Department of the Navy April 9, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In a Notice of Intent published on June 24, 2005 (70 Federal Register [FR] 36566), the Department of the Navy announced its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to provide additional analysis of the environmental consequences associated with the construction and operation of an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) needed to support operations of Super Hornet squadrons stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia, and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft SEIS on February 23, 2007 (72 FR 8155). Pursuant to section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the Navy announces its intent to terminate the Draft SEIS for the Introduction of F/A-18E/F (Super Hornet) Aircraft to the East Coast of the United States (Construction and Operation of an Outlying Landing Field) and prepare an EIS to evaluate potential environmental consequences of the construction and operation of an OLF at new alternative sites to support Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) training requirements for carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft stationed at and transient to NAS Oceana and Naval Station (NS) Norfolk Chambers Field, Virginia. The five new alternative OLF sites identified to date are: (1) Cabin Point Site, located in Surry, Prince George, and Sussex counties, Virginia; (2) Dory Site, located in Southampton and Sussex counties, Virginia; (3) Mason Site, located in Sussex and Southampton counties, Virginia; (4) Sandbanks Site, located in Gates and Hertford counties, North Carolina; and (5) Hale's Lake Site, located in Camden and Currituck counties, North Carolina. These five site alternatives were identified by applying operational, environmental and population criteria to a list of 13 new sites provided by the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as on the five sites examined in the Draft SEIS. Dates and Addresses: The Navy is initiating a scoping process to identify community concerns and local issues that will be addressed in the EIS. Federal, state, and local elected officials and agencies and interested persons are encouraged to provide comments to the Navy to identify environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly describe the specific issues or topics the EIS should address. Public scoping meetings, using an Open House format, will be held to receive written comments or concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. Public scoping meetings will be as follows: 1. Currituck County, North Carolina. North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Currituck County Center, 120 Community Way, Barco, NC 27917 on April 28, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 2. Prince George County, Virginia. J.E.J Moore Middle School, 11455 Prince George Drive, Disputanta, VA 23842 on April 29, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 3. Sussex County, Virginia. Sussex Central High School, 21394 Sussex Drive, Sussex, VA 23884 on April 30, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 4. Southampton County, Virginia. Southampton High School, 23350 Southampton Parkway, Courtland, VA 23837 on May 1, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 5. Gates County, North Carolina. Gates County High School, 088 U.S. Highway 158 West, Gatesville, NC 27938 on May 2, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 6. Camden County, North Carolina. Camden County High School, 103 U.S. Highway 158 West, Camden, NC 27921 on May 5, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and 7. Surry County, Virginia. Surry Central High School, 1675 Hollybush Road, Dendron, VA 23839 on May 7, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The dates, times, and locations of public scoping meetings are also available at (https://www.olfeis.com), and will be provided to local and regional media serving localities in the vicinity of proposed OLF sites. Comments can be made in the following ways: (1) Written statements submitted to Navy representatives at the public scoping open houses; (2) written statements mailed to Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508, Attn: Code EV OLF Project Manager; and (3) written statements submitted via the Web site at https://www.OLFEIS.com. All written comments must be postmarked by June 7, 2008.