[Federal Register: August 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 169)]
[Notice]
[Page 50333-50335]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31au07-59]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Navy Atlantic Fleet
Training in the Gulf of Mexico Range Complex and To Announce Public
Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order 12114
(Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions), the Department
of the Navy (Navy) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) to
evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with naval
training in the Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) Range Complex. The Navy proposes
to support current and emerging training
[[Page 50334]]
operations and Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation (RDT&E)
activities at the GOMEX Range Complex by: (1) Maintaining baseline
training and RDT&E operations at current levels; (2) increasing
training and RDT&E operations from current levels as necessary to
support the Fleet Readiness Training Plan (FRTP); (3) accommodating
mission requirements associated with force structure changes, including
those resulting from the introduction of new platforms (vessels,
aircraft and weapons systems); and (4) implementing enhanced range
complex capabilities.
The EIS/OEIS study area is the GOMEX Range Complex, which
encompasses portions of the Gulf, as well as portions of the
southeastern states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Texas. The GOMEX Range Complex consists of targets and instrumented
areas, airspace, surface and subsurface operations areas (OPAREAs), and
land range facilities. Together the GOMEX Range Complex encompasses: 15
square nautical miles (nm\2\) of land area; 43,390 nm\2\ of special use
airspace (SUA); 17,520 nm\2\ of off-shore surface and subsurface
OPAREA; and 12,072 nm\2\ of shallow ocean area less than 100 fathoms
(600 feet).
The scope of actions to be analyzed in this EIS/OEIS includes
current and proposed future Navy training and RDT&E activities within
Navy-controlled operating areas, airspace, and ranges. It also includes
proposed Navy-funded range capabilities enhancements, including
infrastructure improvements supporting range complex training and RDT&E
activities. Training activities involving use of active sonar are
conducted in the GOMEX Range Complex; however, those potential effects
are being analyzed in detail in a separate document, the Atlantic Fleet
Active Sonar Training (AFAST) EIS/OEIS. This separate sonar EIS/OEIS
addresses active sonar use as a whole by the Atlantic Fleet in the
western Atlantic Ocean and in the Gulf of Mexico. The analysis of the
AFAST EIS/OEIS will be incorporated into the GOMEX Range Complex EIS/
OEIS to account for active sonar effects that could occur within the
geographic area of the GOMEX Range Complex.
DATES: Four public scoping meetings will be held. The meeting dates
are:
1. Monday, September 24, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Panama City, FL.
2. Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Pensacola, FL.
3. Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Kenner, LA.
4. Friday, September 28, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Corpus Christi, TX
78401.
ADDRESSES: Four public scoping meetings will be held in Florida,
Louisiana, and Texas to receive oral and/or written comments on
environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. These
public scoping open houses will be held at the following locations:
1. Monday, September 24, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Gulf Coast Community
College, 5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.
2. Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Pensacola Junior
College (Warrington Campus), 5555 Highway 98 West, Pensacola, FL 32507.
3. Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Alfred Bonnabel
High School, 2801 Bruin Drive, Kenner, LA 70065.
4. Friday, September 28, 2007, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Holiday Inn-Emerald
Beach Hotel, 1102 South Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Southeast, Post Office Box 30 (Building 135 North, Ajax Street), Naval
Air Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, 32212-0030, ATTN: Mr. Bob
Riley (Code OPC5), telephone: 904-542-6125.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy's mission is to maintain, train,
and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring
aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. For that reason, Title
10 U.S.C. Section 5062 directs the Chief of Naval Operations to train
all naval forces for combat. The Chief of Naval Operations meets that
direction, in part, by conducting at-sea training exercises and
ensuring naval forces have access to ranges, OPAREAs and airspace where
they can develop and maintain skills for wartime missions and conduct
RDT&E of naval weapons systems. As such, Navy ranges, OPAREAs, and
airspace must be maintained and/or enhanced to accommodate necessary
training and testing activities in support of national security
objectives. The purpose of the proposed action is to achieve and
maintain Fleet readiness using the GOMEX Range Complex to support
current, emerging, and future training operations; RDT&E operations;
expand warfare missions; and upgrade and modernize existing range
capabilities to enhance and sustain Navy training and RDT&E.
The need for the proposed action is to provide range facilities for
the training and equipping of combat capable naval forces ready to
deploy worldwide. In this regard, the GOMEX Range Complex furthers the
Navy's execution of roles and responsibilities under U.S.C Title 10,
Section 5062. To implement this mandate, the Navy needs to: Maintain
current levels of military readiness by training in the GOMEX Range
Complex; accommodate future increases in operational training tempo in
the GOMEX Range Complex and support rapid deployment of naval units or
strike groups; achieve and sustain readiness of ships and squadrons so
the Navy can quickly surge significant combat power in the event of a
national crisis or contingency operation, and as is consistent with the
FRTP; support acquisition and implementation into the Fleet of advanced
military technology and testing and training needed for new platforms
(vessels, aircraft and weapons systems); and maintain long-term
viability of the GOMEX Range Complex while protecting human health and
the environment, and enhancing the quality, communication capability,
and safety of the GOMEX range complex.
Three alternatives will be evaluated in this EIS/OEIS: (1) The No
Action Alternative is the continuation of current operations and
support of existing range capabilities; (2) Alternative 1 consists of
all elements of the No Action Alternative plus increased operational
training, expanded warfare missions, accommodation of force structure
changes, and implementation of enhancements, to the minimal extent
possible to meet the components of the proposed action; and (3)
Alternative 2 consists of all elements of Alternative 1 plus an
additional increase in operational tempo and frequency of training
events optimizing training in the GOMEX Range Complex in support of
future contingencies, and better exploitation of the Joint National
Training Capability (JNTC). Exploitation of the JNTC includes an
increase in post Base Realignment and Closure Gulf-based F-18 and E-2
aircraft, and transient Navy participation in Navy and joint training
opportunities afforded by proximity to DoD installations in the
southeastern United States.
This EIS/OEIS will evaluate the environmental effects associated
with: airspace; noise; range safety; natural land resources; water
resources; air quality; biological resources, including threatened and
endangered species; land use; socioeconomic resources; infrastructure;
and cultural resources. The analysis will include an evaluation of
direct and indirect impacts, and will account for cumulative impacts
from other Navy activities in the GOMEX
[[Page 50335]]
Range Complex. No decision will be made to implement any alternative
until the EIS/OEIS process is completed and a Record of Decision is
signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and
Environment).
The Navy is initiating the scoping process to identify community
concerns and local issues to be addressed in this EIS/OEIS. Federal
agencies, state agencies, local agencies, and interested persons are
encouraged to provide oral and/or written comments to the Navy to
identify specific issues or topics of environmental concern that should
be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. Written comments must be postmarked by
November 5, 2007 and should be mailed to: Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Southeast, Post Office Box 30 (Building 135 North, Ajax
Street), Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32212-0030,
Attention: Mr. Bob Riley (Code OPC5), telephone: 904-542-6125. Comments
can also be submitted no later than November 5, 2007 via the project
Web site: http://www.GOMEXRangeComplexEIS.com.
Dated: August 23, 2007.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-17360 Filed 8-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P