Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Modernization and Expansion of Townsend Bombing Range, GA, 41385-41387 [2012-17098]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2012–17111 Filed 7–12–12; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Modernization and
Expansion of Townsend Bombing
Range, GA
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
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Pursuant to Section
(102)(2)(c) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (42 United States Code [U.S.C.]
Sections 4321–4370h); the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts
1500–1508); Department of the Navy
Procedures for Implementing NEPA (32
CFR part 775); and Marine Corps NEPA
directives (Marine Corps Order
P5090.2A), the U. S. Marine Corps
(USMC)as prepared and filed with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) that evaluates potential
environmental impacts of acquiring
additional property and constructing the
necessary infrastructure to allow the use
of inert precision-guided munitions
(PGMs) at Townsend Bombing Range
(TBR), Georgia. Through the use of
PGMs at TBR, the USMC can more
efficiently meet current training
requirements for pilots by significantly
increasing air-to-ground training
capabilities for Marine Air Group
(MAG) 31 stationed at Marine Corps Air
Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South
Carolina.
With the filing of the Draft EIS, the
USMC is initiating a 45-day public
comment period and has scheduled two
public open house meetings to receive
oral and written comments on the Draft
EIS. Federal, state and local agencies
and interested parties are encouraged to
provide comments in person at the
public meetings, or in writing anytime
during the public comment period. This
notice announces the dates and
locations of the public meetings and
provides supplementary information
about the environmental planning effort.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS
public review period will begin July 13,
2012 and end August 27, 2012. The two
public meetings will inform the public
about the proposed action and the
alternatives under consideration, and
provide an opportunity for the public to
comment on the Draft EIS. USMC
representatives will be on hand to
discuss the NEPA process, findings, and
the Proposed Action presented in the
Draft EIS. The public meetings will be
held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the
following dates and at the following
locations in Georgia:
(1) Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at McIntosh
County Middle School Gymnasium
500 Green Street Darien, GA 31305.
(2) Thursday, August 9, 2012 at City
Hall of Ludowici Meeting Room 469
North Macon Street Ludowici, GA
31316.
SUMMARY:
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41385
Copies of the Draft EIS are available
for public review at the following public
libraries:
Ida Hilton Public Library, 1105 North
Way, Darien, GA, 31305;
Long County Public Library, 28 S. Main
Street, Ludowici, GA, 31316; and Hog
Hammock Public Library, 1023
Hillery Lane, Sapelo Island, GA,
31327.
The Draft EIS was distributed to
Federal, State, and local agencies,
elected officials, and other interested
parties and individuals on July 13, 2012.
The document can be viewed online
and downloaded from https://
www.townsendbombingrangeeis.com.
A copy of the Draft EIS will also be
made available upon written request to
Townsend Bombing Range EIS Project
Manager, Post Office Box 180458,
Tallahassee, Florida, 32318.
Comments: Attendees will be able to
submit written comments at the public
meeting; a stenographer will also be
present to transcribe oral comments.
Equal weight will be given to oral and
written statements. Comments on the
Draft EIS can be submitted via the
project email address
(townsendbombingrangeeise@ene.com),
project Web site or submitted in writing
to: Townsend Bombing Range EIS
Project Manager, Post Office Box
180458, Tallahassee, Florida, 32318. All
comments must be postmarked or
electronically dated on or before August
27, 2012 to be sure they become part of
the public record. All statements, oral
transcription and written, submitted
during the public review period will
become part of the public record on the
Draft EIS and will be responded to in
the Final EIS.
FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE: Contact Capt.
Cochran, 596 Geiger Blvd. MCAS
Beaufort, SC 29904 at 843–228–6123.
Please submit requests for special
assistance, sign language interpretation
for the hearing impaired, or other
auxiliary aids at the public meeting to
Capt. Cochran.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice
of Intent to prepare this EIS was
published in the Federal Register on
August 6, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 151,
pp. 47564–47565).
Purpose and Need: The purpose of the
Proposed Action is to provide an air-toground training range capable of
providing a wider variety of air-toground operations, including the use of
PGMs, to meet current training
requirements. The Proposed Action is
needed to more efficiently meet current
training requirements for USMC
aviation assets by significantly
increasing air-to-ground training
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41386
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
capabilities in the Beaufort, South
Carolina Region.
