SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected Environmentwell as central parts of FRA training areas. R–2203B covers the eastern half of ERF and extendsacross the northern portion of FRA. R–2203C covers the western half of ERF. The vertical limits forR–2203A and R–2203B are from ground level to 11,000 feet amsl, and R–2203C’s vertical limitsrange from surface to 5,000 feet amsl (USARAK 2004).Military deployment requirements are met by Elmendorf AFB, one of the largest airfields in Alaska.It is a critical refueling point and personnel and cargo transfer point along the shortest air traffic routebetween military installations in the U.S. and the Far East. Elmendorf AFB is located adjacent to FRAand roughly two miles from the center of the cantonment area. The airfield can support any type ofmilitary aircraft, including C5 Galaxies.Bryant Army Airfield, located adjacent to the cantonment area and the Glenn Highway, has a main,hard-surfaced, north/south runway, which is 3,000 feet in length. It also has a hard-surfaced crosswindrunway oriented east/west. Bryant Army Airfield is used primarily by the Alaska Army NationalGuard as a base for its fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.Anchorage International Airport, 15 miles southwest of FRA, is the nearest commercial airport. It isthe largest airport in Alaska for both passenger and air cargo operations. More than 30 carriers providepassenger service in the recently renovated airport. It is the largest air cargo handler and transfersite in the U.S.The types of special use airspace within the DTA area are restricted areas and MOAs, including civilianflight corridors. Buffalo MOA overlays DTA East located east of the Richardson Highway(USARAK 2004). The special airspace limits range from 300 feet above ground level to 6,999 feetamsl.Most of DTA West is within the Restricted Area R–2202 (USARAK 2004). The western two-thirdsof DTA West, including the Oklahoma and Delta Creek impact areas, lie under R–2202B and R–2202C. The remainder of DTA West lies under the restricted areas R–2202A and R–2202C. TheOklahoma and Delta Creek impact areas, which are under R–2202 B and C, are used for military aircrafttraining and are designated as air restricted areas (USARAK 2004). The areas are closed to allcivilian aviation during periods of scheduled activity.Two civilian flight corridors have been established. One is along the Alaska Highway near DeltaJunction and the other is along the Richardson Highway near Donnelly Dome. These corridors, whichextend from ground surface to 3,500 feet amsl, were established to maintain civil aviation accessalong major VFR flyways along the Alaska Highway, Richardson Highway, and the Trans-AlaskaPipeline. Both the corridors are highly used for civil aviation. For example, the corridor along theRichardson Highway leads to Isabel Pass, which is one of two passes through the central AlaskaRange between Fairbanks and south-central Alaska. Civilian air traffic primarily uses Isabel Pass becauseof its higher probability of favorable weather conditions.3.2.13 ENERGYFrom 1952 until 2003, FRA had a central steam plant that provided for the Post’s heating and electricityneeds. The plant used natural gas supplied by Enstar Natural Gas Company. However, between2001 and 2003, FRA transitioned from the central steam plant to a distributed heating system. In2003, FRA completed the transition. Now, buildings on FRA are heated by a more energy-efficientdistributed heating system and most of the electric power is supplied by Anchorage Municipal Powerand Light. Anchorage Municipal Power and Light has sufficient capacity to meet the needs of FRAand other customers in its market.February 2008 3–132 2/25th SBCT Final EIS