SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Appendix D ⎯ Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact StatementResponse: Archaeological and historical properties located on the PCMS are identified,evaluated, and protected in accordance with the NHPA, ARPA, NAGPRA, andnumerous other federal and state laws, Executive Orders, and DoD/DA regulations.If Fort Carson is selected for stationing of the 2/25 th, it is important tounderstand that the 4/4 th IBCT, a unit already stationed in Colorado, would beexchanged back to Hawaii. The net change in Soldiers that would be stationedat Fort Carson would not be more than 700 Soldiers as discussed in Section2.7. We thank you for your comment and participation in this public process.Your comment has been considered and included in the administrative recordfor this process.143. Cultural monitors have been terminated despite the fact that ground-disturbing activities continuefor non-Stryker projects. The cultural monitors were responsible for identifying numeroussites that had not been previously identified or detected. We demand the Army rehire themonitors for on-site monitoring of central Oahu projects.Response: The Army uses cultural monitors in accordance with the SBCT ProgrammaticAgreement. The Army has not used cultural monitors on non-SBCT project andis not required by the programmatic agreement to do so. Cultural monitorscontinued to be employed on those projects that were allowed to continue underthe U.S. district court’s ruling in December 2006. We thank you for yourcomment and participation in this public process. Your comment has beenconsidered and included in the administrative record for this process.144. On page 3–143 of the DEIS, the Prehistoric Context for PCMS starts out at 11,500 years beforethe common era. What about life before 11,500 years? There are dinosaur tracks outthere?Response: The Army feels that it has adequately described the conditions of the environmentthat could reasonably be impacted by the implementation of the ProposedAction in Colorado. None of the Army’s activities associated with the ProposedAction would affect known sites older than 11,500 years in age.145. On page 3–148, the DEIS says intact architectural properties at PCMS are predominantlyfarms, ranches, or related rural sites that were all abandoned by 1983. This is not accurate.They were not abandoned. People were forced off their land in that period of time. That is notabandonment.Response: The term “abandoned” is used correctly in the sentence referenced in thiscomment. “Abandon” means to give something up with the intent of neveragain claiming a right or interest in it. The term refers only to the status of theitem; it does not include anything about the circumstances under which abandonmentoccurs. We thank you for your comment and participation in this publicprocess. Your comment has been considered and included in the administrativerecord for this process.D.3.4 WATER RESOURCES146. What is the potential for nitrates and other explosive residues sinking into the aquifers overyears and contaminating the water? More than 60 years of fertilizing pineapples resulted inFebruary 2008 D–49 2/25th SBCT Final EIS