SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental ConsequencesThe following measures are currently in place, and are continually revised and reviewed to respond tonew or increased impacts.• Split convoys into smaller vehicle groups and stagger departure times, per AR 55-2. Splittingconvoys into smaller, separated fragments eases traffic congestion problems.• Continue to provide portable containment systems for use at in-field refueling points that wouldbe capable of containing potential fuel releases from fuel tanker vehicles. This would minimizethe risk of area contamination from inadvertent petrochemical release.• Continue convoy permitting process with ADOT and Public Facilities.Additional measures to reduce impacts include considering alternate travel routes and methods formilitary convoys, including line haul, airlift, and rail if available, and expanding public notification ofimminent convoy activity, including specific days of convoy activity. This would allow the public toavoid highway travel concurrent with military convoys.Roadway Segment Operations. The use of Army vehicles on public roads could increase the risk ofaccidents and lengthen vehicle drive times on local highways. The potential for vehicular accidentswould increase as the number of vehicles using Alaskan roadways increases, especially duringhazardous driving conditions.Deployments from FRA to DTA for training purposes would not increase in frequency compared tocurrent conditions; however, convoys are still likely to result in traffic delays on roads and highways,particularly along the Glenn and Richardson Highways. Highway speed for a military convoy is notexpected to exceed 40 to 45 mph (USARAK 2006). There would be a disparity between convoyspeed and the current civilian highway traffic speed limit of 55 mph.Winter and spring convoys are expected to have a greater impact due to hazardous driving conditionsor possible roadway degradation. Summer convoys would exacerbate tourist season traffic loads.Congestion on Glenn and Richardson Highways could affect both recreational and commercialdrivers as a result of increased time spent in traffic. Indirect impacts associated with convoys wouldinclude increased noise near Glenn and Richardson Highways and in the Delta Junction area. Trafficimpacts are not expected to differ from existing conditions.To minimize traffic impacts, large convoys would be segmented to reduce impacts to traffic on thepublic roads. Under USARAK BMPs, convoys would be broken into groups of no more than 20vehicles (USARAK 2006). These groups are then separated by 30-minute gaps between departures tominimize traffic impacts on public highways. Traffic impacts could also be minimized by publicannouncement of scheduled deployments.Roadway Segment Operations. Maneuver training at DTA property would not increase in frequency;however, Stryker vehicle exercises tend to remain on existing roads compared to training withconventional vehicles and would likely require the use of more extensive areas during maneuvertraining compared to current training activities at DTA. Therefore, the use of Stryker vehicles in thetraining areas could result in degradation of the roads within the DTA property as a result ofadditional traffic on the installation roads.February 2008 5-94 2/25th SBCT Final EIS