Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the BRAC 95 Disposal and Reuse of Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, PA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Departmant of the Army

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for

the BRAC 95 Disposal and Reuse of Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg,

PA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces today the availability of

the Environment Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact

(FNSI) for the disposal and reuse of the Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD),

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in accordance with the Defense Base Closure

and Realignment Act of 1990, Public Law 101-510, as amended. The 1995

Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) recommended the

realignment of Letterkenny Army Depot. The proposed action is the

disposal of property made available by the realignment of specified

missions at LEAD.

The EA evaluates the environmental and socioeconomic effects

associated with the disposal and subsequent reuse of the Letterkenny

property. The Army proposes to dispose of approximately 1,450 acres of

the 2,306-acre cantonment area, in the southeast corner of the

installation, which was identified through the BRAC process as surplus

property to the DOD needs.

Alternatives examined in the EA include encumbered disposal of the

property, unencumbered disposal of the property and no action. The

Army's preferred alternative for disposal of the LEAD property is

encumbered disposal, which involves conveying the property with

conditions imposed pertaining to historical resources, remedial

activities, asbestos-containing material, easements and rights-of-way,

groundwater use prohibition, lead-based paint, utility dependencies,

and wetlands.

The EA, which is incorporated into the FNSI, examines potential

impacts of the proposed action and alternatives on 14 resource areas

and areas of environmental concern: land use, climate, air quality,

noise, water resources, geology, infrastructure, hazardous and toxic

materials, permits and regulatory authorizations, biological resources,

cultural resources, the sociological environment, economic development,

and quality of life.

The EA concludes that the disposal and subsequent reuse of the

property will not have a significant impact on the human environment.

Issuance of a FNSI would be appropriate. An Environmental Impact

Statement is not required prior to implementation of the proposed

actions.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 1, 1998.

.ADDRESSES: A copy of the EA or inquiries into the FNSI may be obtained

by writing to Mr. Ellis Pope. Corps of Engineers, Mobile District,

ATTN: EN-GH, P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, Alabama 36628-0001, by calling

(334) 690-3077, or by facsimile at (334) 690-2721.

Dated: March 25, 1998.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and

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

[FR Doc. 98-8504 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]

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