SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Appendix D ⎯ Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact StatementWaimea to Kawaihae HighwayKawaihae Deep Draft HarborPier 4 construction at KawaihaeMolokaiSuspected unexploded ordnance found in landfill, July 30, 2007Response: The Army has updated Section 5.6. The Army believes it has adequately analyzedthe cumulative impacts of this action.196. The cumulative effects analysis does not include the proposed expansion of PCMS, transformationof PCMS, and stationing of additional troops at Fort Carson who will train at PCMS.These are reasonably foreseeable actions.Response: The FEIS incorporates the analyses of the PCMS and Fort Carson transformationEISs. It looks at the cumulative impacts of the Proposed Action in this EISand the incremental impact of those transformation actions. For purposes ofthe cumulative impacts analysis in this EIS, the expansion of PCMS is not reasonablyforeseeable at this time. There has been no publication of a Notice ofIntent to prepare an EIS for that action, and it is not at all certain whether,when, or where the expansion would occur. Consideration of the Army’s decisionto station additional units at Fort Carson as part of the Grow the Armyinitiative has been considered in this document. The recent decision to add afifth BCT to Fort Carson was made following the publication of the DEIS. Theimpact of this decision would lessen the amount of training resources thatwould be available to the SBCT if it were stationed at Fort Carson. The EIShas been adjusted to reflect this.197. Alternative B does not consider the cumulative effects with the recent decision to resumeyear-round training operations in the Eagle River Flats (ERF) area at Fort Richardson,Alaska. If the ERF is opened for year-round training, there is high likelihood that the additionaltroops from the SBCT would also use the ERF for live fire training, thus increasingimpacts. The final EIS should include an analysis of cumulative effects of this action, particularlyon water resources and to the Cook Inlet Beluga whale population in the area.Response: It is very important to note that there has been no decision to resume yearroundtraining operations in the Eagle River Flats area. This action is the subjectof an environmental impact statement whose Notice of Intent has only recentlybeen published. There may have to be site-specific NEPA prepared followinga decision in this process to station the 2/25 th in Alaska. Either thatNEPA document or the EIS for Eagle River Flats will have to look at the cumulativeimpacts of the Eagle River Flats proposal and Stryker stationing.198. The DEIS fails to evaluate any of the cumulative effects of an expansion of PCMS eventhough the Army has recommended an expansion and the proposal is before Congress.Response: The Army is at the very beginning of the process of looking at a proposal toexpand PCMS. The Army, in fact, only recently received permission from theDepartment of Defense to begin the NEPA process for PCMS expansion. TheNotice of Intent for an EIS for PCMS expansion has not been filed. As thecomment notes, Congress has been considering PCMS expansion. The currentCongress, in fact, is considering postponing the study of PCMS expansion,February 2008 D–68 2/25th SBCT Final EIS