Final Environmental Impact Statement MX: Buried Trench Construction
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ADV-AI0 352 AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND WASHINGTON OC F/G 13/2 NOV 77ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT STATEMENT MX: BURIED TRENCH CONSTRUCTION A--ETCttI) UNCLASSIF IED AFSC-TP-81-50 1 EIIIIlNL *IMENMONEEl IIIIiiiiii EIIhIhIhIoE- Unclassified SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (When Dal. Enftered) REPORT DOCUMENTATIDN PAPE RFAD INSTRUCTIONS 'EFORFCOMPILETING FORM It REPORT 64UMaER " 2 GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT'S CATALOG NUMBER // AFSC-TR-81-50 . TIT.LE (and Subtitle) 5. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Fina"l_ Environmental Impact Statement Final 1977-78 MX: Buried Trench Construction and Test Project- 6 PERFORMING O1G. REPORT NUMBER 7 AUTHOR(s) / B. CONTRACT 0R GRANT NUBER(s) Henningson, Durham & Richardson -- Santa Barbara CA 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS AREAQRK UNIT NUMBERS 63305 6,_, 1 CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE Deputy for Environment and Safety N// Office of the Secretary of the AF(SAF/MIQ) 50- Washington DC 20330 14 MONITORING AGENCY NAME & ADDRESS(,f different fron (,o-troIiing Office) 15. SECURITY CLASS. (of this report) ICBM System Program office Unclassified Space & Missile Systems Organization (SAMS),. DECLASSI FCATON DOWNGRADING Norton AFB California SCHEDULE 16. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of thi, Report) Unclassified Unlimited J 17 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of the abstract entered ,, Block 20, if different from Report) IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 19. KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse side if necessary and Identify by block number) Environmental Impact Statements Air Force MX Buried Trench Concept 20. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse side If necessary and Identify by block number) The United States Air Force proposes to construct two sections of underground tunnel in the San Cristobal Valley on the Luke Air Force Range in Yuma County, Arizona. The proposed construction project will provide essential cost and construction data to analyzD conceptual protective structures for the mobile, land-based Inter- continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) known as MX. The trench will also serve as a test bed for mechanisms designed to punch through the tunnel roof and erec- A ctimmu misqilp +- _im,,1I l.,.h DD FOR73 1473% EITOO oV6S ISOBSOLETE Unclassified.1 ' JSCRTAN tC UnclassifiATONeFd '- SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (*%on Date e .fi *.14 Envionmetal mpac Anlssrcs F0A NIOMNA FINAENVIRONMNTA IMPACSTAEMEN Djstrjiutiofl Un~izited FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTSTATEMENT for the MX:BURIED TRENCHCONSTRUCTION ANDTESTPROJECT DEPARTMENTOFTHEAIR FORCE November, 1977 I-Acce< ~tl FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE MX BURIED TRENCH CONSTRUCTION AND TEST PROJECT (ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION) SUMMARY CONTACT FOR INQUIRIES This statement was prepared by the United States Air Force. Any inquiries concerning this proposed action should be addressed to the Deputy for Environment and Safety, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF,'MIQ), Washington, D.C., 20330. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION The United States Air Force proposes to construct two sections of under- ground tunnel in the San Cristobal Valley on the Luke Air Force Range in Yuma County, Arizona. The proposed construction project will provide essential cost and construction data to analyze conceptual protective str'.ctures for the mobile, land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) System known as MX. The trench will also serve as a test bed for mechanisms designed to punch through the tunnel roof and erect a dummy missile to simulate launch position. Both tunnels will involve trench excavations approximately 22 ft (6.7 m) deep by 17 ft (5.2 m) wide to allow continuous slip-form placement of two concrete tunnels with dimensions of 13 ft (4 m) and 16.5 ft (5 m) inside and outside diameter, reipectively. The two tunnels would total approximately 21,500 ft (6,553 m): a 1,500 ft (457 r) section providing procedure and equipment shakedown and the breakout test bed; and a 20,000 ft (6,096 m) section providing cost and construction data.AThe construction project, known as MX: Buried Trench Construction and Test Project, would span eight months from February through September 1978. The MX program was established in 1973 and is an ICBM technology program. The FY78 budget request is for $134.4 million. The results of the MX: Buried Trench Construction Test Project will provide baseline data for future decisions regarding tl-!eMX system. Deployment of a force of MX missiles will not be determined until arnroved by the U.S. Congress. iV_ S-was The major environmental impact of the proposed action will be long-term aesthetic degradation caused by removal of vegetation and disruption of varnished desert pavement for tunnel construction. This impact will occur within the 200 acre test site, less than 0., percent of the bajada's total land area. Other temporary impacts during the term of the project could include intermittent disturbance to desert bighorn sheep in the Mohawk Moun-ains, the loss of some reptiles and burrowing rodents along the trench alignments, and increased wind and water erosion of disturbed soils within the project area. These temporary impacts are, however, not expected to be significant due to scheduling of project events, fugitive dust control measures, and final grading procedures. Total cost of the construction project is estimated to be $20 million. 