Conversion of the Minuteman II missile system to the Minuteman III system at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana : final environmental assessment

172 Pages·1991·6.8 MB·English

by  United States. Air Force. Strategic Air Command

DEPARTMENTOFTHEAIRFORCE
HEADQUARTERSSTRATEGICAIRCOMMAND
OFFUTTAIRFORCEBASE.NEBRASKA68113-5001
ARTETPNLYOTRO DEVP
subject: Malmstom AFB: Final Environmental Assessment for Conversion of
the Minuteman II Missile System to the Minuteman III System
iI^ Tp! all interested government agencies, libraries, public groups,
{ ' AND INDIVIDUALS
'S' I’ C1.onvAetrtsaicohnedofiMsintuhteemFainnalIIEntovirIoIInmeMnitsaslileAssseastsmMeanltmst(rEAo)m Afiorr the
I Force Base, Montana. This document is made available to you in
' t cEonmvpilrioannmceentawlithQuatlhietyr.egulations of the President's Council on
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2. Libraries in the region of Malmstrom are asked to maintain
this Final EA in their reference collection for public review.
If additional copies are needed, please contact HQ SAC/DEVP,
Offutt AFB, Nebraska 68113-5001, telepone [phone].
1 Attachment
Environmental Planning Division Final EA
DCS/Engineering and Services
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STATEDOCUMENTSCOLLECTION
^'OV2.J 1991
MONTANASTATELIBRARY
HELEN1A5,15MEO.N6TtAhNAAVE5.9620
SEPTEMBER1991
FINAL
ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT
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il %ikjunr:
CONVERSION OFTHE
MINUTEMAN MISSILESYSTEMTOTHE
II
MINUTEMAN SYSTEM AT
III
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, MONTANA
DEPARTMENTOFTHEAIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS, STRATEGIC AIRCOMMAND
OFFUTTAFB, NE

COVERSHEET
a. ResponsibleAgency: U.S.AirForce
b. Action: The Departmentof Defense (DoD) is proposing the phaseoutofthe
Minuteman (MM) II missile system, the oldest deployed system in the inter-
continental ballistic missile (ICBM) force, in accordance with expectations
regardingarmsreductionagreementsandtoenable DoDtomaintaincredible
strategicdeterrenceattheleastcost. TheU.S.AirForceproposestoremove
M1a50lmMstMroImI AmiirssFiolrecsefrBoamseth(eAFlBa)unacnhdfraceipllitaiceest(hLFesm)wiinthth1e50deMpMloyIImIemnistsialreesa. oAf
slightadjustmenttothe missile umbilicalwould be madeandthesuspension
sheyasvtieemrwMoMuldIIIbmeisscihlee.ckeMdo,diafnidedasdojfutswtaerdeifwonuelcdesbsearyl,oadtoedhainntdoleeatchheLslFigahtnldy
launch controlfacility(LCF). Someoperationsandmaintenancecrewswould
undergofurthertraining. Conversionundertheproposedactionwouldproceed
sequentiallyfromonemissilesquadrontoanotherovera6-yearperiodstarting
inOctober1991. Thenoactionalternativewouldbetocontinuemaintenanceof
theexistingsystem.
c. Forfurtherinformation,contact: HQSAC/DEVP
901 SACBlvd.,Suite3D-2
OffuttAFB,Nebraska 68113-5320
[phone]
d. Designation: DraftEnvironmentalAssessment
e. Abstract: Thisdocumentassessesthepotentialenvironmentalimpactsfromthe
phaseout ofthe MM II missile system and subsequent conversion to MM III
missiles at Malmstrom AFB, located near Great Falls, Montana. Continued
operationofthecurrentsystemwithoutconversionwouldhaveanegligibleimpact
onthe environment. Theproposedactionwould have an overall insignificant
impactonthebiophysicalandhumanenvironmentinthevicinityofMalmstrom
AFBandthroughoutthedeploymentarea. Thephaseoutandconversionprocess
couldcauseshort-term,insignificantimpactstotheairqualityfromincreasesin
emissionsfromtransporter,maintenance,andsupportvehicles,andincreasesin
fugitivedustatthelaunchfacilitiesfromadditionalactivity. Anyimpactstothe
geological,water,biological,andculturalresources,andtonoisereceptorsare
expectedtobenegligible,andwouldbesimilartothoseincurredunderexisting
operation and maintenance conditions. The transportation network may
experienceslight,adverseimpactsfromtheincreasednumberoftripstoandfrom
thebaseandthedeploymentarea. Anypotentialincreaseintheaccidentrate
wouldbenegligible. Aslongasproperhandlingproceduresarefollowed,there
wouldbenosignificantimpactsfromhandlinghazardousorradioactivematerials.