Proposed Action: The Proposed
Action evaluated in the Draft EIS is to
modernize and expand TBR to
accommodate the MAG–31 requirement
to train with inert PGMs and the larger
Weapons Danger Zones (WDZs) their
use requires. To accomplish this, the
USMC proposes to acquire lands in the
vicinity of TBR on which to create new
target areas to allow for a greater variety
of training activities. The Proposed
Action includes five interrelated
components:
(1) Acquisition of land adjacent to
TBR to accommodate the larger WDZs
required for PGM training. To
effectively deliver PGMs at TBR, the
land area must be increased to ensure
the containment of the WDZs, allow for
their realistic combat employment, and
ensure the safety of military personnel
and civilians present at and around
TBR.
(2) Acquisition of a timber easement
within the current TBR boundary to
ensure public safety. It is necessary for
the USMC to own all the timberland and
to manage it in support of mission
requirements.
(3) Modification of existing airspace
Restricted Area R–3007C by extending
the current restricted area laterally to
the proposed acquisition area boundary.
The purpose of this additional airspace
is to exclude non-participating aircraft
from intruding into hazardous
operations, as required by Federal
Aviation Administration regulations.
The proposed modification would
eliminate the current gap from 100 feet
Above Ground Level down to the
surface of the ground over the areas
proposed for acquisition.
(4) Construction of Infrastructure to
support PGM training. This includes the
placement and/or construction of new
targets, a new observation tower, and
support facilities, as well as additional
utilities, roads, and fencing.
(5) Improvement of training
capabilities of the individual aircrew
air-to-ground ordnance delivery training
syllabus for the F/A–18. Currently,
MAG 31 pilots can accomplish less than
half of their air-to-ground training
requirements at TBR. The expansion of
TBR and the creation of new target areas
would increase capabilities from 47
percent to 85 percent of the individual
air-to-ground ordnance delivery training
syllabus for the F/A–18 at TBR.
Alternatives Considered in the Draft
EIS: The Draft EIS examines four action
alternatives and a No Action
Alternative. All four action alternatives
would involve the acquisition and
management of land and a timber
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easement, the modification of existing
airspace, the infrastructure to support
PGM training, and would result in the
improvement of training capabilities.
The land acquired under each action
alternative would involve different
strategic combinations of three possible
land acquisition areas (referred to in the
Draft EIS as ‘‘Acquisition Area 1A,’’
‘‘Acquisition Area 1B,’’ and
‘‘Acquisition Area 3’’). Similarly under
all four action alternatives, the USMC
proposes to modify the existing airspace
based on the amount of land acquired.
Any combination of the land proposed
to be acquired would be under the
current Restricted Area R–3007.
Alternative 1 includes Acquisition
Area 1A and Acquisition Area 1B,
totaling an acquisition of 11,187 acres.
Alternative 1 also includes the
acquisition of a 3,007-acre timber
easement. Restricted Area R–3007A
would be modified by extending the
current restricted area laterally to the
proposed acquisition area boundary.
The proposed modification would
eliminate the current gap from 100 feet
above ground level down to the surface
of the ground over the areas that are
proposed for acquisition. Alternative 1
includes the construction of three new
target areas: Target Area 6 (Airfield Site
with Simulated Petroleum, Oil, and
Lubricants [POL] Site/Fuel Farm);
Target Area 7 (Urban Target Area
[UTA]); and Target Area 8 (Fuel Farm/
POL Site). Under Alternative 1, air-toground training capabilities would
increase from 47 percent up to 72
percent.
Alternative 2 includes Acquisition
Area 3, totaling an acquisition of 23,480
acres. Like Alternative 1, Alternative 2
also includes the acquisition of the
timber easement and the same
modification to existing airspace.
Alternative 2 includes the construction
of five new target areas: Target Area 1
(UTA); Target Area 2 (Terrorist Training
Camp); Target Area 3 (Conventional
Bull’s Eye); Target Area 4 (Convoy Site);
and Target Area 5 (Train Depot). Under
Alternative 2, air-to-ground training
capabilities would increase from 47
percent up to 85 percent.
Alternative 3 includes Acquisition
Area 1A, Acquisition Area 1B, and
Acquisition Area 3, totaling an
acquisition of 34,667 acres. Like
Alternatives 1 and 2, Alternative 3
includes the acquisition of the timber
easement and the same modification to
existing airspace. Alternative 3 includes
the construction of eight new target
areas (Target Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and
8), and training capabilities would
increase from 47 percent up to 85
percent.
