Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement For the Long Range Discrimination Radar Operations at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, 68314 [2020-23889]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 68314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23889]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
For the Long Range Discrimination Radar Operations at Clear Air Force 
Station, Alaska

AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), as the lead agency, 
announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with 
proposed changes in operational concept and other associated activities 
for the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) located at Clear Air 
Force Station (CAFS), Alaska. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
and the Department of the Air Force (DAF) are cooperating agencies to 
this Draft EIS. The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA; MDA's NEPA Implementing Procedures; DAF 
Environmental Impact Analysis Process; and FAA's NEPA Policies and 
Procedures. The Draft EIS also supports compliance with the National 
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and its implementing regulations.

DATES: The 52-day public comment period will be from October 30, 2020 
to December 21, 2020. All public comments are requested by December 21, 
2020. Due to recent federal and state guidance on public gatherings, 
MDA will hold an Online Open House and Telephone Public Meeting, in 
place of in-person public meetings. Notification for public involvement 
will be published and announced in local news media to encourage public 
participation and review.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by:
     Email: lrdr.info@mda.mil">lrdr.info@mda.mil.
     Voicemail: 256-450-1599.
     Fax: 907-644-2022.
     Mail: LRDR CAFS EIS C/O HDR 2525 C Street, Suite 500, 
Anchorage, AK 99503.
    All comments received during the 52-day public comment period will 
become part of the public record and considered in the Final EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ryan Keith, MDA Public Affairs, at 
256-450-1599 or by email: lrdr.info@mda.mil">lrdr.info@mda.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action and Alternative: In response to the Congressional 
mandate to deploy the LRDR, MDA completed a siting analysis for the 
LRDR, which selected CAFS out of 50 candidate Department of Defense 
installations in Alaska. In June 2016, MDA and DAF prepared an 
Environmental Assessment (EA), to evaluate the potential environmental 
impacts associated with the construction and operation of the LRDR at 
CAFS. The 2016 EA resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact, and 
construction of the LRDR began in July 2017. Since that time, due to 
emerging threats, the MDA proposes to modify the LRDR operational 
requirements and procedures to reflect continuous operations. Due to 
the proposed changes to LRDR operations, airspace restrictions at CAFS 
are necessary to ensure that aircraft would not encounter high 
intensity radiation fields (HIRF) resulting from the LRDR operations 
that exceed FAA's HIRF certification standards for aircraft electrical 
and electronic systems. The proposed airspace restrictions include 
expanding the existing Restricted Area (R-2206) at CAFS by adding six 
new Restricted Areas.
    MDA has considered two alternatives to the Proposed Action: The No 
Action Alternative and the two-tier alternative. Under the No Action 
Alternative, the LRDR would be operated in a manner that would contain 
HIRF within existing R-2206 such that no new actions would need to be 
taken to limit aircraft flight. Under the two-tier alternative, the 
existing R-2206 would be expanded with two new Restricted Areas. The 
two-tier alternative was presented during the scoping process, but was 
eliminated from further analysis in order to minimize potential impacts 
on airspace.
    The environmental analysis in the Draft EIS addresses the following 
environmental resource areas: Airspace management; air quality; 
biological resources; climate; hazardous materials; solid waste and 
pollution prevention; historical, architectural, archaeological, and 
cultural resources; land use; natural resources and energy supply; 
noise and compatible land use; safety; socioeconomics and environmental 
justice; subsistence; visual effects; and water resources.
    This Draft EIS supports the FAA rulemaking process related to the 
Restricted Areas.
    Comments Invited: MDA invites all interested members of the public, 
as well as federal, state, tribal and local agencies, to comment on the 
Proposed Action and to participate in the Online Open House and the 
Telephone Public Meeting in review of the Draft EIS. Through these 
public involvement opportunities, attendees can learn about findings in 
the Draft EIS and may provide verbal and written comments. For more 
information, including a downloadable copy of the Draft EIS, visit the 
MDA's website at https://www.mda.mil/system/lrdr.

    Dated: October 23, 2020.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2020-23889 Filed 10-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P