Notice of Availability of the Revised Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored at Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability of the Revised Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored at

Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the Notice of Availability of the Revised Final

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the construction and operation

of the proposed chemical agent demilitarization facility at the

Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon. The proposed facility will be used to

demilitarize all stockpiled chemical agents and munitions currently

stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The Revised FEIS examines the

potential impacts of on-site incineration, alternative sites within

Umatilla Chemical Depot and the ``no action'' alternative. The ``no

action'' alternative is considered to be a deferral of demilitarization

with continued storage of agents and munitions at the Umatilla Chemical

Depot.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its Record of Decision (53 FR 5816,

February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), the

Department of the Army selected on-site disposal by incineration at all

eight chemical munition storage sites within the continental United

States as the method by which it will destroy its lethal chemical

stockpile. On February 6, 1989, the Department of the Army published a

Notice of Intent (54 FR 5646) which announced that, pursuant to the

National Environmental Policy Act and implementing regulations, it

would prepare a draft site-specific EIS for the Umatilla chemical

munitions disposal facility. In 1991, the Department of the Army

prepared a Draft EIS to assess the site-specific health and

environmental impacts of on-site incineration of chemical agents and

munitions stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. In late 1991,

preparation of a site-specific EIS for Umatilla was suspended pending

the outcome of a National Research Council (NRC) study of alternative

technologies for the destruction of chemical agents and munitions and

the Army's review of that study. After completion of the NRC study in

1994 and an Army review, the draft EIS was revised. A Notice of

Availability for this Revised Draft EIS was published on review, the

draft EIS was revised. A Notice of Availability for this Revised Draft

EIS was published on January 26, 1996 (61 FR 2508) and made available

for public comment. Comments on the Revised Draft EIS were considered

and responses were included in the FEIS. A Notice of Availability for

this FEIS was published on June 21, 1996 (61 FR 31939). After

publication of this FEIS, the program performed an additional review

and determined more detailed responses to the public comments were

necessary. These responses were incorporated into a Revised FEIS which

is the subject of this Notice of Availability. After a 30-day waiting

period the Army will publish a Record of Decision. Copies of the

Revised FEIS may be obtained by writing to the following address:

Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-ME,

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5401.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will

also publish a Notice of Availability for the Revised FEIS in the

Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Above address, or Ms. Lori Geckle at

(410) 671-1411/3629.

Dated: December 20, 1996.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and

Occupational Health) OASA (I, L&E).

[FR Doc. 97-1070 Filed 1-15-97; 8:45 am]

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