[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]
[Page 45021]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-43]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for Base
Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Actions at Fort Belvoir, VA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Record of Decision.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of a ROD
which summarizes the decision for implementing realignment actions as
directed by the BRAC Commission at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The decision
places 8,500 new employees at Fort Belvoir's Engineer Proving Ground;
places 5,500 personnel on Fort Belvoir's Main Post, and defers a
decision on 6,200 personnel.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the ROD please contact the Fort Belvoir
Directorate of Public Works, 9430 Jackson Loop, Suite 100, Fort
Belvoir, Virginia 22060-5116; e-mail address:
environmental-fb-dpw@conus.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Don Carr, Fort Belvoir Public
Affairs Office, at (703) 805-2583 during normal business hours Monday
through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army has decided to implement the
Preferred Alternative (with exceptions noted below) identified in the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (June 2007), supporting studies,
and comments provided during formal comment and review periods. The
Preferred Alternative includes construction, renovation, and operation
of proposed facilities to accommodate incoming military missions and
activities at Fort Belvoir as mandated by the BRAC Commission's
recommendations. The preferred alternative also includes an updated
land use plan, a portion of the installation's Real Property Master
Plan. To implement the BRAC Commission recommendations, Fort Belvoir
will be receiving personnel, equipment, and missions from various
closure and realignment actions within the Department of Defense. To
implement the BRAC Commission recommendations, the Army will provide
the necessary facilities, buildings, and infrastructure to accommodate
personnel being realigned from the Washington Headquarters Services
(WHS); National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); various Army
entities moving from leased space in the National Capital Region (NCR);
U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM); Program Executive Office,
Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS); and Missile Defense Agency
Headquarters Command Center (MDA HQCC). Details of the BRAC
Commission's recommendations can be found at http://www.brac.gov. The
No Action Alternative would not meet the Army's purpose and need for
the Proposed Action as the BRAC realignment is required by Congress and
needed for Army transformation to be effective.
Two elements of the EIS's Preferred Alternative were not selected
for implementation in the ROD. First, no decision is being made at this
time for siting of the WHS group, designated for the Engineer Proving
Ground in the EIS. There will be a subsequent decision for this
organization, following analysis of different alternatives. The ROD
also does not include building of the Family Travel Camp on Fort
Belvoir's Main Post.
Special consideration was given to the effect of the Preferred
Alternative on natural resources, cultural resources, traffic and
transportation, socioeconomic resources, and air quality. Many means to
avoid or minimize environmental harm from the selected alternative have
been adopted. Other mitigation measures identified in the EIS were not
adopted, primarily because of a lack of funding. The Army will minimize
effects on all environmental and socioeconomic resources by
implementing the best management practices described in the EIS.
As determined in the EIS, implementing the Preferred Alternative
will have short- and long-term significant adverse impacts on the
transportation network at Fort Belvoir and its surrounding area. The
ROD states that implementing the Preferred Alternative reflects a
proper balance among initiatives for protection of the environment,
appropriate mitigation, and actions to achieve the Army's requirements.
An electronic version of the ROD can be viewed or downloaded from
the following Web site: http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/nepa_eis_docs.htm
.
Dated: August 7, 2007.
H.E. Wolfe,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety
and Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-3911 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M