Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Transportable Treatment Systems for Non-Stockpile Chemical Warfare Materiel

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on

Transportable Treatment Systems for Non-Stockpile Chemical Warfare

Materiel

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS)

has been prepared by the Army in compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, regulations of the President's

Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508), and Army

Regulation 200-2. The Department of the Army, as Executive Agent for

the DoD, is responsible for destroying that portion of the nation's

chemical warfare materiel (CWM) referred to as ``non-stockpile'' CWM.

This non-stockpile CWM must be destroyed in order to protect human

health and safety, comply with an international treaty, and carry out

the requirements of the U.S. Congress. Non-stockpile CWM covered under

this DPEIS includes: (1) Munitions containing chemical agent or

industrial chemicals, (2) chemical agents or industrial chemicals

contained in other than munitions configurations, and (3) chemical

agent identification set items containing small quantities of pure or

diluted agent used for training purposes.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Questions and written comments regarding the DPEIS, or a

request for a copy of the document, should be directed to: Program

Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-NP (Mr. John K.

Gieseking/PEIS), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-4005 or via email at

[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John K. Gieseking at (410) 436-

3768 or by fax at (410) 436-8737.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army's Product Manager for Non-Stockpile

Chemical Materiel has analyzed the potential environmental and

socioeconomic consequences of two alternative courses of action in the

DPEIS with respect to the Army's chemical demilitarization

responsibilities:

(1) Using transportable chemical treatment systems, under which the

Army would use as many as four different types of transportable systems

currently being developed to chemically treat non-stockpile CWM.

(2) The no action alternative, under which the Army would

discontinue development of the transportable treatment systems

currently being developed and continue storage of non-stockpile CWM

until other technologies are developed.

Other alternatives that were considered, but not evaluated in

detail, are: (1) Using stockpile CWM disposal facilities; (2) using

other treatment systems or technologies, none of which have currently

been sufficiently developed as part of an integrated system for the

treatment of non-stockpile CWM; and (3) using commercial treatment

facilities, which would require changes in federal law and Army policy.

The Army has determined, based on the DPEIS, that the no-action

alternative could lead to the United States violating the Chemical

Weapons Convention timetable requirements for destroying currently

stored non-stockpile CWM or CWM recovered in the near future. The Army

further concludes that using stockpile disposal facilities, other

treatment systems, or commercial treatment facilities are not feasible

alternatives given certain legal requirements, in addition to the time

restraints of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Army's preferred alternative course of action is to complete

the development of transportable chemical treatment systems and make

them available for deployment. Subsequent environmental reviews by the

appropriate DoD authorities would address the impacts of actual

deployment to specific locations.

A series of public meetings will be held at nine U.S. locations

during the comment period to afford the public the opportunity to

provide oral and written comments on the DPEIS. These meetings will

tentatively be held in the vicinity of Aberdeen, MD; Alexandria, LA;

Anchorage, AK; Huntsville, AL; Indianapolis, IN; Salt Lake City, UT;

San Antonio, TX; Santa Rosa, CA; and Tampa, FL. The specific time,

locations, and dates of these meetings will be announced in appropriate

news media at least 15 days prior to each meeting. Comments made at the

public meetings and written comments received during the comment period

will be used in the preparation of the Final PEIS.

Copies of the DPEIS have been forwarded to the EPA; other federal

state, and local agencies; Native Americans; public officials; and

organizations and individuals who previously provided substantive

comments during the PEIS scoping process or have expressed interest in

the Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Program. Copies of the DPEIS can

also be obtained by calling the Public Outreach and Information Office

of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization at 1-800-488-0648

or (410) 436-3445; fax (410) 436-8737 or may be accessed at the

following web site: http://www-pmcd.apgea.army.mil/nscmp/index.html.

Dated: October 14, 1999.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and

Occupational Health) OASA(I&E).

[FR Doc. 99-27501 Filed 10-20-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710-08-M