[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27742-27743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11410]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Navy Atlantic
Fleet Training and Testing
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 parts 1500-1508),
and Presidential Executive Order (EO) 12114, the Department of the Navy
(DoN) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS
(OEIS). The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental
effects associated with military readiness training and research,
development, test and evaluation activities (training and testing)
conducted within the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study
Area. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a cooperating
agency for the EIS/OEIS.
The Study Area is in the western Atlantic Ocean and encompasses the
waters off the east coast of North America and the Gulf of Mexico. The
Study Area covers approximately 2.6 million square nautical miles of
ocean area, and includes designated DoN operating areas and special use
airspace. The following DoN testing ranges and range complexes fall
within the Study Area: Northeast Range Complexes; Naval Undersea
Warfare Center Division, Newport Testing Range; Virginia Capes Range
Complex; Navy Cherry Point Range Complex; Jacksonville Range Complex;
South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility Testing Range; Undersea
Warfare Training Range; Key West Range Complex; Naval Surface Warfare
Center, Panama City Division Testing Range; and Gulf of Mexico Range
Complex. The Study Area only includes the at-sea components of these
range complexes and testing ranges, with the exception of the
Narragansett Bay, lower Chesapeake Bay, St. Andrew Bay. Navy pierside
locations and port transit channels where sonar maintenance and testing
occur, and bays and civilian ports where training occurs are also
included in the Study Area as indicated on the map. The remaining
inland waters and land-based portions of the range complexes are not a
part of the Study Area and will be or already have been addressed under
separate environmental planning documentation.
With the filing of the Draft EIS/OEIS, the DoN is initiating a 60-
day public comment period beginning on May 11, 2012 and ending on July
10, 2012. During this period, the DoN will conduct five public meetings
to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. This notice
announces the dates and locations of the public meetings and provides
supplementary information about the environmental planning effort.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Public information and comment meetings will be
held at each of the locations listed below between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00
p.m. The meetings will provide individuals with information on the
Draft EIS/OEIS in an open house format. DoN and NMFS representatives at
informational poster stations will be available during the public
meetings to clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS.
The public meetings will be held between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the
following dates and at the following locations:
1. May 30, 2012 (Wednesday) at Hotel Providence, 139 Mathewson
Street, Providence, RI;
2. June 5, 2012 (Tuesday) at Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center,
1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL;
3. June 6, 2012 (Wednesday) Hilton Garden Inn Panama City, 1101
North Highway 231, Panama City, FL;
4. June 11, 2012 (Monday) at Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000
19th Street, Virginia Beach, VA;
5. June 12, 2012 (Tuesday) at Hampton Inn and Suites Swansboro, 215
Old Hammock Road, Swansboro, NC.
Federal, State and local agencies and officials, and interested
groups and individuals are encouraged to provide comments in person at
any of the public meetings or in writing anytime during the public
comment period. At the public meetings, attendees will be able to
submit comments orally using a voice recorder or in writing. Equal
weight will be given to oral and written statements. Comments may also
be submitted via the U.S. Postal Service to Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Atlantic, Attn Code EV22 (AFTT EIS Project
Managers), 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508-1278 or
electronically via the project Web site (http://www.AFTTEIS.com). All
statements, oral or written, submitted during the public review period
will become part of the public record on the Draft EIS/OEIS and will be
responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS. All written comments must be post
marked or received by July 10, 2012, to ensure they become part of the
official record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Atlantic, Attn Code EV22 (AFTT EIS Project Managers), 6506 Hampton
Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508-1278.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare this
DEIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2010, (75
FR 41163).
The DoN's Proposed Action is to conduct training and testing
activities--which may include the use of active sonar and explosives--
primarily within existing range complexes and testing ranges along the
east coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, Navy pierside
locations, port transit channels, and the lower Chesapeake Bay. The
purpose of the Proposed Action is to conduct training and testing
activities to ensure that the DoN meets its mission to maintain, train,
and equip combat-ready U.S. naval forces capable of winning wars,
deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas. This Draft
EIS/OEIS will also support the renewal of federal regulatory permits
and authorizations for current training and testing activities and to
propose future training and testing activities requiring environmental
analysis.
