[Federal Register: July 15, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 135)]
[Notices]
[Page 41784-41785]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15jy03-40]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Notice of Availability of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
Extended Test Range Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Missile Defense
Agency's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Extended Test Range Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), that analyzes the potential for
environmental impacts associated with establishing an extended test
range capability providing more realistic operational flight testing
capability in support of development of the GMD element of the
Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The current capability
includes missile launch sites and array of sensors and other test
equipment located at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site
(RTS) at Kwajalein Atoll, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in
Hawaii, and Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB) in California.
A Record of Decision will be issued no earlier than 30 days from
the date this notice appears in the Federal Register.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments provided on or
before August 14, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the document or to provide comments
on the FEIS should be addressed to: U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense
Command, ATTN: SMDC-EN-V (Mrs. Julia Hudson-Elliott), P.O. Box 1500,
Huntsville, AL 35805, by e-mail at gmdetreis@smdc.army.mil, or by phone
at 1-800-823-8823.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please call Mr. Rick Lehner, MDA
Director of Communications at (703) 697-8997.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (cooperating agency) announced
the availability of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Extended Test
Range Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on February 7, 2003
(68 FR 26 6420) providing notice that the DEIS was available for
comment. The DEIS public review period was from February 7, 2003
through April 15, 2003. Public hearings were held February 24 through
March 6, 2003. Comments from the DEIS review and public hearings have
been considered and included along with responses in the FEIS.
The proposed action and alternatives examined in the FEIS include
development of the capability for single and dual launches of
interceptor and target missiles at the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC)
Alaska, RTS, and/or Vandenberg AFB, with intercepts over the Pacific
Ocean. Development of these capabilities would entail construction of
two interceptor launchers, one additional target launch pad and
construction/alteration of launch support facilities at KLC; target pad
modifications at RTS; modification of support facilities at Vandenberg
AFB; construction of In-Flight Interceptor Communication System (IFICS)
Data Terminals and military and commercial satellite communications in
the mid-Pacific and at KLC or Vandenberg AFB; additional range
instrumentation (tracking and range safety radars) in the vicinity of
sites; and use of either existing Battle Management Command and Control
(BMC2) facilities at RTS, or new BMC2 facilities that may be developed
at Forth Greely, Alaska and/or Shriever AFB, or Cheyenne Mountain
Complex, Colorado, in the validation of the GMD operational concept
effort.
Additionally, the proposed action and alternatives include the
construction and operation of a Sea-Based Test X-Band Radar (SBX) that
would operate in the Pacific broad ocean area and would be home-based
in either Alaska, California, Washington, RTS, or Hawaii.
Copies of the FEIS have been distributed to Federal, State, and
local agencies; public officials; and organizations and individuals
that previously requested copies of the DEIS or FEIS. Copies of the
FEIS will be available at the following public libraries:
[sbull] Anchorage Municipal Library, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK
99503
[sbull] Everett Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave., Everett, WA 98201
[sbull] Kodiak City Library, 319 Lower Mill Bay Rd., Kodiak, AK
99615
[sbull] Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc, CA 93436
[sbull] Mountain View Branch Library, 150 S. Bragaw St., Anchorage,
AK 99508
[[Page 41785]]
[sbull] Oxnard Public Library, 251 S. A St., Oxnard, CA 93030
[sbull] Valdez City Library, 212 Fairbanks, Valdez, AK 99686
[sbull] Hawaii State Library, Hawaii Documents Center, 478 South
King St., Honolulu, HI 96813
[sbull] University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hamilton Library, 2550 The
Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822
[sbull] Hanapepe Public Library, 4490 Kona Rd., Hanapepe, HI 96716
[sbull] Kapaa Public Library, 1464 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa, HI 96746
[sbull] Koloa Public & School Library, 3451 Poipu Rd., Koloa, HI
96756
[sbull] Lihue Public Library, 4344 Hardy St., Lihue, HI 96766
[sbull] Princeville Public Library, 4343 Emmalani Drive,
Princeville, HI 96722
[sbull] Waimea Public Library, 9750 Kaumualii Highway, Waimea, HI
96796
[sbull] Ray D. Prueter Library, 510 Park Ave., Port Hueneme, CA
93041
The library locations and the FEIS are also available on the MDA
Internet site: www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/bmdolink.html
Dated: July 11, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 03-17956 Filed 7-11-03; 1:53 pm]
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