Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Outdoor Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Activities, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, VA, 51528-51530 [2012-20937]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2012 / Notices
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Marine Corps aviation assets by
significantly increasing air-to-ground
training capabilities in the Beaufort,
South Carolina Region. The Draft EIS
has identified and considered four
action alternatives and a No Action
alternative.
More information of the Draft EIS can
be found in the previously published
NOA and NOPM (see Federal Register
on Friday, July 13, 2012 (Federal
Register/Vol. 77, No. 135, Pages 41385–
41387 (NOPMs) and Page 41403 (NOA)).
Federal, State, and local agencies,
elected officials, and other interested
parties and individuals, are invited and
encouraged to review and comment on
the Draft EIS. 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
September 27, 2012 to be sure they
become part of the public record.
The Draft EIS has been distributed to
various Federal, State, local agencies,
and Native American Tribes, as well as
other interested parties and individuals.
In addition, 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.
An electronic copy of the Draft EIS is
also available for public viewing at
https://
www.townsendbombingrangeeis.com.
To be considered, all comments on
the Draft EIS must be received by
September 27, 2012. The 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
local print media. A Record of Decision
is expected in summer 2013.
Dated: August 17, 2012.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, U. S. Navy, Office
of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–20872 Filed 8–23–12; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
Outdoor Research, Development, Test
and Evaluation Activities, Naval
Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren
Division, Dahlgren, VA
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Pursuant to Section
(102)(2)(c) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the Council on Environmental Quality
regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40
Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500–
1508), the Department of the Navy
(DoN) has prepared and filed with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to evaluate the potential
environmental effects of expanding
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren
Division’s (NSWCDD) research,
development, test and evaluation
(RDT&E) activities within the Potomac
River Test Range (PRTR) complex,
Explosives Experimental Area (EEA)
Range complex, the Mission Area, and
Special-Use Airspace (SUA) located at
Naval Support Facility (NSF) Dahlgren,
Dahlgren, VA.
The DoN will conduct three public
hearings to receive oral and written
comments on the Draft EIS. Federal,
state, and local agencies, elected
officials, and other interested
individuals and organizations 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.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Public hearings
will be held on the following dates and
locations:
1. September 11, 2012 at the Newburg
Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire
Department, 12245 Rock Point Road,
Newburg, MD 20664;
2. September 12, 2012 at the A.T.
Johnson Alumni Museum, 18849 Kings
Highway, Montross, VA 22520; and
3. September 13, 2012 at the Mary
Washington University-Dahlgren
Campus, 4224 University Drive, King
George, VA 22485.
All meetings will be held from 6:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will begin with a
presentation followed by a public
comment period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commander, Naval Surface Warfare
Center Dahlgren Division, 6149 Welsh
Road, Suite 203, Dahlgren, VA 22448–
SUMMARY:
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5130, Attn: Code C6 (NSWCDD PAO),
Fax: 1–540–653–4679, Email:
DLGR_NSWC_EIS@NAVY.MIL, Phone:
1–540–653–8154, or Web site: https://
www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/
EIS/index.aspx.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice
of Intent to prepare the NSWCDD
Outdoor RDT&E Activities Draft EIS was
published in the Federal Register on
June 18, 2007 (72 FR 33456–33457).
Five public scoping meetings were held
on the following dates and locations:
1. July 23, 2007, Shiloh Baptist
Church, 13457 Kings Highway, King
George, VA 22485;
2. July 24, 2007, Christ Episcopal
Church, 37497 Zach Fowler Road,
Chaptico, MD 20621;
3. July 25, 2007, La Plata Volunteer
Fire Department, 911 Washington
Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646;
4. July 30, 2007, Saint Mary’s
Episcopal Church, 203 Dennison Street,
Colonial Beach, VA 22443; and
5. July 31, 2007, Callao Rescue Squad
Hall, 1348 Northumberland Highway,
Callao, VA 22435.
The proposed action is to expand
NSWCDD’s RDT&E capabilities within
the PRTR Complex, the EEA Range
Complex, Mission Area, and SUA.