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Alternative 4 (Preferred Alternative)
includes Acquisition Area 1B and
Acquisition Area 3, totaling an
acquisition of 28,436 acres. Like
Alternatives 1, 2, and 3, Alternative 4
includes the acquisition of the timber
easement and the same modification to
existing airspace. Alternative 4 includes
the construction of six new target areas
(Target Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8), and
training capabilities would increase
from 47 percent up to 85 percent.
No Action Alternative. Under the No
Action Alternative, the Proposed Action
would not take place and the status quo
would continue, the USMC would not
acquire any land for training purposes,
and training operations at TBR would
not change. The No Action Alternative
would not provide a local East Coast
range capable of supporting the use of
PGMs by MAG–31. Aviation units
stationed at MCAS Beaufort would
continue to deploy to the southwestern
United States to undergo PGM training
and meet individual aircrew training
requirements. TBR would continue to
support current training operations, but
would be unable to accommodate PGM
training.
Environmental Issues: The Draft EIS
evaluates the potential environmental
effects associated with each of the
alternatives. Issues addressed include:
Land use; socioeconomics; recreation;
wetlands; water resources; airspace;
noise; biological resources; cultural
resources; air quality; transportation;
noise; biological resources; cultural
resources; topography, geology, and
soils; utilities and infrastructure; and
hazardous materials and waste. The
Draft EIS also analyzes cumulative
impacts from other past, present, and
reasonably foreseeable future actions
occurring near the project area.
Environmental consequences of the
Proposed Action would principally
arise from tax revenue and timber sales
tax revenue lost in both McIntosh and
Long Counties, Georgia. Relevant and
reasonable measures that could alleviate
environmental effects have been
considered.
Schedule: A 45-day public comment
period will start upon publication of the
EPA Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register. Comments on the
Draft EIS must be received by August
27, 2012. The Department of the Navy
(DoN) will consider and respond to all
comments received on the Draft EIS
when preparing the Final EIS. The DoN
expects to issue the Final EIS in spring
2013, at which time a NOA will be
published in the Federal Register and
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
local print media. A Record of Decision
is expected in summer 2013.
J.M. Beal,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge
Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Federal
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–17098 Filed 7–12–12; 8:45 am]
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and Developing Strategies To Meet
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Overview Information:
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Center (RRTCs) on Vocational
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Notice inviting applications for new
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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
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Date of Pre-Application Meeting:
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Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: August 27, 2012.
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Full Text of Announcement
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The purpose of the RRTCs, which are
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Priorities: This competition includes
two absolute priorities. The General
RRTC Requirements priority is from the
notice of final priorities for the
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Vocational Rehabilitation and
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These priorities are:
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Note: The full text of these priorities is
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priority for this program, published
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41387
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41385-41387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17098]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Modernization and Expansion of Townsend
Bombing Range, GA
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 United States Code [U.S.C.] Sections
4321-4370h); the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500-1508); Department of the Navy
Procedures for Implementing NEPA (32 CFR part 775); and Marine Corps
NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order P5090.2A), the U. S. Marine Corps
(USMC)as prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that
evaluates potential environmental impacts of acquiring additional
property and constructing the necessary infrastructure to allow the use
of inert precision-guided munitions (PGMs) at Townsend Bombing Range
(TBR), Georgia. Through the use of PGMs at TBR, the USMC can more
efficiently meet current training requirements for pilots by
significantly increasing air-to-ground training capabilities for Marine
Air Group (MAG) 31 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Beaufort, South Carolina.
With the filing of the Draft EIS, the USMC is initiating a 45-day
public comment period and has scheduled two public open house meetings
to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, state
and local agencies and interested parties are encouraged to provide
comments in person at the public meetings, or in writing anytime during
the public comment period. This notice announces the dates and
locations of the public meetings and provides supplementary information
about the environmental planning effort.
Dates and Addresses: The Draft EIS public review period will begin
July 13, 2012 and end August 27, 2012. The two public meetings will
inform the public about the proposed action and the alternatives under
consideration, and provide an opportunity for the public to comment on
the Draft EIS. USMC representatives will be on hand to discuss the NEPA
process, findings, and the Proposed Action presented in the Draft EIS.
