In a 4-inch-thick draft environmental impact
statement, the U.S. Army recently concluded that its missile test
flights to the White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico
could have significant land-use impacts. Launched from either Green
River, Utah, or Fort Wingate, N.M., the missiles would fly over
Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park and New
Mexico’s El Malpais National Monument (HCN, 4/19/93). After
take-off, each missile would drop a 1,100-pound booster in one of
four “drop-zones.” The Army proposes two zones directly north and
east of Canyonlands, one over part of the Ramah Navajo Reservation
and one over El Malpais National Monument. During testing, the Army
would ban all planes from the missile path, close I-70 for 70
minutes, and evacuate the national parks and monuments along the
flight path for at least 12 hours. The Army will accept public
comments on the plan until March 28, 1994. For a copy of the
Theater Missile Defense Extended Test Range draft EIS, or to
comment, write David Hasley, U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense
Command, attn: CSSD-EN-V, P.O. Box 1500, Huntsville, AL 35807-3801,
or call Ed Vaughn at
205/955-3887.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Missile chaos.
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