Review period open for final EA, draft FONSI related to Minuteman III, Peacekeeper Silo Elimination

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  • Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  The Air Force has released the final Environmental Assessment, or EA, and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for public review. The draft EA was released for agency and public comment in April 2012, and comments received have been incorporated in the final EA.

This EA has been prepared to assess the environmental impacts of dismantling deactivated Intercontinental Ballistic Missile facilities as required under the terms of the New Strategic Arms Treaty, or START. Under the treaty, more than 100 previously deactivated missile silos assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.; and Vandenberg AFB, Calif., will be eliminated. In addition, the impacts of dismantling the associated Missile Alert Facilities, or MAFs, are also analyzed.

Per the treaty provisions, the missile silos must be dismantled by Feb. 4, 2018, using a method that ensures they can no longer be used as missile launch facilities.

Dismantlement of the MAFs is not required by treaty, but as the associated MAFs serve no useful purpose once the associated silos are dismantled, the MAFs are also addressed.

The two methods of dismantling the silos are explosive implosion and excavation/ backfill. Subject to environmental protection measures determined through the environmental analysis process, the method of dismantlement will be selected by the contractor or contractors selected to perform the work. The subsurface portions of the associated MAFs will not be subject to explosive implosion; rather, they will be filled with concrete and clean fill.

In accordance with New START, the launch facilities are subject to inspection within the first 30 days of the notification required under the treaty, and must remain visible to satellite imagery and other means of verification during the entire dismantlement process plus a 60-day period following dismantlement.

Once this verification process is complete, the sites will be graded to blend with the surrounding grade, and security fencing and ancillary facilities such as access roads, and underground cables, will remain in place. For MAF sites, the surface buildings will remain in place as well. The government interests in the real property may be terminated at some point in the future per the provisions of Title 10 United States Code §9781, Disposition of Real Property at Missile Sites, but aren't addressed in this assessment.

Public review of this Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact is encouraged. The review period ends April 22, 2013. You may view the EA, notice of availability, and other information regarding this proposed action at: www.afcec.af.mil/startmissilesiloelimination/index.asp. 

Any personal information provided will be used only to identify a comment or to fulfill requests for copies of the EA. Personal home addresses and telephone numbers will not be published.