Notice of Public Hearings for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Mission Activities Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement, 19194-19196 [E8-7461]
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19194
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 9, 2008 / Notices
and that have significant ecological
value. Conservation projects should
advance the goals, objectives or
implementation of federal, regional,
state or local coastal management plans.
The CELCP was created by Public
Law 107–77 and codified at 16 U.S.C.
1456d. NOAA issued final guidelines
for the program in June 2003. Since the
program’s creation, CELCP has
administered more than 150 grants for
land conservation projects in 26 out of
34 eligible coastal states and territories
and has run two national funding
competitions under the guidelines.
Based on its experience implementing
this program, NOAA plans to update the
CELCP program guidelines to clarify
certain provisions and consider other
changes. The revisions will not change
the CELCP process, but will clarify
certain provisions and consider other
improvements. The current Final
Guidelines for the CELCP can be found
on the Internet at https://www.coastal
management.noaa.gov/land/media/
CELCPfinalo2Guidelines.pdf or can be
requested either by phone at 301–713–
3155 ext. 119, or by e-mail to
Roxanne.Thomas@noaa.gov. Any
proposed changes to the CELCP
guidelines would be published in the
Federal Register, with an opportunity
for public comment, following
compliance with any relevant statutes
and executive orders.
Dated: April 2, 2008.
John H. Dunnigan,
Assistant Administrator, Ocean Services and
Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–7399 Filed 4–8–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XH01
Marine Mammals; File No. 10014–01
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
amendment.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (NJDEP),
Division of Science, Research and
Technology, P.O. Box 409, Trenton, NJ
08625–0409, has applied in due form for
an amendment to their Permit No.
10014 to allow them to take additional
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18:06 Apr 08, 2008
Jkt 214001
marine mammals during surveys for
purposes of scientific research.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail
comments must be received on or before
May 9, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment
in the following office(s):
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521; and
Northeast Region, NMFS, One
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA
01930–2298; phone (978)281–9300; fax
(978)281–9394.
Written comments or requests for a
public hearing on this application
should be mailed to the Chief, Permits,
Conservation and Education Division,
F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those
individuals requesting a hearing should
set forth the specific reasons why a
hearing on this particular request would
be appropriate.
Comments may also be submitted by
facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided
the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy
submitted by mail and postmarked no
later than the closing date of the
comment period.
Comments may also be submitted by
e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing e-mail comments is
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include
in the subject line of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: File No. 10014–01.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Opay or Kate Swails, (301)713–
2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject permit amendment is requested
under the authority of the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as
amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et
seq.), and the regulations governing the
taking and importing of marine
mammals (50 CFR part 216).
The NJDEP seeks permission to
increase the number of marine
mammals taken during research
conducted to elucidate the distribution
and abundance of baleen whales,
odontocete whales, pinnipeds, and sea
turtles. Research would include take by
survey approach during shipboard and
aircraft transect surveys. Researchers
request authorization to take up to 2,500
common dolphins (Delphinus delphis),
3,200 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus), and 1,280 harbor porpoises
(Phocoena phocoena) annually. The
study area would continue to include
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U.S. waters offshore of southern New
Jersey out to a distance of 20 nautical
miles.
In compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial
determination has been made that the
activity proposed will require a
supplemental environmental
assessment.
Concurrent with the publication of
this notice in the Federal Register,
NMFS is forwarding copies of this
application to the Marine Mammal
Commission and its Committee of
Scientific Advisors.
Dated: April 3, 2008.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–7480 Filed 4–8–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings for the Naval
Surface Warfare Center Panama City
Division (NSWC PCD) Mission
Activities Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Overseas Environmental
Impact Statement
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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 CFR parts
1500–1508), and Presidential Executive
Order 12114, 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) on March
27, 2008, to evaluate the potential
environmental effects associated with
the Naval Surface Warfare Center,
Panama City Division (NSWC PCD)
mission activities within the NSWC
PCD Study Area, which includes St.
Andrew Bay (SAB), and military
warning areas W–151 (includes Panama
City Operating Area), W–155 (includes
Pensacola Operating Area), and W–470.
The Proposed Action is to improve
NSWC PCD’s capabilities to conduct
new and increased mission operations
for the Department of Defense (DoD) and
its customers within the NSWC PCD
Study Area. The research, development,
test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities
occurring in these areas include air
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operations, surface operations,
subsurface operations, sonar operations,
electromagnetic operations, laser
operations, ordnance operations, and
projectile firing. A Notice of Intent for
this Draft EIS/OEIS was published in
the Federal Register on August 19, 2004
(69 FR 51453).
