Navy Department January 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public release on January 22, 2010. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a cooperating agency for the EIS.

The Department of the Navy (Navy), after carefully weighing the operational and environmental consequences of the proposed action, announces its decision to improve the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division's (NSWC PCD's) capabilities to conduct new and increased research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) operations for the Navy and its Department of Defense customers within three military warning areas W-151, W-155, and W-470 and St. Andrew Bay, collectively known as the NSWC PCD Study Area. The proposed action is required for the Navy to successfully meet current and future national and global defense challenges by developing a robust capability to research, develop, test, and evaluate systems within the NSWC PCD Study Area. In its decision, the Navy considered applicable laws, regulations and executive orders, including an analysis of the effects of its actions outside the U.S. or its territories under Executive Order (EO) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions.