Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Noise of Cancellation of Scoping Meetings for Proposed Mortar and Artillery Training at Richardson Training Area, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK, 18217 [2020-06741]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Air Force

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 18217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06741]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Noise of Cancellation of Scoping Meetings for Proposed Mortar and 
Artillery Training at Richardson Training Area, Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson, AK

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the U.S. Army, acting as a 
Cooperating Agency, are issuing this Amended Notice of Intent, updating 
the original notice published on March 16, 2020 (Federal Register, Vol. 
85., No. 51, 14928) of their continuing intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential social, 
economic, and environmental impacts associated with modifying the 
conditions under which indirect live-fire weapons training can be 
conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), in order to meet 
Army training standards at home station. However, as a direct result of 
the National Emergency declared by the President on Friday, March 13, 
2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United 
States and the Center for Disease Control's recommendations for social 
distancing and avoiding large public gatherings, the Air Force is now 
canceling the two public scoping meetings between April 13, 2020 and 
April 14, 2020. In lieu of the public scoping meetings, the Air Force 
will use the alternative means set forth below to inform the public and 
stakeholders and to obtain input for scoping the proposed action.

ADDRESSES: In lieu of scoping meetings, information on the proposal 
will be available on the project website at: https://JBER-PMART-EIS.com. For those who do not have ready access to a computer or the 
internet, the scoping-related materials posted to the website will be 
made available upon request by mail. Inquiries, requests for scoping-
related materials, and comments regarding the Proposed Mortar and 
Artillery Training at Richardson Training Area Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), AK may be 
submitted by mail to JBER Public Affairs, [email protected], (907) 552-
8151; (US Post Office) JBER Public Affairs c/o Matthew Beattie, 10480 
Sijan Ave., Suite 123, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK 99506.
    Written scoping comments will be accepted at any time during the 
environmental impact analysis process up until the public release of 
the Draft EIS. However, to ensure the USAF has sufficient time to 
consider public input in the preparation of the Draft EIS, scoping 
comments should be submitted to the website or the address listed above 
by no later than May 11, 2020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will evaluate the potential impacts 
associated with the proposed action, which includes indirect live-fire 
training during all-seasons at Eagle River Flats (ERF) Impact Area on 
JBER, a military base in Alaska, in order to meet Army training 
standards. The proposed action also includes expansion of ERF impact 
area by approximately 585 acres. In addition, the EIS will evaluate an 
action alternative that would marginally meet Army training standards, 
and would not include expansion of the ERF impact area. The no action 
alternative will also be evaluated in the EIS, under which the Army 
would continue to train with the existing seasonal restrictions and 
which would require JBER home station units to deploy to other Army-
controlled training lands to conduct required training. The USAF is the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency and the U.S. Army 
is a cooperating agency for this EIS process. A Notice of Intent for a 
similar action was issued in 2007; however, this Notice of Intent 
supersedes the Notice of Intent that was issued in 2007.
    Additional review and consultation which will be incorporated into 
the preparation of the Draft EIS will include, but are not necessarily 
limited to consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
and consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    The proposed actions at JBER have the potential to be located in a 
floodplain and/or wetland. Consistent with the requirements and 
objectives of Executive Order (E.O.) 11990, ``Protection of Wetlands,'' 
and E.O. 11988, ``Floodplain Management,'' state and federal regulatory 
agencies with special expertise in wetlands and floodplains will be 
contacted to request comment. Consistent with E.O. 11988 and E.O. 
11990, this Notice of Intent initiates early public review of the 
proposed actions and alternatives, which have the potential to be 
located in a floodplain and/or wetland.
    Scoping and Agency Coordination: To define the full range of issues 
to be evaluated in the EIS, the USAF will determine the scope of the 
analysis by soliciting comments from interested local, state, and 
federal elected officials and agencies, Alaska Native organizations, as 
well as interested members of the public and others. This is being done 
by providing a website where the public can submit comments and/or by 
having comments mailed to the mailing address provided above.

Adriane Paris,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-06741 Filed 3-31-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-10-P