Federal Register: December 27, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 249)
DOCID: FR Doc 02-32669
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Army Department
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Environmental statements; availability, etc.:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Destruction of Chemical Agents and Munitions at Blue Grass Army Depot, KY
DATES: The waiting period for the FEIS will end 30 days after publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
This announces the availability of the FEIS that assesses the potential environmental impacts of the design, construction, operation and closure of a facility to destroy the chemical agents and munitions currently stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD). The FEIS examines the potential environmental impacts of the following destruction facility alternatives: (1) Baseline incineration facility; (2) neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation; (3) neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation and gas phase chemical reduction; (4) electrochemical oxidation; and (5) no action (i.e., continued storage of chemical munitions at BGAD). Although the no action alternative is not viable under Pub. L. 990145 (DoD Authorization Act of 1986), it was analyzed to provide a comparison with the proposed action. The FEIS identifies pilot testing of neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation as the agency's preferred alternative for destruction of chemical munitions at BGAD.
SUMMARY:
Blue Grass Army Depot, KY; destruction of chemical agents and munitions,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
In its Record of Decision (ROD) on February
26, 1988 (53 FR 5816, February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic [[Page 79064]]
Environmental Impact Statement on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal
Program (CSDP), the Army selected onsite disposal by incineration at
all eight chemical munition storage sites located within the
continental United States as the method by which it will destroy its
lethal chemical stockpile. The Army published a Notice of Intent in the
Federal Register (65 FR 2014041, December 4, 2000) which provided
notice that, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and
implementing regulations, it was preparing a draft sitespecific EIS
for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. The Army published
a Draft EIS to assess the sitespecific health and environmental
impacts of onsite disposal of the chemical agents and munitions stored
at the BGAD on May 31, 2002. All public comments received on the DEIS have been addressed in the FEIS.
The Program Manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) prepared a separate EIS. The ACWA EIS is for followon pilot testing of the ACWA Program pursuant to the process established by Congress in Pub. L. 104208 and 105261. The ACWA EIS emphasizes the feasibility of pilot testing one or more of the ACWA technologies at one or more sites. One of the four sites evaluated in the ACWA EIS was the BGAD. Information provided by the ACWA Program concerning the neutralization technologies provided the basis for analysis of the neutralization technologies and comparison with incineration in this sitespecific EIS for stockpile destruction at Blue Grass. This site specific EIS and the ACWA EIS serve complementary purposes.
The decision for the technology to be implemented to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile at BGAD will be made by the DAE and a ROD will be signed following the end of the 30day waiting period.
Dated: December 19, 2002.
Richard E. Newsome,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health) OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 0232669 Filed 122602; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 371008M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Mr. Gregory Mahall at 410-436-1093, by fax at 4104365122, by mail at the above listed address or by electronic mail at gregory.mahall@pmcd.apgea.army.mil.