[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78229-78230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31468]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Record of Decision for the U.S. Marine Corps West Coast Basing of 
the F-35B Aircraft

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Record of decision.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 
4332(2)(c), the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ) for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of 
Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy 
(DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR part 775), and the Marine Corps 
Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual, which is Marine Corps 
Order P5090.2A with change 2 (MCO P5090.2A), the DoN announces its 
decision to base and operate 11 operational F-35B Joint Strike Fighter 
(JSF) squadrons (up to 16 aircraft per squadron, for a total of 176 
aircraft), and 1 F-35B Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) squadron 
(8 aircraft) on the West Coast of the United States (U.S.). More 
specifically, the DoN has decided to implement Alternative 1, the 
Preferred Alternative, which includes basing six F-35B operational 
squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego, 
California, and five operational

[[Page 78230]]

squadrons plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma in Arizona. Each 
operational squadron will consist of up to 16 F-35B aircraft. To 
support the basing action, the DoN will: (1) Construct and/or renovate 
airfield facilities and infrastructure necessary to accommodate and 
maintain the F-35B squadrons; (2) change personnel to accommodate 
squadron staffing; and (3) conduct F-35B readiness and training 
operations to attain and maintain proficiency in the operational 
employment of the F-35B and special exercise operations. The Proposed 
Action also includes construction and operation of a new Auxiliary 
Landing Field (ALF) within the Goldwater Range, to accommodate Field 
Carrier Landing Practice for the F-35B. The F-35B aircraft will replace 
126 legacy F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet and 56 AV-8B Harrier aircraft in the 
Third Marine Air Wing (3D MAW) and 4th MAW. All practical means to 
avoid or minimize environmental impacts resulting from implementation 
of the Preferred Alternative have been adopted.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The complete text of the Record of Decision 
is available for public viewing on the project Web site at http://www.usmcjsfwest.com along with the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS). For further information, contact the JSF West EIS Project 
Manager, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, California 92132-5190. 
Telephone 619-532-4742.

    Dated: December 10, 2010.
D.J. Werner,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-31468 Filed 12-14-10; 8:45 am]
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