Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Modernization and Expansion of Townsend Bombing Range, Georgia, 17644-17645 [2013-06588]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 56 / Friday, March 22, 2013 / Notices
delegated authority has been withheld. Such
deviations or changes may be discussed with
the Board at the commander’s request.
However, any deviation or change must meet
all legal and procedural requirements.
d. When major differences prevail among
the Board members and cannot be resolved,
the issue shall be raised on an expedient
basis to the Commanding General, to allow
for a decision in a timely manner.
e. When needed, convene routine meetings
of the Technical Committee sufficient to:
ensure inter-division coordination and
situational awareness; coordinate with the
HQUSACE Dam and Levee Safety Officer;
and inform the Board of decisions requiring
Command Authority.
f. Terms of Reference will be developed for
operation of the Board and Technical
Committee for approval by the Deputy
Commanding General for Civil and
Emergency Operations.
g. The Board and Technical Committee
will collaborate with the Mississippi River
Commission (MRC) and other impacted
stakeholder groups to ensure effective
synchronization between the missions of the
Board and the MRC in the development of
basin-wide management activities for
projects within the Greater Mississippi River
Basin System.
h. The records of all Board proceedings
will be preserved and maintained pursuant to
the Army recordkeeping requirements in the
Army Records Information Management
System regulation (ARIMS—AR25–1–400).
The Board will designate an individual
responsible for maintaining records of all
board proceedings. The designated
individual shall be copied on all electronic
messages concerning Board proceedings.
Records of the Board include, and the Board
members shall retain, any emails or other
electronic records which the Board members
generate or receive concerning Board
proceedings. The Board recognizes that
recommendations made by the Board and the
information generated therefore, are of
critical importance to the Corps if litigation
is brought against the Corps. Litigation holds
will be issued when litigation is reasonably
anticipated. When a litigation hold is issued,
specific instructions will be provided on
preservation of electronically stored
information and paper documents.
8. Funding. Routine activities of the
Greater Mississippi River Basin Water
Management Board and its committees, such
as travel and meeting expenses, are funded
by the separate members’ offices. Major
expenses connected with special studies are
funded through the normal budgetary
process. Budget requests will be supported
by appropriate justification material.
[FR Doc. 2013–06591 Filed 3–21–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Modernization and
Expansion of Townsend Bombing
Range, Georgia
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 Code of
Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500–
1508), Department of the Navy (DoN)
NEPA regulations (32 CFR part 775) and
United States Marine Corps (USMC)
NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order
P5090.2A, changes 1 and 2), the USMC
has prepared and filed with the United
States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) a Final Environmental Impact
Statement (Final EIS) that evaluated
potential environmental impacts of
acquiring additional property and
constructing the necessary
infrastructure to allow the use of
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-toground training capabilities at Marine
Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort,
South Carolina.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: The USEPA’s
Notice of Availability (NOA) and Notice
of Public Meeting for the Draft EIS was
published in the Federal Register on
July 13, 2012 (77 FR 41402). Federal,
state, and local agencies, citizens groups
and associations, and other interested
parties provided oral and written
comments to the USMC and identified
specific issues or topics of
environmental concern that should be
addressed in the Final EIS. The USMC
responded to all these comments and
updated portions of the Final EIS, where
appropriate.
The Final EIS has been distributed to
federal, state, and local agencies,
citizens groups and associations, and
other interested parties. In addition, a
copy of the Final EIS was distributed to
the following libraries:
1. Ida Hilton Public Library, 1105
North Way, Darien, GA 31305.
2. Long County Public Library, 28
South Main Street, Ludowici, GA 31316.
3. Hog Hammock Public Library, 1023
Hillery Lane, Sapelo Island, GA 31327.
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An electronic version of the Final EIS
can be viewed or downloaded from the
project Web site: https://
www.townsendbombingrangeeis.com.
FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE CONTACT: Capt.
Cochran, 596 Geiger Blvd. MCAS
Beaufort, SC 29904 at 843–228–6123.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through
the preparation of a Universal Need
Statement (UNS), Marine Aircraft Group
31 (MAG–31) identified its requirement
for an air-to-ground training range that
allows aircrews to utilize PGMs in a
realistic training environment.
Following the preparation of the UNS,
the USMC began the process to certify
the requirement to establish an air-toground training range to support MAG–
31’s aviation training needs and develop
the approach to accommodate this
requirement. MAG–31’s need for an airto-ground range that can accommodate
realistic PGM training allowed the
USMC and the DoN to request the DoD’s
approval to study the land acquisition
alternatives that could support the
creation of a modernized air-to-ground
training range. The USMC then initiated
the preparation of the EIS to examine
the potential impacts of the proposed
land acquisition and airspace
modification alternatives that could
meet the training requirement.
