(b) Economic growth and development-The publicity surrounding the events may accelerate, by a small, incremental amount, current growth patterns and the impacts of growth. Those impacts of growth are primarily reflected by (1) increasing numbers of people and jobs and (2) increasing commitment of land and water resources to serve those people. (c) General environmental and land use relationships-Developments indirectly related to the Olympics will cause increased loads on existing land use systems. With implementation of existing State statutory authorities, land use decisions as they relate to the Olympics and afterwards could be environmentally beneficial in the long range. Without implementation, the current lack of land use guidance likely will have increasing adverse environmental impacts, accelerated by a small, incremental increase because of the Olympic effort. (d) Related public works expenditures and facilities-Numerous Denver city facilities are being planned which might be used for the Olympics. Included are housing and additional sports complexes. Such projects, if justified in any manner related, directly or indirectly, to the Olympics, should be considered an impact of the proposed action. Environmental impacts of these urban projects likely may be relatively small; sociological impacts, however, may be significant. At such time as Federal action is taken on any particular project, a detailed environmental statement would be required if that project would have significant impacts. (e) Legislative and administrative action-Legislation has been passed by the Colorado Legislature giving certain authorities to the Colorado Land Use Commission to affect land uses around and in the vicinity of Olympic sites. Should those authorities be exercised and/or expanded by future sessions of the State Legislature, the passage of these acts should be considered an impact of the Olympics. If implemented, such authorities, providing for sound land use guidance systems, could be a positive environmental effect. Without implementtaion, the existing situation would continue. (f) International-The Winter Olympics may increase the international prestige of the United States and may increase international goodwill among competing nations. These intangible benefits should be considered as beneficial impacts of holding the Games in Colorado. 4. Alternatives considered: Alternatives considered were no action, differing levels of action, differing general facility site locations, and differing design capacity criteria for the sports facilities and appurtenances. 5. Comments have been requested from the following: Department of Agriculture Department of Transportation Department of Housing and Urban Development Environmental Protection Agency State Clearinghouse Denver Regional Council of Governments Routt County Regional Planning Commission Additional informational copies have been provided to: Board of County Commissioners of Routt, Eagle, and Jefferson Counties Steamboat Springs Metropolitan Sewage District Denver Organizing Committee for the 1976 Winter Olympics, Inc Colorado Olympic Committee DOC Planning Board Colorado Open Space Council Rocky Mountain Center on the Environment Regional Transportation District 6. Date draft statement made available to Council on Environmental Quality and the public: TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Description of the Proposal. A. General. B. Biathlon (Steamboat Springs). C. Bobsled and Luge (Doublehead Mountain). D. Nordic (Steamboat Springs). E. Ski Jumping (Doublehead Mountain). F. Speed Skating (Denver), II. Description of the Environment. A. General. B. Biathlon. C. Bobsled and Luge. D. Nordic. E. Ski Jumping. F. Speed Skating. III. The Environmental Impact of the Proposed Project. A. Economic Growth and Development of the Olympic Area of Influence. 1. Population increase. 2. Increased commitment of resources. B. General Environmental and Land Use Relationships. 1. Natural resources. a. Esthetic changes. b. Natural area-wilderness loss. c. Natural wildlife and biotic reductions. d. Air and water quality changes. 2. Human resources. a. Increased congestion. b. Tourism. c. Local and regional services. d. Changes in the urban infrastructure. e. Intensification of environmental land use probelms. C. Specific Site Alterations. 1. Biathlon and Nordic events. 2. Ski jumping and bobsled and luge. 3. Speed skating. 4. Other. D. Related General Public Works Developments and Expenditures. E. Legislative and Administrative Regulatory Action. F. International. IV. Mitigating Measures Included in the Proposed Action. V. Any Adverse Effects Which Cannot Be Avoided Should the Proposal Be Implemented. VI. The Relationship Between Local Short-Term Uses of Man's Environment and the Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Productivity. VII. Any Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Resources Which Would Be Involved in the Proposed Action Should It Be Implemented. VIII. Alternatives to the Proposed Action. A. No. Action. B. Differing Levels of Federal Action. 1. Complete Federal funding. 2. Federal funding of a much expanded Olympic effort. 3. Federal funding to a lesser degree with elimination of one or more facility complexes. 4. Complete Federal management. 5. Differing State and local funding formulas. C. Differing General Site Locations. 1. Denver site selections. 2. Steamboat Springs site selection. 3. Site selection where no community presently exists. 4. Avon selections. 5. Site selections elsewhere in the Nation or world. 6. Biathlon. 7. Bobsled and luge. 8. Nordic 9. Ski jumping. 10. Speed skating. D. Differing Design Criteria for the Sports Facilities and Appurtenances. 1. No or few spectators. 