These RDT&E activities include outdoor
operations that require the use of
ordnance, high-power electromagnetic
(EM) energy, high-energy (HE) lasers,
and chemical and biological simulants
(non-toxic substances used to mimic
dangerous agents). Under the proposed
action, the average number of events
that could take place annually (with the
exception of large-caliber gun firing
events) would increase above current
baseline levels. To ensure that
equipment and materials work
effectively, even in less-than-ideal
conditions, some activities would take
place under conditions in which
activities are now rarely/never
conducted, such as at dusk, dawn, and
night and in adverse weather.
The purpose of the proposed action is
to enable NSWCDD to meet current and
future mission-related warfare and
force-protection requirements by
providing RDT&E of surface ship
combat systems, ordnance, HE lasers
and directed-energy systems, force-level
warfare, and homeland and force
protection.
The need for the proposed action is to
enable the DoN and other stakeholders
to successfully meet current and future
national and global defense challenges
required under 10 U.S.C. 5062 (2006) by
developing a robust capability to carry
out assigned RDT&E activities within
the PRTR and EEA Range Complexes,
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2012 / Notices
the Mission Area, and the SUA at NSF
Dahlgren.
NSWCDD evaluated a range of
alternatives that would meet action
objectives, and applied screening
criteria to identify those alternatives
that were ‘‘reasonable’’ (i.e., practical
and feasible). Reasonable alternatives
were carried through the Draft EIS
analysis. Screening criteria included:
1. Criterion 1—accommodate
historical and current, baseline RDT&E
mission requirements for activities that
have the potential to affect human
health and/or the environment; namely,
those involving ordnance, the use of
high-power EM energy, HE lasers,
chemical simulants, and the use of the
PRTR;
2. Criterion 2—accommodate known
future requirements, which include the
use of biological simulants alone;
3. Criterion 3—accommodate optimal
potential future requirements by
incorporating a margin of growth for the
most actively evolving programs for
which it is difficult to accurately
forecast future needs, and include
mixtures of biological and chemical
simulants; and
4. Criterion 4—minimize impacts to
commercial and recreational use of the
Potomac River.
Reasonable alternatives were carried
through the Draft EIS analysis. The Draft
EIS considers three alternatives as
summarized below:
1. No Action Alternative—maintains
current operations and provides a
baseline against which to measure the
impacts of the other two alternatives.
2. Alternative 1—includes No Action
Alternative plus growth above No
Action Alternative levels necessary to
meet RDT&E mission requirements in
the near future.
3. Alternative 2—Provides for roughly
15% growth in activity levels above that
of Alternative 1 to provide a margin of
growth for the most actively evolving
programs. It addresses current baseline
requirements, known future
requirements, and projected increases in
the foreseeable future based on current
trends. This alternative is the Preferred
Alternative.
Alternatives 1 and 2 constitute
increases in current activities of smallarms firing, detonations, high-power EM
energy events, HE laser events, chemical
and biological simulant (defense)
events, and PRTR hours of use.
Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative)
satisfies current baseline requirements,
includes the growth necessary to meet
known RDT&E mission requirements for
the near future and includes a margin of
growth for the most actively evolving
programs, namely those for which the
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numbers of future annual test events,
firings, and hours of use are harder to
predict because of the uncertainties
inherent in carrying out RDT&E.
The Draft EIS evaluates the potential
environmental effects associated with
NSWCDD’s outdoor RDT&E activities.
Alternatives were evaluated within
resource areas including land use and
plans, coastal zone resources,
socioeconomics, environmental justice
communities, protection of children,
utilities, air quality, noise levels,
cultural resources, hazardous materials
and hazardous waste, health and safety,
geology, topography, soils and
sediments, water resources, and aquatic
and terrestrial biological resources. The
analysis includes an evaluation of the
direct, indirect, and cumulative
impacts. Methods to reduce or minimize
impacts to affected resources are
addressed.
The DoN has made a preliminary
finding that for all three alternatives
there would be no significant impact to
land use and plans, coastal zone
resources, socioeconomics, low-income
and minority populations, children,
utilities, air quality, noise levels,
cultural resources, hazardous materials
and hazardous waste, health and safety,
geology, topography, soils and
sediments, water resources, and aquatic
and terrestrial biological resources, and
we are awaiting concurrence from the
respective agencies.
