[Federal Register: January 12, 1995]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Theater Missile Defense Extended Test Range Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Theater
Missile Defense (TMD) Extended Test Range proposal is now available.
The Final EIS incorporates findings and public comment information from
the Draft EIS (January 1994) and from the Supplement to the Draft EIS
(July 1994) that was prepared to analyze additional booster drop zones
associated only with the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) extended test
range alternative.
The Final EIS assessed potential impacts associated with conducting
missile defense tests and associated sensor system tests at four
alternative extended test range areas: Eglin Air Force Base, Florida;
White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Western Range (Vandenberg AFB,
San Nicholas Island, and San Clemente Island), California; and
Kwajalein Missile Range in the mid-Pacific. The TMD program allows for
the development of a means to protect deployed U.S. forces, as well as
U.S. friends and allies around the world, against attacks by short- and
medium-range ballistic, cruise, or air-to-surface missiles armed with
conventional, nuclear, biological, or chemical warheads.
These tests would consist of multiple demonstration and
developmental missile launches along proposed flight paths from offrange
locations, with intercepts of targets over existing range areas
or open sea areas located within and outside of the United States.
Surface-to-surface missile tests were also considered. These flights
would
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validate system design and operational effectiveness.The Final EIS
addresses the potential environmental impacts that would result from
test site modifications, launch preparation requirements, missile
flights along the proposed flight paths, and intercepts of targets over
existing ranges or open sea areas. It also identifies mitigation
measures that would lessen the impacts. Environmental resource topics
evaluated include: health and safety, air quality, airspace, noise,
geology and soils, water resources, socieconomics, hazardous materials
and waste, land use, infrastructure and transportation, and biological
and cultural resource stewardship.
EIS LEAD AGENCY: U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command.
COOPERATING AGENCIES: Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, United States Air Force, United States Navy, and Federal Aviation Administration.
PROPOSED ACTION: The action is to conduct defensive missile tests and associated sensor tests at one or more of four extended test ranges. The tests involve target missile launches and defensive missile launches from existing test ranges and from off-range locations. Potential off-range launch locations included land areas and sea-based platforms. Missile-to-missile intercepts will occur over existing test range areas or over open sea areas. Up to approximately 100 flight tests could occur during the period 1995 to 2000, from more than one off-range location, and potentially from more than one test range area. These test may continue well beyond 2000. Alternatives for conducting these missile flight tests and intercepts, evaluated in the TMD Extended Test Range EIS, are:
Dated: January 9, 1995.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 95-842 Filed 1-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M