[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 250 (Tuesday, December 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79856-79857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30936]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Northwest
Training Range Complex
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), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order 12114,
Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions, the Department
of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) for public release on
December 29, 2008. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a
Cooperating Agency for the EIS/OEIS.
The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects of
maintaining Fleet readiness through the use of the Northwest Training
Range Complex (NWTRC) to support current, emerging, and future training
activities. The proposed action serves to implement range enhancements
to upgrade and modernize range capabilities within the NWTRC, thereby
ensuring critical Fleet requirements are met. A Notice of Intent for
this Draft EIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 31,
2007 (72 FR 41712).
The Navy will conduct five public hearings to receive oral and
written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. Federal agencies, State
agencies, and local agencies and interested individuals are invited to
be present or represented at the public hearings. This notice announces
the dates and locations of the public hearings for this Draft EIS/OEIS.
An open house session will precede the scheduled public hearing at
each of the locations listed below, and will allow individuals to
review the information presented in the Draft EIS/OEIS. Navy
representatives will be available during the open house sessions to
clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Five public scoping meetings will be held in
Washington, Oregon, and California to receive oral and written comments
on the Draft EIS/OEIS. All meetings will start with an open house
session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a presentation and formal
public comment period from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Public hearings will be
held on the following dates and at the following locations:
1. Tuesday, January 27, 2009, at Oak Harbor School District Office,
ASC Board Room, 350 S. Oak Harbor Street, Oak Harbor, Washington;
2. Wednesday, January 28, 2009, at Pacific Beach Fire Hall, 4586
State Route 109, Pacific Beach, Washington;
3. Thursday, January 29, 2009, at Grays Harbor College Cafeteria,
1620 Edward P. Smith Drive, Aberdeen, Washington;
4. Friday, January 30, 2009, at Hatfield Marine Science Center,
2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon;
5. Monday, February 2, 2009, at Eureka Women's Club, 1531 J Street,
Eureka, California.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Kimberly Kler, Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Northwest, Attention: NWTRC EIS/OEIS, 1101 Tautog
Circle, Suite 203, Silverdale, Washington 98315-1101; or http://
www.NWTRangeComplexEIS.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NWTRC consists of airspace, surface
operating areas, and land range facilities in the Pacific Northwest.
Components of the NWTRC encompass 122,400 nm2 of surface/
subsurface ocean operating area, 46,048 nm2 of special use
airspace, and 875 acres of land. The EIS/OEIS Study Area lies within
the NWTRC, and encompasses surface and subsurface ocean operating
areas, land training areas, and special use airspace in Washington, and
over-ocean special use airspace offshore of Washington, Oregon, and
northern California. These ranges and operating areas are used to
conduct training involving military hardware, personnel, tactics,
munitions, explosives, and electronic combat systems. The NWTRC serves
as a backyard range for those units homeported in the Pacific Northwest
area including those aviation, surface ship, submarine, and Explosive
Ordnance Disposal units homeported at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,
Naval Station Everett, Naval Base Kitsap--Bremerton, Naval Base
Kitsap--Bangor, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to: (1) Achieve and maintain
Fleet readiness using the NWTRC to support and conduct current,
emerging, and future training activities and research, development,
test, and evaluation (RDT&E) events (primarily unmanned aerial
vehicles); (2) expand warfare missions supported by the NWTRC
consistent with the requirements of the Fleet Response Training Plan
(FRTP) and other transformation initiatives; and (3) upgrade and
modernize existing range capabilities to enhance and sustain Navy
training and RDT&E.
The need for the Proposed Action is to: (1) Maintain current levels
of military readiness by training in the NWTRC; (2) accommodate future
increases in operational training tempo in the NWTRC and support the
rapid deployment of naval units or strike groups; (3) achieve and
sustain readiness of ships, submarines, and aviation squadrons using
the NWTRC so that they can quickly surge significant combat power in
the event of a national crisis or contingency operation, consistent
with the FRTP; (4) support the acquisition and implementation of
advanced military technology into the Fleet; (5) identify shortfalls in
range capabilities, particularly training infrastructure and
instrumentation, and address through range investments and
enhancements; and (6) maintain the long-term viability of the NWTRC
while protecting human health and the environment and enhancing the
quality and communication capability and safety of the range complex.
