[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 51192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18364]
[[Page 51192]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Record of Decision for Activities and Operations at Yuma Proving
Ground, Arizona
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
Record of Decision (ROD) for implementation of activities and
operations at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), AZ. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Army prepared a
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that evaluated the
potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of proposed
construction and demolition of facilities and infrastructure, and
proposed changes to current types and levels of testing and training at
YPG. The Army selected the Preferred Alternative identified in the
Final PEIS. The ROD explains that the Army will proceed with its
Preferred Alternative to implement 296 proposed activities, including
construction and demolition of facilities and infrastructure, changes
to current types and levels of testing and training, and activities
conducted under private industry partnerships.
ADDRESSES: For questions concerning the ROD, please contact Mr. Sergio
Obregon, U.S. Army Garrison Yuma Proving Ground, National Environmental
Policy Act Coordinator, IMYM-PWE, Yuma, AZ 85365-9498. Questions may be
mailed to that address or emailed to
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chuck Wullenjohn, Yuma Proving
Ground Public Affairs Office, at (928) 328-6189 Monday through Thursday
from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Yuma Proving Ground is a major range and
test facility base, responsible for testing technology, equipment, and
weapon systems. The purpose of the selected action is to provide
upgraded facilities for testing military ground and aerial vehicle
systems, weapons, ammunitions, sensors, and guidance systems for
performance and reliability, and to provide realistic training for
military units. The Final PEIS, published in April 2015, examined the
potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with
implementing new activities and operations at YPG. Activities addressed
in the Final PEIS included construction and demolition of facilities
and infrastructure, and changes to current types and levels of testing
and training. It provided thorough analysis under NEPA for the short-
term, well-defined projects and allows less well-defined projects to be
implemented following a focused, site-specific NEPA analysis that would
tier from the PEIS.
The ROD incorporates analysis contained in the Final PEIS for
activities and operations at YPG, as well as comments provided during
formal comment and review periods, to include the Final PEIS waiting
period.
The Army considered reasonable alternatives for components of the
activities in the Proposed Action and has selected an alternative that
will have a lower impact for some projects than would the original
Proposed Action. These include reduced areas and selection of a smaller
area for some of the proposed activities to avoid or minimize potential
impacts.
Implementation of this decision is expected to result in direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts to environmental resources. To
minimize the potential adverse impacts from implementation of the
selected alternative, the Army will mitigate these effects through a
variety of mitigation and control measures, as described in the ROD.
All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm from the
selected alternative have been adopted. In making this decision, the
Army is aware that implementation of the selected alternative could
result in potentially significant impacts to Fire Management, Soils,
and Vegetation, even after implementation of mitigation measures. The
selected alternative represents a balance between mission requirements
and stewardship of the environment.
The full text of the ROD and the Final PEIS are available at the
following Web site: http://www.yuma.army.mil/Documents.aspx.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-18364 Filed 8-2-16; 8:45 am]
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