All alternatives have the potential to
affect fish and sea turtles species
protected under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). In accordance with Section
7 of the ESA, the DoN consulted with
the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) for potential impacts to
federally-listed species. NMFS
concurred with the DoN’s finding that
the alternatives are not likely to
adversely affect the endangered
shortnose sturgeon, the Atlantic
sturgeon, or ESA-listed sea turtles. No
terrestrial animals or plants protected
under the ESA, the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act, or Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act would be affected. Based
on the DoN’s analysis, the proposed
action would not result in the incidental
harassment of marine mammals
protected under the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.
The DoN is also consulting with
NMFS regarding potential effects on
essential fish habitat under the
Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act with the release of
this Draft EIS. The DoN has made a
preliminary finding that there would be
no adverse impacts on essential fish
habitat under any of the alternatives,
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51529
and we are awaiting concurrence from
NMFS.
Federal Coastal Consistency
Determinations will be forwarded to
Virginia and Maryland with the Draft
EIS. Based on analysis, the DoN has
made a preliminary finding that there
would be no to minimal impact on
coastal resources, and the Proposed
Action is consistent to the maximum
extent practical with Virginia and
Maryland policies. We are awaiting
concurrence from the Virginia and
Maryland Coastal Management
Programs.
The DoN consulted with the State
Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs)
in Maryland and Virginia. Both SHPOs
concluded there would be no adverse
effect on National Register-listed or
eligible resources in the areas of
potential effect under all the
alternatives.
NSWCDD will continue to adhere to
general safety and environmental
protective measures for all RDT&E
activities and to implement specific
protective measures for RDT&E
activities using chemical and biological
stimulants. No specific mitigation
measures are required.
The Draft EIS was distributed to
federal, state, and local agencies, elected
officials, and other interested
individuals and organizations. The
public comment period will end on
October 1, 2012. The Draft EIS is
available for review or download at:
https://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/
dahlgren/EIS/index.aspx.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available
for public review at the following
libraries:
1. Lewis Egerton Smoot Memorial
Library, 8562 Dahlgren Road, King
George, VA 22485;
2. Cooper Memorial Library, 20
Washington Avenue, Colonial Beach,
VA 22443;
3. Northumberland Public Library,
7204 Northumberland Highway,
Heathsville, VA 22473;
4. Charles County Public Library, La
Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Avenue, La
Plata, MD 20646; and
5. St. Mary’s County Library,
Leonardtown Branch, 23250 Hollywood
Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Federal, state, and local agencies,
elected officials, and interested
individuals and organizations are
invited to be present or represented at
the public hearings where oral and
written comments on the Draft EIS will
be received. 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2012 / Notices
statements, both oral and written, will
become part of the public record on the
Draft EIS and will be responded to in
the Final EIS. Equal weight will be
given to both oral and written
statements. 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 two (2) minutes. If a long
statement is to be presented, it should
be summarized at the public hearing
with the full text submitted either in
writing at the hearing, or mailed, faxed,
or emailed to Commander, Naval
Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren
Division, 6149 Welsh Road, Suite 203,
Dahlgren, VA 22448–5130, Attn: Code
C6 (NSWCDD PAO), Fax: 1–540–653–
4679, or Email: DLGR_NSWC_EIS@navy.
mil during the comment period. All
written comments must be postmarked
or received by October 01, 2012 to
ensure they become part of the official
record. All comments will be addressed
in the Final EIS.
Dated: August 20, 2012.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate
General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–20937 Filed 8–23–12; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Proposed Agency Information
Collection
U.S. Department of Energy.
Notice and request for OMB
review and comment.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Department of Energy
(DOE) has submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance a proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The
proposed collection will enable DOE to
have current knowledge of Federal
employees and contractors conducting
foreign travel to a non U.S. territory on
the behalf of DOE. Information gathered
will include dates of travel, destination,
purpose, and after-hour contact
information in case of emergency.
DATES: Comments regarding this
collection must be received on or before
30 days after date of publication in the
Federal Register. If you anticipate that
you will be submitting comments, but
find it difficult to do so within the
period of time allowed by this notice,
please advise the DOE Desk Officer at
OMB of your intention to make a
submission as soon as possible. The
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Desk Officer may be telephoned at 202–
395–4650.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
Written comments should
be sent to the DOE Desk Officer, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, New
Executive Office Building, Room 10102,
735 17th Street NW., Washington, DC
20503, and to Julie Squires by fax at
(202) 586–0406 or by email at
julie.squires@hq.doe.gov.
