Notice of Availability for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of the Former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Now U.S. Army Garrison-Fitzsimons (USAG-F), Aurora, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability for the Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) on the Disposal and Reuse of the Former Fitzsimons Army Medical

Center, Now U.S. Army Garrison-Fitzsimons (USAG-F), Aurora, Colorado

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

USAG-F, Aurora, Colorado, in accordance with the Defense Base Closure

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

environmental consequences of the disposal and subsequent reuse of the

577-acre installation except for a 21.8 acre enclave for the McWhethy

Army Reserve Center.

The EIS analyzes three disposal alternatives: (1) the no action

alternative, which entails maintaining the property in caretaker status

after closure; (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; and

(3) the unencumbered disposal alternative, which entails transferring

the property to future owners with few or no Army-imposed limitations,

or encumbrances, on the future use of the property. The impacts of

reuse are evaluated in terms of land use intensities. The Fitzsimons

Redevelopment Authority developed the reuse alternatives based on their

Reuse Plan. The resource 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; regulated substances; biological

resources and ecosystems; cultural resources; sociological environment;

quality of life; installation agreements, and permits and regulatory

authorizations.

COPIES: Copies of the EIS will be available for review at the Aurora

Central Public Library, Aurora, CO and USAG-F, Aurora, CO.

DATES: A final decision on the FEIS will be made after a 30-day waiting

period, which commences with the publication of the Environmental

Protection Agency's NOA in the Federal Register. The action will be

documented with a Record of Decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EIS can be obtained by writing to the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District Office, ATTN: Mr. Gene Sturm,

215 North 17th Street, Omaha, NE 68102-4978, or by facsimile at (402)

221-4886. Written comments and suggestions should also be sent to this

address.

Dated: December 19, 1997.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Environment, Safety and

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

[FR Doc. 98-083 Filed 1-8-98; 8:45 am]

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