The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of
three alternatives, including the No Action Alternative and two action
alternatives. The No Action Alternative continues baseline training and
testing activities, as defined by existing DoN environmental planning
documents.
[[Page 27743]]
Alternatives 1 and 2 analyze adjustments to Study Area boundaries and
the location, type, and level of training and testing activities
necessary to support current and planned DoN training and testing
requirements through 2019. The analysis addresses force structure
changes, including those resulting from the development, testing, and
ultimate introduction of new vessels, aircraft and weapons systems into
the fleet.
No significant adverse impacts are identified for any resource area
in any geographic location within the Study Area that cannot be
mitigated. Additionally, due to the exposure of marine mammals to
underwater sound, NMFS has received an application from DoN for a
Marine Mammal Protection Act Letter of Authorization and governing
regulations to authorize incidental take of marine mammals that may
result from the implementation of the activities analyzed in the Draft
EIS/OEIS. In accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act,
the DoN is consulting with NMFS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as
appropriate, for potential impacts to federally listed species. In
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, the DoN is consulting with NMFS on federally managed
species and their essential fish habitat. The DoN will initiate
consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act regarding
impacts to historic properties, and will comply with other applicable
laws and regulations.
The Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to Federal, State, and local
agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and
organizations. Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available for public
review at the following libraries:
1. Anne Arundel County Public Library, Annapolis Area Branch, 1410
West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.
2. Bay County Public Library, 898 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL
32401.
3. Ben May Main Library, 701 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602.
4. Boston Public Library, Central Library, 700 Boylston Street,
Boston, MA 02116.
5. Camden County Public Library, 1410 Highway 40 E, Kingsland, GA
31548.
6. Carteret County Public Library, 1702 Live Oak Street, Suite 100,
Beaufort, NC 28516.
7. Charleston County Public Library, Main Library, 68 Calhoun
Street, Charleston, SC 29401.
8. Corpus Christi Public Library, La Retama Library, 805 Comanche,
Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
9. East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie,
LA 70001.
10. Hatteras Library, 57709 Highway 12, Hatteras, NC 27943.
11. Havelock-Craven County Public Library, 301 Cunningham
Boulevard, Havelock, NC 28532.
12. Houston Public Library, 500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77002.
13. Jacksonville Public Library, Main Library, 303 North Laura
Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
14. Kill Devil Hills Branch Library, Main Library, 400 Mustian
Street, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948.
15. Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, 2517 7th Street,
Meridian, MS 39301.
16. New Hanover County Public Library, 201 Chestnut Street,
Wilmington, NC 28401.
17. New Orleans Public Library, Main Library, 219 Loyola Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70112.
18. Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library, 111 West Ocean View
Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23503.
19. Onslow County Public Library, 58 Doris Avenue East,
Jacksonville, NC 28540.
20. Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland, ME 04101.
21. Providence Public Library, 150 Empire Street, Providence, RI
02903.
22. Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington Street, New London,
CT 06320.
23. Southmost Branch Library, 4320 Southmost Boulevard,
Brownsville, TX 78521.
24. Walton County Coastal Branch Library, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa
Rosa Beach, FL 32459.
25. Webb Memorial Library and Civic Center, 812 Evans Street,
Morehead City, NC 28557.
26. West Florida Public Library, Main Library, 200 West Gregory
Street, Pensacola, FL 32502.
27. West Florida Public Library, Southwest Branch, 12248 Gulf Beach
Highway, Pensacola, FL 32507.
28. West Palm Beach Public Library, 411 Clematis Street, West Palm
Beach, FL 33401.
Copies of the AFTT Draft EIS/OEIS are available for electronic
viewing or download at http://www.AFTTEIS.com. A paper copy of the
Executive Summary or a single compact disc of the Draft EIS/OEIS will
be made available upon written request by contacting: Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Atlantic, Attn Code EV22 (AFTT EIS Project
Managers), 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508-1278.
Dated: May 4, 2012.
J.M. Beal,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-11410 Filed 5-10-12; 8:45 am]
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