Notice of Availability of the Draft 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 Draft 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 (NOA).

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) 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 two containers at APG.

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 Public Law 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.

DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after

publication of the NAO in the Federal Register by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency. Public comments received on the DEIS

will be considered and addressed in the final EIS and considered by the

Army in its Record of Decision.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the DEIS, contact Ms. Nancy Hoffman at

Edgewood Community Outreach Office at (410) 676-6800 or write to:

Woodbridge Station, 1011 Woodbridge Center Way, Edgewood, Maryland

21040.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Office of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN:

SFAE-CD-P (Ms. Catherine Herlinger), Building E4585, Aberdeen Proving

Ground, Maryland 21010-5401; telephone: (800) 488-0648 or (410) 671-

1479; e-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 14074]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS concludes that mustard stored in

bulk containers can be pilot tested at APG using the neutralization

(hydrolysis) process with water, followed by biotreatment, in a safe

and environmentally acceptable manner. At one time, the option of

sending the hydrolysate to an off-site biotreatment facility was under

consideration 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.

Therefore, off-site biotreatment is not addressed further in this DEIS.

Dated: March 18, 1998.

Richard E. Newsome,

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

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

[FR Doc. 98-7597 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]

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