Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Expansion of the Powder River Complex Near Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, 30903 [E8-11957]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Air Force
• Air Force Department

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 104 (Thursday, May 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 30903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11957]



[[Page 30903]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Expansion of the Powder River Complex Near Ellsworth AFB, South 
Dakota

AGENCY: Air Combat Command, Department of the Air Force.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and 
procedures (32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS). The EIS will assess the potential environmental 
consequences of a proposal to expand and enhance the Air Force's 
existing Powder River Complex (PRC) which currently has both airspace 
and ground-based Air Force training assets in South Dakota, Wyoming, 
and Montana.
    The Air Force proposal would establish the Powder River Training 
Complex (PRTC). The PRTC would more effectively use limited resources 
and finite flying hours by providing locally the realistic training 
needed by B-1 and B-52 aircrews flying from Ellsworth Air Force Base 
(AFB) and Minot AFB, respectively. This would address the training and 
other limitations affecting the existing PRC training assets as they 
are currently configured. The proposed action would restructure and 
reconfigure the existing PRC Military Operations Areas (MOAs) and 
associated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA), establish 
additional MOA/ATCAA combinations in portions of South Dakota, North 
Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, and include Gap MOAs to link these 
airspace units together for anticipated quarterly exercises. The 
resulting PRTC would provide a versatile, scalable complex with more 
realistic, effective, and efficient air combat training. Under each 
action alternative, the proposal would add new airspace with a floor of 
500 feet above ground level (AGL) and eliminate some existing airspace. 
The proposed PRTC would also support additional ground-based simulated 
threat emitters under the MOAs, authorize use of defensive chaff and 
flares throughout the special use airspace, and permit supersonic 
flight above 10,000 feet AGL (above ground level) within the special 
use airspace. Changes to the airspace would permit increased local 
training throughout the MOAs and ATCAAs and provide for almost a full 
range of required combat training missions which replicate the combat 
conditions faced by Ellsworth AFB and Minot AFB aircrews. The modular 
design of the airspace would provide for more viable combat training 
with today's technological systems, and support missions such as 
dissimilar air combat training, network linked operations, and large 
force exercises. Three action alternatives and a no-action alternative 
have currently been identified for analyses (per 40 CFR 1502.14(d)). 
Alternative A, Full PRTC, would establish low (MOAs) and high (ATCAA) 
airspace that would expand the area overflown at low altitude from the 
existing approximately 5,900 square miles to approximately 31,700 
square miles. Under Alternative B the low-altitude MOA airspace would 
overfly approximately 22,800 square miles. Under Alternative C the low-
altitude MOA airspace would overfly approximately 24,500 square miles. 
The proposed ATCAA airspace would overfly approximately 37,800 square 
miles under Alternatives A, B, or C. Under the no action alternative, 
the existing PRC would continue with low altitude MOAs overflying 
approximately 5,900 square miles and ATCAAs overflying approximately 
14,100 square miles.

DATES: The Air Force will host a series of public scoping meetings in 
communities underlying and/or adjacent to the proposed action. The 
purpose of these meetings is to receive public input on the proposed 
action and alternatives, as well as gain a better understanding of the 
potential issues and concerns related to this proposal. All public 
meetings will be held from 4-7 p.m. The schedule and locations of the 
scoping meetings are provided below:
    1. Monday, June 16, 2008: Rapid City Public Library, 610 Quincy 
Street, Rapid City, SD.
    2. Tuesday, June 17, 2008: Community Center, 1111 National Street, 
Belle Fourche, SD.
    3. Wednesday, June 18, 2008: Crook County Public Library, 414 E. 
Main Street, Sundance, WY.
    4. Thursday, June 19, 2008: Campbell County Fire Department, 106 
Rohan Ave, Gillette, WY.
    5. Friday, June 20, 2008: Sheridan Senior Center, 211 Smith Street, 
Sheridan, WY.
    6. Monday, June 23, 2008: Hardin Chamber of Commerce, 10 E. 
Railroad Street, Hardin, MT.
    7. Tuesday, June 24, 2008: IDCLC, 520 Poplar Drive, Colstrip, MT.
    8. Wednesday, June 25, 2008: Miles Community College, 2715 
Dickinson, Miles City, MT.
    9. Thursday, June 26, 2008: St. Joan of Arc Parish Hall, Church 
Street, Ekalaka, MT.
    10. Friday, June 27, 2008: Powder River County District High 
School, 500 North Trautman, Broadus, MT.
    11. Tuesday, July 8, 2008: Baker High School, 1015 South Third 
Street West, Baker, MT.
    12. Wednesday, July 9, 2008: City Hall, 101 First Street, SW, 
Bowman, ND.
    13. Thursday, July 10, 2008: Elgin Community Center, 305 N Main 
St., Elgin, ND.
    14. Monday, July 14, 2008: Harding County Memorial Recreation 
Center, West Allison Street, Buffalo, SD.
    15. Tuesday, July 15, 2008: Bison School Cafeteria, 200 E. Carr 
St., Bison, SD.
    Additional community meetings are being coordinated for the Crow 
Indian Reservation, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Standing Rock 
Indian Reservation and Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

ADDRESSES: Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested groups 
and persons are invited to attend the scoping open house meetings. All 
are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action either at the 
scoping meetings or by mail, postmarked no later than August 4, 2008 to 
ensure proper consideration in the environmental impact analyses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct written comments or requests 
for further information to: Ms. Linda DeVine, HQ ACC/A7PP, 129 Andrews 
Street, Suite 122 (Room 317), Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769 (757-764-
9434).

Bao-Anh Trinh,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-11957 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]
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