[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 4236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1802]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings and Extension of Public Comment Period 
for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Shock Trial 
of the WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81)

AGENCY:  Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY:  The Department of the Navy (DON) has prepared and filed with 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a DEIS evaluating the 
environmental effects for the shock trial of the WINSTON S. CHURCHILL 
(DDG 81) at a site to be located offshore of either Norfolk, Virginia, 
Mayport, Florida, or Pascagoula, Mississippi. The DON is the lead 
agency and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a 
cooperating agency in the development of the DEIS. The comment period, 
previously announced in the Federal Register on December 10, 1999 (64 
FR 69267) has been extended. This notice announces the dates and 
locations for the three public hearings and the extension of the public 
review period. Public hearings will be held in order to receive oral 
and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, state and local agencies, 
and interested individuals are invited to be present or represented at 
the hearings.

DATES AND ADDRESSES:  The public hearings will be jointly hosted by the 
DON and the NMFS. The hearings have been scheduled as follows:
    1. March 13, 2000, 7:00 PM, Granby High School Auditorium, 7101 
Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia.
    2. March 14, 2000, 7:00 PM, Pensacola Junior College, Hagler 
Auditorium, 1000 College Boulevard, Pensacola, Florida.
    3. March 15, 2000, 7:00 PM, Fletcher High School Auditorium, 700 
Seagate Avenue, Neptune Beach, Florida.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Ms. Lyn Carroll, Marconi Systems 
Technologies, 2611 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 5000, Arlington, 
Virginia 22202, telephone (703) 413-4099 or e-mail address at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Per 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 DON has 
prepared and filed with the EPA a DEIS evaluating the environmental 
effects for the shock trial of the WINSTON S. CHURCHILL (DDG 81), at a 
site to be located offshore of either Norfolk, Virginia, Mayport, 
Florida, or Pascagoula, Mississippi. The DON is the lead agency and the 
NMFS is a cooperating agency in the development of the DEIS. The NMFS 
is concurrently evaluating the DON's request for a Letter of 
Authorization for the Incidental Take of Marine Mammals in their 
regulatory role under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
    A Notice of Availability for the DEIS appeared in the Federal 
Register on December 10, 1999 (64 FR 69267). That Notice stated that 
comments on the DEIS were due by January 24, 2000. The DON is extending 
the public comment period to March 31, 2000. All written comments 
should be postmarked no later than that date. This comment period is 
expected to coincide with the NMFS comment period provided in its 
Advance Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) on the DON'S application for the 
taking of marine mammals incidental to the proposed shock trial of the 
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. The NMFS will provide details on the ANPR by 
separate notice in the Federal Register.
    The DON will conduct three public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments concerning the DEIS and the ANPR. A brief presentation 
will precede a request for public information and comments. DON 
representatives will be available at each hearing to receive 
information and comments from agencies and the public regarding issues 
of concern. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested parties 
are invited and urged to be present or represented at the hearings. 
Those who intend to speak will be asked to submit a speaker card 
(available at the door). Oral comments will be heard and transcribed by 
a stenographer. To assure accuracy of the record, all statements should 
be submitted in writing. All statements, both oral and written, will 
become part of the public record in the study. Equal weight will be 
given to both oral and written comments. In the interest of available 
time, each speaker will be asked to limit oral comments to three 
minutes. Longer comments should be summarized at the public hearings 
and submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed to Ms. Lyn 
Carroll (see address below).
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local 
agencies, elected officials, and special interest groups and public 
libraries. The DEIS is available for public review at the following 
libraries:

--Beaches Branch Library, Jacksonville Public Libraries, 600 3rd 
Street, Neptune Beach, Florida.
--Center for Naval Analysis, The Library, 4401 Ford Avenue, Alexandria, 
Virginia.
--Main Library, Norfolk Public Library, 301 East City Hall Avenue, 
Norfolk, Virginia.
--Main Library, Jacksonville Public Libraries, 122 North Ocean Street, 
Jacksonville, Florida.
--Main Library, Pascagoula Public Library, 3214 Pascagoula Street, 
Pascagoula, Mississippi.
--Main Library, Pensacola Public Library/West Florida Regional Library, 
200 W. Gregory Street, Pensacola, Florida.
--Pell Marine Science Library, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett 
Bay Campus, Narragansett, Rhode Island.
--SIO Library Mono, Scripps Inst of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Drive, La 
Jolla, California.
--St. Mary's Public Library, 100 Herb Bauer Drive, St. Mary's, Georgia.
--University of Southhampton, National Oceanographic Library, Express 
Dock, Southhampton, United Kingdom.


    Dated: January 20, 2000.
J.L. Roth,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-1802 Filed 1-25-00; 8:45 am]
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