Release of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of Fort Ritchie, Maryland

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Release of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of Fort Ritchie,

Maryland

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action evaluated by this DEIS is the disposal of

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Fort Ritchie, Maryland, in accordance with the Defense Base Closure and

Realignment Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-510. The DEIS addresses the

environmental consequences of the disposal and subsequent reuse of the

638 acres.

The DEIS analyzes two disposal alternatives: (1) the No Action

Alternative, which entails maintaining the property in caretaker status

after closure; and (2) the Encumbered Disposal Alternative, which

entails transferring the property to future owners with Army-imposed

limitations, or encumbrances, on the future use of the property.

Additionally, this DEIS analyzes the potential environmental and

socioeconomic consequences of three reuse alternatives: (1) Low

Intensity Reuse Alternative; (2) Low-Medium Intensity Reuse

Alternative; and (3) Medium Intensity Reuse Alternative. Disposal

alternatives were developed by the Army. Reuse alternatives were

developed by the Fort Ritchie Local Redevelopment Authority. The

resources areas evaluated for potential impacts by the proposed action

(disposal) and the secondary action (reuse) include; land use; climate;

air quality; noise; geology, soils, and topography; water resources;

infrastructure; hazardous and toxic substances; biological resources

and ecosystems; cultural resources; legacy resources; sociological

environment; economic development; quality of life; installation

agreements, and permits and regulatory authorizations.

A scoping meeting was held at Smithsburg High School on October 10,

1996. Public notices requesting input and comments from the public were

issued in the regional area surrounding Fort Ritchie.

COPIES: Copies of the DEIS will be available for review at the

following locations: Adams County Library, Gettysburg, PA; Alexander

Hamilton Library, Waynesboro, PA; Blue Ridge Summit Library, Blue Ridge

Summit, PA; C. Burr Artz Central Library, Fredreick, MD; Robert F.

Barrick Library, Fort Ritchie, MD; and the Washington County Free

Library, Hagerstown, MD.

DATES: Written public comments and suggestions received 45 days of the

publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of

Availability for this action will be addressed in the Final

Environmental Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement can be

obtained by writing to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Mr.

Clifford Kidd (CENAB-PL-EM), Baltimore District, P.O. Box 1715,

Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, or calling direct to (410) 962-3199.

Dated: July 23, 1997.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and

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

[FR Doc. 97-19915 Filed 7-31-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710-08-M