The Navy will conduct three 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.
Dates and Addresses: 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.
In addition, the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is
participating as a cooperating agency in
the development of the EIS, will be
represented at the open houses and
public hearings. All meetings will start
with an open house from 6 p.m. to 7
p.m. Presentations and public comment
will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Public
hearings will be held on the following
dates and at the following locations:
1. May 5, 2008, Gulf Coast
Community College, Student Union
Conference Center, 5230 West Hwy 98,
Panama City, Florida,
2. May 6, 2008, Pensacola Junior
College—Warrington Campus,
McMillian Auditorium, 5555 Highway
98 West, Pensacola, Florida,
3. May 7, 2008, Port St. Joe
Elementary School Auditorium, 2201
Long Avenue, Port St. Joe, Florida.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.
Carmen Ferrer, Naval Surface Warfare
Center Panama City Division, 110
Vernon Avenue, Panama City, Florida
32407; telephone: 850–234–4146; E-mail
carmen.ferrer@navy.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NSWC
PCD is the United States (U.S.) Navy’s
premier research and development
organization focused on littoral (coastal
region) warfare and expeditionary
(designed for military operations
abroad) warfare. NSWC PCD provides
in-water research, development, test,
and evaluation (RDT&E) in support of
expeditionary maneuver warfare,
operations in extreme environments,
mine warfare, maritime operations, and
coastal operations.
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18:06 Apr 08, 2008
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NSWC PCD is the nation’s principal
repository of this expertise supported by
a diverse technical workforce in these
areas that are critical to the future of
U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
operations. In accordance with
Department of Defense (DoD) Directive
5000.1, test and evaluation support is to
be integrated throughout the defense
acquisition process (the process that
encompasses every aspect of
identifying, developing, and procuring
defense systems) and is structured to
provide essential information to
decision makers. Such testing is used to
validate the technical performance
parameters (whether a given system
performs as expected) and to determine
whether systems are operationally
effective, suitable, survivable, and safe
for their intended use.
It is the mission of NSWC PCD to
provide RDT&E, as well as in-service
support for amphibious warfare, diving,
maritime special operations, mine
warfare (mines and mine
countermeasures), and other naval
missions that take place in the coastal
region. The infrastructure has been
established at NSWC PCD to support
this mission. A unique feature of NSWC
PCD that is unduplicated in the U.S. is
the natural operating environment
provided by the ready access to the Gulf
of Mexico (GOM) and its associated
littoral and coastal regions. The GOM
provides a surrogate environment for
most of the littoral areas of the world in
which the Navy will find itself
operating for the foreseeable future.
The NSWC PCD Draft EIS/OEIS
addresses all of the identified RDT&E
operations that occur within the NSWC
PCD Study Area. The NSWC PCD
RDT&E activities may be conducted
anywhere within the existing military
operating areas and St. Andrews Bay
from the mean high water line (average
high tide mark) out to 222 kilometer
(120 nautical miles) offshore.
The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the
potential environmental impacts of
three alternatives, including two action
alternatives (Alternatives 1 and 2) and
the No Action Alternative. The No
Action Alternative addresses historical
and current mission activities (referred
to cumulatively as ‘‘baseline mission
activities’’) for the NSWC PCD Study
Area. Alternatives 1 and 2 analyze
baseline activities, as well as future
growth requirements for missions and
activity levels. The development
process incorporated the need to
support future test capabilities, expand
required mission capabilities, and
increase the baseline tempo and
intensity of activities. Alternative 2 is
the Navy’s preferred alternative.
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19195
No significant adverse impacts are
identified for any resource area in any
geographic location within the NSWC
PCD Study Area that cannot be
mitigated, with the exception of
exposure of marine mammals and sea
turtles to underwater sound. The Navy
will apply to NMFS for a Marine
Mammal Protection Act Letter of
Authorization (LOA) and governing
regulations to authorize incidental takes
of marine mammals that may result
from the implementation of the
activities analyzed in the Draft EIS/
OEIS. NMFS is participating as a
cooperating agency in the development
of this Draft EIS/OEIS. NMFS staff will
be present at the scheduled open houses
and public hearings and available to
discuss both the MMPA incidental take
authorization process and NMFS’s
participation in the development of the
EIS/OEIS.
