[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 135 (Thursday, July 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41163-41164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17237]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Navy Atlantic Fleet
Training and Testing and To Announce Public Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 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), and Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (DON)
announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Overseas EIS (OEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects
associated with military readiness training and research, development,
testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities (hereinafter referred to as
``training and testing'' activities) conducted within the Atlantic
Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) study area. The AFTT study area
includes the western North Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of North
America (including the area where the Undersea Warfare Training Range
will be used), the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. Also
included are select Navy pierside locations and channels. The AFTT
study area does not include the Arctic. This EIS and OEIS is being
prepared to renew and combine current regulatory permits and
authorizations; address current training and testing not covered under
existing permits and authorizations; and to obtain those permits and
authorizations necessary to support force structure changes and
emerging and future training and testing requirements.
The DON will invite the National Marine Fisheries Service to be a
cooperating agency in preparation of this EIS and OEIS.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Five public scoping meetings will be held between
4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the following dates and at the following
locations:
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1. Monday, August 23, 2010, Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston
Street, Boston, MA.
2. Wednesday, August 25, 2010, Virginia Beach Convention Center,
1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, VA.
3. Thursday, August 26, 2010, Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505
Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC.
4. Tuesday, August 31, 2010, Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center,
1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL.
5. Wednesday, September 1, 2010, Gulf Coast Community College, 5230
West Highway 98, Panama City, FL.
Each of the five scoping meetings will consist of an informal, open
house session with informational stations staffed by DON
representatives. Meeting details will be announced in local newspapers.
Additional information concerning meeting times is available on the EIS
and OEIS Web page located at: http://www.AFTTEIS.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
Code EV22LL (AFTT EIS/OEIS Project Manager), 6506 Hampton Boulevard,
Norfolk, VA 23508-1278, telephone number 757-322-4645.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DON's proposed action is to conduct
training and testing activities that include the use of active sonar
and explosives within the at-sea portions of existing range complexes
and on RDT&E ranges within the AFTT study area (including the area
where the Undersea Warfare Training Range will be used). The boundary
of the AFTT study area begins seaward from the mean high water line and
moves east to the 45 degree west longitude line, generally following
the 2nd Fleet area of responsibility (except for the Arctic). The AFTT
study area covers approximately 2.6 million square nautical miles of
ocean area, which includes Navy operating areas (sea space) and warning
areas (airspace). While the majority of Navy training and many testing
activities take place within operating and warning areas and/or on
RDT&E ranges, some activities, such as sonar maintenance and gunnery
exercises, are conducted concurrent with normal transits and occur
outside of operating and warning areas.
The following DON training range complexes fall within the AFTT
study area: Northeast Range Complex, Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Range
Complex, Navy Cherry Point Range Complex, Jacksonville Range Complex,
Key West Range Complex, and Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) Range Complex. The
DON RDT&E ranges in the AFTT study area include: Naval Undersea Warfare
Center Newport, Newport, RI; Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama
City Division, FL; and NSWC Carderock Division South Florida Test
Facility, FL. The piers and channels in the AFTT study area are located
at the following Navy ports, Naval Shipyards, and Navy contractor
shipyards: Bath Iron Works, ME; Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, ME; Electric
Boat and Naval Base Groton, CT; Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding--Newport
News, VA; Norfolk Naval Base, VA; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, VA; Naval
Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA; Naval Base Kings Bay, GA; Naval Base
Mayport, FL; Port Canaveral, FL; Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding--
Avondale, LA; Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding--Ingalls, MS; and, Halter
Moss Point Shipyard, MS.
The proposed action is to conduct military training and testing
activities in the AFTT study area. The purpose of the proposed action
is to achieve and maintain Fleet Readiness to meet the requirements of
Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which requires the DON to ``maintain, train,
and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring
aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas.'' The proposed action
would also allow the DON to attain compliance with applicable
environmental authorizations, consultations, and other associated
environmental requirements, including those associated with new
platforms and weapons systems, for example, the Low Frequency Anti-
Submarine Warfare capability associated with the Littoral Combat Ship.
The alternatives that will be analyzed in the AFTT EIS and OEIS
meet the purpose and need of the proposed action by providing the level
of training that meets the requirements of Title 10, thereby ensuring
that Sailors and Marines are properly prepared for operational success.
Similarly, the level of RDT&E proposed for the AFTT study area is
necessary to ensure that Sailors and Marines deployed overseas have the
latest proven military equipment. Accordingly, the alternatives to be
addressed in the AFTT EIS and OEIS are:
1. No Action--The No Action Alternative continues baseline training
and testing activities and force structure requirements as defined by
existing DON environmental planning documents. This documentation
includes the Records of Decision for Atlantic Fleet Active Sonar
Training (AFAST), VACAPES, Navy Cherry Point, Jacksonville, and NSWC
Panama City Division, and the Preferred Alternative for the GOMEX Draft
EIS and OEIS.
2. Alternative 1--This alternative consists of the No Action
alternative, plus expansion of the overall study area boundaries, and
updates and/or adjustments to locations and tempo of training and
testing activities. This alternative also includes changes to training
and testing requirements necessary to accommodate force structure
changes, and the development and introduction of new vessels, aircraft,
and weapons systems.
3. Alternative 2--Alternative 2 consists of Alternative 1 with an
increased tempo of training and testing activities. This alternative
also allows for additional range enhancements and infrastructure
requirements.
Resource areas that will be addressed due to the potential effects
from the proposed action include, but are not limited to: Ocean and
biological resources (including marine mammals and threatened and
endangered species); air quality; airborne soundscape; cultural
resources; transportation; regional economy; recreation; and public
health and safety.
The scoping process will be used to identify community concerns and
local issues to be addressed in the EIS and OEIS. Federal agencies,
state agencies, local agencies, Native American Indian Tribes and
Nations, the public, and interested persons are encouraged to provide
comments to the DON to identify specific issues or topics of
environmental concern that the commenter believes the DON should
consider. All comments provided orally or in writing at the scoping
meetings will receive the same consideration during EIS and OEIS
preparation. Written comments must be postmarked no later than
September 14, 2010, and should be mailed to: Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Atlantic, Code: EV22LL (AFTT EIS/OEIS Project
Manager), 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA, 23508-1278.
Dated: July 9, 2010.
D.J. Werner,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-17237 Filed 7-14-10; 8:45 am]
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