SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequences5.5.12.2 Alaska5.5.12.2.1 Impacts from Cantonment ConstructionNo ImpactsUnder Alternative D, there would be no increase in Soldiers and no cantonment construction at FRA.On-going military activities would continue and new projects would be developed as needed. Noimpacts to noise would occur.5.5.12.2.2 Impacts from Range ConstructionNo ImpactsThe current number of Soldiers training at FRA and DTA would remain the same and no additionalranges would be constructed. Consequently, there would be no impacts to noise.5.5.12.2.3 Impacts from Live-Fire TrainingLess Than Significant ImpactsNoise from ordnance use. Noise from live-fire training would continue at levels that are similar tothose occurring currently. Noise levels from weapons firing and ordnance detonations are quitevariable, with noise levels at long distances influenced in part by weather conditions. Small armsfiring can produce relatively high peak noise levels at localized areas around the range. As indicatedby past estimates of noise contours, firing noise levels do not cause noise levels in off-post residentialareas to exceed generally accepted land use compatibility criteria. Noise from weapon firing wouldconstitute a less than significant impact.Noise from military vehicles. Tactical and support vehicles would travel within FRA during militarytraining exercises. Vehicles would also travel from FRA to DTA in support of training exercises atthose installations. Convoys of tactical and support vehicles are typically are spaced about 165 to 330feet apart and are timed at least 15 to 30 minutes apart. These convoy procedures prevent situationswhere convoy vehicles dominate local traffic flow for substantial periods. Instead of creatingconditions where military vehicle traffic dominates traffic noise conditions for a noticeable amount oftime, convoy procedures result in noise from convoy traffic occurring as a sequence of multipleindividual vehicle pass-by events within a background of normal traffic noise conditions. Therefore,there would be less than significant impacts from traffic noise levels along public roads.5.5.12.2.4 Impacts from Maneuver TrainingLess Than Significant ImpactsNoise from military vehicles. The current number of Soldiers stationed and training at FRA and DTAwould remain the same and the frequency and intensity of maneuver training at FRA and DTA wouldcontinue at near current levels. Maneuver training would continue using existing equipment andtraining methods at current off-road training areas. Impacts are likely to be less because maneuvertraining would occur within the boundaries of training areas where sensitive noise receptors arefewer. Noise impacts from maneuver training would be a less than significant impact.February 2008 5-235 2/25th SBCT Final EIS