SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Executive SummaryThe No Action Alternative does not meet the objectives of Army Transformation or the stated Purposeand Need of this EIS because it would create a brigade that could not be properly trained, deployed, supportedand integrated into Army operations. Implementation of the No Action Alternative is not feasible.The Army is well into the process of organization-wide transformation. The Army no longer fields nonmodularBCT configurations, such as the original structure of the 2/25 th ID (L), and it would be impossibleto support the unit logistically as it existed in 2004.Affected EnvironmentThe affected environment is highly variable. It ranges from the tropical environs of the Hawaiian Islandsto the arctic environs of interior Alaska and the semi-desert environs of southeastern Colorado. Geology,soils, vegetation, wildlife, and water resources present at the various installations and facilities all reflectthis high variability. Socioeconomic, transportation, air quality, and noise also reflect this variability to asomewhat lesser degree.Environmental ConsequencesThe tables below provide a comparative summary of the potential impacts of implementing each alternativefor the permanent stationing of the 2/25 th SBCT. The tables exhibit the composite impact (direct andindirect impacts and cumulative impacts) for each Valued Environmental Component (VEC) resultingfrom implementation of each alternative.The composite impact incorporates the impacts from four activity groups that were analyzed (CantonmentConstruction, Range Construction, Live-Fire Training, and Maneuver Training) occurring in all specificareas that would be affected in Hawaii, Alaska, and Colorado. To summarize these impacts comparatively,the highest impact level to each VEC that would be realized from any of the four activity groups inany of the impacted areas is used as the single impact rating for each alternative. Likewise, for the NoAction alternative (Alternative D), the composite impact rating incorporates the impacts that would occurin all three locations (Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado) under the No Action alternative.February 2008 xxiii 2/25th SBCT Final EIS