Notice2023-02861
Final Environmental Impact Statement Addressing Heat and Electrical Upgrades at Fort Wainwright, Alaska
Primary source
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Published
February 10, 2023
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentArmy Department
Abstract
The Department of the Army (Army) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) addressing heat and electrical upgrades at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The current coal- fired central heat and power plant (CHPP) and its aging heat distribution system require an upgrade that resolves safety, resiliency, fiscal, and regulatory concerns. The Final EIS analyzes and evaluates reasonable alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and mitigation measures, and responds to comments on the Draft EIS. The Army will observe a 30-day waiting period before deciding how to proceed.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 28 (Friday, February 10, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8824-8825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02861]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement Addressing Heat and
Electrical Upgrades at Fort Wainwright, Alaska
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces the availability
of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) addressing heat
and electrical upgrades at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The current coal-
fired central heat and power plant (CHPP) and its aging heat
distribution system require an upgrade that resolves safety,
resiliency, fiscal, and regulatory concerns. The Final EIS analyzes and
evaluates reasonable alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and
mitigation measures, and responds to comments on the Draft EIS. The
Army will observe a 30-day waiting period before deciding how to
proceed.
DATES: The waiting period for the Final EIS will end 30 days after
publication of this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at which time the Army can
execute a Record of Decision.
ADDRESSES: Please submit questions or requests for a hard copy of the
Final EIS to Mr. Matt Sprau at: Directorate of Public Works, ATTN:
AMIM-AKP-E (M. Sprau), 1046 Marks Road #4500, Fort Wainwright, AK
99703-4500; or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#790c0a180b1400570e1810170e0b101e110d57101d5409181a101f101a57141b0157111c0c541c100a39180b140057141015"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ea9f998b988793c49d8b83849d98838d829ec4838ec79a8b89838c8389c4878892c4828f9fc78f8399aa8b988793c4878386">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Grant Sattler at: Public Affairs
Office, AMIM-AKG-PA (Sattler), 1060 Gaffney Road #5900, Fort
Wainwright, AK 99703-5900; by telephone at (907) 353-6701; or by email
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d7b6bbb6b9f9b0f9a4b6a3a3bbb2a5f9b4bea197b6a5baaef9babebb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="46272a2728682168352732322a233468252f300627342b3f682b2f2a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Wainwright is in the interior of Alaska
in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. It is home to U.S. Army Garrison--
Alaska (USAG-Alaska) and units of the 11th Airborne Division. The
soldiers, families, and civilian employees that make up the Fort
Wainwright population rely on a 65-year-old coal-fired CHPP and an
antiquated heat distribution system, with 24 percent of the steam and
condensate pipe installed in the 1950s, to heat and power more than 400
facilities. The CHPP is one of the oldest working coal-fired power
plants in the United States and is operating beyond its design life.
Constructing upgraded heat and electrical infrastructure would reduce
utility costs, minimize the risk of a catastrophic failure, help
safeguard mission readiness, meet energy efficiency standards, comply
with emissions standards, and conform to Army-directed energy security
criteria.
The Final EIS was prepared in accordance with: the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S. Code Sec.
4321 et seq.); NEPA implementing regulations issued by the President's
Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
Parts 1500-1508); and the Army's NEPA implementing regulation (32 CFR
part 651, Environmental Analysis of Army Actions).
The Final EIS will inform decision-makers, as well as federal,
state, and local agencies, interested parties, Alaska Natives, Native
Americans, Native American organizations and Tribes, public
organizations, and the general public of the possible environmental
consequences associated with heat and electrical upgrades at Fort
Wainwright.
USAG Alaska is proposing to upgrade its coal-fired central heat and
power plant on Fort Wainwright to a more reliable and sustainable
heating and electrical infrastructure system that would be compliant
with Army installation energy security requirements and air quality
regulations for the region. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to
provide reliable heat and electrical infrastructure for the
installation that resolves current safety, resiliency, fiscal, and
regulatory concerns. The Proposed Action is needed to prevent the
failure of heat and power generation and distribution. Such a failure
could require evacuation of the installation and severely affect
mission readiness. USAG-Alaska needs to meet DoD and Army energy
efficiency, energy security, and resiliency criteria, and must comply
with air quality regulations. Within the last decade, the installation
experienced four critical, near-catastrophic failures of the CHPP and
11 unexpected, installation-wide outages due to maintenance, repair, or
operational issues. Unexpected outages present substantial risk to
safety and mission readiness.
The Final EIS considered a No-Action Alternative and three Action
Alternatives that were determined to be reasonable: (1) construction of
a new coal-fired CHPP; (2) construction of a new dual-fuel combustion
turbine generator CHPP that would primarily rely on natural gas; and
(3) decentralization of heat and power, whereby heat would be provided
by natural gas boilers at facilities across the installation and
electricity would be purchased from a local utility provider.
Implementation of the preferred alternative would result in
significant adverse socioeconomic and environmental justice impacts.
Significant impacts to cultural resources could be mitigated to be less
than significant. Beneficial impacts would primarily involve
enhancements in heating efficiency, air quality, and job creation. The
Final EIS summarizes the potential impacts for each considered
alternative.
The Final EIS identified several non-carbon-based alternative
energy sources, including nuclear, geothermal, wind, and solar power.
These alternatives were not carried forward for full analysis because
they could not fully meet the heat and power needs of the installation.
Such technologies could potentially be used in the future to supplement
the installation's energy output.
The Army identified Alternative 3, Install Distributed Natural Gas
Boilers, as the preferred alternative. The Army based its preference
on: public comments; environmental, social, technical, and economic
considerations; and the ability to meet the missions of USAG-Alaska and
the 11th Airborne Division.
An electronic copy of the Final EIS is available online at: <a href="https://home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fort-wainwright/NEPA/HEU-EIS">https://home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fort-wainwright/NEPA/HEU-EIS</a>. Hard
copies of the Final EIS will be available at the following facilities
when they are open: the Noel Wien Library, 1215
[[Page 8825]]
Cowles Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701; the Post Library, Building 3700,
Santiago Avenue, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703; and the Tri-Valley
Community Library, 400 Suntrana Road, Healy, AK 99743. Requests for a
hard copy of the Final EIS can also be directed to Mr. Matt Sprau at:
Directorate of Public Works, ATTN: AMIM-AKP-E (M. Sprau), 1046 Marks
Road #4500, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703-4500; or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89fcfae8fbe4f0a7fee8e0e7fefbe0eee1fda7e0eda4f9e8eae0efe0eaa7e4ebf1a7e1ecfca4ece0fac9e8fbe4f0a7e4e0e5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="13666072617e6a3d64727a7d64617a747b673d7a773e6372707a757a703d7e716b3d7b76663e767a605372617e6a3d7e7a7f">[email protected]</span></a>.
James W. Satterwhite, Jr.,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-02861 Filed 2-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3711-02-P
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