Draft EA to Remove Missiles Malmstrom
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DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR MINUTEMAN III DEACTIVATION MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, MONTANA April 2007 COVER SHEET ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR MINUTEMAN III DEACTIVATION MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, MONTANA a. Lead Agency: Department of the Air Force b. Proposed Action: Deactivation of 50 Minuteman III (MM III) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch Facilities (LFs) and 5 Missile Alert Facilities (MAFs) assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana. c. Written comments and inquiries regarding this document should be directed to: Mr. Tony Lucas, 341 CES/CEV, 39 78th Street North, Building 470, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana 59402, facsimile (406) 731-6181; e-mail [email protected]. d. Designation: Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) e. Abstract: Based on perceived strategic deterrent requirements, the Department of Defense has decided to further streamline and reduce the number of MM III systems deployed (deactivation of 50 LFs and 5 MAFs). This reduction in the number of MM III missiles will not only bring the number of missiles in line with current deterrent requirements, but will also result in reduced defense costs. Deactivation activities are anticipated to be completed within 2 years and would occur in three phases. Phase 1 is the removal of missiles from the LFs. Phase 2 involves the removal of salvageable items from the LFs and MAFs. Phase 3 involves the closure of MAF wastewater treatment facilities (i.e., sewage lagoons) and the removal, closure in place, or inactivation of storage tanks. Following deactivation activities, the gates to the LFs and MAFs would be secured and the sites would be placed into 30% caretaker status. Implosion or dismantlement of the LFs and MAFs is not proposed and is not evaluated in this EA. This EA has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the Proposed Action. Two alternatives were examined: the Proposed Action and a No-Action Alternative. The Proposed Action involves the deactivation of 50 LFs and 5 MAFs associated with a missile squadron (i.e., 10th, 12th, 490th, or 564th) at Malmstrom AFB. The No-Action Alternative involves not implementing deactivation activities. The environmental resources potentially affected by the Proposed Action are socioeconomics, transportation, utilities, land use and aesthetics, hazardous materials management, hazardous waste management, storage tanks, asbestos, lead-based paint, polychlorinated biphenyls, ordnance, soils and geology, water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, and environmental justice. Based on the nature of the activities that would occur under the Proposed Action and No-Action Alternative, the Air Force has determined that minimal or no adverse effects to the above resources are anticipated. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Privacy Advisory Your comments on this draft environmental assessment (EA) are requested. Letters or other written or oral comments provided may be published in the final EA. As required by law, comments will be addressed in the final EA and made available to the public. Any personal information provided will be used only to identify your desire to make a statement during the public comment period or to fulfill requests for copies of the final EA or associated documents. Private addresses will be compiled to develop a mailing list for those requesting copies of the final EA. However, only the names of the individuals making comments and specific comments will be disclosed. Personal home addresses and telephone numbers will not be published in the final EA. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 1 DRAFT 2 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 3 MISSILE SQUADRON INACTIVATION PROJECT 4 MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, MONTANA 5 6 7 The attached environmental assessment (EA) analyzes the potential for impacts to the environment as a 8 result of the inactivation of a missile squadron (MS) at Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana. The 9 EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended 10 (42 U.S. Code 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing the 11 procedural provisions of NEPA, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500-1580, and Air Force 12 policy and procedures (32 CFR Part 989). 13 14 This Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) summarizes the Proposed Action and alternatives and the 15 results of the evaluation of the deactivation of an MS. 16 17 Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives 18 19 Proposed Action. The Proposed Action is the inactivation of one of the four Minuteman (MM) III MSs, 20 based at Malmstrom AFB. These are the 10th, 12th, 490th, and 564th MSs. Inactivation of any of these 21 MSs would entail deactivation of the 5 Missile Alert Facilities (MAFs) and 50 Launch Facilities (LFs) 22 associated with that MS. 23 24 The deactivation process is scheduled to be completed within a 2-year time period and would occur in 25 three phases. Phase 1 involves the removal of the missiles from the LFs. Phase 2 involves the removal 26 of salvageable items from the LFs and MAFs. Phase 3 involves the dismantlement of certain portions of 27 the LFs and MAFs. After completion of Phases 1, 2, and 3, the LFs and MAFs would be placed into 30% 28 caretaker status. 