[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 243 (Friday, December 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70116-70117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33569]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Shock Trial of the DDG 81 Flight IIA Class Destroyer

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the 
Navy announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to evaluate the environmental effects of a proposal to conduct 
ship shock trials on the AEGIS Destroyer, WINSTON CHURCHILL (DDG 81) at 
a site located off the east coast or gulf coast of the United States.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.6, the Department of the Navy has requested 
that the National Marine Fisheries Service act as a cooperating agency.
    A ``shock trial'' is necessary to evaluate the effect that shock 
waves, resulting from a series of underwater explosions and designed to 
emulate conditions encountered in combat, have when they propagate 
through a ship's hull. The congressionally mandated (10 USC 2366) Live 
Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) Program requires realistic 
survivability testing on each new class of Navy ships, or on an 
existing class of ships when significant design changes that may affect 
ship survivability are made. A ``shock trial'' is part of the Navy's 
LFT&E program to ensure survivability. The test results provide 
important information that is applied to follow-on ships and is used to 
improve the initial ship design and enhance the effectiveness and 
overall survivability of the ship and crew. Shock trials have proven 
their value as recently as the Persian Gulf War when ships were able to 
survive battle damage and continue their mission because of ship 
design, crew survivability, and crew training lessons learned during 
previous shock tests.

[[Page 70117]]

    The proposed action would subject the WINSTON CHURCHILL to no more 
than four explosive charges, 10,000 pounds each, while monitoring the 
effects on the ship. The EIS will thoroughly address reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action, the existing environments of the 
proposed test areas, and the impact to the environment at those areas. 
Mayport, Florida, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Norfolk, Virginia were 
chosen initially for evaluation because they effectively meet the 
operational criteria necessary to conduct a shock trial on a surface 
combatant. These criteria include: Water depth of at least 600 feet; 
geographic location; proximity to a Naval Station, Ship Repair 
Facility, Military Airbase, Ordnance Loading Station, naval ships and 
aircraft; sea traffic; weather and sea state; and personnel tempo 
requirements. The proposed shock trial is scheduled to occur over a 
consecutive period of four weeks between May 1, and September 1, 2001.
    The EIS will analyze impacts of the proposed action on air and 
water quality, marine life (including marine mammals and endangered and 
threatened species), commercial fishing and shipping, recreation, and 
economic and commercial resources.

DATES: The Navy will hold the following three public meetings in 
January 1999:

1. January 19, 1999, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
2. January 20, 1999, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and
3. January 21, 1999, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at a location near each of 
the proposed test areas:

1. January 19, 1999, at Granby High School, 7101 Granby Road, Norfolk, 
Virginia.
2. January 20, 1999, at Fair Hall at Jackson County Fairgrounds, Corner 
of Shortcut and Hospital Road, Pascagoula, Mississippi.
3. January 21, 1999, at Mayport Middle School, 2600 Mayport Road, 
Atlantic Beach, Florida.

The meetings will be announced in local newspapers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Agencies and the public are also 
invited and encouraged to provide written comments in addition to, or 
in lieu of, oral comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, 
comments should clearly describe specific issues or topics which the 
commentor believes the EIS should address. Written statements and/or 
questions regarding the scoping process should be mailed no later than 
February 1, 1999 to: Commanding Officer, Southern Division, Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command (Attn: Mr. Will Sloger, Code 064WS), 
2155 Eagle Drive, N. Charleston, South Carolina, telephone 843-802-
5797, FAX 843-802-7472.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A brief presentation will precede the 
request for public comment. Navy representatives will be available at 
this meeting to receive comments from the public regarding issues of 
concern. It is important that federal, state, and local agencies, and 
interested individuals take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. In 
the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit 
oral comments to five minutes.

    Dated: December 14, 1998.
Ralph W. Corey,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-33569 Filed 12-17-98; 8:45 am]
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