The USMC conducted a multi-step
screening process to identify candidate
ranges and alternatives that meet the
purpose and need. To achieve this, the
USMC: (1) Developed range evaluation
criteria by identifying key physical and
operational attributes required to
support training with PGMs; (2)
identified existing candidate DoD ranges
in the Southeastern United States; and
(3) evaluated the candidate ranges
against the range evaluation criteria. As
a result of the evaluations, seven
candidate ranges were identified and
subjected to initial analysis; however,
only TBR satisfied all of the screening
criteria and was carried forward for full
analysis in the EIS.
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
capabilities in the Beaufort, South
Carolina Region.
Proposed Action: The Proposed
Action in the FEIS evaluated potential
environmental impacts of acquiring
additional property and constructing the
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 56 / Friday, March 22, 2013 / Notices
necessary infrastructure to allow the use
of PGMs at TBR, Georgia.
The Proposed Action includes five
interrelated components:
(1) Acquisition of land;
(2) Acquisition of a timber easement;
(3) Modification of existing airspace;
(4) Construction of infrastructure to
support PGM training; and
(5) Improvement of training
capabilities.
Alternatives Evaluated in the FEIS:
The USMC analyzed four action
alternatives and a No Action
Alternative. All four action alternatives
involved the acquisition and
management of land and a timber
easement, the modification of existing
airspace, and the construction of
infrastructure to support PGM training,
and would result in the improvement of
training capabilities. The land acquired
under each action alternative involved
different strategic combinations of three
possible land acquisition areas (referred
to as ‘‘Acquisition Area 1A,’’
‘‘Acquisition Area 1B,’’ and
‘‘Acquisition Area 3’’). Similarly under
all four action alternatives, the USMC
proposed 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. All the
action alternatives involved the
installation of target scoring equipment,
facility and/or tower construction, and
roadway construction/improvement.
The USMC identified Alternative 4 as
the Preferred Alternative, which
includes acquisition of Areas 1B and 3
(28,630 acres) and construction of six
new target areas.
Environmental Compliance: The
USMC prepared the Final EIS per the
guidance provided in 40 CFR 1502.9,
with the purpose of fully analyzing
environmental impacts as a result of
implementing the Proposed Action
through selection of the Preferred
Alternative. Impacts were assessed for
the following resource areas: Land use;
socioeconomics; recreation; wetlands;
water resources; airspace; noise;
biological resources; cultural resources;
air quality; transportation; noise;
topography, geology, and soils; utilities
and infrastructure; and hazardous
materials and waste. However, it was
determined through the EIS analysis
that only socioeconomics would be
significantly impacted as a result of the
Proposed Action.
Schedule: Publication of the USEPA’s
NOA signifies the beginning of a 30-day
waiting period (No Action Period). In
accordance with NEPA, the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy (Installations and
Environment) will publish the Record of
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:27 Mar 21, 2013
Jkt 229001
Decision in the Federal Register after
the 30-day waiting period has ended.
Dated: March 8, 2013.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge
Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Federal
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–06588 Filed 3–21–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No. ED–2012–ICCD–0070]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
School Attendance Boundary Survey
(SABS) 2013–2015
Institute of Education Sciences
(IES), National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), Department of
Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is
proposing a new information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before April 22,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in
response to this notice should be
submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov by selecting
Docket ID number ED–2012–ICCD–0070
or via postal mail, commercial delivery,
or hand delivery. Please note that
comments submitted by fax or email
and those submitted after the comment
period will not be accepted. Written
requests for information or comments
submitted by postal mail or delivery
should be addressed to the Director of
the Information Collection Clearance
Division, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room
2E105, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Electronically mail
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please do not
send comments here.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department of Education (ED), in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general
public and Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on proposed,
revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps the Department
assess the impact of its information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
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17645
helps the public understand the
Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. ED is
soliciting comments on the proposed
information collection request (ICR) that
is described below. The Department of
Education is especially interested in
public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is this collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
Title of Collection: School Attendance
Boundary Survey (SABS) 2013–2015.
OMB Control Number: 1850—NEW.
Type of Review: New collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: State,
Local, or Tribal Governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 13,600.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 13,600.
Abstract: The National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES), of the
Institute of Education Sciences (IES),
within the U.S. Department of
Education, is requesting clearance to
collect the boundaries for all public
school service areas in the 50 states and
the District of Columbia in 2013 and
2015. The School Attendance Boundary
Survey (SABS), to be collected on a two
year cycle, will assign geographic school
attendance boundaries for the public
elementary and secondary schools
included in the Common Core of Data
(CCD) universe. NCES will then
disseminate data from sources such as
the American Community Survey (e.g.
demographics and poverty information)
mapped against the school boundaries.
The NCES mapping system is the only
system in the United States to nationally
visually link school exact geographic
locations to their demographic and
economic information.
Dated: March 18, 2013.
Stephanie Valentine,
Acting Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and
Records Management Services, Office of
Management.