The Draft EIS/OEIS is being mailed to
Federal, State, and local agencies,
elected officials, and other interested
individuals and organizations. The
public comment period will end May
19, 2008.
Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are
available for public review at the
following libraries: Bay County Public
Library, 25 West Government Street,
Panama City, FL 32401; Gulf County
Public Library, 110 Library Drive, Port
St. Joe, FL 32456; Fort Walton Beach
Public Library, 185 Miracle Strip Pkwy
SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548; and
Pensacola Public Library, 200 West
Gregory Street Pensacola, FL 32501.
The Draft EIS/OEIS is also available
for electronic public viewing at https://
nswcpc.navsea.navy.mil/
Environment.htm. A paper copy of the
Executive Summary or a single CD of
the Draft EIS/OEIS will be made
available upon request by contacting
Mrs. Carmen Ferrer, Naval Surface
Warfare Center Panama City Division,
110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City,
Florida 32407; E-mail:
carmen.ferrer@navy.mil.
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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 9, 2008 / Notices
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 three (3) minutes. If a long statement
is to be presented, it should be
summarized at the public hearing and
the full text submitted in writing at the
hearing, mailed to Mrs. Carmen Ferrer,
Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama
City Division, 110 Vernon Avenue,
Panama City, Florida 32407 or
submitted via e-mail to
nswcpcpaowebmanager@navy.mil.
All written comments must be
postmarked or received by May 19,
2008, to ensure they become part of the
official record. All comments will be
responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS.
Dated: April 3, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General’s Corps,
U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–7461 Filed 4–8–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Terminate the Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Introduction of F/A–
18E/F (Super Hornet) Aircraft to the
East Coast of the United States
(Construction and Operation of an
Outlying Landing Field); To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
Construction and Operation of an
Outlying Landing Field To Support
Carrier Air Wing Aircraft at Naval Air
Station Oceana and Naval Station
Norfolk, VA; and To Announce Public
Scoping Meetings
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
SUMMARY: In a Notice of Intent
published on June 24, 2005 (70 Federal
Register [FR] 36566), the Department of
the Navy announced its intent to
prepare a Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (SEIS) to provide
additional analysis of the environmental
consequences associated with the
construction and operation of an
Outlying Landing Field (OLF) needed to
support operations of Super Hornet
squadrons stationed at Naval Air Station
(NAS) Oceana, Virginia, and Marine
Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point,
North Carolina. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) published a
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft
SEIS on February 23, 2007 (72 FR 8155).
Pursuant to section (102)(2)(c) of the
National Environmental Policy Act
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18:06 Apr 08, 2008
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(NEPA) of 1969 and the regulations
implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts
1500–1508), the Navy announces its
intent to terminate the Draft SEIS for the
Introduction of F/A–18E/F (Super
Hornet) Aircraft to the East Coast of the
United States (Construction and
Operation of an Outlying Landing Field)
and prepare an EIS to evaluate potential
environmental consequences of the
construction and operation of an OLF at
new alternative sites to support Field
Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) training
requirements for carrier-based fixedwing aircraft stationed at and transient
to NAS Oceana and Naval Station (NS)
Norfolk Chambers Field, Virginia. The
five new alternative OLF sites identified
to date are: (1) Cabin Point Site, located
in Surry, Prince George, and Sussex
counties, Virginia; (2) Dory Site, located
in Southampton and Sussex counties,
Virginia; (3) Mason Site, located in
Sussex and Southampton counties,
Virginia; (4) Sandbanks Site, located in
Gates and Hertford counties, North
Carolina; and (5) Hale’s Lake Site,
located in Camden and Currituck
counties, North Carolina. These five site
alternatives were identified by applying
operational, environmental and
population criteria to a list of 13 new
sites provided by the State of North
Carolina and the Commonwealth of
Virginia, as well as on the five sites
examined in the Draft SEIS.
Dates and Addresses: The Navy is
initiating a scoping process to identify
community concerns and local issues
that will be addressed in the EIS.
Federal, state, and local elected officials
and agencies and interested persons are
encouraged to provide comments to the
Navy to identify environmental
concerns that should be addressed in
the EIS. To be most helpful, scoping
comments should clearly describe the
specific issues or topics the EIS should
address.
Public scoping meetings, using an
Open House format, will be held to
receive written comments or concerns
that should be addressed in the EIS.