29 30 Phase 1 of deactivation involves the removal of the missile (which includes the reentry system [RS], 31 booster stages, and missile guidance system [MGS]). The missiles are scheduled to be removed at a 32 rate of approximately one missile per week. Booster stages would be brought back to Malmstrom AFB, 33 loaded onto a missile transporter, and transported to Hill AFB, Utah. All RSs would be returned to the 34 Department of Energy for disposition. Some MGSs may be transferred to other missile units, stored at 35 Malmstrom AFB for future deployment, or returned to Hill AFB for final disposition. 36 37 Phase 2 of the deactivation process involves the removal of salvageable items from the LFs and MAFs. 38 Classified items and office and living quarter items would be recovered from the MAFs. Fluids would be 39 drained from the fueling, coolant, and hydraulic systems, and electrical filters, switches, and power supply 40 batteries would be removed. Reusable equipment would be placed in the supply system for use by 41 Malmstrom AFB and other bases. On-site water wells would be closed. Operation of environmental 42 control systems (i.e., heating and air conditioning) would be discontinued. Any ordnance at the LFs and 43 MAFs would be removed and transported to the munitions storage area on Malmstrom AFB. 44 45 Phase 3 of deactivation would involve the closure of MAF wastewater treatment facilities (i.e., sewage 46 lagoons), the removal, closure-in-place, or inactivated of storage tanks, elimination of electrical service to 47 the sites, and securing access doors at the sites, with the exception of the closure door, which cannot be 48 sealed permanently due to Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) inspection requirements. The 49 341st Space Wing (SW) may elect to maintain power to LFs and MAFs in order to operate sump pumps 50 and dewatering wells. Sewage lagoon berms would be plowed and leveled to eliminate possible standing 51 water at the sites. Aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) would be removed for use at Malmstrom AFB, 1 1 other MAF sites, or other bases. Underground storage tanks (USTs) would be closed-in-place, removed, 2 or inactivated. 3 4 Upon completion of deactivation activities, the LFs and MAFs would be subject to periodic drive-by 5 inspections to identify vandalism, unauthorized entry, topside flooding, or excessive weed growth. The 6 Air Force would also conduct periodic surveys for erosion, noxious weeds, and liability hazards. Site 7 monitoring would continue until final disposition is determined. This monitoring period could range from a 8 few days to several years. The property occupied by the LFs and MAFs would remain Air Force property, 9 no property disposal actions would occur. 10 11 No-Action Alternative. Under the No-Action Alternative, the Air Force would not deactivate any MS at 12 Malmstrom AFB. 13 14 Summary of Environmental Consequences 15 16 Initial analysis indicates that missile deactivation activities would not result in short- or long-term impacts 17 to airspace, Environmental Restoration Program sites, pesticide usage, radon, medical/biohazardous 18 waste, air quality, and noise. 19 20 The resources analyzed in more detail in the EA are socioeconomics, transportation, utilities (specifically 21 electricity, solid waste, water, and wastewater), land use and aesthetics, hazardous materials and 22 hazardous waste management, storage tanks, asbestos, lead-based paint, polychlorinated biphenyls 23 (PCBs), ordnance, soils and geology, water resources, cultural resources, biological resources, and 24 environmental justice. 25 26 The inactivation of one MS would result in a reduction of approximately 500 personnel at Malmstrom 27 AFB. This reduction in personnel would not have a significant adverse impact to the natural or physical 28 environment. 29 30 An increase in traffic would occur during deactivation activities. This increase would be minimal and 31 temporary during the 2-year deactivation process. Traffic in the inactivated MS area would decrease from 32 current conditions after completion of deactivation. No significant impacts to transportation are expected. 33 34 Inactivation of an MS would eliminate the water use and generation of wastewater and solid waste at 35 5 MAFs and 50 LFs. Wastewater lagoons would be graded. Under caretaker status electrical use at the 36 MAFs and LFs would be eliminated. However, the 341st SW may elect to maintain power to LFs and 37 MAFs in order to operate sump pumps and dewatering wells. Electrical usage would be reduced by an 38 estimated 90 percent from current usage to operate the systems.