Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to Transition Six FA-18C Strike Fighter Squadrons to FA-18E Strike Fighter Squadrons at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia and To Announce Public Scoping Meetings, 54556-54557 [2015-22773]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 175 / Thursday, September 10, 2015 / Notices
ID number and title for this Federal
Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
from members of the public is to make
these submissions available for public
viewing on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov as they are
received without change, including any
personal identifiers or contact
information.
DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Frederick
Licari.
Written requests for copies of the
information collection proposal should
be sent to Mr. Licari at WHS/ESD
Directives Division, 4800 Mark Center
Drive, East Tower, Suite 02G09,
Alexandria, VA 22350–3100.
Dated: September 4, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015–22846 Filed 9–9–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
[Docket ID: USA–2015–HQ–0034]
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
US Army in Europe
(USAREUR), G1, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
U.S. Army in Europe (USAREUR), G1
announces a proposed public
information collection and seeks public
comment on the provisions thereof.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all
comments received by November 9,
2015.
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SUMMARY:
You may submit comments,
identified by docket number and title,
by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 Sep 09, 2015
Jkt 235001
• Mail: Department of Defense, Office
of the Deputy Chief Management
Officer, Directorate of Oversight and
Compliance, Regulatory and Audit
Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20301–9010.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name, docket
number and title for this Federal
Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
from members of the public is to make
these submissions available for public
viewing on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov as they are
received without change, including any
personal identifiers or contact
information.
Any associated form(s) for this
collection may be located within this
same electronic docket and downloaded
for review/testing. Follow the
instructions at https://
www.regulations.gov for submitting
comments. Please submit comments on
any given form identified by docket
number, form number, and title.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request more information on this
proposed information collection or to
obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments,
please write to U.S. Army in Europe
(USAREUR), G1, CPD, Attn: AEPE–CD,
Unit 29351, Box 99, APO AE 09014–
9351, or email Armand Lepage, Chief,
DoD Contractor Personnel Office
(DOCPER), armand.c.lepage.civ@
mail.mil.
Title; Associated Form; and OMB
Number: DOCPER Contractor Online
Processing System (DCOPS); AE Form
715–9A and AE Form 715–9C; OMB
Control Number 0702–XXXX.
Needs and Uses: The information
collection requirement is necessary if
DoD contractors and their employees
working in Germany and Italy request to
be provided the same status under the
NATO Status of Forces Agreement
(SOFA) as DoD civilians working for the
DoD in those Host Nations. The
information collected is used to qualify
the contractor employees for NATO
SOFA status under the procedures
outlined in the respective bilateral
agreements between the US and the
Host Nations. Allowing DoD contractors
and their employees to obtain NATO
SOFA status exempts them from most
Host Nation taxation, and from the
requirement to obtain work and
residency permits while working in
support of the DoD mission.
Affected Public: Business or other for
profit; Individuals or households.
Annual Burden Hours: 1500.
Frm 00046
Fmt 4703
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Dated: September 4, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015–22833 Filed 9–9–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Number of Respondents: 1500.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Annual Responses: 1500.
Average Burden per Response: 60
minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
Respondents are DoD contractors and
their contractor employees who, if
desiring NATO SOFA status, must
provide certain information under the
bilateral agreements with the Host
Nations. For contracts, the information
provided is the contract itself, including
a description of the work to be done by
the contractor, and the various
positions, locations, and salaries
associated with each position on the
contract. For the contractor employee,
personal information to be provided
includes full name, SSN, date and place
of birth, resumes, dependent
information, and sufficient personal
historical information intended to
assure the Host Nation that the
contractor employee is not considered
to be ‘‘ordinarily resident’’, i.e., a person
who, under the bilateral agreements,
would not be eligible for the tax relief
provided by NATO SOFA status.
