SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Appendix D ⎯ Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact StatementResponse: As is clearly stated in Section 2.4, the construction of new facilities does notmeet the Purpose and need for stationing the 2/25 th SBCT. Chapter 2.4 lays outthe limitations of the military construction process and the fact that it wouldtake between 3-5 years to have new facilities ready for the SBCT. The 2/25 thSBCT will require critical facilities for the 2/25 th SBCT, including office space,housing, and parking and maintenance space in addition to other quality oflife facilities at the beginning of 2009 when it returns from deployment. Becausenew military construction can not meet the purpose and need for the stationingof the 2/25 th SBCT and Fort Lewis does not have existing facilities toaccommodate the BCT it is not a viable stationing alternative for the 2/25 th .We thank you for your comment and participation in this public process. Yourcomment has been considered and included in the administrative record forthis process.98. The Army should investigate using the 148-acre ROTC tract (North Post, Area E), togetherwith a portion of the 141-acre parcel at North Post, Area B. The Army should also evaluatewhether the necessary facilities could be built at the Fort Lewis Golf Course and environs,unimproved land that is part of a 514-acre parcel the Nisqually Tribe recently sought to acquire.Moreover, the USAEC study identifies many parcels that are less than 192 acres andthen improperly rejects any option that involves the use of non-contiguous parcels that aremore than a mile apart.Response: As discussed in Section 2.4 of the EIS and the response to comment 97, newmilitary construction would not be ready in time to support the stationingneeds of the 2/25 th . Please see Section 2.4 and the response to comment 97 formore details. We thank you for your comment and participation in this publicprocess. Your comment has been considered and included in the administrativerecord for this process.99. I support the permanent stationing of the 2/25 th SBCT in Alaska. Alaska is the best choice forthis stationing.Response: We thank you for your comment and participation in this public process. Yourcomment has been considered and included in the administrative record forthis process.100. Strykers will contribute to global warming because they will dramatically increase theArmy’s consumption of fuel.Response: We thank you for your comment and participation in this public process. Climatechange is largely a global phenomenon that includes actions that areoutside of the Army control. Nevertheless, Army actions in Hawaii contributeincrementally to this global situation. Stationing the SBCT in Hawaii wouldproduce greater emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gassesfrom both the use of explosives and the running of vehicle engines. These emissionscan combine with carbon emissions throughout the world to contributeto one of the causes of global warming. As discussed in Sections 5.2.14, 5.3.14,5.4.14, and 5.5.14, however, the Army is proactively working to reduce itsoverall consumption of energy and fossil fuels at all of its installations. It canbe argued that by reducing its consumption of energy and fossil fuels, theArmy is reducing its contribution to “global warming.”February 2008 D–31 2/25th SBCT Final EIS