[Federal Register: July 2, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 126)]
[Notices]               
[Page 31715-31716]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02jy09-37]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

 
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) Actions 
at Fort Benning, GA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
MCOE FEIS, which evaluates the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts associated with the MCOE activities at Fort 
Benning. The FEIS covers the construction, operation, facilities 
maintenance, personnel increases, and training activities associated 
with the proposed MCOE actions, as well as increased training 
throughput due to Grow the Army missions at Fort Benning.

DATES: The waiting period for the MCOE FEIS will end 30 days after 
publication of a notice of availability in the Federal Register by the 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the EElS, contact Mr. John Brent, Fort 
Benning Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Division, 
6650 Meloy Hall, Building 6, Room 308, Fort Benning, GA 31905 or e-mail 
at: john.brent@us.army.mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Bridgett Siter at (706) 545-6169 
or Mr. Anthony O'Bryant at (706) 545-4591 in the Fort Benning Public 
Affairs Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MCOE FEIS covers the construction, 
operation, facilities maintenance, personnel increases, and training 
activities associated with the proposed MCOE actions at Fort Benning. 
The Proposed Action includes construction, operation, and maintenance 
of facilities and training areas in support of the Armor School and 
Infantry training mission.
    In 2007, the Army completed its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure 
(BRAC)/Transformation Actions FEIS and subsequent Record of Decision 
(ROD) for Fort Benning. Since the announcement of the BRAC/
Transformation ElS ROD in 2007, some projects that were reasonably 
foreseeable in Fiscal Year (FY) 14 have now been funded, programmed and 
planned, and new projects have been identified. In addition, some of 
the projects, originally identified for implementation in the FY08 to 
FY13 timeframe, have changed in location, size, and timing and these 
changes are substantial enough to require a re-evaluation. The MCOE 
FEIS analyzes these changes.
    The MCOE FEIS also evaluates new facilities and training areas to 
support the increased training requirements of military personnel and 
students associated with Grow the Army missions at Fort Benning. The 
permanent increase in the Army end strength, which is being implemented 
in accordance with Congressional authorizations, will allow the Army to 
realign its force structure to a force that is capable of meeting 
national security and defense objectives. This action would bring the 
Fort Benning population (excluding dependents) to a total of 35,837 
military, civilian, and contractor personnel, as well as 16,624 
military students (daily average).
    Alternatives analyzed in the MCOE FEIS are: (I) Alternative A (the 
Army's Preferred Alternative) which consists of 43 projects and entails 
cantonment area impacts, and maneuver and range development impacts to 
10,045 acres total; (2) Alternative B which consists of 48 projects in 
the cantonment, maneuver and range areas, and impacts 24,596 acres 
total; and (3) the No Action Alternative under which FY09 through FY13 
BRAC/Transformation projects identified in the BRAC/Transformation EIS 
are evaluated. Because the BRAC/Transformation actions have been 
approved for implementation, regardless of the decision taken under the 
MCOE proposed action, they are included in the No Action Alternative.
    The FEIS analyses indicate that the implementation of the proposed 
action would have significant impacts on cultural resources, soils, 
water resources, special status species (particularly the Red-cockaded 
Woodpecker (RCW), relict trillium, and gopher tortoise), and Unique 
Ecological Areas (UEA). The action could potentially cause 
compatibility issues for lands adjacent to the ranges due to noise. 
Aesthetic and visual resources would be affected, but insignificantly. 
In terms of socioeconomics, development would take place and population 
increases would result in economic gains under both action 
alternatives, but there could be negative impacts if the local market 
cannot support this increase. On-post traffic congestion and Main Gate 
build-up during peak hours are anticipated, but these impacts would be 
minimized once road expansions and new access points are completed. 
There would be short-term construction emissions increases, but they 
would not significantly affect regional air quality in the long term. 
Noise contours associated with training would grow both on- and off-
post, increasing the potential for annoyance and complaints in adjacent 
communities. Utilities, safety, and hazardous and toxic materials and 
waste would not be significantly impacted. Through formal consultation 
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, minimization measures, 
including a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA), were developed to 
minimize the impacts to RCW expressed in a Jeopardy Biological Opinion. 
The RPA also includes a requirement that field training associated with 
the Scout Leaders Course (Army Reconnaissance Course) and MCOE heavy 
mechanized training courses be moved from the Southern Maneuver 
Training Area to an off-post site yet to be determined. This relocation 
would take place 5 years from the start of the Scout Leaders Course and 
would be the subject of further NEPA analysis.
    All the alternatives would have significant, adverse noise impacts 
due to expansion of noise levels greater than 75 dBA (Zone Ill) into 
approximately 96 family housing buildings adjacent to Dixie Road. The 
family housing on post has been privatized via the Residential 
Communities Initiative (RCI). Fort Benning is working with the RCI 
program representatives to determine the most feasible mitigation 
options to attenuate noise, which will be analyzed in a separate NEPA 
document when more information and options are identified.
    For all alternatives, significant adverse impacts to land use, 
biological resources, water resources, and soils would be reduced with 
the implementation of proposed mitigation measures. Significant adverse 
impacts to special status species (RCW), vegetation, and UEA would be 
reduced through the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures 
and the RPA, but residual impacts would still be potentially 
significant as a result of the magnitude of the impacts, loss of 
habitat, and operation and maintenance activities.
    An electronic version of the FEIS can be viewed or downloaded from 
the following Web site: http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_eis_
docs.htm.


[[Page 31716]]


    Dated: June 25, 2009.
Addison D. Davis, IV.,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E9-15601 Filed 7-1-09; 8:45 am]

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