Army Publishes Final Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Army Growth and Fo

By U.S. Army Environmental CommandJuly 23, 2008

<i>Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.</i> -- The Department of the Army announced today the availability of the final supplemental programmatic environmental impact statement (SPEIS) that evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic effects associated with alternatives for growing and realigning the Army's force structure to support military operations in the Pacific Theater.

The implementation of the Army's preferred alternative identified in this supplemental environmental study would result in the stationing of approximately 2,000 new Soldiers in Hawaii and 2,200 in Alaska.

The Army analyzed stationing locations that are capable of supporting mission requirements that stretch across the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Alternative stationing locations include the Army's major training installations identified in the final programmatic environmental impact statement for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment (October 2007) as well as four additional installations in Hawaii and Alaska.

As part of this study's preferred alternative, the Army would station approximately 1,700 new Soldiers at Schofield Barracks Military Reservation, Hawaii, with an additional 300 stationed at Fort Shafter. In Alaska, the Army would station approximately 1,800 additional Soldiers at Fort Richardson and another 425 at Fort Wainwright.

Stationing actions in both states primarily would involve engineers, military police, headquarters units, and other types of support units but would not involve the stationing of artillery or aviation assets. If the Army implements the preferred alternative, stationing would take place in a phased manner between 2008 and 2013.

As another part of the preferred alternative in this analysis, the Army has validated previous decisions to redirect a Maneuver Enhancement Brigade of 567 Soldiers that had been scheduled for stationing in Hawaii to Fort Drum, N.Y., and to station the 254 Soldiers of an Expeditionary Sustainment Command at Fort Lewis, Wash.

The Army will publish its final decisions in a record of decision document not earlier than 30 days following today's publication of the notice of availability of this final version of the SPEIS in the Federal Register.

The final SPEIS can be accessed for download at <a href="http://www.aec.army.mil">http://www.aec.army.mil.</a>

For further information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at (410) 436-2556 during normal business hours (0900-1700 Eastern time Monday through Friday) or send written requests to: Public Affairs Office, <a href="http://www.aec.army.mil">U.S. Army Environmental Command,</a> Building E-4460, 5179 Hoadley Road, Attention: IMAE-PA, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5401.

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