A Closer Look At Missiles For Kimball

The public hearings for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Deployment and Minuteman III Decommissioning and Disposal began in Ft. Berthold, N.D., on July 19 and continued in Minot, N.D, Great Falls, and Lewiston, MT, until July 28.

Kimball, New Raymer, and Cheyenne had public hearings on Aug. 2, 3 and 4. Virtual hearings were held on Aug. 8 and 9.

Individuals have until Aug. 15 to submit written comments on the project. To submit comments: go to the website http://www.gbsdeis.com.

In Kimball, after a meet and greet with public officials, Lt. Col. Shad Kidd, hearing judge, and Wing Leadership staff opened the hearing and welcomed the audience.

A slide/video presentation showed weapon systems' progression since World War II, beginning with the Atlas missile, which took hours to launch. After the Atlas missile came the Titan I and II, and the Titan II was the first missile to launch from a silo. Finally, the presentation covered the Minuteman I, II and III missiles that protected the United States for decades. The Sentinel system will replace the Minuteman III.

Kimball's Mayor Keith Prunty stated, “It was a great turnout with the vast majority in favor of the Sentinel project. The Air Force did an excellent job getting information to the public and encouraged everyone to voice their opinions. We are one step closer to the Sentinel project starting!”

The Air Force, like all federal agencies, must comply with The National Environmental Policy Act Compliance, which was signed into law on Jan. 1, 1970. NEPAC requires that the anticipated environment and related social and economic effects of the project be investigated, and that the public must have the opportunity to review and comment.

The environmental impact statement analyzes the potential effects on the human and natural environment of the GBSD, the decommissioning and disposal of the Minuteman III. The GBSD EIS Volume I, Draft EIS is just under 1,000 pages, complete with photos, charts and maps of specific areas. Volume II-Draft EIS Appendices is almost 900 pages.

F.E. Warren AFB Off-Base construction includes renovating 15 Missile Alert Facilities and 150 Launch Facilities, along with the construction of 18 Communication Towers. The Air Force will acquire easements to install and maintain 910 miles of new utility corridors and install and maintain additional utilities with 1,611 miles of current utility corridors.

A workforce hub will be established in Kimball encompassing 50 to 60 acres and having 2,500 to 3,000 residents for three to five years.

There will be a 13-acre laydown/staging area for supplies in Albin, Wyo., Kimball, Sidney, and Stoneham, Colo. Those will be in place for three to five years, according to the Air Force.

There were no public comments at the Kimball public hearing, although individuals could later submit in writing their comments.