2. No afteruse. IX. Consultation and Coordination with Others. A. Consultation and Coordination in the Development of the Proposal and Preparation of the Draft Environmental Statement. B. Coordination in the Review of the Draft Environmental Statement. A. General DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL The proposed action is the Congressional authorization of appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of planning and constructing, in whole or part, five facility complexes for the 1976 Winter Games. The 1976 Winter Games were awarded by the International Olympic Committee to the City and County of Denver in May 1970. Denver competed for the Games, at the final stages, with three other cities worldwide. No other United States cities were involved in the final competition. The Federal Government, which in the proposed action is being requested to fund the major direct portion of Olympic expenses, was not involved directly in the selection process or in the bid of the City and County of Denver to host the Games. As stated in the proposed legislation, the purposes of holding the Olympics in Colorado and the United States are to assure adequate outdoor recreation resources and to stimulate an awareness of outdoor recreation activities. The Denver Olympic Committee also believes that a project purpose is to enhance our international prestige and to increase international goodwill. The Denver Organizing Committee for the 1976 Winter Olympic Games, Inc. (DOC) was established under the Statutes of the State of Colorado in 1967 as a nonprofit, private corporation to manage and host the 1976 Games. The monies requested from the Congress would be used for constructing those five facility complexes needed for the DOC to host the Games. After appropriation, the monies would be advanced by the Secretary to appropriate cities and counties which would be responsible for the actual construction. After the events, most facilities constructed with Federal monies would remain in public ownership and be managed for public use by those cities and counties. Principal actions and expenses involved directly or indirectly in the 1976 Games are sports facility construction, housing for athletes and newsmen, food and lodging, transportation, refurbishing of certain existing city structures needed to stage the Games, and operation and management thereof. The requested action would fund only the first item. Other costs incurred would be borne by other levels of government or the private sector. Without Federal Government financial assistance it is considered improbable that the Olympic Games would be held in Colorado. Other possible sources of funding likely would be inadequate. In effect, the proposed action makes possible indirectly the other aforementioned actions. This statement, therefore, considers the total environmental impact and consequences of all aspects of the Olympic effort. With great definition, the specific site environmental impacts may be later measured by the use of detailed ecological inventory and analysis study techniques. However, it is thought that the environmental consequences, effects, and impacts of the Olympic Games may be greater than the sum of the specific impacts at each of the five facility site locations funded by the proposed action. This is because the widest possible publicity and fanfare will accompany the planning leading up to the events and the events themselves. This publicity and the expected visitation at the Games, in turn, may generate secondary and tertiary actions with considerable environmental consequences. For the purpose of this statement these consequences are considered to be an environmental impact resulting from the proposed action. They will, therefore, be discussed in the appropriate sections of this statement. In this regard-secondary and tertiary environmental consequences--a word of caution is indicated. In reality the full analysis of impact of the Olympics, based upon sound fact, likely will not be possible until several years after the events themselves, perhaps by 1980. This is because there is no known direct method of measuring at this time the total long-range impact of the Olympics on the City and State. Therefore, without more established facts directly related to the Olympics, some of the conclusions in this statement regarding total impacts are to be treated as reasoned judgments and subject to continuing scrutiny and later updating and revision. This environmental statement is general in nature, meant to cover the overall and cumulative impact of holding the 1976 Games in Colorado. At such time as further administrative action is contemplated by the Secretary to advance federal monies for each individual facility complex, a detailed environmental statement would be prepared for that particular site and facility. Therefore, this statement discusses the general environmental impact at the five site vicinities and the total Olympic effort. In this regard, under the subject heading of this section-Description of the Proposed Action-the general conclusion is that the proposed action is to make possible the holding of the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Colorado and the environmental consequences thereof. The five specific actions resulting from the proposed authorization of appropriation and the later appropriation are as follows: B. Biathlon Requested monies would be for the construction of a biathlon complex on private lands immediately adjacent to the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This sport combines typical strenuous cross-country skiing with the ability to use a rifle with accuracy under conditions of stress resulting from fatigue and time requirements. The ski course would consist of five, four kilometer loops designed around and radiating from a central range. Racers would depart from the range, return to it around a loop, fire for accuracy and then proceed to the next loop and so on. Similar team relay events also would be run. The range itself would consist of an area approximately 700 feet by 1,000 feet. The range would also serve as a focal point for press, television, and spectators. The trail area which would be covered by the loops and range is approximately two square miles. The land