[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2514-2515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-834]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Basing the U.S. Marine Corps Joint Strike Fighter F-35B on the East
Coast
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy NEPA regulations (32 CFR
Part 775), and Marine Corps NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order
P5090.2A, change 1), the Department of the Navy intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and conduct public scoping
meetings for the proposed basing and operation of 13 Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) F-35B squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Beaufort, in Beaufort, South Carolina and MCAS Cherry Point in
Havelock, North Carolina.
DATES: Public scoping meetings, following an informal open house
format, will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the dates indicated
below, at the following locations:
(1) February 3, 2009, Holiday Inn Resort, Conference Room, 2225
Boundary St., Beaufort, SC.
(2) February 4, 2009, Senior Center, 15 Thornton Drive, NE.,
Ludowici, GA.
(3) February 5, 2009, McIntosh County Middle School, Cafeteria, 500
Green Street, Darien, GA.
(4) February 10, 2009, Havelock Tourist and Event Center, 201
Tourist Center Drive, Havelock, NC.
(5) February 11, 2009, Emerald Isle Community Center, 7500 Emerald
Isle Dr., Emerald Isle, NC.
(6) February 12, 2009, Fred A. Anderson Elementary School,
Cafeteria, 507 Anderson Dr., Bayboro, NC.
Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties and
persons are encouraged to attend any of the open house scoping
meetings. At these open houses, proposal-related displays and material
will be available for public review; Marine Corps and Navy staff will
be present to address questions; and the public will have an
opportunity to submit written comments on environmental concerns that
should be addressed in the EIS.
ADDRESSES: All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed
action and alternatives at any public scoping open houses and anytime
during the 30-day scoping comment period, which ends February 16, 2009.
There are three ways in which comments can be submitted: (1) By
attending one of the public scoping open houses, (2) by e-mail using
the project public Web site at http://www.usmcJSFeast.com or (3) by
mail. All written comments on the scope of the EIS should be submitted
and postmarked no later than February 16, 2009. Comments submitted by
mail should be sent to: USMC F-35B East Coast Stationing EIS, P.O. Box
56488, Jacksonville, FL 32241-6488.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The F-35B EIS Project Manager at 757-
444-1126. Please submit requests for special assistance, sign language
interpretation for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids needed
at the public meeting to the F-35B EIS Project Manager by January 28,
2009.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Marine Corps variant of the JSF, the F-
35B, is a short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL), multi-role fighter
aircraft whose primary emphasis is air-to-ground combat. The aircraft
is designed to replace existing fleets of F-18 A/C/D Hornets (strike
fighter), AV-8B Harriers (attack), and the EA-6B Prowler (electronic
warfare) aircraft. The F-35B East Coast basing proposal would take
approximately 11 years to implement and would begin in 2012. The
proposal would base up to 216 aircraft (i.e., 10 active-duty and 1
reserve squadron of up to 16 aircraft each and 2 Pilot Training Center
(PTC) squadrons at 20 aircraft each) at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS Cherry
Point. Facility construction and modifications would occur prior to and
continue throughout F-35B squadron arrivals; the F-35B would operate
within existing airspace and at training ranges currently used by
Marine Corps Hornet, Harrier, and Prowler aircraft.
Proposed Action
The proposed action would base and operate a total of 13 F-35B (the
Marine Corps variant of the JSF) squadrons at both MCAS Beaufort and
MCAS Cherry Point. This F-35B is a next generation, stealth,
supersonic, multi-role fighter aircraft that will replace aging Marine
Corps fleets of F-18 A/C/D Hornets, AV-8B Harriers, and EA-6B Prowlers
in the 2nd and 4th Marine Air Wings. Specifically, the squadrons would
include up to 10 F-35B active-duty squadrons of up to 16 aircraft per
squadron, 1 reserve F-35B squadron comprising up to 16 aircraft, and 2
PTC F-35B squadrons composed of up to 20 aircraft per squadron.
Purpose and Need
To meet any crisis or conflict that may arise both now and into the
future, Marine Corps Aviation must be manned, trained, and equipped to
conduct world-wide air combat operations. For this reason,
technological superiority in its air fleet is an essential requirement.
The purpose of the proposed action, therefore, is to provide state-of-
the art F-35B aircraft to Marine Corps fleets by replacing aging
aircraft inventories. The basing action would provide both the
facilities and functions to support and maintain these new aircraft as
well as the airfields, airspace, and ranges to train air crews in these
next-generation aircraft.
Preliminary Alternatives
The Marine Corps developed a range of reasonable basing
alternatives in a three-tiered alternatives development process. The
process applied the purpose and need to identify potential sites that
could maximize JSF integration into existing Marine Air Ground Task
Force organizations, maximize utilization of existing infrastructure,
and provide efficient use of existing ranges. The alternative
development process identified five preliminary basing alternatives.
These alternatives distribute differing combinations of F-35B active-
duty, reserve, and PTC squadrons at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS Cherry
Point. The basing alternatives include:
[[Page 2515]]
No-action alternative, where F-35B aircraft would not
replace F-18A/C/D, AV-8B, and EA-6B squadrons at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS
Cherry Point. The no-action alternative, while required by NEPA from
which to measure potential impacts, would not meet the purpose and need
of the proposed action and would prevent the Marine Corps from
fulfilling its assigned combat missions.
Alternative 1 would base three F-35B squadrons and the PTC
(with two squadrons) at MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry point would receive
eight squadrons.
Alternative 2 would base the PTC (with two squadrons) at
MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry Point would receive eleven squadrons.
Alternative 3 would base eight squadrons at MCAS Beaufort;
MCAS Cherry Point would receive three squadrons and the PTC (with two
squadrons).
Alternative 4 would base eleven squadrons at MCAS
Beaufort; MCAS Cherry Point would receive the PTC (with two squadrons).
Alternative 5 would base two F-35B squadrons and the PTC
(with two squadrons) at MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry point would receive
nine squadrons.
Environmental Issues and Resources To Be Examined
The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects
associated with each of the above alternatives. Issues to be addressed
may include, but are not limited to, biological resources, historic and
archaeological resources, geology and soils, hydrology, water quality,
air quality, noise, safety, hazardous materials and waste, visual
resources, socioeconomics, and environmental justice. Relevant and
reasonable measures that could avoid or mitigate environmental effects
will also be analyzed.
Additionally, the Marine Corps will undertake any consultations
required by the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National
Historic Preservation Act, and any other applicable law or regulation.
EIS Schedule
This Notice of Intent is the first phase of the EIS process and
announces the 30-day public comment period to identify community
concerns and local issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The next
phase occurs when the Department of the Navy publishes a Notice of
Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register and local media to publicly
release the Draft EIS. A 45-day public comment period for the Draft EIS
will commence upon publication of the NOA in the Federal Register . The
Marine Corps will consider and respond to all comments received on the
Draft EIS when preparing the Final EIS. The Department of the Navy
intends to issue the Final EIS no later than October 2010, at which
time an NOA will be published in the Federal Register and local media.
A Record of Decision will be issued 30 days following publication of
the Final EIS.
Dated: January 12, 2009.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate Generals Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-834 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P