Public scoping meetings will be as
follows:
1. Currituck County, North Carolina.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension,
Currituck County Center, 120
Community Way, Barco, NC 27917 on
April 28, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
2. Prince George County, Virginia.
J.E.J Moore Middle School, 11455 Prince
George Drive, Disputanta, VA 23842 on
April 29, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
3. Sussex County, Virginia. Sussex
Central High School, 21394 Sussex
Drive, Sussex, VA 23884 on April 30,
2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
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4. Southampton County, Virginia.
Southampton High School, 23350
Southampton Parkway, Courtland, VA
23837 on May 1, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
5. Gates County, North Carolina. Gates
County High School, 088 U.S. Highway
158 West, Gatesville, NC 27938 on May
2, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
6. Camden County, North Carolina.
Camden County High School, 103 U.S.
Highway 158 West, Camden, NC 27921
on May 5, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and
7. Surry County, Virginia. Surry
Central High School, 1675 Hollybush
Road, Dendron, VA 23839 on May 7,
2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The dates, times, and locations of
public scoping meetings are also
available at (https://www.olfeis.com), and
will be provided to local and regional
media serving localities in the vicinity
of proposed OLF sites.
Comments can be made in the
following ways: (1) Written statements
submitted to Navy representatives at the
public scoping open houses; (2) written
statements mailed to Commander, Naval
Facilities Engineering Command
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard,
Norfolk, Virginia 23508, Attn: Code EV
OLF Project Manager; and (3) written
statements submitted via the Web site at
https://www.OLFEIS.com. All written
comments must be postmarked by June
7, 2008.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy
proposes to construct an OLF that will
support the FCLP operations of carrierbased fixed-wing aircraft squadrons
stationed at and transient to NAS
Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia (F/A–
18C Hornet and F/A–18E/F Super
Hornet squadrons and Fleet
Replacement Squadrons (FRS)), and NS
Norfolk Chambers Field, Norfolk,
Virginia (E–2C Hawkeye, C–2A
Greyhound, and E–2C/C–2A FRS).
While NALF Fentress will continue
providing necessary support for FCLP
and other training requirements, this
landing field alone cannot fully support
training requirements of home-based
and transient aircraft from NAS Oceana
and NS Norfolk Chambers Field.
Training requirements for aircraft based
at these airfields can exceed NALF
Fentress capacity up to 63% of the time
during summertime when hours of
darkness are limited. Capacity problems
are further exacerbated when
operational demands require surging
additional carrier strike groups. A new
OLF is required to provide year-round
capacity to support FCLP training
requirements under the Fleet Response
Plan, provide operational flexibility
needed to respond to emergent national
defense requirements, and FCLP
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19194-19196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7461]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings for the Naval Surface Warfare Center
Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Mission Activities Draft Environmental
Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Presidential
Executive Order 12114, 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) on March 27, 2008, to evaluate the potential environmental
effects associated with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City
Division (NSWC PCD) mission activities within the NSWC PCD Study Area,
which includes St. Andrew Bay (SAB), and military warning areas W-151
(includes Panama City Operating Area), W-155 (includes Pensacola
Operating Area), and W-470.
The Proposed Action is to improve NSWC PCD's capabilities to
conduct new and increased mission operations for the Department of
Defense (DoD) and its customers within the NSWC PCD Study Area. The
research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities
occurring in these areas include air
[[Page 19195]]
operations, surface operations, subsurface operations, sonar
operations, electromagnetic operations, laser operations, ordnance
operations, and projectile firing. A Notice of Intent for this Draft
EIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2004 (69
FR 51453).
The Navy will conduct three 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.
Dates and Addresses: 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.
In addition, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is
participating as a cooperating agency in the development of the EIS,
will be represented at the open houses and public hearings. All
meetings will start with an open house from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Presentations and public comment will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Public hearings will be held on the following dates and at the
following locations:
1. May 5, 2008, Gulf Coast Community College, Student Union
Conference Center, 5230 West Hwy 98, Panama City, Florida,
2. May 6, 2008, Pensacola Junior College--Warrington Campus,
McMillian Auditorium, 5555 Highway 98 West, Pensacola, Florida,
3. May 7, 2008, Port St. Joe Elementary School Auditorium, 2201
Long Avenue, Port St. Joe, Florida.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Carmen Ferrer, Naval Surface
Warfare Center Panama City Division, 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City,
Florida 32407; telephone: 850-234-4146; E-mail carmen.ferrer@navy.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NSWC PCD is the United States (U.S.) Navy's
premier research and development organization focused on littoral
(coastal region) warfare and expeditionary (designed for military
operations abroad) warfare. NSWC PCD provides in-water research,
development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) in support of expeditionary
maneuver warfare, operations in extreme environments, mine warfare,
maritime operations, and coastal operations.
