Final FONSI and EA for hot cargo pad on Kirtland AFB - Kirtland Air ...

<strong>Final</strong> <strong>EA</strong> Addressing Construction, Operation, <strong>and</strong> Maintenance of a Hot Cargo Pad
Central Heating <strong>and</strong> Cooling Systems. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB has approximately 20 miles of steam mains that
provide heating service to select buildings on the installation. The steam system is powered by three
central heating plants; however, only one, the S<strong>and</strong>ia Steam Plant, is currently in service. Natural gas is
the fuel source <strong>for</strong> the S<strong>and</strong>ia Steam Plant. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB is in the process of gradually disconnecting
buildings from the central heating system <strong>and</strong> aims to eventually shut down the entire central heating
system. No central heating mains currently extend to the area of the Proposed Action, <strong>and</strong> Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB
does not have a centralized cooling system (KAFB 2002).
Water Supply Systems. Water is supplied to Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB by seven groundwater wells that have a
collective water-pumping maximum of 9.3 million gallons per day (MGD). Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB also purchases
water from the City of Albuquerque to meet dem<strong>and</strong> during peak periods; however, the amount of water
purchased from the city has been negligible since 1998. The maximum water supply capacity from the
City of Albuquerque is 8.6 MGD, which results in a maximum total water supply to Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB of
17.9 MGD (KAFB 2008b). Water is stored in approximately 24 water storage tanks at Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB,
which have a collective storage capacity of approximately 5.5 million gallons. Water is transported
throughout Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB by two separate but interconnected water distribution systems, <strong>and</strong> is currently
supplied to the area of the Proposed Action. There are approximately 160 miles of potable water supply
piping <strong>and</strong> approximately 50 miles of nonpotable water supply piping. Nonpotable water is primarily
used <strong>for</strong> golf course irrigation <strong>and</strong> fire protection systems. In general, the water supply piping is properly
sized <strong>and</strong> is in good condition despite being more than 50 years of age on average (KAFB 2002).
Current water dem<strong>and</strong> at Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB is approximately 6 to 10 MGD during the summer <strong>and</strong> 2 to
4 MGD during the winter. As such, the groundwater wells generally have sufficient pumping capacity to
meet current water dem<strong>and</strong> (KAFB 2002).
Sanitary Sewer/Wastewater Systems. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB does not have its own sewage treatment facility.
Instead, the sanitary sewer system of Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB, which consists of approximately 92 miles of
collection mains, transports wastewater to the City of Albuquerque treatment facility. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB is
permitted a maximum of 1.149 million gallons of sewer discharge per day (901,000 gallons per day
average) (Segura 2010). Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB utilizes approximately 40 oil/water separators to collect greases
<strong>and</strong> oils be<strong>for</strong>e they enter the wastewater collection system. Some facilities in remote portions of the
installation are not serviced by the sanitary sewer system; these facilities instead utilize isolated, onsite
septic systems to dispose of wastewater. Wastewater service is currently not available at the area of the
Proposed Action (KAFB 2002).
Storm Water Systems. Man-made storm water drainage systems, which include gutters, culverts, ditches,
<strong>and</strong> underground piping, direct storm water to receiving channels <strong>and</strong> basins in developed portions of
Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB. In less-developed portions of Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB, man-made storm water drainage systems
have not been installed, <strong>and</strong> storm water drains by sheet flow to various natural drainageways. Most
storm water at Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB that does not get absorbed into the ground drains into the Rio Gr<strong>and</strong>e, which
eventually discharges in the Gulf of Mexico (KAFB 2002).
Communications Systems. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB utilizes copper <strong>and</strong> fiber optic cable <strong>for</strong> telephone <strong>and</strong> data
transmission services. Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB operates its own telephone switching system, which is adequately
sized to support the current needs of the installation. The data transmission system has been designed to
accommodate future growth of the installation (KAFB 2002).
Solid Waste Management. Solid waste generated at Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB is collected by contractors <strong>and</strong>
disposed of at the Rio Rancho L<strong>and</strong>fill, which is off-installation in the City of Rio Rancho <strong>and</strong> operated
by Waste Management. In 2008, the Rio Rancho L<strong>and</strong>fill received a 10-year permit renewal <strong>and</strong>
approval <strong>for</strong> a permit modification that allows <strong>for</strong> an increase of approximately 1,179,600 cubic yards of
Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB, NM January 2011
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