20081460 Ver 1_Finding of No Significant Impact_20081014

a-rF' 08- 1 L,0
FINAL
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
forthe
PRIVATIZATION OF UTILITY SYSTEMS
WATER DISTRIBUTION LINE
at
FORT BRAGG MILITARY RESERVATION, NORTH CAROLINA
1. Proposed Action. In June 2006, the Fort Bragg Military Reservation (hereafter, the Installation)
released for public review and comment a supplemental environmental assessment (EA) on the proposal
to install pipelines for the purpose of connecting the Installation and private sector utility systems. The
background for this utilities privatization can be found in the Utilities Privatization EA (FB, 2002). The
supplemental EA (SEA) called the Privatization of Utility Systems (2006) found no significant impacts with
implementation of the proposed actions under any of the alternative considered. Both of the above
documents can be viewed at the Environmental Management Branch, Building 3-1137, Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. As a result, the decision was made to implement the proposed action to install the proposed
pipelines to provide connectivity between the three potable water systems (the Installation's, Harnett
County Public Utilities (HCPUs), and the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) and the two
wastewater collection and treatment systems for the Installation and HCPU.
Since the Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) documenting the decision of the 2006 SEA was signed,
new information has developed about the routing of the proposed PWC water distribution line. The
proposed action analyzed in this SEA is an alternative PWC water distribution route.
The previously assessed route was found to conflict with the limited land space on East Fort Bragg.
Tactical equipment maintenance facilities (TEMFs) are being built in that area, and thus the PWC water
distribution line location needed to be changed in order to avoid conflict with Fort Bragg construction.
The purpose of this SEA is to analyze the environmental impacts of an alternative to the originally
proposed water distribution line for PWC from the 2006 Utilities Privatization SEA.
This SEA will provide the required environmental assessment of the pipeline installation needed to
implement Alternative 2 of the 2006 SEA, in accordance with Federal and Army NEPA regulations (40
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR] 1500-1508, and 32 CFR 651, respectively).
This SEA is being undertaken in association with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
and Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 651. Its purpose is to inform decision makers and
the public of the likely environmental consequences of the proposed action and alternatives, and provide
a forum for public feedback.
2. Description of Alternatives. This SEA describes two possible alternatives. Alternative 1 is the No
Action alternative. This alternative would construct the water line along the route chosen in the
Privatization of Utility Systems SEA (2006), Alternative 2 would re-route the PWC water distribution line
in a portion that runs through East Fort Bragg.
Of the two alternatives considered, only Alternative 2 meets the screening criteria, however Alternatives 1
and 2 will be carried forward for full analysis in this SEA because Army NEPA regulations require the
FNSI-1
consideration of the No Action Alternative in order to provide a baseline of potential impacts against which
all other alternatives assessed may be compared.
3. Anticipated Environmental Impacts. For the two alternatives assessed fully in this SEA, the
analyses found only non-significant impacts on biological resources, water resources, human health and
safety, geology and soils, infrastructure, and cumulative effects.
There were no adverse effects on any other resource areas considered.
4. Preferred Alternative. Based on the results of the impact analysis, the Installation selects Alternative
2 (re-route the PWC water distribution line) as the preferred alternative to be implemented.
5. Public Review and Interagency Coordination. All assessment activities were found to comply with
the criteria or standards of environmental quality and coordinated with the appropriate federal, state, and
local agencies. The SEA and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact were made available to the public
for a 30-day review period. Written comments and questions about the SEA and its analyses may be
directed to: Mrs. Lisa Gundlach, NEPA Analyst, XVIII Airborne Corps & Fort Bragg, ATTN: IMSE-BRG-
PWE-M, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 28310. Mrs. Gundlach will also be available for questions regarding
this SEA by phone at 910-396-9888 or by email at lisa.gundlach(cDus.army. mil.
Copies of the EA may be reviewed at either of the following locations:
Cumberland County Library, 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28301.
John L. Throckmorton Library, Fort Bragg, NC 28310.
There were no comments received from the general public and only standard comments from North
Carolina state agencies. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission did not submit comments.
The state agency comments were collected and incorporated into this final FNSI as necessary. There
were no changes required of the final SEA based on those comments. Following the public review
period, this final FNSI was prepared, signed by the Garrison Commander of Fort Bragg, and released to
the appropriate local, state, and federal repositories.
5. Conclusion. The SEA was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR 1500 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations and Environmental Analysis of Army Actions, 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 651.
Based on a review of the information contained in the SEA, I have determined that the proposed actions
to re-route the PWC water distribution line (Alternative 2) would not have a significant impact on the
quality of the human or natural environment on the Installation or in nearby communities, nor do they
constitute a major federal action. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not
required and this FNSI is appropriate. This decision complies with legal requirements and has been
made after taking into account all submitted information and considering a full range of reasonable
alternatives.
Owe Ac
DAVID G. FOX
COL, SF
Garrison Commander P
7
Date: 0i
FNSI-2