[ER–FRL9004–7]
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Julie Squires at
julie.squires@hq.doe.gov.
This
information collection request contains:
(1) OMB No. 1910–5144.
(2) Information Collection Request
Title: records, and secures approval of
all foreign travel conducted by DOE
federal employees and contractors. The
system allows DOE to have full
accountability of all travel and in cases
of emergency DOE is able to quickly
retrieve information as to who is
traveling, where the individual is
traveling, and the dates of travel.
Information gathered is listed under
three categories: (1) Traveler
Information which requests traveler’s
name, passport information, site,
position, and contact information, (2)
General Trip Information which consists
of estimated travel costs, and (3) Trip
Itinerary Information which consists of
destination, dates of travel, and
purpose.
(3) Type of Respondents: DOE Federal
employees and contractors traveling on
behalf of DOE.
(4) Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents 8,313.
(5) Estimated Annual Number of
Burden Hours: 4,228.
(6) Estimated Annual Cost Burden:
None.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: DOE Order 551.1D (April 2,
2012), regarding ‘‘Official Foreign Travel.’’
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 14,
2012.
Umeki G. Thorne,
Director, Office of Management, Office of
International Travel and Exchange Visitor
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012–20840 Filed 8–23–12; 8:45 am]
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Amended Environmental Impact
Statement Filing System Guidance for
Implementing 40 CFR 1506.9 and
1506.10 of the Council on
Environmental Quality’s Regulations
Implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act
1. Introduction
On October 7, 1977, the Council of
Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
signed a Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) that allocated the
responsibilities of the two agencies for
assuring the government-wide
implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA). Specifically, the MOA
transferred to EPA the administrative
aspects of the environmental impact
statement (ElS) filing process. Within
EPA, the Office of Federal Activities has
been designated the official recipient in
EPA of all EISs. These responsibilities
have been codified in CEQ’s NEPA
Implementing Regulations (40 CFR Parts
1500–1508), and are totally separate
from the substantive EPA reviews
performed pursuant to both NEPA and
Section 309 of the Clean Air Act.
Under 40 CFR 1506.9, EPA can issue
guidelines to implement its EIS filing
responsibilities. The purpose of the EPA
Filing System Guidelines is to provide
guidance to Federal agencies on filing
EISs, including draft, final, and
supplemental EISs. Information is
provided on: (1) How to file EISs; (2) the
steps to follow when a Federal agency
is adopting an EIS, or when an EIS is
withdrawn, delayed or reopened; (3)
public review periods; (4) issuance of
notices of availability in the Federal
Register; and (5) retention of filed EISs.
The guidelines published today
update the previous guidelines, which
were first published in the Federal
Register on March 7, 1989. These
updated guidelines have been modified
to incorporate changes necessary to
implement the e-NEPA electronic filing
system.
2. Purpose
Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9 and
1506.10, EPA is responsible for
administering the EIS filing process, and
can issue guidelines to implement those
responsibilities. The process of EIS
filing includes the following: (1)
Receiving and recording of the EISs, so
that information in them can be
incorporated into EPA’s computerized
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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 165 (Friday, August 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51528-51530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20937]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for Outdoor Research, Development, Test and Evaluation
Activities, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren,
VA
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations
for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy (DoN)
has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential
environmental effects of expanding Naval Surface Warfare Center,
Dahlgren Division's (NSWCDD) research, development, test and evaluation
(RDT&E) activities within the Potomac River Test Range (PRTR) complex,
Explosives Experimental Area (EEA) Range complex, the Mission Area, and
Special-Use Airspace (SUA) located at Naval Support Facility (NSF)
Dahlgren, Dahlgren, VA.
The DoN will conduct three public hearings to receive oral and
written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, state, and local agencies,
elected officials, and other interested individuals and organizations
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.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Public hearings will be held on the following
dates and locations:
1. September 11, 2012 at the Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and
Fire Department, 12245 Rock Point Road, Newburg, MD 20664;
2. September 12, 2012 at the A.T. Johnson Alumni Museum, 18849
Kings Highway, Montross, VA 22520; and
3. September 13, 2012 at the Mary Washington University-Dahlgren
Campus, 4224 University Drive, King George, VA 22485.
