[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29323-29324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12525]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings of the Draft 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, and regulations implemented by the Council
on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts
1500-1508), Department of Navy (DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR part
775), and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order
P5090.2A, changes 1 and 2), DoN has prepared and filed with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental consequences
that may result from the basing of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
on the West Coast of the United States.
With the filing of the Draft EIS, DoN is initiating a 46-day public
comment period and has scheduled two public comment meetings to receive
oral and written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, State and local
agencies, and interested parties are encouraged to provide comments in
person at any of the public comment meetings, or in writing anytime
during the public comment period. This notice announces the date and
location of the public meetings and provides supplementary information
about the environmental planning effort.
DATES: The Draft EIS public review period will begin May 21, 2010, and
end on July 6, 2010. Each of the two public meetings will be conducted
as an informational open house. Individuals will have the opportunity
to review the information presented in the Draft EIS. Marine Corps and
Navy representatives will be available to clarify information related
to the Draft EIS. Public comment meetings will be held:
(1) June 15, 2010, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Scripps-Miramar Ranch
Library Miramar, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive, San Diego, CA.
(2) June 17, 2010, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Gila Vista Junior High
School, 2245 S. Arizona Ave., Yuma, AZ.
Attendees will be able to submit written comments at the public
meetings. A stenographer will be present to transcribe oral comments;
however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all statements should be
submitted in writing. Equal weight will be given to oral and written
statements. All statements, oral transcription and written, submitted
during the public review period will become part of the public record
on the Draft EIS and will be responded to in the Final EIS. Comments
may also be submitted by regular U.S. mail or electronically as
described below.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the Draft EIS is available at the project Web
site, http://www.usmcjsfwest.com, and at the local libraries identified
at the end of this notice. Comments on the Draft EIS can be submitted
via the project Web site, or submitted in writing to: Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Southwest, Attn: JSF EIS Project Manager, 1220
Pacific Highway, San Diego, California 92132-5190. Mailed comments must
be postmarked by July 6, 2010, and electronic comments must be
submitted on or before July 6, 2010, to be considered in this
environmental review process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Adrianne Saboya, Environmental
Planner, Central Integrated Product Team at telephone: 619-532-4742, by
fax: 619-532-4160 or write to Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Southwest, Attn: Ms. Adrianne Saboya, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego,
California 92132-5190.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent (NOI) for the EIS was
published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2009 (Vol. 74, No. 10,
p. 2515).
Proposed Action
The proposed action would base up to 11 operational F-35B squadrons
and 1 Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) squadron (184 aircraft) on
the West Coast, and would replace eight F/A-18 squadrons (126 aircraft)
and four AV-8B squadrons (56 aircraft) currently authorized for basing
on the West Coast. The proposed action also includes construction and/
or renovation of airfield facilities necessary to accommodate and
maintain the F-35B squadrons, including construction of an auxiliary
landing field on the Barry M. Goldwater Range West in Arizona; changes
to personnel in support of basing; and conducting F-35B training and
readiness operations in existing airspace and on existing ranges to
ensure pilots attain and maintain combat ready status. The eight F/A-18
squadrons to be replaced are currently authorized for basing at Marine
Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. The four AV-8B squadrons are based at
MCAS Yuma.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to efficiently and
effectively maintain combat capability and mission readiness as the
Marine Corps faces increased deployments across a spectrum of
conflicts, and a corresponding increased difficulty in maintaining an
aging legacy aircraft inventory. The need for the proposed action is to
replace aging legacy aircraft and integrate the operational and OT&E F-
35B squadrons into the existing Marine Corps command and organizational
structure. This action would also ensure that the Marine Corps'
aircrews benefit from the aircraft's major technological improvements
and enhanced training and readiness requirements.
Alternatives Considered in the Draft EIS
The proposed F-35B squadrons would be split between two aviation
facilities. Evaluations were made of the following five split-basing
alternatives.
Alternative 1 (Preferred)--Six operational squadrons at
MCAS Miramar in San Diego County, California, and five operational
squadrons plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma in southwestern Arizona.