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement to
Transition Six FA–18C Strike Fighter
Squadrons to FA–18E Strike Fighter
Squadrons at Naval Air Station
Oceana, Virginia and To Announce
Public Scoping Meetings
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Pursuant to section 102(2)(c)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as implemented by the
Council on Environmental Quality
regulations (40 Code of Federal
Regulations parts 1500–1508), the
Department of the Navy (DoN)
announces its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to evaluate the potential environmental
consequences of transitioning six FA–
18C (Hornet) strike fighter squadrons to
FA–18E (Super Hornet) strike fighter
squadrons at Naval Air Station (NAS)
Oceana, Virginia. The EIS will also
include a comprehensive analysis of
NAS Oceana operations, addressing
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 175 / Thursday, September 10, 2015 / Notices
overall air operations at the main base
and Field Carrier Landing Practice
(FCLP) operations at Naval Auxiliary
Landing Field (NALF) Fentress.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Two public
scoping meetings will be held from 5:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on:
1. Tuesday, September 29, 2015, at
the Columbian Club, 1236 Prosperity
Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451; and
2. Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, at
Centerville Baptist Church, 908
Centerville Turnpike, Chesapeake, VA
23322.
The two public scoping meetings will
be informal, using an open house format
to obtain verbal or written comments on
the scope of the EIS and to identify
specific environmental concerns or
topics for consideration. Each
information station will be staffed by
DoN representatives. Additional
information concerning each public
scoping meeting is available on the EIS
Web page located at: https://
www.oceanastrikefightereis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NAS
Oceana EIS Project Manager (Code
EV21/TW); Naval Facilities Engineering
Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, 6506
Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia
23508.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since
2002, FA–18C Hornet aircraft have been
used in support of world-wide
operations at higher rates than originally
projected. The result of this higher use
has been greater airframe fatigue, which
in turn is rapidly accelerating the date
at which the Hornet aircraft will reach
the end of their service life and need to
be retired. While the DoN plan had been
to replace Hornet aircraft with the F–
35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft,
the entry of the F–35C into the U.S.
Navy inventory has been delayed and it
will not be available on the East Coast
before the current inventory of Hornet
aircraft based at NAS Oceana will be
retired.
The combination of the accelerated
retirement of the Hornet aircraft and
delays in the availability of replacement
F–35C aircraft warrants an interim
measure to ensure the requisite number
of strike fighter aircraft remain at NAS
Oceana to meet operational and training
needs. Therefore, the DoN proposes to
transition the six NAS Oceana
squadrons that still operate the FA–18C
Hornet, and the NAS Oceana-based
Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), to
the FA–18E Super Hornet aircraft. The
proposed transition would involve a
one-for-one aircraft replacement, occur
at NAS Oceana, and begin no earlier
than 2018. The proposed action will
provide newer, more capable, and more
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:28 Sep 09, 2015
Jkt 235001
reliable aircraft to the NAS Oceanabased strike fighter community using
existing assets until the replacement F–
35C aircraft are available for East Coast
operations. No other aircraft carrier
(CVN)-capable strike fighter aircraft
exist to cover the gap until the
introduction of the F–35C.
Since Super Hornet flight training is
nearly identical to Hornet flight
training, the type and quantity of flight
training operations at NAS Oceana,
NALF Fentress, and the local operating
areas are not expected to be affected by
the proposed transition and the
subsequent retirement of the Hornet.
Other than minor modifications to
aircraft auxiliary power utilities in
hangars, and installation of Super
Hornet-compatible electrical
distribution on the flight line, no major
construction or facility modifications
are planned.
Recognizing that noise will be an
important environmental concern
associated with the transition, the EIS
will include a comprehensive analysis
of NAS Oceana air operations, including
noise impacts, at the main base and
FCLP operations at NALF Fentress. In
addition, the DoN will use the EIS
scoping period to conduct a thorough
review of existing flight procedures to
determine if any reasonable adjustments
can be made to mitigate potential noise
impacts of the proposed action.
Following scoping, the DoN will also
consider input from the public to help
identify reasonable noise mitigation
alternatives not already implemented to
carry forward for analysis in the Draft
EIS.
Federal, state, and local agencies, the
public and interested persons are
encouraged to provide comments to the
DoN during the public scoping period to
identify environmental concerns that
the commenter believes should be
addressed in the EIS. To be most
effective, scoping comments should
clearly describe the specific issues(s) or
topic(s) that the EIS should address.
Mailed comments must be postmarked
by (30 Days).
