 

(719) 526–0912; fax: (719) 526–1705; or 

e-mail: pcmsnepa@carson.army.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Proposed Action and subject of the DEIS 

is the implementation of three major 

Army transformation programs at the 

PCMS: Base Realignment and Closure; 

Integrated Global Presence and Basing 

Strategy (also known as Global Defense 

Posture Realignment); and the Army 

Modular Force initiative. Implementing 

these transformation programs would 

require training of additional troops at 

the PCMS, construction of a limited 

number of storage facilities in the 

cantonment (to include a Brigade 

Support Complex, medical facilities, 

storage facilities, Soldier support 

functions, a vehicle maintenance 

facility, motor pools, and upgraded 

roads and utilities) and in the training 

areas (a live hand-grenade range, an 

ammunition holding area, a protective 

equipment training facility, upgrades to 

an existing small-arms range, and 

communication facilities), and 

increasing the use of the PCMS 

maneuver training lands. 

The transformation of the PCMS 

would occur between 2006 and 2011, 

although planned construction projects 

would be built as funding becomes 

available and some may occur in out 

years. Upon completion of 

transformation activities, the PCMS 

would be responsible for supporting the 

large-scale ground maneuver and small 

arms live-fire training needs of the 

approximately 23,000 active duty 

Soldiers stationed at Fort Carson as well 

as potentially thousands of Reserve 

Component Soldiers in the western 

United States. Supporting increased 

training would involve an increased use 

of the PCMS maneuver training lands 

and small arms ranges, including a 

greater number of and longer-duration 

training rotations. 

The alternatives considered in the 

DEIS include the Proposed Action 

(Preferred Alternative) and No Action. 

Other action alternatives were 

considered and discussed in the DEIS 

but were not analyzed further because 

they did not meet the purpose and need 

for the Proposed Action or, in 

accordance with President’s Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations, 

were not ‘‘ripe for decision.’’ The 

substantive issues analyzed in this DEIS 

include land use, air quality, noise, 

geology and soils, water resources, 

biological resources, cultural resources, 

socioeconomics (including 

environmental justice), transportation, 

utilities, hazardous and toxic 

substances, and cumulative 

environmental effects. 

Additionally, the Army has made a 

determination of a need for the 

continued withdrawal of approximately 

2,500 acres of public land and 

approximately 130,000 acres of publicly 

owned land with mineral rights from 

the public domain. The withdrawal of 

these lands and minerals was extended 

until 2011 by Public Law 104–201, the 

National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 1997. The law requires the 

Army to reevaluate the need for these 

withdrawals to continue after 2011 and 

hold a public hearing concerning the 

evaluation. The DEIS documents the 

Army’s continued military need for 

these lands and evaluates the 

environmental effects of the continued 

military use of withdrawn lands. 

The Army will hold public meetings 

in Trinidad, Colorado, and La Junta, 

Colorado, to receive comments on the 

DEIS and land withdrawal. The 

Trinidad meeting will be held on 

November 2, 2006 from 5:30 p.m. to 

7:30 p.m. at the Trinidad State Junior 

College, Sullivan Center, 600 Prospect 

Street, Trinidad, Colorado. The La Junta 

meeting will be held on November 3, 

2006 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the 

Otero Junior College, Student Center 

Banquet Room, 2001 San Juan Avenue, 

La Junta, Colorado. 

An electronic version of the DEIS can 

be viewed or downloaded from the 

following URL: http:// 

www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/ 

nepaleisldocs.htm. 

Dated: October 6, 2006. 

Addison D. Davis, IV, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, 

(Environment, Safety and Occupational 

Health). 

[FR Doc. 06–8641 Filed 10–12–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M 


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