Alternative 2--Four operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar
and seven operational squadrons plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 3--Seven operational squadrons plus one OT&E
squadron at MCAS Miramar and four operational squadrons at MCAS Yuma.
Alternative 4--One operational squadron plus one OT&E
squadron at MCAS Miramar and ten operational squadrons at MCAS YUMA.
Alternative 5--Ten operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar
and one operational squadron plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
Under all basing alternatives, MCAS Miramar would lose eight F/A-18
squadrons and MCAS Yuma would lose four AV-8B squadrons. Construction
of an auxiliary landing field within the Barry M. Goldwater Range West,
as well as operations within the Bob Stump Training Range Complex and
Barry M. Goldwater Range East are included as
[[Page 29324]]
part of each basing alternative. A sixth alternative, No Action,
assumes no aircraft would be replaced, aircraft operations would
continue at the current level, and no infrastructure improvements or
personnel changes related to basing the F-35B aircraft on the West
Coast would occur.
Potential impacts were evaluated in the Draft EIS under all
alternatives for the following resources: airfields and airspace;
noise; air quality; safety and environmental health; land use;
infrastructure and utilities; socioeconomics; community facilities and
services; ground traffic and transportation; environmental justice;
hazardous materials management; biological resources; topography,
geology and soils; water resources; and cultural and traditional
resources.
The preferred alternative would result in a reduction of 30
aircraft and 635 military personnel at MCAS Miramar and an increase of
32 aircraft and 491 military personnel at MCAS Yuma. New support
facilities at MCAS Miramar would include two new hangars, helipad and
apron expansion, wash racks and rinse facilities, a simulator facility,
and a runway upgrade. New support facilities at MCAS Yuma would include
four new hangars, modifications to an existing hangar, new wash racks,
runway upgrades, enlisted quarters and dining facility, a simulator
facility, new parking apron, and other minor infrastructure
improvements.
Environmental consequences of the proposed action would principally
arise from construction; impacts from operation of the F-35B would be
relatively minor. The Draft EIS enumerates an array of conservation and
construction measures and features of project design and planning that
would avoid and minimize most potential impacts. The proposed action
would fully comply with regulatory requirements for the protection of
environmental resources.
Unavoidable impacts of implementing the preferred alternative
include construction impacts on biological resources at MCAS Miramar,
especially one threatened (Coastal California Gnatcatcher) and one
endangered species (San Diego Fairy Shrimp), and loss of 0.05 acres of
vernal pool habitat. Construction of an auxiliary landing field at the
Barry M. Goldwater Range West would affect habitat for a species (flat-
tailed horned lizard) proposed for listing as threatened. A Biological
Assessment has been submitted to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in
compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
The other alternatives have similar types and levels of impacts,
with the most extensive unavoidable impacts occurring at MCAS Miramar
under Alternative 5 (10 operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar, 1
operational and 1 OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma) related to the loss of an
area supporting vernal pool habitat and associated federally listed
species.
Schedule
The Notice of Availability publication in the Federal Register and
local print media starts the 46-day public comment period for the Draft
EIS. DoN will consider and respond to all written and electronic
comments, including e-mail, submitted as described above in preparing
the Final EIS. DoN intends to issue the Final EIS in September 2010, at
which time an NOA will be published in the Federal Register and local
print media. A Record of Decision is expected in December 2010. Copies
of the Draft EIS can be found on the project Web site, http://www.usmcjsfwest.com or at the following locations:
(1) San Diego County Public Library Fallbrook Branch, 124 S.
Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028, telephone: 760-728-2373,
(2) San Diego Public Library Mira Mesa Branch, 8405 New Salem
Street, San Diego, CA 92126, telephone: 858-538-8165,
(3) Scripps-Miramar Ranch Library Miramar, 10301 Scripps Lake
Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, telephone: 858-538-8158,
(4) Yuma County Library Heritage Branch (Main Library) 350 Third
Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364, telephone: 928-782-1871.
Dated: May 18, 2010.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-12525 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
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