[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 69526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22709]



[[Page 69526]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings for a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low 
Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) Sonar

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) to provide supplemental analyses for the 
Navy's employment of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low 
Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) sonar systems. In accordance with NEPA 
and its implementing regulations, this notice announces the dates and 
locations of public hearings.

DATES: Public hearing dates are as follows:
    1. Thursday, December 1, 2005, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Washington, DC.
    2. Saturday, December 3, 2005, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., San Diego, CA.
    3. Monday, December 5, 2005, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Honolulu, HI.

ADDRESSES: Public hearing locations are as follows:
    1. Washington, DC--Navy Memorial, The President's Room, 701 
Pennsylvania Ave, NW., Washington, DC 20004-2608.
    2. San Diego, CA--San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum-USS MIDWAY, The 
Wardroom, 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. Note: Separate 
entrance provided; no fee required.
    3. Honolulu, HI--University of Hawaii at Manoa, Campus Center, 2465 
Campus Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kimberly Skrupky, telephone 703-
465-8404; Fax 703-465-8420.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is the Navy's employment 
of up to four SURTASS LFA sonar systems in the oceanic areas of the 
Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. The 
purposes of this supplemental analysis are to respond to deficiencies 
noted by the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of 
California's August 2003 Opinion and Order; include analysis of 
potential system upgrades; provide necessary information for compliance 
under the Marine Mammal Protection Act as amended; and provide 
additional information and analyses pertinent to the proposed action.
    The Draft SEIS provides an analysis of the proposed alternatives 
for the employment of SURTASS LFA sonar. In addition to the No Action 
alternative, four alternatives were analyzed to satisfy the Court's 
findings and to determine the potential effects of changes to the 
proposed action. These alternatives include coastline standoff 
restrictions of 22 and 46 kilometers (12 and 25 nautical miles), 
seasonal variations, and additional offshore biologically important 
areas.
    The Draft SEIS has been distributed to various Federal, state, and 
local agencies, as well as other interested individuals and 
organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft SEIS have been 
distributed to the following libraries for public review:
    1. Los Angeles Public Library, Malabar Branch, 2801 Wabash Ave, Los 
Angeles, CA 90033.
    2. San Diego Public Library, 820 E St, San Diego, CA 92101-6478.
    3. California State Library, Sutro Library, 480 Winston Drive, San 
Francisco, CA 94132.
    4. San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin St (at Grove), San 
Francisco, CA 94102.
    5. Hawaii Documents Center, Hawaii State Library, 478 South King 
St, Honolulu, HI 96813.
    6. Kaneohe Public Library, 45-829 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe, HI 
96744.
    7. Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Ave, Hilo, HI 96720.
    8. Wailuku Public Library, 251 High St, Wailuku, HI 96793.
    9. Lihue Public Library, 4344 Hardy St, Lihue, HI 96766.
    10. Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Copley Square, Boston, 
MA 02116.
    11. Norfolk Public Library, Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City 
Hall Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510.
    12. Virginia Beach Public Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd, 
Virginia Beach, VA 23452.
    13. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.
    14. Martin Luther King Memorial Library, 901 G St, NW., Washington, 
DC 20001.
    An electronic copy of the Draft SEIS is also available for public 
viewing and download at: http://www.surtass-lfa-eis.com/. Single copies 
of the Draft SEIS and Executive Summary are available upon request by 
contacting: SURTASS LFA Sonar EIS Program Manager, 4100 Fairfax Drive, 
Ste 730, Arlington, VA 22203; or E-Mail: [email protected].
    Federal, state, and local agencies and interested parties are 
invited and urged to be present or represented at the hearing. Written 
comments can be submitted at the public hearings or mailed to: SURTASS 
LFA Sonar EIS Program Manager, 4100 Fairfax Drive, Ste 730, Arlington, 
VA 22203; or E-Mail: [email protected]. Oral statements will be 
heard and transcribed by a stenographer; however, to ensure the 
accuracy of the record, all statements should be submitted in writing. 
All statements, both oral and written, will become part of the public 
record on the Draft SEIS and will be addressed in the Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Final SEIS). Equal weight 
will be given to both oral and written statements.
    In the interest of available time, and to ensure all who wish to 
give an oral statement have the opportunity to do so, each speaker's 
comments will be limited to three (3) minutes. If a longer statement is 
to be presented, it should be summarized at the public hearing and the 
full text submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed to: 
SURTASS LFA Sonar EIS Program Manager, 4100 Fairfax Drive, Ste 730, 
Arlington, VA 22203; or E-Mail: [email protected].
    All written comments must be postmarked by Tuesday, December 27, 
2005, to ensure that they become part of the official record. All 
comments will be addressed in the Final SEIS.

    Dated: November 10, 2005.
Eric McDonald,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-22709 Filed 11-15-05; 8:45 am]
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