All meetings will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will
begin with a presentation followed by a public comment period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Commander, Naval Surface Warfare
Center Dahlgren Division, 6149 Welsh Road, Suite 203, Dahlgren, VA
22448-5130, Attn: Code C6 (NSWCDD PAO), Fax: 1-540-653-4679, Email:
DLGR_NSWC_EIS@NAVY.MIL, Phone: 1-540-653-8154, or Web site: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/EIS/index.aspx.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare the NSWCDD
Outdoor RDT&E Activities Draft EIS was published in the Federal
Register on June 18, 2007 (72 FR 33456-33457). Five public scoping
meetings were held on the following dates and locations:
1. July 23, 2007, Shiloh Baptist Church, 13457 Kings Highway, King
George, VA 22485;
2. July 24, 2007, Christ Episcopal Church, 37497 Zach Fowler Road,
Chaptico, MD 20621;
3. July 25, 2007, La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, 911
Washington Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646;
4. July 30, 2007, Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, 203 Dennison
Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443; and
5. July 31, 2007, Callao Rescue Squad Hall, 1348 Northumberland
Highway, Callao, VA 22435.
The proposed action is to expand NSWCDD's RDT&E capabilities within
the PRTR Complex, the EEA Range Complex, Mission Area, and SUA. These
RDT&E activities include outdoor operations that require the use of
ordnance, high-power electromagnetic (EM) energy, high-energy (HE)
lasers, and chemical and biological simulants (non-toxic substances
used to mimic dangerous agents). Under the proposed action, the average
number of events that could take place annually (with the exception of
large-caliber gun firing events) would increase above current baseline
levels. To ensure that equipment and materials work effectively, even
in less-than-ideal conditions, some activities would take place under
conditions in which activities are now rarely/never conducted, such as
at dusk, dawn, and night and in adverse weather.
The purpose of the proposed action is to enable NSWCDD to meet
current and future mission-related warfare and force-protection
requirements by providing RDT&E of surface ship combat systems,
ordnance, HE lasers and directed-energy systems, force-level warfare,
and homeland and force protection.
The need for the proposed action is to enable the DoN and other
stakeholders to successfully meet current and future national and
global defense challenges required under 10 U.S.C. 5062 (2006) by
developing a robust capability to carry out assigned RDT&E activities
within the PRTR and EEA Range Complexes,
[[Page 51529]]
the Mission Area, and the SUA at NSF Dahlgren.
NSWCDD evaluated a range of alternatives that would meet action
objectives, and applied screening criteria to identify those
alternatives that were ``reasonable'' (i.e., practical and feasible).
Reasonable alternatives were carried through the Draft EIS analysis.
Screening criteria included:
1. Criterion 1--accommodate historical and current, baseline RDT&E
mission requirements for activities that have the potential to affect
human health and/or the environment; namely, those involving ordnance,
the use of high-power EM energy, HE lasers, chemical simulants, and the
use of the PRTR;
2. Criterion 2--accommodate known future requirements, which
include the use of biological simulants alone;
3. Criterion 3--accommodate optimal potential future requirements
by incorporating a margin of growth for the most actively evolving
programs for which it is difficult to accurately forecast future needs,
and include mixtures of biological and chemical simulants; and
4. Criterion 4--minimize impacts to commercial and recreational use
of the Potomac River.
Reasonable alternatives were carried through the Draft EIS
analysis. The Draft EIS considers three alternatives as summarized
below:
1. No Action Alternative--maintains current operations and provides
a baseline against which to measure the impacts of the other two
alternatives.
2. Alternative 1--includes No Action Alternative plus growth above
No Action Alternative levels necessary to meet RDT&E mission
requirements in the near future.
3. Alternative 2--Provides for roughly 15% growth in activity
levels above that of Alternative 1 to provide a margin of growth for
the most actively evolving programs. It addresses current baseline
requirements, known future requirements, and projected increases in the
foreseeable future based on current trends. This alternative is the
Preferred Alternative.
Alternatives 1 and 2 constitute increases in current activities of
small-arms firing, detonations, high-power EM energy events, HE laser
events, chemical and biological simulant (defense) events, and PRTR
hours of use.
Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative) satisfies current baseline
requirements, includes the growth necessary to meet known RDT&E mission
requirements for the near future and includes a margin of growth for
the most actively evolving programs, namely those for which the numbers
of future annual test events, firings, and hours of use are harder to
predict because of the uncertainties inherent in carrying out RDT&E.
