a(;l'7' ANt/EAiSfTM-Be 'Jr' DOeEA'0680 Environmental Assessment for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program: Southern Great Plains Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) Site Environmental Assessment and Information Sciences Division Afgorsna National Laboratory Operated by The University of Chicago, under Contract W-3t-tO9*Eng-38, for ft© United States Department of Energy TMI5 rVVM IMPKST tR I IN! Argonne National Laboratory Argonna, National Laboratory,, with, facilities, in. the. states of Illinois, and Idaho, ia owned: by the United; States government, and; operated by to University of Chicago- under the provisions of s contract with the Pepgrtrrtant ot Energy. This- technical memo is g. product of Argonne'g. E-nvironrmintal' ftssasamsnE and Information Sciences (EAIS) pivNon-, FOP informationi orn th» division; a scientific and.: engineering activities, contact; Director, Environmental1 Assessment and: Information Sctances Division Argonne National: Laboratory Argonne, Illinois 6G439-4at-s Telephone goa), 252-075$ Preaantect in ttfe technical memo are preliminary results of gngoing work op work that is rrtorgi limited' in acopa finrt ttepth than thaE deacnbacj! in forms!1 reports laauedi by the E-AI3 Diviaion. Disclaimer Tnia report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of th& United: State* Govommont, Naithet the United States Government noc any agency thereof, nac any of thoif smployees, makaa any warranty-,. express or implied, or assumes any legal liability OF responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed1, or represents that its use wraulc! not infringe privately owned righto. Roterene& herein to any specific commerciali product, process, or service by trade namo, tradamark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its ondoraomont, recommendation, or favoring by tho United Statgs GovommonS of any agency thereof, Tho views and opinions, of authors: QxproaaQd1 heroin eld not necessarily state or reflect thoao of) tho United States Govommunf of any agency thereof. Reproduti etf ditectfy ftom tho I ' Available to DOE anrf DOE cvfttraztoes from the Office ot Ssi'eflf/'ifc and Technical infcematiM, P.O. Box 62. Onk Ridjge, TN 37331; prices avaifatte tram Available to tfte public from tha National Technical Mamiatian Sen/ics, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Pott Royal Road. Springfield, VA &161. Environmental Assessment for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program: Southern Great Plains Cloud arid Radiation Testbed (CART1} Site by A.J. Poltcasfre,, AM. Pflngatoit,. 0,M. Maloney. F. Waamer* EnvironmeniaE Assessment and Information Sciences National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne. Illinois 60439 March t992 sponsored by United States Department of Energy. Office of Energy Research, Office of HggRh and Environment! Research. Atmospheric and Climate Research Drviston lASTER DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UNLIMITED Executive Summary The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is- aimed at supplying improved predictive capability of climate change, particularly the prediction of cloutRiimate feedback. The abjective wEl be achieved by measuring the atmospheric radiation and physical and meteorological quantities, that control solar radiation in the earth's atmosphere and using this information to test global elimate and related models. The proposed- action is to construct and operate » Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART! research site in the southern- Great Plains, as, pail of the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation, Measurement Program whose objective is. u» develop an improved predictive capability of global climate change. The putpose of thts- CART research site tit southern Kansas, ynd nonhcm Ofclahoma would be to- collect meteorological and: othsr scientific information to betffip characterize the processes controlling radiation transfer on a global scale, thereby expanding DOE"* knowledge of the suspected enhanced greenhouse effect and any assueiatet! global wanning. The CART site proposed for the southern Great Plains covers an «re« 325 km x 2?5 km which is larger than the minimum conceptual design of a 20« km x 2TO km square. However, due to the disbursed nature of the instrumentation located on the CART site, it would be necessary to tease only a small portion of this area in order to implement the proposed action. The proposed CART site would be comprised of a- single central facility {160 acres), six auxiliary facilities (50- 100- acres each); approximately 25 extended facilities (50-100 acres each), and wp to six boundary facilities (50--100 acres each). Thus, of the nearly 22 million acres within the proposed CART site area, only 3t8'60 acres would need to be teased for these widely disbursed data collection facilities. Of the total teased acreage, about 2t acres would be secured by fence-line and the surface within the