[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 218 (Thursday, November 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69951-69952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28750]
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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 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, as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
Parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order (EO) 12114, the Department of the
Navy (Navy) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS (OEIS) to evaluate the potential
environmental effects associated with continuing to conduct military
readiness activities, which consist of training activities and
research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereinafter referred to
as ``testing'') activities in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing
(AFTT) Study Area. The Study Area consists of sea space in and airspace
over the Atlantic Ocean along the eastern coast of North America,
portions of the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. The AFTT Study
Area begins seaward from the mean high water line and moves east to the
45 degree longitude line. The Study Area covers approximately 2.6
million square nautical miles of ocean area, including designated Navy
operating areas, warning areas, select Navy pierside locations, and
associated port transit channels.
In order to both achieve and maintain military readiness, the Navy
proposes to:
Conduct training and testing activities at levels required
to support Navy military readiness requirements beginning in 2018 into
the reasonably foreseeable future; and
Accommodate evolving mission requirements associated with
force structure changes, including those resulting from the
development, testing, and ultimate introduction of new platforms
(vessels, aircraft, and weapon systems) into the fleet; thereby
ensuring critical Navy requirements are met.
As part of this process the Navy will seek to obtain authorization
and permitting, as required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and
Endangered Species Act, respectively.
The Navy invites comments on the scope and content of the EIS/OEIS
from all interested parties. Comments may be provided by mail and
through the EIS/OEIS Web site at: http://www.AFTTEIS.com. Mailed
comments must be postmarked no later than January 16, 2016 and mailed
to the address below to ensure they are considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lesley Dobbins-Noble, Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Code EV22LDN (AFTT EIS/OEIS Project Manager), 6506
Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278. 703-322-4625.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy's lead action proponent is
Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Additional action proponents
include Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Naval Air Systems Command
(NAVAIR), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The
[[Page 69952]]
Proposed Action is to conduct military readiness activities in the AFTT
Study Area. These training and testing activities are generally
consistent with those analyzed in the AFTT EIS/OEIS completed in August
2013 and are representative of training and testing that the Navy has
been conducting in the AFTT Study Area for decades.
The following range complexes fall within the AFTT Study Area:
Northeast Range Complexes, Virginia Capes Range Complex, Navy Cherry
Point Range Complex, Jacksonville Range Complex, Key West Range
Complex, and Gulf of Mexico Range Complex. The testing ranges in the
AFTT Study Area include: Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division
Newport, Newport, Rhode Island; Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC)
Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida; and NSWC Carderock Division
South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility, Dania, Florida. While most
Navy military readiness activities take place in operating and warning
areas in the AFTT Study Area, some activities, such as sonar
maintenance and gunnery exercises, are conducted concurrent with normal
transits and occur outside of these areas, but still within the Study
Area. The pierside testing locations and associated port transit
channels are located at the following Navy ports and naval shipyards:
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine; Naval Submarine Base New
London, Groton, Connecticut; Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia;
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia Beach,
Virginia; Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Kings Bay, Georgia; Naval
Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida; Norfolk Naval Shipyard,
Portsmouth, Virginia; and Port Canaveral, Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Additional AFTT Study Area pierside testing locations and associated
port transit channels are located in Bath, Maine; Groton, Connecticut;
Newport News, Virginia; and Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.6, the Navy will invite the National Marine
Fisheries Service to be a cooperating agency in preparation of the EIS/
OEIS.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to maintain a ready force,
which is needed to ensure that the Navy can meet its mission to
maintain, train, and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning
wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas, as
consistent with Congressional direction Section 5062, of Title 10 U.S.
Code.
The AFTT Phase III EIS/OEIS will consider a No Action Alternative
and action alternatives that account for types and tempo of training
and testing activities beginning in 2018 as necessary to meet future
readiness requirements.
Resource areas that will be addressed include, but are not limited
to: Biological resources (including marine mammals and threatened and
endangered species), sediments and water quality, air quality, noise,
cultural resources, socioeconomic resources, and public health and
safety.
The scoping process will be used to identify community concerns and
local issues to be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. Federal agencies, state
agencies, local agencies, Native American Indian Tribes and Nations,
the public, and interested persons are encouraged to identify specific
issues or topics of environmental concern that the Navy should
consider. Written comments must be postmarked no later than January 12,
2016 to ensure they are considered in the development of the EIS/OEIS
and mailed to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Code:
EV22LDN (AFTT EIS/OEIS Project Manager), 6506 Hampton Boulevard,
Norfolk, Virginia, 23508-1278. Comments also can be submitted
electronically by January 12, 2016 via the project Web site at http://www.AFTTEIS.com.
Dated: November 5, 2015.
N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Administrative
Law Division, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-28750 Filed 11-10-15; 8:45 am]
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