The No Action Alternative is the continuation of training and
RDT&E.
[[Page 79857]]
Alternative 1 consists of an increase in the number of training
activities from baseline levels and force structure changes associated
with the introduction of new weapon systems, vessels, and aircraft into
the Fleet. Alternative 2, the Preferred Alternative, consists of all
elements of Alternative 1. In addition, Alternative 2 includes an
increase in the number of training activities over Alternative 1 levels
and implementation of range enhancements.
The Draft EIS addresses potential environmental impacts on multiple
resources, including but not limited to: Air quality; water resources;
airborne acoustic environment; biological resources, marine and
terrestrial; cultural resources; socioeconomics; and public health and
safety.
No significant impacts are identified for any resource area in any
geographic location within the NWTRC Study Area that cannot be
mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals to
underwater sound. The Navy has requested from NMFS a Letter of
Authorization (LOA) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act
to authorize the incidental take of marine mammals that may result from
the implementation of the activities analyzed in the NWTRC Draft EIS/
OEIS. In compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation
Management Act, the Navy is in consultation with NMFS regarding
potential impacts to Essential Fish Habitat. In accordance with section
7 of the Endangered Species Act, the Navy is consulting with NMFS and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for potential impacts to
federally listed species. The Navy is coordinating with the Washington
Department of Ecology, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and
Development, and the California Coastal Commission for a Coastal
Consistency Determination under the Coastal Zone Management Act for
each respective state. Navy analysis has indicated that under the Clean
Air Act requirements, no significant impacts would occur to the
regional air quality, and under the Clean Water Act there would be no
significant impacts to water quality. National Historic Preservation
Act analysis indicated that no significant impacts to cultural
resources would occur if the Proposed Action or alternatives were
implemented. Implementation of the Proposed Action or alternatives
would not disturb, adversely affect, or result in any takes of bald
eagles, nor result in a significant adverse effect on the population of
a migratory bird species.
The decision to be made by the Navy is to determine which of the
alternatives analyzed in the EIS/OEIS best meet the operational needs
of the Navy given that all reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts
have been considered.
The Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to Federal, State, and local
agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and
organizations. The public comment period will end on February 11, 2009.
Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available for public review at the
following libraries: Humboldt County Library, 1313 Third Street,
Eureka, CA; Jefferson County Rural Library, 620 Cedar Avenue, Port
Hadlock, WA; Kitsap Regional Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton, WA;
Lincoln City Public Library, 801 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR; Oak
Harbor Public Library, 1000 SE Regatta Drive, Oak Harbor, WA; Port
Townsend Public Library, 1220 Lawrence St., Port Townsend, WA; and
Timberland Regional Library, 420 Seventh Street, Hoquiam, WA.
The Northwest Training Range Complex Draft EIS/OEIS is also
available for electronic public viewing at: http://
www.NWTRangeComplexEIS.com. A paper copy of the Executive Summary or a
single CD with the Draft EIS/OEIS will be made available upon written
request by contacting Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest,
Attention: Mrs. Kimberly Kler--NWTRC EIS/OEIS, 1101 Tautog Circle,
Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101.
Federal, State, and local agencies, and interested parties are
invited to be present or represented at the public hearing. Written
comments can also be submitted during the open house sessions preceding
the public hearings.
Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a stenographer;
however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all statements should be
submitted in writing. All statements, both oral and written, will
become part of the public record on the Draft EIS/OEIS and will be
responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS. Equal weight will be given to both
oral and written statements. In the interest of available time, and to
ensure all who wish to give an oral statement have the opportunity to
do so, each speaker's comments will be limited to four (4) minutes. If
a long statement is to be presented, it should be summarized at the
public hearing with the full text submitted either in writing at the
hearing, or mailed to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest,
Attention: Mrs. Kimberly Kler--NWTRC EIS/OEIS, 1101 Tautog Circle,
Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101. In addition, comments may be
submitted online at http://www.NWTRangeComplexEIS.com during the
comment period. All written comments must be postmarked by February 11,
2009, to ensure they become part of the official record. All comments
will be addressed in the Final EIS/OEIS.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
T.M. Cruz,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-30936 Filed 12-29-08; 8:45 am]
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