NSWC PCD is the nation's principal repository of this expertise
supported by a diverse technical workforce in these areas that are
critical to the future of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps operations.
In accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5000.1, test
and evaluation support is to be integrated throughout the defense
acquisition process (the process that encompasses every aspect of
identifying, developing, and procuring defense systems) and is
structured to provide essential information to decision makers. Such
testing is used to validate the technical performance parameters
(whether a given system performs as expected) and to determine whether
systems are operationally effective, suitable, survivable, and safe for
their intended use.
It is the mission of NSWC PCD to provide RDT&E, as well as in-
service support for amphibious warfare, diving, maritime special
operations, mine warfare (mines and mine countermeasures), and other
naval missions that take place in the coastal region. The
infrastructure has been established at NSWC PCD to support this
mission. A unique feature of NSWC PCD that is unduplicated in the U.S.
is the natural operating environment provided by the ready access to
the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and its associated littoral and coastal
regions. The GOM provides a surrogate environment for most of the
littoral areas of the world in which the Navy will find itself
operating for the foreseeable future.
The NSWC PCD Draft EIS/OEIS addresses all of the identified RDT&E
operations that occur within the NSWC PCD Study Area. The NSWC PCD
RDT&E activities may be conducted anywhere within the existing military
operating areas and St. Andrews Bay from the mean high water line
(average high tide mark) out to 222 kilometer (120 nautical miles)
offshore.
The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of
three alternatives, including two action alternatives (Alternatives 1
and 2) and the No Action Alternative. The No Action Alternative
addresses historical and current mission activities (referred to
cumulatively as ``baseline mission activities'') for the NSWC PCD Study
Area. Alternatives 1 and 2 analyze baseline activities, as well as
future growth requirements for missions and activity levels. The
development process incorporated the need to support future test
capabilities, expand required mission capabilities, and increase the
baseline tempo and intensity of activities. Alternative 2 is the Navy's
preferred alternative.
No significant adverse impacts are identified for any resource area
in any geographic location within the NSWC PCD Study Area that cannot
be mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals and sea
turtles to underwater sound. The Navy will apply to NMFS for a Marine
Mammal Protection Act Letter of Authorization (LOA) and governing
regulations to authorize incidental takes of marine mammals that may
result from the implementation of the activities analyzed in the Draft
EIS/OEIS. NMFS is participating as a cooperating agency in the
development of this Draft EIS/OEIS. NMFS staff will be present at the
scheduled open houses and public hearings and available to discuss both
the MMPA incidental take authorization process and NMFS's participation
in the development of the EIS/OEIS.
The Draft EIS/OEIS is being mailed to Federal, State, and local
agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and
organizations. The public comment period will end May 19, 2008.
Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available for public review at the
following libraries: Bay County Public Library, 25 West Government
Street, Panama City, FL 32401; Gulf County Public Library, 110 Library
Drive, Port St. Joe, FL 32456; Fort Walton Beach Public Library, 185
Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548; and Pensacola
Public Library, 200 West Gregory Street Pensacola, FL 32501.
The Draft EIS/OEIS is also available for electronic public viewing
at https://nswcpc.navsea.navy.mil/Environment.htm. A paper copy of the
Executive Summary or a single CD of the Draft EIS/OEIS will be made
available upon request by contacting Mrs. Carmen Ferrer, Naval Surface
Warfare Center Panama City Division, 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City,
Florida 32407; E-mail: carmen.ferrer@navy.mil.
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.
[[Page 19196]]
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 three (3) minutes. If a long statement is
to be presented, it should be summarized at the public hearing and the
full text submitted in writing at the hearing, mailed to Mrs. Carmen
Ferrer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, 110 Vernon
Avenue, Panama City, Florida 32407 or submitted via e-mail to
nswcpcpaowebmanager@navy.mil.
All written comments must be postmarked or received by May 19,
2008, to ensure they become part of the official record. All comments
will be responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS.
Dated: April 3, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-7461 Filed 4-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