The public meetings will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the
following dates and at the following locations in Georgia:
(1) Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at McIntosh County Middle School Gymnasium
500 Green Street Darien, GA 31305.
(2) Thursday, August 9, 2012 at City Hall of Ludowici Meeting Room 469
North Macon Street Ludowici, GA 31316.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at the
following public libraries:
Ida Hilton Public Library, 1105 North Way, Darien, GA, 31305;
Long County Public Library, 28 S. Main Street, Ludowici, GA, 31316; and
Hog Hammock Public Library, 1023 Hillery Lane, Sapelo Island, GA,
31327.
The Draft EIS was distributed to Federal, State, and local
agencies, elected officials, and other interested parties and
individuals on July 13, 2012. The document can be viewed online and
downloaded from https://www.townsendbombingrangeeis.com.
A copy of the Draft EIS will also be made available upon written
request to Townsend Bombing Range EIS Project Manager, Post Office Box
180458, Tallahassee, Florida, 32318.
Comments: Attendees will be able to submit written comments at the
public meeting; a stenographer will also be present to transcribe oral
comments. Equal weight will be given to oral and written statements.
Comments on the Draft EIS can be submitted via the project email
address (townsendbombingrangeeise@ene.com), project Web site or
submitted in writing to: Townsend Bombing Range EIS Project Manager,
Post Office Box 180458, Tallahassee, Florida, 32318. All comments must
be postmarked or electronically dated on or before August 27, 2012 to
be sure they become part of the public record. All statements, oral
transcription and written, submitted during the public review period
will become part of the public record on the Draft EIS and will be
responded to in the Final EIS.
For Further Assistance: Contact Capt. Cochran, 596 Geiger Blvd. MCAS
Beaufort, SC 29904 at 843-228-6123. Please submit requests for special
assistance, sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired, or
other auxiliary aids at the public meeting to Capt. Cochran.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare this EIS was
published in the Federal Register on August 6, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 151,
pp. 47564-47565).
Purpose and Need: The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide
an air-to-ground training range capable of providing a wider variety of
air-to-ground operations, including the use of PGMs, to meet current
training requirements. The Proposed Action is needed to more
efficiently meet current training requirements for USMC aviation assets
by significantly increasing air-to-ground training
[[Page 41386]]
capabilities in the Beaufort, South Carolina Region.
Proposed Action: The Proposed Action evaluated in the Draft EIS is
to modernize and expand TBR to accommodate the MAG-31 requirement to
train with inert PGMs and the larger Weapons Danger Zones (WDZs) their
use requires. To accomplish this, the USMC proposes to acquire lands in
the vicinity of TBR on which to create new target areas to allow for a
greater variety of training activities. The Proposed Action includes
five interrelated components:
(1) Acquisition of land adjacent to TBR to accommodate the larger
WDZs required for PGM training. To effectively deliver PGMs at TBR, the
land area must be increased to ensure the containment of the WDZs,
allow for their realistic combat employment, and ensure the safety of
military personnel and civilians present at and around TBR.
(2) Acquisition of a timber easement within the current TBR
boundary to ensure public safety. It is necessary for the USMC to own
all the timberland and to manage it in support of mission requirements.
(3) Modification of existing airspace Restricted Area R-3007C by
extending the current restricted area laterally to the proposed
acquisition area boundary. The purpose of this additional airspace is
to exclude non-participating aircraft from intruding into hazardous
operations, as required by Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
The proposed modification would eliminate the current gap from 100 feet
Above Ground Level down to the surface of the ground over the areas
proposed for acquisition.
(4) Construction of Infrastructure to support PGM training. This
includes the placement and/or construction of new targets, a new
observation tower, and support facilities, as well as additional
utilities, roads, and fencing.
(5) Improvement of training capabilities of the individual aircrew
air-to-ground ordnance delivery training syllabus for the F/A-18.
Currently, MAG 31 pilots can accomplish less than half of their air-to-
ground training requirements at TBR. The expansion of TBR and the
creation of new target areas would increase capabilities from 47
percent to 85 percent of the individual air-to-ground ordnance delivery
training syllabus for the F/A-18 at TBR.