[FR Doc. 2013–06573 Filed 3–21–13; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17644-17645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06588]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Modernization and Expansion of Townsend
Bombing Range, Georgia
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 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-
1508), Department of the Navy (DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR part 775)
and United States Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA directives (Marine Corps
Order P5090.2A, changes 1 and 2), the USMC has prepared and filed with
the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) that evaluated potential
environmental impacts of acquiring additional property and constructing
the necessary infrastructure to allow the use of 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 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort,
South Carolina.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: The USEPA's Notice of Availability (NOA) and
Notice of Public Meeting for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal
Register on July 13, 2012 (77 FR 41402). Federal, state, and local
agencies, citizens groups and associations, and other interested
parties provided oral and written comments to the USMC and identified
specific issues or topics of environmental concern that should be
addressed in the Final EIS. The USMC responded to all these comments
and updated portions of the Final EIS, where appropriate.
The Final EIS has been distributed to federal, state, and local
agencies, citizens groups and associations, and other interested
parties. In addition, a copy of the Final EIS was distributed to the
following libraries:
1. Ida Hilton Public Library, 1105 North Way, Darien, GA 31305.
2. Long County Public Library, 28 South Main Street, Ludowici, GA
31316.
3. Hog Hammock Public Library, 1023 Hillery Lane, Sapelo Island, GA
31327.
An electronic version of the Final EIS can be viewed or downloaded from
the project Web site: https://www.townsendbombingrangeeis.com.
FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE CONTACT: Capt. Cochran, 596 Geiger Blvd. MCAS
Beaufort, SC 29904 at 843-228-6123.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through the preparation of a Universal Need
Statement (UNS), Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) identified its
requirement for an air-to-ground training range that allows aircrews to
utilize PGMs in a realistic training environment. Following the
preparation of the UNS, the USMC began the process to certify the
requirement to establish an air-to-ground training range to support
MAG-31's aviation training needs and develop the approach to
accommodate this requirement. MAG-31's need for an air-to-ground range
that can accommodate realistic PGM training allowed the USMC and the
DoN to request the DoD's approval to study the land acquisition
alternatives that could support the creation of a modernized air-to-
ground training range. The USMC then initiated the preparation of the
EIS to examine the potential impacts of the proposed land acquisition
and airspace modification alternatives that could meet the training
requirement.
The USMC conducted a multi-step screening process to identify
candidate ranges and alternatives that meet the purpose and need. To
achieve this, the USMC: (1) Developed range evaluation criteria by
identifying key physical and operational attributes required to support
training with PGMs; (2) identified existing candidate DoD ranges in the
Southeastern United States; and (3) evaluated the candidate ranges
against the range evaluation criteria. As a result of the evaluations,
seven candidate ranges were identified and subjected to initial
analysis; however, only TBR satisfied all of the screening criteria and
was carried forward for full analysis in the EIS.
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 capabilities in the
Beaufort, South Carolina Region.
Proposed Action: The Proposed Action in the FEIS evaluated
potential environmental impacts of acquiring additional property and
constructing the
[[Page 17645]]
necessary infrastructure to allow the use of PGMs at TBR, Georgia.
The Proposed Action includes five interrelated components:
(1) Acquisition of land;
(2) Acquisition of a timber easement;
(3) Modification of existing airspace;
(4) Construction of infrastructure to support PGM training; and
(5) Improvement of training capabilities.
Alternatives Evaluated in the FEIS: The USMC analyzed four action
alternatives and a No Action Alternative. All four action alternatives
involved the acquisition and management of land and a timber easement,
the modification of existing airspace, and the construction of
infrastructure to support PGM training, and would result in the
improvement of training capabilities. The land acquired under each
action alternative involved different strategic combinations of three
possible land acquisition areas (referred to as ``Acquisition Area
1A,'' ``Acquisition Area 1B,'' and ``Acquisition Area 3''). Similarly
under all four action alternatives, the USMC proposed 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. All the action alternatives involved the
installation of target scoring equipment, facility and/or tower
construction, and roadway construction/improvement. The USMC identified
Alternative 4 as the Preferred Alternative, which includes acquisition
of Areas 1B and 3 (28,630 acres) and construction of six new target
areas.
Environmental Compliance: The USMC prepared the Final EIS per the
guidance provided in 40 CFR 1502.9, with the purpose of fully analyzing
environmental impacts as a result of implementing the Proposed Action
through selection of the Preferred Alternative. Impacts were assessed
for the following resource areas: Land use; socioeconomics; recreation;
wetlands; water resources; airspace; noise; biological resources;
cultural resources; air quality; transportation; noise; topography,
geology, and soils; utilities and infrastructure; and hazardous
materials and waste. However, it was determined through the EIS
analysis that only socioeconomics would be significantly impacted as a
result of the Proposed Action.
Schedule: Publication of the USEPA's NOA signifies the beginning of
a 30-day waiting period (No Action Period). In accordance with NEPA,
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment)
will publish the Record of Decision in the Federal Register after the
30-day waiting period has ended.
Dated: March 8, 2013.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-06588 Filed 3-21-13; 8:45 am]
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