Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Pilot Testing of Neutralization/Biotreatment of Mustard Agent at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for Pilot Testing of Neutralization/Biotreatment of Mustard

Agent at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the Final Environmental

Impact Statement (FEIS) which assesses the potential environmental

impacts of the design, construction, systemization and operation of a

facility to pilot test the neutralization/biotreatment process of

mustard agent using water at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland.

The proposed facility will be used to demonstrate, as part of a

research and development program, the feasibility of adopting the

neutralization process using water, followed by biotreatment, to

destroy mustard agent currently stored in ton containers at APG.

DATES: Written comments received within 30 days of the publication of

the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability for this

action will be considered by the Army during final decision making.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the FEIS, write to Ms. Nancy Hoffman,

Edgewood Community Outreach Office, Woodbridge Station, 1011 Woodbridge

Center Way, Edgewood, Maryland 21040.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Catherine Herlinger, Office of the

Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-P Building

E4585, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 21010-5401;

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telephone: (800) 488-0648 or (410) 463-2583; e-mail:

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The alternatives considered in this DEIS are

no action (i.e., continued storage of mustard agent at APG) and

locating the pilot facility at one of two potential sites within APG.

Although the no action alternative is not viable under Pub. L. 99-145,

the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1986, it was analyzed to

provide a comparison with the proposed action. In addition, the no

action alternative is considered to be deferral of research and

development of the neutralization process as an alternative technology.

The FEIS concludes that mustard agent stored in bulk containers can

be pilot tested at APG in a safe and environmental acceptable manner

using the water neutralization (hydrolis) process, followed by

biotreatment. At one time, the option of sending the hydrolysate to an

off-site biotreatment facility was considered by the Army. However, the

Army has been unable to identify a suitable off-site biotreatment

facility that would accept the neutralization hydrolysate and also

conform to the safety and environmental protection requirements of the

proposed action. Accordingly, off-site biotreatment is not addressed

further in this EIS.

The Department of the Army prepared a Draft EIS (DEIS) which

assessed the potential site-specific health and environmental impacts

of the construction, systemization and operation of an on-site facility

to pilot test the neutralization/biotreatment process of mustard agent

using water at APG, Maryland. A Notice of Availability was published on

March 27, 1998 (63 FR 14922), which provided notice that the Draft EIS

was available for comment. Comments from the DEIS have been considered

and responses are included in this Final EIS. After a 30-day waiting

period the Army will publish a Record of Decision.

Dated: July 29, 1998.

Raymond J. Fatz,

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

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

[FR Doc. 98-20971 Filed 8-5-98; 8:45 am]

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