is presently privately owned; however, agreement has been reached with the landowner, the Steamboat Springs Land Corporation, to use the land for the events. It would remain in private ownership after the events. In addition to the range and ski course, 6,300 square feet would be occupied by temporary facilities, either warming modules or booths, for the athletes, coaches, DOC operations, press, television, and radio officials, and sports officials. These would be located in the range area. C. Bobsled and Luge The DOC proposes to combine these two events onto one refrigerated, iced track. Both events are sledding sports. The combined run would be 5,000 feet; the width of the curves is approximately 15 feet. Bobsled is a men's sport practiced on heavy metal, dual-runner, steerable sleds. Luge is for both sexes using light, wooden, single-runner sleds which are steered by shifting weight. The 5,000-foot long course is designed with the upper half of the track to be used for both events: the lower half for only the longer of the events, the bobsled. Slope gradients would average 9 percent to achieve desired speed of 60 to 70 miles per hour. The refrigerated track would be cast in reinforced concrete and recessed into the ground. At its upper end would be located the starting house and limited parking facilities. The women's luge start would be slightly further down the track with the luge finish house, both men's and women's approximately twothirds down the total length. The bobsled finish house would be at the lower terminal. Facilities would be required at both ends for the press, spectator and sports officials, storage, and refrigeration equipment. As presently contemplated, all structures would be permanent except the press accommodations. Lighting would be provided for night operations. Because of the necessary refrigeration, these events would require ponds and/ or water storage tanks at the site with a combined capacity of approximately 75,000-100,000 gallons. Piping would be built into the track. The likely site for this event is at Doublehead Mountain, 23 miles southwest of Denver adjacent to U.S. Highway 285. The land is privately owned as part of a large proposed residential development. The landowner-Mountain Land Realty Corporation-has offered tentatively to sell or donate to the DOC 95 acres for the event. D. Nordic The Nordic events include cross-country skiing, combined with a ski jumping facility. The event is largely endurance, reflex and basic skill oriented. It would be held in the vicinity of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Cross-country skiing is a series of sprints ranging from 3.2 miles to 32 miles in length. A total of approximately 50 miles of ski course would be laid out radiating in a series of loops from a central staging stadium area. The courses would be eight feet wide and wind through gently sloping meadows and wooded hillsides. The central staging area, the start and finish of the events, would be approximately 100 feet by 1,000 feet. Several buildings would be constructed at that area for the athletes, coaches, spectators, judges, and media representatives. The land for the cross-country ski event, northeast of the city, is divided among several private parties. The DOC has reached agreement with most for the use of a right-of-way through the properties for the period of the events. The land would remain in private ownership. The 70-meter ski jump facility, used as part of the Nordic events, would be separately located on city park property. An existing ski jump would be upgraded to Olympic standards. Included with the facility would be staging platforms, take-off, judging towers, stairs, measuring platform, fences, and spectator facilities. The acreage of the city park is 150 acres, of which 50 acres would be used directly for the ski jump events. E. Ski Jumping The Olympic Games require two-jumps for this sporting event, a 70-meter hill and a 90-meter hill. The event requires a steep slope and a large overrun area for stopping and for spectator viewing. (The ski jump events are a separate series of activities from the ski jump at Steamboat Springs which is considered part of the Nordic events.) Three facilities would be constructed in total; two for the actual events and one lesser ski jump for training purposes. The width of each ski jump would be SO feet. Because of specific requirements for suitable gradients and overrun areas, this facility likely would require the largest displacement, relative to other federally funded developments, of existing landscape and biota. Numerous appurtenances would be required including snowmaking machines, hill structures-platforms, take-offs, judging towers, stairs, measuring platforms, retaining walls, fences, ski lifts-buildings for warming, administration and operation and maintenance, and access and site developments including roads, walks, stairs, amphitheater, and other spectator facilities. Because this event is the most dramatic Olympic game, the spectator accommodations here would encompass a significantly larger area than for any other facility complex. The proposed site for the ski jumps events is Doublehead Mountain, also the site of the bobsled and luge event. The ski jump would be located on the same 95 acres which might be sold or donated to the DOC for the bobsled and luge. F. Speed Skating This facility includes the construction within the City and County of Denver of an enclosed oval speed skating rink. The track would be 400 meters long and measure 230 feet by 600 feet. The structure would occupy 240,000 square feet adjacent to South High School between Washington Park and the interchange of South University Boulevard and the Valley Highway. Parking would be provided for approximately 2,000 cars. The structure would be recessed into the ground with an average height above grade level of 35 feet. Landscape earthen berms would be formed around the base and as part of the structure. Spectator capacity would be 8,500. All appur |