Under a planned military expansion, thousands of additional troops could be stationed at Fort Bragg by 2013, significantly harming the environment.
According to a draft “programmatic environmental impact study” (PEIS), Fort Bragg is a major source of air pollution; emissions from additional traffic and military vehicles would worsen air quality. More weapons training and armored vehicle maneuvers would harm wetlands and erode the soil. And the lack of spaceFort Bragg has used all its available landwould require the military to build high-rises or make other major building and land modifications.
The U.S. Army plans to expand operations at 17 bases nationwide. By December, the military is expected to release a final PEIS on the effects of adding 1,000 to 4,000 more soldiers, plus their families, to the bases. Afterward, the bases will be studied individually to further determine environmental impacts.
