[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41784-41785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17956]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Availability of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense 
Extended Test Range Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Missile Defense 
Agency's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Extended Test Range Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), that analyzes the potential for 
environmental impacts associated with establishing an extended test 
range capability providing more realistic operational flight testing 
capability in support of development of the GMD element of the 
Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The current capability 
includes missile launch sites and array of sensors and other test 
equipment located at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site 
(RTS) at Kwajalein Atoll, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in 
Hawaii, and Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB) in California.
    A Record of Decision will be issued no earlier than 30 days from 
the date this notice appears in the Federal Register.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments provided on or 
before August 14, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the document or to provide comments 
on the FEIS should be addressed to: U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense 
Command, ATTN: SMDC-EN-V (Mrs. Julia Hudson-Elliott), P.O. Box 1500, 
Huntsville, AL 35805, by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone 
at 1-800-823-8823.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please call Mr. Rick Lehner, MDA 
Director of Communications at (703) 697-8997.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (cooperating agency) announced 
the availability of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Extended Test 
Range Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on February 7, 2003 
(68 FR 26 6420) providing notice that the DEIS was available for 
comment. The DEIS public review period was from February 7, 2003 
through April 15, 2003. Public hearings were held February 24 through 
March 6, 2003. Comments from the DEIS review and public hearings have 
been considered and included along with responses in the FEIS.
    The proposed action and alternatives examined in the FEIS include 
development of the capability for single and dual launches of 
interceptor and target missiles at the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC) 
Alaska, RTS, and/or Vandenberg AFB, with intercepts over the Pacific 
Ocean. Development of these capabilities would entail construction of 
two interceptor launchers, one additional target launch pad and 
construction/alteration of launch support facilities at KLC; target pad 
modifications at RTS; modification of support facilities at Vandenberg 
AFB; construction of In-Flight Interceptor Communication System (IFICS) 
Data Terminals and military and commercial satellite communications in 
the mid-Pacific and at KLC or Vandenberg AFB; additional range 
instrumentation (tracking and range safety radars) in the vicinity of 
sites; and use of either existing Battle Management Command and Control 
(BMC2) facilities at RTS, or new BMC2 facilities that may be developed 
at Forth Greely, Alaska and/or Shriever AFB, or Cheyenne Mountain 
Complex, Colorado, in the validation of the GMD operational concept 
effort.
    Additionally, the proposed action and alternatives include the 
construction and operation of a Sea-Based Test X-Band Radar (SBX) that 
would operate in the Pacific broad ocean area and would be home-based 
in either Alaska, California, Washington, RTS, or Hawaii.
    Copies of the FEIS have been distributed to Federal, State, and 
local agencies; public officials; and organizations and individuals 
that previously requested copies of the DEIS or FEIS. Copies of the 
FEIS will be available at the following public libraries:
    [sbull] Anchorage Municipal Library, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK 
99503
    [sbull] Everett Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave., Everett, WA 98201
    [sbull] Kodiak City Library, 319 Lower Mill Bay Rd., Kodiak, AK 
99615
    [sbull] Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc, CA 93436
    [sbull] Mountain View Branch Library, 150 S. Bragaw St., Anchorage, 
AK 99508

[[Page 41785]]

    [sbull] Oxnard Public Library, 251 S. A St., Oxnard, CA 93030
    [sbull] Valdez City Library, 212 Fairbanks, Valdez, AK 99686
    [sbull] Hawaii State Library, Hawaii Documents Center, 478 South 
King St., Honolulu, HI 96813
    [sbull] University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hamilton Library, 2550 The 
Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822
    [sbull] Hanapepe Public Library, 4490 Kona Rd., Hanapepe, HI 96716
    [sbull] Kapaa Public Library, 1464 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa, HI 96746
    [sbull] Koloa Public & School Library, 3451 Poipu Rd., Koloa, HI 
96756
    [sbull] Lihue Public Library, 4344 Hardy St., Lihue, HI 96766
    [sbull] Princeville Public Library, 4343 Emmalani Drive, 
Princeville, HI 96722
    [sbull] Waimea Public Library, 9750 Kaumualii Highway, Waimea, HI 
96796
    [sbull] Ray D. Prueter Library, 510 Park Ave., Port Hueneme, CA 
93041
    The library locations and the FEIS are also available on the MDA 
Internet site: www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/bmdolink.html

    Dated: July 11, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 03-17956 Filed 7-11-03; 1:53 pm]
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