[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2515-2516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-835]
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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 West
Coast
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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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 12 Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) F-35B squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Miramar, in San Diego, California and MCAS Yuma in Yuma, Arizona.
The Department of the Navy is initiating the public scoping process
to identify community concerns and local issues that should be
addressed in the EIS. Federal, state and local agencies and interested
parties are encouraged to provide written comments to identify specific
issue or topics of environmental concern that should be addressed in
the EIS. The Department of the Navy will consider these comments in
determining the scope of the EIS.
DATES: Public scoping open houses will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on
the dates indicated below, at the following locations:
(1) February 3, 2009, Miramar, Mira Mesa Branch Library, 8405 New
Salem St., San Diego, CA.
(2) February 4, 2009, Gila Ridge High School, 7151 E 24th St.,
Yuma, AZ.
Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties 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 written comments on the
proposed action and alternatives at any public scoping open houses and
anytime during the scoping comment period, which ends February TBD,
2009. There are three ways to submit written comments: (1) By attending
one of the public scoping open houses, (2) by e-mail using the project
public Web site at http://www.usmcJSFwest.com or (3) by mail. All
written comments on the scope of the EIS should be submitted and
postmarked no later than February TBD, 2009. Comments submitted by mail
should be sent to: JSF West Coast EIS Project Manager, NAVFAC
SOUTHWEST, 1220 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 93132.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F-35B West Coast EIS Project Manager
at (619) 532-4742. 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 West Coast EIS Project
Manager by January 6, 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) and AV-8B Harriers (attack). It is also intended to adopt the
electronic warfare mission of the EA-6B Prowler aircraft. The F-35B
West Coast basing proposal would take approximately 12 years to
implement and would begin in 2012. The proposal would base up to 182
aircraft (i.e., 10 active-duty and 1 reserve squadron of up to 16
aircraft each and 1 OT& E squadron with 6 aircraft) at MCAS Miramar and
MCAS Yuma. 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
[[Page 2516]]
Marine Corps Hornet and Harrier aircraft.
Proposed Action
The proposed action would base and operate a total of 12 F-35B (the
Marine Corps variant of the JSF) squadrons at MCAS Miramar and MCAS
Yuma. The decision would include the basing of 10 active-duty
squadrons, 1 Reserve squadron, and 1 Operational Testing and Evaluation
(OT&E) squadron. The 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 and AV-8B Harriers in the 3rd and 4th Marine Air
Wings.
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. The EIS may develop the need for new missions
on the Barry M. Goldwater range and/or identify the need and location
for additional special use airspace to support JSF training functions.
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 the F-35B
active-duty, reserve, and OT&E squadrons between MCAS Miramar and MCAS
Yuma. The basing alternatives include:
No-action alternative, where F-35B aircraft would not
replace F-18A/C/D and AV-8B squadrons at MCAS Miramar and MCAS Yuma.
The no-action alternative, while required by NEPA in order 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 six squadrons at MCAS Miramar,
and five squadrons and one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 2 would base four squadrons at MCAS Miramar,
and seven squadrons and one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 3 would base seven squadrons and one OT&E
squadron at MCAS Miramar, and four squadrons at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 4 would base one squadron and one OT&E
squadron at MCAS Miramar, and ten squadrons at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 5 would base ten squadrons at MCAS Miramar,
and one squadron and one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
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
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 beginning of the 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 start upon publication of the NOA in the Federal
Register. The Department of the Navy will consider and respond to all
public comments received on the Draft EIS when preparing for 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 30-day waiting period will start
upon publication of the NOA for the Final EIS in the Federal Register.
At the end of this period, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy will
issue a Record of Decision.
Dated: January 12, 2009.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate Generals Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-835 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
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