[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 59830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25656]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the West Coast Introduction of the MV-22 Tilt-Rotor Aircraft to Third 
and Fourth Marine Aircraft Wings

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 intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to 
evaluate the potential environmental effects of the West Coast 
introduction of the MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft to the Third and Fourth 
Marine Aircraft Wings.

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked no later than December 
1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Seven public scoping meetings will be held to receive oral 
and/or written comments from agencies and interested individuals on 
environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS.
    1. October 25, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at The Desert Inn, 
44219 Sierra Highway, Lancaster, California;
    2. November 1, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the County 
Administrative Center, 940 Main Street, Room 211, El Centro, 
California;
    3. November 2, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Yuma Main Library, 
Auditorium, 350 Third Avenue, Yuma, Arizona;
    4. November 6, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Torrey Pines High 
School, Lecture Hall, 3710 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego, California;
    5. November 7, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at San Clemente High 
School, Little Triton Theater, 700 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, 
California;
    6. November 8, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Mira Mesa High 
School, Auditorium, 10510 Reagan Road, San Diego, California;
    7. November 9, 2000, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Fallbrook 
Community Center, 341 Heald Lane, Fallbrook, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Doug Gilkey, Southwest Division, 
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, 
CA 92132-5190; telephone 619-532-3348, fax 619-532-2469, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MV-22 aircraft, known as the Osprey, 
represents a new technology in military aviation. This aircraft 
utilizes tilt-rotary technology to enable it to operate like a rotary-
wing aircraft and a fixed-wing aircraft. The MV-22 will replace the 
aging CH-46 and CH-53 rotary-wing aircraft. In December 1999, the 
Department of the Navy completed an EIS for introduction of the MV-22 
to the Second Marine Aircraft Wing supporting Fleet Marine Force 
training and operations at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North 
Carolina.
    The proposal being evaluated in this EIS is the basing and 
operation of seven squadrons of MV-22 aircraft in the Third Marine 
Aircraft Wing and two squadrons of MV-22 aircraft in the Fourth Marine 
Aircraft Wing. The primary mission of the MV-22 in the Third and Fourth 
Marine Aircraft Wings will be to support Fleet Marine Force training 
and operations at MCB Camp Pendleton; accordingly, alternatives to be 
considered in the EIS are all aviation facilities within the 
operational radius of the MV-22 from MCB Camp Pendleton.
    This proposal includes construction and/or renovation of facilities 
to accommodate the aircraft, and associated equipment and personnel. 
Also, the proposal includes the use of existing and potentially new 
outlying fields and other landing areas, as well as existing and 
potentially new airspace for military aircraft in support of both 
military training and operations.
    The Marine Corps is currently evaluating all DoD West Coast 
installations to develop reasonable MV-22 siting alternatives. To date, 
five installations have been identified as potential receiving sites: 
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, MCAS 
Yuma, Naval Air Facility El Centro, and Edwards Air Force Base. 
Application of screening criteria will identify a range of reasonable 
alternatives that will be evaluated in the EIS and other siting 
alternatives may be considered as appropriate.
    Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include: geological 
resources, biological resources, water resources, noise, air quality, 
land use compatibility, cultural resources, socioeconomics, 
environmental justice, public health and safety, transportation/
circulation, aesthetics, utilities, hazardous materials and solid 
waste.
    The Marine Corps will initiate a scoping process for the purpose of 
determining the extent of issues to be addressed, and identifying the 
significant issues related to this action. The Marine Corps will hold 
public scoping meetings as noted in the Addresses Section of this 
notice. These meetings will be advertised in area newspapers.
    Marine Corps representatives will be available at these meetings to 
receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern to the 
public. Federal, state and local agencies, and interested individuals 
are encouraged to take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. 
Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments on scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, oral 
comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific issues or topics that the commentor 
believes the EIS should address.
    Written comments must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2000, 
and mailed to: Commander, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190 
(Attn: Mr. Doug Gilkey).

    Dated: September 30, 2000.
 Duncan Holaday,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, (Installations and Facilities).
[FR Doc. 00-25656 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
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