[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33983-33984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3026]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Pinon Canyon Maneuver 
Site (PCMS) Transformation Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and 
Evaluation of Environmental Effects of Continued Land and Mineral 
Withdrawal Under Public Law 104-201

AGENCY: Department of the Army, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Army announces the availability of the Final PCMS 
Transformation EIS evaluating the environmental effects of implementing 
restationing actions of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 
and other Army transformation programs at the PCMS training area in Las 
Animas County in southeastern Colorado. The Final EIS also documents 
the U.S. Army's evaluation of environmental effects of withdrawal of 
public land and mineral rights under Public Law 104-201.

DATES: The waiting period for the Final EIS 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 the PCMS National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Coordinator, Directorate of 
Environmental Compliance and Management, 1638 Elwell Street, Building 
6236, Fort Carson, CO 80913-4000; e-mail: 
carsdecampcmsnepa&conus.army.mil

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PCMS NEPA Coordinator at (719) 526-
0912 or fax (719) 526-17050.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final PCMS Transformation EIS evaluates 
the environmental and socioeconomic effects of implementing three Army 
transformation programs at the Fort

[[Page 33984]]

Carson: BRAC 2005; Integrated Global Presence and Basing Strategy (also 
known as Global Defense Posture Realignment); and the Army Modular 
Force initiative. These programs are part of the overall Army 
restructuring and are needed to prepare the Army's combat forces for 
deployment around the world.
    The Proposed Action evaluated in the Final PCMS Transformation EIS 
is the Army's preferred alternative to implement the three 
transformation programs. The Proposed Action includes: (1) Increased 
use of the PCMS training areas to provide training for approximately 
8,500 realigned Active Component (AC) soldiers and additional Reserve 
Component (RC) soldiers assigned to, or otherwise under the control of, 
Fort Carson, and (2) construction of facilities in the cantonment and 
training areas. The Final EIS also evaluates the environmental effects 
of the current withdrawal and reservation of 2,517.12 acres of public 
land and 130,139 acres of federally owned minerals within the PCMS 
borders (as required by Section 2908 of Pub. L. 140-201.
    The Proposed Action will provide for increased frequency of 
training for existing and new units stationed at, or otherwise assigned 
to Fort Carson. Training and maneuver activities would be similar to 
the types of activities that presently occur on the PCMS. The increased 
training requirements of additional AC and RC units, however, will 
result in increased frequency of use of the training areas. The Army 
will continue to implement land and environmental management programs 
and practices to sustain its training lands for continued use.
    Support facilities will be constructed in the PCMS cantonment area, 
including a brigade support complex, medical facilities, storage 
facilities, minimum soldier support functions, a vehicle maintenance 
facility, motor pools and upgrade of roads and utilities. Similar to 
existing facilities at the PCMS, the cantonment facilities constructed 
under the Proposed Action alternative would be austere. No units will 
be permanently stationed at the PCMS; therefore, the PCMS will not 
support long-term soldier care and will have no role in providing 
permanent support for dependents, civilian contractors, or personnel 
other than minimal custodial staff. Outside the cantonment, the Army 
will construct and operate a live hand grenade range, ammunition 
holding area, protective equipment training facility, and communication 
facilities, and upgrade an existing small-arms range building. These 
projects are necessary to allow the PCMS to certify soldiers for 
operational deployments.
    The Final EIS also evaluated the No Action alternative in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality and Army NEPA 
implementing regulations to provide a benchmark against which to 
compare the magnitude of environmental effects of the Proposed Action. 
Under the No Action alternative, no additional soldiers would train at 
the PCMS despite the stationing of significant numbers of additional 
soldiers at Fort Carson. The Proposed Action's construction would not 
occur. Existing land and environmental management programs would 
continue. This alternative is not feasible because restationing at Fort 
Carson has been directed by BRAC 2005, and soldiers assigned to Fort 
Carson need to be trained.
    Alternatives for the BRAC realignment at Fort Carson were not 
considered in the Final EIS in accordance with the BRAC Law, which 
exempts such alternatives from consideration. Other alternatives 
considered by the Army, but determined not to be feasible, included 
training troops at other locales, acquiring additional land for 
training, or varying training schedules to account for operational 
deployments. These alternatives were determined not to be reasonable 
because they did not meet the purpose and need of the action or 
unreasonably restricted the Army's ability to react to changing 
conditions. Acquisition of additional land was also not considered 
reasonable, in part, because not enough information about it is 
currently known.
    The Proposed Action has the potential to result in adverse effects 
to land use, air quality, noise, geology and soils, water resources, 
biological resources, cultural resources, transportation, utilities, 
and hazardous and toxic substances. With implementation of mitigation 
measures and best management practices, none of the impacts would be 
significant. Minor temporary beneficial effects will occur for 
socioeconomic resources.
    The Proposed Action does not include expansion of the PCMS or land 
acquisition. The Proposed Action incorporates modifications to training 
requirements to best meet current training needs. The Army plans to 
prepare a separate EIS for PCMS land expansion once a proposed action 
and initial set of alternatives have been developed for that action.
    An electronic version of the Final EIS can be viewed or downloaded 
from the following Web site: http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_eis_docs.htm. Copies can be requested from the PCMS NEPA Coordinator 
or viewed at local libraries.

    Dated: June 13, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-3026 Filed 6-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M