Ballistic Missile Defense Organization; Preparation of the National Missile Defense Deployment Environmental Impact Statement

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This notifies the public that the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a potential National Missile Defense (NMD) deployment, should the U.S. Government make such a decision. In 1996, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, NMD was designated a Major Defense Acquisition Program. Concurrently, BMDO was tasked with developing an NMD system that could be deployed within three years. This three-year development period is to culminate in the year 2000. In the year 2000, a Department of Defense (DoD) Deployment Readiness Review will be held to review the technical readiness of NMD elements. Thereafter, the United States government will determine whether the threat, developed capability, and other pertinent factors justify deploying an operational NMD system by the year 2003. BMDO is preparing an EIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of deployment of an NMD system. Because the three-year development period is combined with an additional three-year deployment option, the total effort is referred to as the NMD ``3+3'' program. Should the deployment option not be exercised in the year 2000, improvemen