Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Disposal and Reuse of Fort McClellan, Alabama

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact

Statement (FEIS) for the Disposal and Reuse of Fort McClellan, Alabama

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (NEPA) and the President's Council on Environmental Quality, the

Army has prepared an FEIS for the Disposal and Reuse of Fort McClellan

(FMC), Alabama. The approved 1995 Base Closure and Realignment actions

required by the Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-

510), and subsequent actions in compliance with this law, mandated the

closure of FMC. It is Department of Defense (DOD) policy to dispose of

property no longer needed by DOD. Consequently, as a result of the

mandated closure of FMC, the Army is disposing of excess property at

FMC.

DATES: the review period for the FEIS will end 30 days after the

publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the EPA.

ADDRESSES: Questions and/or written comments regarding the FEIS, or a

request for a copy of the document may be directed to Mr. Curtis

Flakes, Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ATTN: CESAM-PD-

EC), P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36602-3630.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Curtis Flakes at (334) 690-2693 or telefax at (334) 690-2727.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS 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; (3) the Unencumbered Disposal Alternative, which

entails transferring the property to future owners with fewer or no

Army-imposed restrictions on the future use of the property. The

preferred action identified in this FEIS is Encumbered Disposal of

excess property at FMC. Based upon the analysis contained in the FEIS,

encumbrances and deed restrictions associated with the Army's disposal

actions for FMC will be mitigation measures.

Planning for the reuse of the property to be disposed of is a

secondary action resulting from closure. The local community has

established the Fort McClellan Development Commission (FMDC) to produce

a reuse development plan for the surplus property. The impacts of reuse

are evaluated in terms of land use intensities. This reuse analysis is

based upon implementing one of three reuse alternatives, all of which

are based upon the FMDC reuse plan. The Army has not selected one of

these three alternatives as the preferred action. Selection of the

preferred reuse plan is a decision that will be made by the FMDC.

Comments on the FEIS will be used in preparing the Record of

Decision for the Army action.

Copies of the FEIS have been forwarded to the USEPA, other Federal,

state and local agencies; public officials; and organizations and

individuals who previously provided substantive comments to the DEIS.

Copies of the FEIS and related support studies are available for review

at the following FMC libraries: Abrams Library (For McClellan

Community), Building 2102, Fort McClellan, Alabama 36205-5020; Fischer

Library, U.S. Army Chemical School, Fifth Avenue, Building 1081, Fort

McClellan, Alabama 36205; and the Military Police School Library, U.S.

Army Military Police School, Building 3181, Fort McClellan, Alabama

36205; as well as the following public and other libraries: Anniston-

Calhoun County Public Library, 108 East 10th Street, Anniston, Alabama

36202; Cole

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Library, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road, North,

Jacksonville, Alabama 36265; Jacksonville Public Library, 200 Pelham

Road, North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36205; Oxford Public Library, 213

Choccolocco Street, Oxford, Alabama 36203; and Mobile District, Army

Corps of Engineers, 109 Saint Joseph Street, Mobile, Alabama 36629.

Dated: August 27, 1998.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and

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

[FR Doc. 98-23571 Filed 9-3-98; 8:45 am]

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