In addition to the proposed action, the
EIS will address the No Action
Alternative. Under the No Action
Alternative, the DoN would not
transition six NAS Oceana Hornet
squadrons and the NAS Oceana based
FRS from Hornet aircraft to Super
Hornet aircraft. The shortage of Hornet
airframes that would result under this
alternative would have an immediate
and growing impact on the operational
readiness of the strike fighter squadrons
at NAS Oceana.
The DoN will analyze the potential
environmental effects of transitioning
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
54557
the remaining Hornet aircraft to the
Super Hornet aircraft. Resource areas to
be addressed in the EIS will include, but
not be limited to: noise, air quality, land
use, socioeconomics, natural resources,
biological resources, cultural resources,
and safety and environmental hazards.
The analysis will evaluate direct and
indirect impacts, and will account for
cumulative impacts from other relevant
activities near the installation. Relevant
and reasonable measures that could
avoid or mitigate environmental effects
will also be analyzed. Additionally, the
DoN will undertake any consultations
required by law or regulation.
The DoN will not release the names,
street addresses, email addresses and
screen names, telephone numbers, or
other personally identifiable
information of individuals who provide
comments during scoping unless
required by law. However, the DoN may
release the city, state, and 5-digit zip
code of individuals who provide
comments. Each commenter making oral
comments at the public scoping
meetings will be asked by the
stenographer if he/she otherwise elects
to authorize the release of their
personally identifiable information prior
to providing their comments.
Commenters submitting written
comments, either using comment forms
or via the project Web site, may elect to
authorize release of personally
identifiable information by checking a
‘‘release’’ box on the comment form.
To be included on the DoN’s mailing
list for the EIS (or to receive a copy of
the Draft EIS, when released), electronic
requests can be made on the project
Web site at
www.oceanastrikefightereis.com.
Requests via the U.S. Postal Service
should be submitted to: NAS Oceana
EIS Project Manager (Code EV21/TW);
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
(NAVFAC) Atlantic, 6506 Hampton
Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508. The
same policy for release of personally
identifiable information as identified
above for scoping comments will be
maintained by DoN for individuals
requesting to be included on the EIS
mailing list.
Dated: August 27, 2015.
N. A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps,
U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–22773 Filed 9–9–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 175 (Thursday, September 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54556-54557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22773]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to
Transition Six FA-18C Strike Fighter Squadrons to FA-18E Strike Fighter
Squadrons at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia and To Announce Public
Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500-1508),
the Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential
environmental consequences of transitioning six FA-18C (Hornet) strike
fighter squadrons to FA-18E (Super Hornet) strike fighter squadrons at
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia. The EIS will also include a
comprehensive analysis of NAS Oceana operations, addressing
[[Page 54557]]
overall air operations at the main base and Field Carrier Landing
Practice (FCLP) operations at Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF)
Fentress.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Two public scoping meetings will be held from 5:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on:
1. Tuesday, September 29, 2015, at the Columbian Club, 1236
Prosperity Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451; and
2. Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, at Centerville Baptist Church,
908 Centerville Turnpike, Chesapeake, VA 23322.
The two public scoping meetings will be informal, using an open
house format to obtain verbal or written comments on the scope of the
EIS and to identify specific environmental concerns or topics for
consideration. Each information station will be staffed by DoN
representatives. Additional information concerning each public scoping
meeting is available on the EIS Web page located at: https://www.oceanastrikefightereis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NAS Oceana EIS Project Manager (Code
EV21/TW); Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, 6506
Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 2002, FA-18C Hornet aircraft have been
used in support of world-wide operations at higher rates than
originally projected. The result of this higher use has been greater
airframe fatigue, which in turn is rapidly accelerating the date at
which the Hornet aircraft will reach the end of their service life and
need to be retired. While the DoN plan had been to replace Hornet
aircraft with the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, the entry
of the F-35C into the U.S. Navy inventory has been delayed and it will
not be available on the East Coast before the current inventory of
Hornet aircraft based at NAS Oceana will be retired.
