[Federal Register: July 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 143)]
[Notices]               
[Page 43212-43213]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy08-51]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

 
Notice of Availability of the Final Supplemental Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) for Army Growth and Force 
Structure Realignment To Support Operations in the Pacific Theater

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
Final SPEIS for the growth and realignment of the U.S. Army to support 
operations in the Pacific Theater. Pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Army has 
prepared a Final SPEIS that evaluates the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic effects associated with alternatives for implementing the 
growth and realignment of the Army's forces to support operations in 
the Pacific Theater. Potential impacts have been analyzed in the Final 
SPEIS at installations that are capable of supporting operations in the 
Pacific Theater.

DATES: The waiting period for the Final SPEIS will end 30 days after 
the publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register 
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the Final SPEIS contact: Public Affairs 
Office, U.S. Army Environmental Command, Building E4460, Attention: 
IMAE-PA, 5179 Hoadley Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Office at (410) 436-
2556 or facsimile at (410) 436-1693 during normal business hours Monday 
through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time or e-mail APGR 
USAECPublicComments@conus.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army's Proposed Action and analysis 
within the Final SPEIS covers those activities the Army may undertake 
from 2008 through 2013 to grow, realign, and transform its forces to 
support operations in the Pacific Theater. Implementation of the 
Proposed Action will ensure the proper capabilities exist to sustain 
operations and regional security in the Pacific Theater now and into 
the foreseeable future. The implementation of the Proposed Action will 
better meet military operational needs, national and regional security 
requirements, and the needs of the Army's Soldiers and their Families. 
To

[[Page 43213]]

implement the Proposed Action, new units with critical military skills 
must be stationed at locations that are capable of supporting strategic 
deployment and mobilization requirements to support operations in the 
Pacific Theater. These stationing locations must be capable of 
accommodating unit training, garrison operations, maintenance 
activities, and the needs of Soldiers and their Families.
    The SPEIS supplements the Army's Final Programmatic EIS for Army 
Growth and Force Structure Realignment (2007). The Final SPEIS 
evaluates installations that are capable of supporting operations in 
the Pacific Theater. The Final SPEIS includes analysis of actions that 
will need to be taken (such as the construction of housing and quality 
of life facilities, the construction of new training ranges and 
infrastructure, and changes in the intensity of use of maneuver land 
and firing ranges) to station new units as part of the Army's overall 
efforts to grow and realign the force in the Pacific Theater.
    The Army has considered a full range of sites for implementing the 
Proposed Action. Alternative stationing locations that the Army has 
considered for supporting the Proposed Action include the major 
training installations the Army considered in its 2007 Programmatic EIS 
as well as four additional installations in Hawaii and Alaska. 
Additional installations include Schofield Barracks Military 
Reservation (SBMR), HI; Fort Shafter, HI; Fort Richardson, AK; and Fort 
Wainwright, AK. Each of these installations could receive additional 
Soldiers as part of alternatives being examined.
    Alternatives in the Final SPEIS include stationing of additional 
Combat Support (CS) or Combat Service Support (CSS) units or new 
support brigades. The following alternatives were analyzed in the 
SPEIS: (1) Support operations in the Pacific Theater by implementing 
Army-wide modular force and transformation recommendations within U.S. 
Army Pacific. This alternative involves the stationing of approximately 
1,500-2,000 Soldiers at Army installations in Hawaii and in Alaska; (2) 
In addition to Army growth under Alternative 1, Alternative 2 includes 
growth and transformation of Army forces to support operations in the 
Pacific Theater by stationing additional CS and CSS units in locations 
capable of supporting these operations. The Army would station 
approximately 1,500-2,500 additional CS and CSS Soldiers beyond 
Alternative 1; (3) In addition to Army 3 growth under Alternatives 1 
and 2, as part of Alternative 3 the Army would grow, transform, and 
realign forces by stationing additional support brigades in locations 
capable of supporting operations in the Pacific Theater. Support 
brigades could include the stationing of an additional Maneuver 
Enhancement Brigade (approximately 570 Soldiers), a Combat Aviation 
Brigade (approximately 2,800 Soldiers), and/or a Fires Brigade 
(approximately 1,600 Soldiers).
    In addition to the above alternatives, the No Action Alternative 
was considered and used as a baseline for comparison of alternatives. 
It is not a viable means for meeting the current and future strategic 
security and defense requirements of the nation. The No Action 
Alternative would retain U.S. Army forces in their current end strength 
and force structure. The No Action Alternative includes the 
implementation of stationing actions directed by Base Realignment and 
Closure legislation in 2005, Army Global Defense Posture Realignment, 
Army Modular Forces initiatives, and Army Growth and Force Structure 
Realignment decisions published in January 2008.
    The Army's preferred alternative identified in the Final SPEIS is 
to implement Alternative 3. This alternative allows for full support of 
those activities the Army may undertake from 2008 through 2013 to grow, 
realign, and transform its forces to support operations in the Pacific 
Theater. Under this alternative, the Army is projecting that it would 
station approximately 4,100 new Soldiers at locations that are capable 
of supporting the strategic and operational needs in the Pacific 
Theater. The implementation of the Proposed Action does not involve 4 
the stationing of additional Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCT5). As part 
of the preferred alternative, the Army would station approximately 
2,090 Soldiers in Alaska which includes an additional Maneuver 
Enhancement Brigade. In addition, the Army would station approximately 
2,055 new Soldiers in Hawaii to implement Army-wide modularity and 
increase critical support capabilities in the Pacific Theater. No Fires 
Brigade or Aviation Brigade would be stationed to support the Proposed 
Action as part of the Preferred Alternative.
    Analysis within the Final SPEIS covers those activities required to 
implement unit stationing actions associated with Army growth and force 
structure realignment to support operations in the Pacific Theater. 
Actions the Army will take to support unit stationing include the 
construction of housing and quality of life facilities (i.e., 
gymnasiums, hospitals, shopping areas), the construction of new 
training ranges and infrastructure, and changes in the intensity of use 
of maneuver land and firing ranges associated with the increased 
frequency of training events.
    The Final SPEIS identifies the environmental and socioeconomic 
impacts associated with various unit stationing actions that could be 
implemented to support the Proposed Action. As the programmatic 
decision made at the Army Headquarters-level is implemented, follow-on 
NEPA documentation may be prepared to evaluate the specific 
environmental impacts likely to result from alternative means of 
carrying out the stationing actions, as well as identify any potential 
means for mitigating those impacts associated with the stationing 
decision.
    A copy of the Final SPEIS can be accessed through the U.S. Army 
Environmental Command Web site at http://www.aec.army.mil.

    Dated: July 18, 2008.
John E. Tesner, Jr.,
Assistant for Restoration, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
the Army (Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E8-16842 Filed 7-23-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710-08-M