fenced areas would not be disturbed except foe the placemen! of instruments and associated facilities. The total surface area disturbed for concrete pads to support such hems as trailers. storage facilities, tnd housing facilities is estimated to be less than 12 acres, ft is proposed to operate the CART site around-the-ctoek for up to lf> years with up to 36 technical siaff persons. At the close of the 10 year operating period, alt facilities and equipment would be removed and the land returned to its, previous use. Air quality impacts of placement and operation would be very minor since only a small amount of clearing and a small amount of leveling would be needed. State of Oklahoma regulations on fugitive dust mitigation (e.g.. watering to reduce emissions) would be followed during the construction. N'*ise impacts to nearby residents were evaluated for the potentially noisy 50- and 915- MHz peofttur/RadtP Acoustic Sounding Systems (RASSs). The noise from those instruments represent a tow (for 50 MHz RASS} or high (For 915 MHz RASS) frequency tone that occurs 5-6 minutes of every 3f> or 60 minutes. The results were that: I. The 50-MHz profiler/RASS was found to be acceptable at the central facility for the proposed action and each of the alternatives. The baffled 50 MHz tit pro file r/RASS was. found; to be acceptable at the boundary sites for each of the proposed actions and for some (but not all) of the proposed: alternatives. 2. The 915-MH2 RASS system was found; to be acceptable at all proposed sites and alternatives, including: the central facility and: the six. boundary facilities. Research aircraft would occasionally carry out tow-level passes at 500 ft above ground level The proposed aircraft would: cause momentary speech interference for people under the flight path, a minor impact resource impacts would be very minor/, mth the requirement for two boundary facilities. (MeCtaim and Gkmutgee County)) that construction and operational activities would be out in specified subportions of the sites &» avoid tluodpl'ain and wetlands areas. Impacts, to- vegetation, and wildlife would be low and temporary. No threatened or endangered species would be at risk. Land use impacts, would be very low because of the limited area! requirements, of the project, Tht project impacts to visual resources surrounding each site would be low. The only structure in the entice project that would be visible from a vantage point «!' greater- than two- miles would be the central facility's 60-tn meteorological tower. The impacts. U> cultural resources would be minor. The state historical preservation officers (SHPO) of Oklahoma and Kansas, indicated that none of the proposed or alternative sites for facilities contains structures or sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The lower elevation of the Marion County (Kansas); site may contain archewUxgicul sites, but these areas would be strictly avoided. Soeioeconoroics impacts would be minimal. Some minor economic benefits would occur in the vicinity of each proposed site, but these would consist of brief employment (30 days maximum) for only a few workers and the local purchase of support materials. Because the ARM Project activities are located in isolated rural areas where there is very little activity other than farming, the cumulative impacts would be negligible. Furthermore, this project represents new effort and has no cumulative impacts with any previous DOE work or with any other federal projects. The no action alternative would be the toss of a U.S. site, which would be detrimental to the scientific study of global warming. The toss of the U.S. site would severely limit the ability of the project t» vastly improve models and to make appropriate policy decisions on global climate change. IV Contents Acronyms and Definitions. xti t Description; of Proposed Action: and; Alternatives I -1 LL Purpose and Need . M 1.2 Experimental Design,,, .„ , ...,,. 1-2 12,1 The Site Screenrog Process ,,... 1-3 122 Firat Level Screening.. , 1-3 1.23 Second Level Screening ,...,, , 1-6 t. 3 Details, &i the Proposed Action in Oklahoma antl Kansas I-8 t.3.1 Site Selection I-»J 1,3,2 Instruments. S - 2ft t.4 Mo Action Alternative ., S-3«$ 2 Affected; Environment , ., 2-1 2.1 Suite ami Geology 2*1 2.1.1; Grant County. Oklahoma Central Facility......... 2-1 2. t .2 McCtato County. Oklahoma, Boundary Facility............. ....... 2-1 2.13 Qkmulgee County. Oklahoma. Boundary Facility 24 2AA Woodward County,, Ofciahoma. BouRdary Facility 2-2 2.1.5 KiovvaCounty, Kansas,, Boundary Facility 2-2 2•. 1.6 Marion Couttty, Kansas, Boundary Facility 2-2 2.1.1 Montgomery County, Kansas, Boundary Facility 2-2 2.2 Water Resources........ 2-3 2,2. t Surface Water Quality 2-3 2.2.2 Orounawater Quality 2-4 2.2.3 Wetlands... 2-6 2.2.4 Ftoodplains 2-8 2.3 Air Quality 2-9 2.4 Noise...... 2-10 2.4J Grant County. Oklahoma, Central Facility....... 2-M) 2.4.2 McCtain County, Oklahoma, Boundary Facility........... 2-11 2.4.3 Okmulgee County.