The Draft EIS evaluates the potential environmental effects
associated with NSWCDD's outdoor RDT&E activities. Alternatives were
evaluated within resource areas including land use and plans, coastal
zone resources, socioeconomics, environmental justice communities,
protection of children, utilities, air quality, noise levels, cultural
resources, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, health and safety,
geology, topography, soils and sediments, water resources, and aquatic
and terrestrial biological resources. The analysis includes an
evaluation of the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. Methods to
reduce or minimize impacts to affected resources are addressed.
The DoN has made a preliminary finding that for all three
alternatives there would be no significant impact to land use and
plans, coastal zone resources, socioeconomics, low-income and minority
populations, children, utilities, air quality, noise levels, cultural
resources, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, health and safety,
geology, topography, soils and sediments, water resources, and aquatic
and terrestrial biological resources, and we are awaiting concurrence
from the respective agencies.
All alternatives have the potential to affect fish and sea turtles
species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In accordance
with Section 7 of the ESA, the DoN consulted with the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) for potential impacts to federally-listed
species. NMFS concurred with the DoN's finding that the alternatives
are not likely to adversely affect the endangered shortnose sturgeon,
the Atlantic sturgeon, or ESA-listed sea turtles. No terrestrial
animals or plants protected under the ESA, the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act, or Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act would be affected. Based
on the DoN's analysis, the proposed action would not result in the
incidental harassment of marine mammals protected under the Marine
Mammal Protection Act.
The DoN is also consulting with NMFS regarding potential effects on
essential fish habitat under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act with the release of this Draft EIS. The DoN has made
a preliminary finding that there would be no adverse impacts on
essential fish habitat under any of the alternatives, and we are
awaiting concurrence from NMFS.
Federal Coastal Consistency Determinations will be forwarded to
Virginia and Maryland with the Draft EIS. Based on analysis, the DoN
has made a preliminary finding that there would be no to minimal impact
on coastal resources, and the Proposed Action is consistent to the
maximum extent practical with Virginia and Maryland policies. We are
awaiting concurrence from the Virginia and Maryland Coastal Management
Programs.
The DoN consulted with the State Historic Preservation Officers
(SHPOs) in Maryland and Virginia. Both SHPOs concluded there would be
no adverse effect on National Register-listed or eligible resources in
the areas of potential effect under all the alternatives.
NSWCDD will continue to adhere to general safety and environmental
protective measures for all RDT&E activities and to implement specific
protective measures for RDT&E activities using chemical and biological
stimulants. No specific mitigation measures are required.
The Draft EIS was distributed to federal, state, and local
agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and
organizations. The public comment period will end on October 1, 2012.
The Draft EIS is available for review or download at: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/EIS/index.aspx.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at the
following libraries:
1. Lewis Egerton Smoot Memorial Library, 8562 Dahlgren Road, King
George, VA 22485;
2. Cooper Memorial Library, 20 Washington Avenue, Colonial Beach,
VA 22443;
3. Northumberland Public Library, 7204 Northumberland Highway,
Heathsville, VA 22473;
4. Charles County Public Library, La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett
Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646; and
5. St. Mary's County Library, Leonardtown Branch, 23250 Hollywood
Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Federal, state, and local agencies, elected officials, and
interested individuals and organizations are invited to be present or
represented at the public hearings where oral and written comments on
the Draft EIS will be received. 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
[[Page 51530]]
statements, both oral and written, will become part of the public
record on the Draft EIS and will be responded to in the Final EIS.
Equal weight will be given to both oral and written statements. 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 two (2) minutes. If a long statement is to be presented,
it should be summarized at the public hearing with the full text
submitted either in writing at the hearing, or mailed, faxed, or
emailed to Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division,
6149 Welsh Road, Suite 203, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5130, Attn: Code C6
(NSWCDD PAO), Fax: 1-540-653-4679, or Email: DLGR_NSWC_EIS@navy.mil
during the comment period. All written comments must be postmarked or
received by October 01, 2012 to ensure they become part of the official
record. All comments will be addressed in the Final EIS.
Dated: August 20, 2012.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-20937 Filed 8-23-12; 8:45 am]
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