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, 50333-50335 [E7-17360]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 169 / Friday, August 31, 2007 / Notices
June 2006, the Corps of Engineers, New
England District completed a
Preliminary Assessment (PA) to
document the need for a comprehensive
DMMP for the LIS region. The PA
concluded that successful completion of
a LIS DMMP is critical to the Corps’
ability to maintain the region’s civil
works navigation projects, and to
provide future navigation improvements
to the system of Federal waterways in
the LIS region. Appropriate future costeffective management methods and
future dredged material capacities must
be identified to serve both Federal and
non-Federal project needs in this region
for the long-term health of the region’s
economy, including its navigationdependent industries and activities. The
Corps prepares NEPA documents to
evaluate the environmental impacts of
the actions and alternatives analyzed in
dredged material management plans. In
preparing the current DPEIS, the Corps
expects this document to be used as part
of the NEPA analysis for both Corps and
non-Corps future dredging projects
through tiering and incorporation by
reference. Issues to be analyzed in the
DPEIS may include potential impacts to:
shipping and navigation; commercial
and recreational fisheries and
shellfisheries; water quality; sediment
quality; biological resources, including
threatened and endangered species;
bioavailability of contaminants; cultural
resources; recreational activities such as
use of beaches, refuges, and natural
areas; wetlands; and other potential
habitat restoration opportunities. The
DPEIS will be prepared in coordination
with other environmental review and
consultation requirements under the
Clean Water Act, National Historic
Preservation Act, Endangered Species
Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and
other relevant and appropriate statutes
and Executive Orders.
There are many harbors, channels and
navigation-dependent facilities in
Connecticut and New York within Long
Island Sound that must undergo
periodic maintenance dredging to
ensure safe navigation. Some harbors
occasionally must be deepened beyond
historical depths to meet changing
economic and safety needs. In order to
manage all of the dredged material from
harbors in the LIS region generated by
both Federal and non-Federal interests
in the next twenty years, the DMMP and
DPEIS will be identifying the potential
volume of material and identifying and
evaluating alternatives that could be
used to manage such a volume of
dredged material. Thus, future Federal
and non-Federal projects can use the
DMMP and its associated PEIS to help
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satisfy legal requirements of NEPA, the
Clean Water Act, and the Marine
Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries
Act (MPRSA).
The LIS DMMP will include an indepth planning analysis of reasonable
potential dredged material placement/
disposal alternatives, including openwater disposal, beneficial use, upland
disposal, and treatment technologies,
and this analysis will be used as a basis
for future individual permit and project
approval decisions related to
alternatives analysis for dredging in the
LIS region. To accomplish this, the LIS
DMMP will examine dredging needs,
sediment and water quality, disposal
alternatives and environmental impacts
on a harbor-by-harbor basis. Consistent
with the Designation Rule for the
Western and Central Long Island Sound
Dredged Material Disposal Sites, 40 CFR
228.14(b)(4), the DMMP will be
identifying potential procedures and
standards for the use of practicable
alternatives for dredged material
disposal in Long Island Sound. The
various alternatives and the information
associated with such plans will provide
the Corps and other navigation users
with an array of feasible options that
will meet their dredged material
management needs.
The LIS DMMP and DPEIS will
identify a practicable, comprehensive
and coordinated regional practicable
strategy for technically feasible and
environmentally sound management of
material dredged from Long Island
Sound. These documents will identify
potential environmentally acceptable,
practicable management alternatives
that can be utilized by various dredging
proponents in their analysis of options
to manage dredging projects. These
alternatives will likely include, but not
be limited to:
∑ Open-water placement.
∑ Alternative management strategies
for treating or reusing dredged
materials, including the use of
decontamination and sediment
processing technologies.
∑ Beneficial reuse of dredged material
such as:
Æ Open and closed landfills;
Æ Existing upland dredged material
disposal areas;
Æ Current or proposed
transportation improvements;
Æ Temporary dredged material
storage;
Æ Asphalt, cement and other
aggregate use;
Æ Large scale development use;
Æ Brownfield remediation;
Æ Use at closed mines and quarries;
Æ Placement at beaches for
beneficial use;
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50333
Æ Agricultural use;
Æ Habitat restoration projects.
Full public participation of affected
Federal, state, and local agencies,
affected Indian tribes, and other
interested private organizations and
parties is invited. All interested parties
are encouraged to submit their names
and addresses to (see ADDRESSES), to be
placed on the project mailing list to
receive fact sheets, newsletters and
related public notices. The Corps will
hold public scoping meetings later this
year or in 2008 at different locations
around the LIS region. Topics and
issues to be addressed in the DPEIS,
identified in part from responses to this
Notice of Intent, will be summarized.
The public is invited to attend the
scoping meetings and identify
additional issues that should be
addressed in the DPEIS. The actual date,
place and time of the scoping meetings
will be announced in respective local
newspapers and on the Corps New
England District Web page.
It is estimated that the Draft PEIS will
be made available to the public in the
Fall of 2012.
Dated: 22 August 2007.
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew B. Nelson,
Deputy District Commander, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, New England.
[FR Doc. 07–4274 Filed 8–30–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–24–M
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
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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
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50334
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 169 / Friday, August 31, 2007 / Notices
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
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
(nm2) of land area; 43,390 nm2 of
special use airspace (SUA); 17,520 nm2
of off-shore surface and subsurface
OPAREA; and 12,072 nm2 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 Navycontrolled operating areas, airspace, and
ranges. It also includes proposed Navyfunded 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.
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.
DATES:
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Jkt 211001
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
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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 Gulfbased 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 169 / Friday, August 31, 2007 / Notices
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: https://
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
Dated: August 27, 2007.
Angela C. Arrington,
IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of Management.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY: Department of Education.
SUMMARY: The IC Clearance Official,
Regulatory Information Management
Services, Office of Management invites
comments on the submission for OMB
review as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before October
1, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be addressed to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Education Desk Officer,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
17th Street, NW., Room 10222,
Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are
encouraged to submit responses
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oira_submission@omb.eop.gov or via fax
to (202) 395–6974. Commenters should
include the following subject line in
their response ‘‘Comment: [insert OMB
number], [insert abbreviated collection
name, e.g., ‘‘Upward Bound
Evaluation’’]. Persons submitting
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00:43 Aug 31, 2007
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comments electronically should not
submit paper copies.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires
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Budget (OMB) provide interested
Federal agencies and the public an early
opportunity to comment on information
collection requests. OMB may amend or
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consultation to the extent that public
participation in the approval process
would defeat the purpose of the
information collection, violate State or
Federal law, or substantially interfere
with any agency’s ability to perform its
statutory obligations. The IC Clearance
Official, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management, publishes that notice
containing proposed information
collection requests prior to submission
of these requests to OMB. Each
proposed information collection,
grouped by office, contains the
following: (1) Type of review requested,
e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or
reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of
the collection; (4) Description of the
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frequency of collection; and (6)
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Type of Review: New.
Title: High School Equivalency
Program (HEP) Annual Performance
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Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Not-for-profit
institutions; State, Local, or Tribal
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Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour
Burden:
Responses: 61.
Burden Hours: 2,440.
Abstract: For the Migrant HEP
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Requests for copies of the information
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50335
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edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the
‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and
by clicking on link number 3379. When
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click on ‘‘Download Attachments ‘‘ to
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[FR Doc. E7–17338 Filed 8–30–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays
Faculty Research Abroad (FRA)
Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
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Dates:
Applications Available: August 31,
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Full Text of Announcement
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E:\FR\FM\31AUN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 169 (Friday, August 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50333-50335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17360]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: https://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]
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