The combination of the accelerated retirement of the Hornet
aircraft and delays in the availability of replacement F-35C aircraft
warrants an interim measure to ensure the requisite number of strike
fighter aircraft remain at NAS Oceana to meet operational and training
needs. Therefore, the DoN proposes to transition the six NAS Oceana
squadrons that still operate the FA-18C Hornet, and the NAS Oceana-
based Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), to the FA-18E Super Hornet
aircraft. The proposed transition would involve a one-for-one aircraft
replacement, occur at NAS Oceana, and begin no earlier than 2018. The
proposed action will provide newer, more capable, and more reliable
aircraft to the NAS Oceana-based strike fighter community using
existing assets until the replacement F-35C aircraft are available for
East Coast operations. No other aircraft carrier (CVN)-capable strike
fighter aircraft exist to cover the gap until the introduction of the
F-35C.
Since Super Hornet flight training is nearly identical to Hornet
flight training, the type and quantity of flight training operations at
NAS Oceana, NALF Fentress, and the local operating areas are not
expected to be affected by the proposed transition and the subsequent
retirement of the Hornet. Other than minor modifications to aircraft
auxiliary power utilities in hangars, and installation of Super Hornet-
compatible electrical distribution on the flight line, no major
construction or facility modifications are planned.
Recognizing that noise will be an important environmental concern
associated with the transition, the EIS will include a comprehensive
analysis of NAS Oceana air operations, including noise impacts, at the
main base and FCLP operations at NALF Fentress. In addition, the DoN
will use the EIS scoping period to conduct a thorough review of
existing flight procedures to determine if any reasonable adjustments
can be made to mitigate potential noise impacts of the proposed action.
Following scoping, the DoN will also consider input from the public to
help identify reasonable noise mitigation alternatives not already
implemented to carry forward for analysis in the Draft EIS.
Federal, state, and local agencies, the public and interested
persons are encouraged to provide comments to the DoN during the public
scoping period to identify environmental concerns that the commenter
believes should be addressed in the EIS. To be most effective, scoping
comments should clearly describe the specific issues(s) or topic(s)
that the EIS should address. Mailed comments must be postmarked by (30
Days).
In addition to the proposed action, the EIS will address the No
Action Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, the DoN would not
transition six NAS Oceana Hornet squadrons and the NAS Oceana based FRS
from Hornet aircraft to Super Hornet aircraft. The shortage of Hornet
airframes that would result under this alternative would have an
immediate and growing impact on the operational readiness of the strike
fighter squadrons at NAS Oceana.
The DoN will analyze the potential environmental effects of
transitioning the remaining Hornet aircraft to the Super Hornet
aircraft. Resource areas to be addressed in the EIS will include, but
not be limited to: noise, air quality, land use, socioeconomics,
natural resources, biological resources, cultural resources, and safety
and environmental hazards. The analysis will evaluate direct and
indirect impacts, and will account for cumulative impacts from other
relevant activities near the installation. Relevant and reasonable
measures that could avoid or mitigate environmental effects will also
be analyzed. Additionally, the DoN will undertake any consultations
required by law or regulation.
The DoN will not release the names, street addresses, email
addresses and screen names, telephone numbers, or other personally
identifiable information of individuals who provide comments during
scoping unless required by law. However, the DoN may release the city,
state, and 5-digit zip code of individuals who provide comments. Each
commenter making oral comments at the public scoping meetings will be
asked by the stenographer if he/she otherwise elects to authorize the
release of their personally identifiable information prior to providing
their comments. Commenters submitting written comments, either using
comment forms or via the project Web site, may elect to authorize
release of personally identifiable information by checking a
``release'' box on the comment form.
To be included on the DoN's mailing list for the EIS (or to receive
a copy of the Draft EIS, when released), electronic requests can be
made on the project Web site at www.oceanastrikefightereis.com.
Requests via the U.S. Postal Service should be submitted to: NAS Oceana
EIS Project Manager (Code EV21/TW); Naval Facilities Engineering
Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia
23508. The same policy for release of personally identifiable
information as identified above for scoping comments will be maintained
by DoN for individuals requesting to be included on the EIS mailing
list.
Dated: August 27, 2015.
N. A. Hagerty-Ford,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-22773 Filed 9-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