Theriskofanaccidentcausingareleaseofhazardousorradioactivematerials
is negligible. There would be a negligible increase in military or civilian
personnel; therefore, the local social and economic environment would not
experienceanynoticeableimpactsfromtheproposedaction.
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o
EXECUTIVESUMMARY
ThisEnvironmentalAssessment,preparedinaccordancewiththeNationalEnvironmental
PolicyAct(NEPA),theCouncilonEnvironmentalQualityNEPAregulationsat40CFR
1500-1508,andAirForceRegulation 19-2definingtheEnvironmentalImpactAnalysis
ProcessfortheAirForce,evaluatestheproposedphaseoutandsubsequentconversion
ofMinuteman(MM) II missilestoMM III missilesatMalmstromAirForceBase(AFB),
Montana. The purposeofand needforthe proposedaction isto removetheoldest
systemfromtheintercontinentalballisticmissile(ICBM)force,whileretainingthemost
cost-effectivestrategicdeterrenceinthecontextofthebudgetandresourcesavailable
troeltihabeleDetphaanrttmheentMMofIDIesfyesntseem..TheMMIIIsystemhasimprovedaccuracyandismore
The 341st Missile Wing (MW) operates and maintains the MM II missile system at
MalmstromAFB. Thesystemincludes150launchfacilities(LFs)withonemissileperLF,
and15launchcontrolfacilities(LCFs)locatedthroughoutanextensivedeploymentarea
outsideofthemissilesupportbase(MSB). TheU.S.AirForceproposestodeactivate
t1h5e0mMwMithIIm1i5s0siMleMsfIrIIommitshseilLesF.siAntshleigdhetpaldojyumsetnmtenatretaootfheMamlimsssitlreoummbAiFliBcaalndworuelpdlabcee
tmhaedseliagnhtdlythheeasvuiseprenMsMionIIIsymsistseimlew.ouSlodftbweacrheefcokreudsaendwiatdhjutshteedM,MifnIIeIcsesyssatreym,wtoouhladndblee
substitutedfortheexistingsoftwareandloadedintoeachLFandLCF. Conversionunder
theproposedactionwouldproceedsequentiallyfromonemissilesquadrontoanother
overa6-yearperiodstartinginOctober1991. Apossiblealternativetotheproposed
actionistocontinuemaintenanceoftheexistingsystemwithoutconversion,alsoknown
asthenoactionalternative.
Lindertheproposedaction,themissileswouldberemovedfromtheLFsusingthesame
proceduresasundercurrentmaintenanceoperations. Theremovalandtransportofthe
missilesfromtheLFswouldnotintroduceanynewproceduresortechniques:thesame
methodsapplicabletocurrentoperationswouldbeappliedtotheproposedaction. The
proceduresareprovenandwouldinvolveexperiencedpersonnel. AnaverageoftwoMM
IImissileswouldberemovedeachmonthandreplacedwiththeMMIIImissiles;however,
weatherconditions, equipment breakdown, personnel schedules, and holidays would
causethemissileremovalandtransportratetovary.
Onceremoved,themissilecomponentswouldbetransportedtoMalmstromAFB. The
rocketmotorswouldbeshippedfromthemissilesupportbasetoHillAFB,Utah,andthe
guidancesystemwouldbeshippedtoHillAFB,NewarkAirStation,OhioortoPueblo
ArmyDepot,Colorado. Theproceduresforshippingmissilecomponentsareroutinely
fMoMlloswyedstaesmMisanfuetteymapnroIgIrmiasmssileesxtaernedcofnrtoimnuaclolnycbeepitngderevfeulrobpimsheendtanadndmosdyesrtneimzedde.siTghne,
throughdeployment,operation,andtransportation. Innearly30yearsofoperatingthe
MinutemanICBMsystem,theAirForcehasneverexperiencedamishapleadingtoafire
or explosion. The Air Force Logistics Logistics Command (AFLC) has prepared an
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environmentalassessmentonthehandling,transportation,andstorageofrocketmotors.
Basedontheresultsofthestudy,afindingofnosignificantimpacthasbeenmade.
TheRVsaretransportedtoDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)locationsusingsafe,secure
transport assets. The risk of impacts resulting from handling, transporting, and
decommissioningreentryvehiclesisnegligible. Thepotentialforaserioustransportation
accidentisremote. Theprobabilityofareleaseofradioactivematerialisevenlessthan
theprobabilityofanaccidentoccurring. Intheunlikelyeventthataserioustransportation
would occur, the predicted environmental impacts would be significant within the
immediate accidentvicinity. The riskofan accident,which isinfluenced by boththe
probabilityandconsequences,isnegligible.
