Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices 37859

tanks. At LATP, the armor packages

remain in the transportation containers

until they are ready to be inserted into

the tank. Following installation of the

armor package and other tank

components, the completed tanks are

transported to military units as required

for field use. Field use consists

primarily of training exercises and

varying levels of maintenance

performed either by the tank operating

crew or a field maintenance crew. Some

maintenance, including major repairs, is

conducted at maintenance depots by

dedicated crews. At some point in the

future, the tanks will be removed from

service, demilitarized, and

dispositioned.

D. The impacts of the use of DU armor

are central to the question of whether

the impacts of continued use of the M1

Abrams MBT remains insignificant. The

sue of DU armor is the primary feature

that distinguishes the Abrams tank from

numerous other commonly accepted

equipment employed by the military

and industry. Conventionally-armored

military vehicles and heavy equipment,

similar to tanks, are commonly operated

by the Army and industry in a manner

that is considered by the public to be

acceptable and with insignificant

impact on the human environment.

Consequently, in conformance with the

procedural requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) this

Environmental Assessment (EA) has

focused strictly on the use of DU armor.

3. Anticipated Environmental Effects

A. The MI Abrams MBT Heavy Armor

System will be assembled, transported,

maintained, and disposed of in

accordance with applicable

environmental protection regulations.

The PM Abrams has performed an indepth study of exposure scenarios for

affected personnel and has found that,

in all instances, the maximum potential

exposure to radiation from the Heavy

Armor System will fall well under the

100 mrem/year NRC limit.

B. The PM Abrams has determined

that the potential for adverse

environmental impacts of the use and

disposal of the Heavy Armor package

occur only if the outer armor integrity

has been compromised or if a large

number of rounds are fired into the

tank. In this instance, however,

decontamination measures can be

limited to a 76-meter area downwind of

the impact site (for a worst-case

scenario). The concentration of the

aerosol in the passing cloud does not

exceed the guidelines for the general

population as set forth in 10 CFR Part

20.

C. The PM Abrams will continue to

assess alternative procedures and

materials for opportunities to replace

the DU used for the Heavy Armor

System and to proactively implement

environmental improvements to the

program in other areas.

4. Facts and Conclusions

A. Operations at LATP are conducted

in accordance with their Radiation

Protection Plan and personnel

exposures are controlled within the

regulatory limits. Potential hazards have

been identified and evaluated and

appropriate preventive measures have

been taken. Efforts have been made to

reduce radiation exposures below the

limits and to minimize the number of

personnel subjected to radiation

exposure.

B. Transportation of completed tanks

from LATP to field organizations for use

is conducted in compliance with

Department of Transportation

requirements for the transportation of

articles containing depleted uranium.

Compliance with Department of

Transportation requirements assures

appropriate protection of the involved

personnel and members of the general

public from the potential radiation and

other hazards associated with

transportation.

C. Storage and Parking of tanks at

field installations has been evaluated

and it has been determined that there is

no reasonable potential for exposure of

personnel or the general public to

radiation exposures exceeding the limits

allowed for members of the general

public.

D. Fields use of the Abrams Tank with

Heavy Armor has been evaluated and it

has been determined that appropriate

controls exist in the form of vehicle

design, vehicle use, and vehicle

maintenance to assure that radiation

exposure to involved personnel and the

general public is maintained within the

required regulatory limits and that

efforts have been made to reduce

radiation exposures below the limits.

E. The environmental effects of

accidents involving the release of DU

have been evaluated and appropriate

actions have been identified to assure

mitigation and minimize the potential

for environmental damage.

F. Means have been identified and

agreements have been made that assure

that the DU is properly managed and

controlled during and following

demilitarization.

G. Means have been identified and

agreements have been made that assure

that all DU wastes generated by the

Abrams Heavy Armor System are

properly managed and disposed.

5. Determination

Based on the analyses of the draft EA,

the use of DU armor from its receipt by

the Abrams program through

disposition of the material following

future demilitarization of the Abrams

tanks, including reasonably foreseeable

accidents, do not constitute a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of the NEPA.

Therefore, an Environmental Impact

Statement for the proposed action is not

required.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–18674 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Defense Intelligence Agency, Science

and Technology Advisory Board

Closed Panel Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Defense, Defense

Intelligence Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of

Subsection (d) of Section 10 of Pub. L.

92–463, as amended by Section 5 of

Pub. L. 94–409, notice is hereby given

that a closed meeting of the DIA Science

and Technology Advisory Board has

been scheduled as follows:

DATES: 24 July 1998 (800am to 1600pm).

ADDRESSES: The Defense Intelligence

Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC

20340–5100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maj Michael W. Lamb, USAF, Executive

Secretary, DIA Science and Technology

Advisory Board, Washington, DC

20340–1328 (202) 231–4930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The entire

meeting is devoted to the discussion of

classified information as defined in

Section 552b(c)(I), Title 5 of the U.S.

Code and therefore will be closed to the

public. The Board will receive briefings

on and discuss several current critical

intelligence issues and advised the

Director, DIA, on related scientific and

technical matters.

Dated: July 8, 1998.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register, Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 98–18618 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M