'ost of the construction work force is expected to come from Yuma and Maricopa counties in Arizona. The labor force will peak in April 1978 with approximately 238 employees. The MX program is being managed by the ICBM System Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO), located at Norton Air Force Base, California. Alternatives to the proposed action are: " No Action " Project Postponement " Construction of the Project at a Different Scale " Alternative Siting * Alternati 'e Construction Methods The Final EnvLronmental :mpact Statement was made available to the =o~nzi Dn Environmental Q.ality and the public in November 1977. COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Written :omments were received from the following sources. All written -omments are reproduced Ln the appendices. FEDERAL AGENCIES United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service 3008 Federal BuiLding Phoenix, Arizona, 37025 United States Department of Defense Defense Nuclear Agency Washington, D.C. 2J305 -vi- United States Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary Washington, D.C. 20240 United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque, New Mexico 37103 United States Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Western Region P.O. Box 92007, Worldway Postal Center Los Angeles, California 90009 United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Region Nine Two Embarcadero Center, Suite 530 San Francisco, California 94111 United States Environmental Protection Agency Region IX 100 California Street San Francisco, California 94111 STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES Arizona Atomic Energy Commission Donald C. Gilbert, Exc-utive Director 2929 West Indian School Road Phoenix, Arizona 8501- Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology Dr. Richard T. Moore University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 35721 Arizona Commission of Agriculture and Horticulture Mr. James R. Carter, Director 1668 West Adams Phoenix, Arizona a5007 Arizona Department of Transportation Highways Division 206 South Seventeenth Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 -vii- Arizona Game and Fish Department 2222 West Greenway Road Phoenix, Arizona 85023 Arizona State Clearinghouse 1700 West Washington Street Room 505 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Arizona State Land Department 1624 West Adams Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Arizona State Museum Dr. R. Gwinn Vivian Arizona State Archaeologist Tucson, Arizona 85721 Arizona State Park's Board Michael A. Ramnes, Director 1688 W. Adams, Room 109 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Arizona State University Dr. James Becker Center for Public Affairs Tempe, Arizona 85281 Arizona State University Bert M. Fireman, Curator University Library Tempe, Arizona 85281 Department of Health Services Dr. Suzanne Dandoy, Director 1740 West Adams Street Phoenix, Arizona 35007 Department of Library Archives Marguerite B. Cooley, Director Capitol Building, Third Floor Phoenix, Arizona 85007 District IV Council of Governments Mr. Frank Servin, Executive Director 377 South Main St., Room 202 Yuma, Arizona 85364 Division of Emergency Services Col. 3eorge B. Jordan, Director 5636 East McDowell Road Phoenix, Arizona 85008 -viii- I Game and Fish Department Mr. Robert Jantzen, Director 2222 W. Greenway Phoenix, Arizona 85023 Maricopa County Planning Department 300 County Administration Bldg. Ill S. 3rd Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85003 Office of Planning Mr. Roger Root, Acting Chief Department of Economic Security 1717 W. Jefferson St. Phoenix, Arizona 35007 Mr. Roland H. Sharer State Liaison Officer, AORCC 4433 N. 19th Ave., Suite 203 Phoenix, Arizona 35015 State Water Commission Mr. Wesley E. Steiner 222 N. Central Ave., Suite 800 Phoenix, Arizona 35004 OTHER SOURCES Allen W. Hatheway One Tyler Road Belmont, Massachusetts 02178 The Ralph M. Parsons Company Engineers-Constructors A Pasadena, California 91124 PUBLIC HEARING A Piblic Hearing was held at Wellton, Arizona on 19 September 1977, dith Col. Allan C. Smith, Fifth Judiciary Circuit, Travis AFB, CA, presiding (Complete transcript in Appendix 3). x_ -ix- LOCATION OF REFERENCE COPIES Copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement have been sent to the following libraries for the convenience of the