Thetransport,maintenance,andsupportvehiclesandfacilitiesoftheMMIIsystemwould
beusedforthesamepurposestoimplementtheproposedactionastheyarecurrently
used. Adequatestorageandhandlingfacilitiesexisttofacilitatetheconversion. During
the conversion process, the usage of particular vehicles would increase from
approximately20missilerecycles(removingonemissileandemplacinganother)peryear
toapproximately26missilerecyclesperyear(anincreaseofroughly25percent). Other
missionsinsupportoftheMW,suchascommunicationsandoperations,wouldincura
negligibleincreaseinvehicleusage. ActivitiesateachLFinvolvingmissileremovaland
emplacementwouldoccurwithinthefencedsecurityarea.
ttcoTnIIrhpoohaoeeneirrvnaMaeitsdnthrMdageetimtefIMiteIdoohrmMnetMiaomislsaIsMaIsiIitiMlnsMrletyaeMicesIInHnotIiaameInIsnIngbmydcsasslefyttiwosenrooctmgfure;tlemTthd.wheaeessnanedHwmeMooesMttwudheelhetvadIaIoemInMhrdsusia,lnsyvesdswteiteoblwerutoeomgolt.ohdoMutantfhibduhenreeerttrhMeggrenroerMaoqtanuurIicpIatriesraenanditiTdnhngeaiiMtfnatgomtwMphosperreIIokrIwgMfoswrouyMiarlstmmdtheIttIemhoriesestimq;yhrouestnimrthriieteetsrhmoseesrifoowoaMnrmanseMesd:,
The following areas ofconcern were included in an initial evaluation ofthe affected
environment: airquality;geological resources;waterresources; biological resources;
archeological and cultural resources; health and safety/hazardous materials; noise;
transportation;andsocioeconomics. Fortheseareasofconcern,potentialenvironmental
consequencesassociatedwiththeproposedactionareevaluatedandwhereapplicable,
mitigationmeasuresaresuggested. Thenoactionalternative,continuedoperationofthe
cMoMnsiIdIesryesdtbeumt,ewliomuilndatendotfrroemsuflutrtihneraenvyalnuaetwionsiignnicfliucdaen:tcihmapnagcitsn.gthOetMheWr saeltleercntaetdivfeosr
conversion and/or phaseout, shortening the conversion process, lengthening the
conversion process, or only converting one or two MSs. These alternatives were
csoupnpsoirdteraedMuMnreIaIIsocnoanbvelresiboenc,autsheeoafgetheofextihsetiMngMinIfIramsitsrsuiclteusr,eratanMgianlgmsatnrdomtaArgFeBtintgo
capabilities,systemhardness.Congressionaldirection,andtheneedtomaintainstrategic
deterrencewithintheconstraintsoftheDoDbudget.
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Theevaluationofimplementingtheproposedactionresultedinoverallinsignificant,ifnot
negligible, impactstothebiophysicalandhumanenvironmentofMalmstromAFBand
throughout the deployment area. Any potential impacts to the geological, water,
biological,andculturalresources,andtonoisereceptorswouldbenegligible. Asmall
numberofsecuritypolice(lessthanaonepercentincreaseinpersonneleachyearfor
twoconsecutiveyears) would be addedto aid intheconversion process. Adequate
housingandservicecapacityexistfortheprojectedpersonnelincrease. Thus,thelocal
socialandeconomicenvironmentwouldnotexperienceanysignificantimpacts.
Thelocalairqualityalong10thAvenueSouthinGreatFalls,MTwouldbeinsignificantly
affected from a slight increase in the number of trips by the transporter-erector,
maintenance,andsupportvehicles. FugitivedustattheLFsmaypotentiallyincrease
fromadditionalactivityatthesites,butthiswouldbean insignificantimpacttotheair
quality.
Exposure to hazardous materials, particularly sodium chromate solution, during the
proposedactioncouldaffectworkerhealthandsafety. However,thelikelihoodofthis
impactisnegligiblebecauseofthelowquantitiesofhazardousmaterialshandled,the
mechanicsofthehandlingprocess,andtherequirementtowearsafetygear.
Adverse,yetinsignificantimpactsareanticipatedtothetransportationnetwork,particularly
along10thAvenueSouth. Theaveragenumberoftripsbythetransport,maintenance,
andsupportvehicleswouldincreasefromapproximately20missilerecyclesperyearto
aMpWp,rosxuicmhataeslyco2m6mumnisiscialteiroencsycalnedsoppeerrayteiaorn.s,Hwoowuelvdeirn,cuortahenregmliisgsiibloensinicnresauspepoirntveohfitchlee
usage. Althoughthe numberoftripswouldincrease,theaccidentrateisexpectedto
remainrelativelyconstantwithanegligibleincreaseinaccidentsoccurring. Tominimize
thepotentialofanyimpactstolocaltraffic,themajorityofvehicletripsassociatedwiththe
proposedactionwouldoccurduringnon-peakhours.
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