SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected EnvironmentReal EstateFTC is an active military training facility for both weapons qualification and field training. Land useat FTC falls generally into one of three categories: cantonment, range, and non-military uses, whichare accessible by the public for recreational uses.FacilitiesFacilities at FTC include the cantonment and training areas. The cantonment area comprises approximately6,000 acres and contains most of the facilities on FTC, such as troop and family housing,administrative, maintenance, community support, recreation, and supply and storage facilities, utilities,and classroom and simulation training facilities. Principal industrial operations have been the repairand maintenance of vehicles and aircraft. For the most part, industrial operations take place at the“banana belt” (so called because it is a banana-shaped arc of brick buildings) on the east side of thecantonment area, the north end of the cantonment area, and at Butts Army Airfield (part of the downrangearea) (DECAM 2005a).The downrange area consists of approximately 96,000 acres of unimproved or open lands that areused for live-fire artillery practice, small arms practice, tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle maneuveroperations, and bivouac training. Air operation ranges on FTC consist of the Air Burst Range andButts Army Airfield. Remaining land is used for recreation and other purposes (DECAM 2005a). Theprimary training activities that occur within the down-range area include maneuver training and livefiretraining. Other areas within the downrange area are restricted from training.Public ServicesThe Army has its own police and fire departments at FTC. The Army coordinates with the countysheriff and fire departments for supplemental services, if needed. The Army has cooperative agreementswith the Colorado Springs Fire Department and El Paso County to provide mutual aid for thesuppression of wildland fires on FTC and surrounding areas (DECAM 2002a).FTC has on-post medical facilities. In addition, emergency medical facilities are available in ColoradoSprings.Infrastructure and UtilitiesThis section describes the infrastructure and utilities serving FTC, including potable water, wastewater,stormwater, communications, and solid waste. Infrastructure and utilities at FTC are currently sufficientto meet the needs of the Army.Potable water is purchased by FTC from Colorado Springs Utilities for domestic, industrial, and irrigationuse in the cantonment. A portion of the water purchased by FTC is also supplied to the CheyenneMountain Air Force Station. Potable water is delivered through 50-year-old water lines withinthe cantonment, which are deteriorated and in need of replacement. The potable water storage systemat FTC consists of four reservoirs that provide capacity during emergency conditions. Potable waterfor consumption during training activities on the downrange area is trucked from the cantonment,while at the gunnery range, potable water is piped from the cantonment (USACE 2007a).FTC operates and maintains a sewage treatment plant that services the cantonment, the family housingarea, and Butts Army Airfield. The sanitary sewage treatment plant, which was newly constructedin 1998, has a 4.02-mgd design capacity with a maximum peak historical flow to the sanitary sewagetreatment plant of 2.6 mgd (USACE 2007a). The original sanitary system, constructed in 1942, com-February 2008 3–180 2/25th SBCT Final EIS