Alternatives Considered in the Draft EIS: The Draft EIS examines
four action alternatives and a No Action Alternative. All four action
alternatives would involve the acquisition and management of land and a
timber easement, the modification of existing airspace, the
infrastructure to support PGM training, and would result in the
improvement of training capabilities. The land acquired under each
action alternative would involve different strategic combinations of
three possible land acquisition areas (referred to in the Draft EIS as
``Acquisition Area 1A,'' ``Acquisition Area 1B,'' and ``Acquisition
Area 3''). Similarly under all four action alternatives, the USMC
proposes to modify the existing airspace based on the amount of land
acquired. Any combination of the land proposed to be acquired would be
under the current Restricted Area R-3007.
Alternative 1 includes Acquisition Area 1A and Acquisition Area 1B,
totaling an acquisition of 11,187 acres. Alternative 1 also includes
the acquisition of a 3,007-acre timber easement. Restricted Area R-
3007A would be modified by extending the current restricted area
laterally to the proposed acquisition area boundary. The proposed
modification would eliminate the current gap from 100 feet above ground
level down to the surface of the ground over the areas that are
proposed for acquisition. Alternative 1 includes the construction of
three new target areas: Target Area 6 (Airfield Site with Simulated
Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants [POL] Site/Fuel Farm); Target Area 7
(Urban Target Area [UTA]); and Target Area 8 (Fuel Farm/POL Site).
Under Alternative 1, air-to-ground training capabilities would increase
from 47 percent up to 72 percent.
Alternative 2 includes Acquisition Area 3, totaling an acquisition
of 23,480 acres. Like Alternative 1, Alternative 2 also includes the
acquisition of the timber easement and the same modification to
existing airspace. Alternative 2 includes the construction of five new
target areas: Target Area 1 (UTA); Target Area 2 (Terrorist Training
Camp); Target Area 3 (Conventional Bull's Eye); Target Area 4 (Convoy
Site); and Target Area 5 (Train Depot). Under Alternative 2, air-to-
ground training capabilities would increase from 47 percent up to 85
percent.
Alternative 3 includes Acquisition Area 1A, Acquisition Area 1B,
and Acquisition Area 3, totaling an acquisition of 34,667 acres. Like
Alternatives 1 and 2, Alternative 3 includes the acquisition of the
timber easement and the same modification to existing airspace.
Alternative 3 includes the construction of eight new target areas
(Target Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8), and training capabilities
would increase from 47 percent up to 85 percent.
Alternative 4 (Preferred Alternative) includes Acquisition Area 1B
and Acquisition Area 3, totaling an acquisition of 28,436 acres. Like
Alternatives 1, 2, and 3, Alternative 4 includes the acquisition of the
timber easement and the same modification to existing airspace.
Alternative 4 includes the construction of six new target areas (Target
Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8), and training capabilities would increase
from 47 percent up to 85 percent.
No Action Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, the
Proposed Action would not take place and the status quo would continue,
the USMC would not acquire any land for training purposes, and training
operations at TBR would not change. The No Action Alternative would not
provide a local East Coast range capable of supporting the use of PGMs
by MAG-31. Aviation units stationed at MCAS Beaufort would continue to
deploy to the southwestern United States to undergo PGM training and
meet individual aircrew training requirements. TBR would continue to
support current training operations, but would be unable to accommodate
PGM training.
Environmental Issues: The Draft EIS evaluates the potential
environmental effects associated with each of the alternatives. Issues
addressed include: Land use; socioeconomics; recreation; wetlands;
water resources; airspace; noise; biological resources; cultural
resources; air quality; transportation; noise; biological resources;
cultural resources; topography, geology, and soils; utilities and
infrastructure; and hazardous materials and waste. The Draft EIS also
analyzes cumulative impacts from other past, present, and reasonably
foreseeable future actions occurring near the project area.
Environmental consequences of the Proposed Action would principally
arise from tax revenue and timber sales tax revenue lost in both
McIntosh and Long Counties, Georgia. Relevant and reasonable measures
that could alleviate environmental effects have been considered.
Schedule: A 45-day public comment period will start upon
publication of the EPA Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal
Register. Comments on the Draft EIS must be received by August 27,
2012. The Department of the Navy (DoN) will consider and respond to all
comments received on the Draft EIS when preparing the Final EIS. The
DoN expects to issue the Final EIS in spring 2013, at which time a NOA
will be published in the Federal Register and
[[Page 41387]]
local print media. A Record of Decision is expected in summer 2013.
J.M. Beal,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-17098 Filed 7-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
