[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 245 (Thursday, December 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76639-76640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21802]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Southern California 
Range Complex (including the San Clemente Island Range Complex) and To 
Announce Public Scoping Meetings

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 (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and 
Presidential Executive Order 12114 (Environmental Effects Abroad of 
Major Federal Actions), the Department of the Navy (DON) announces its 
intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS) to evaluate the potential 
environmental effects associated with conducting naval readiness 
activities in the Southern California (SOCAL) Range Complex (to include 
the San Clemente Island (SCI) Range Complex). DON proposes to support 
current, emerging, and future military activities in the SOCAL and SCI 
Range Complexes as necessary to achieve and sustain Fleet readiness, 
including military training; research, development, testing, and 
evaluation (RDT&E) of systems, weapons, and platforms; and investment 
in range resources and range infrastructure, all in furtherance of our 
statutory obligations under Title 10 of the United States Code 
governing the roles and responsibilities of the DON.
    On August 17, 1999, DON initiated the NEPA process for an EIS/OEIS 
evaluating the impacts of DON activities at the SCI Range Complex by 
publishing a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register (64 FR 44716-
44717). DON has determined that it is appropriate to include within the 
scope of the SOCAL Range Complex EIS/OEIS the previously announced 
environmental analysis of military activities on the SCI Range. 
Therefore, this Notice of Intent supersedes and withdraws the August 
17, 1999, notice of the DON's intent to prepare an EIS/OEIS for the SCI 
Range Complex.
    Dates and Addresses: Three public scoping meetings will be held to 
receive oral and written comments on environmental concerns that should 
be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. Public scoping meetings will be held on 
the following dates, at the times and locations specified:
    1. Wednesday, January 29, 2007, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Cabrillo Marine 
Aquarium Library, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro, CA.
    2. Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Oceanside Civic Center 
Library, 330 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA.
    3. Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Coronado Public 
Library, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA.

[[Page 76640]]

    Each meeting will consist of an information session staffed by DON 
representatives, to be followed by a presentation describing the 
proposed action and alternatives. Written comments from interested 
parties are encouraged to ensure that the full range of relevant issues 
is identified. Members of the public can contribute oral or written 
comments at the scoping meetings, or written comments by mail or fax, 
subsequent to the meetings. Additional information concerning the 
scoping meetings is available at: http://www.SocalRangeComplexEIS.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Diori Kreske, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command Southwest, 2585 Callaghan Hwy., San Diego, CA 
92136-5198; telephone 619-556-8706.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SOCAL Range Complex is a suite of land 
ranges and training areas, surface and subsurface ocean ranges and 
operating areas, and military airspace that is centrally managed and 
controlled by DON agencies. The complex geographically encompasses 
near-shore and offshore surface ocean operating areas and extensive 
military Special Use Airspace generally located between Marine Corp 
Base Camp Pendleton to the north and San Diego to the south. It extends 
more than 600 miles to the southwest in the Pacific Ocean covering 
approximately 120,000 square nautical miles of ocean area. The SCI 
Range Complex is geographically encompassed by the SOCAL Range Complex. 
The SCI Range Complex consists of land ranges and training areas on San 
Clemente Island and certain near-island ocean operating areas and 
ranges.
    Collectively, the components of the SOCAL Range Complex provide the 
space and resources needed to execute training events across the 
training continuum, from individual skills training to complex joint 
exercises. The mission of the SOCAL Range Complex is to support DON, 
Marine Corps, and joint (multi-service) training by maintaining and 
operating range facilities and by providing range services and support 
to the Pacific Fleet, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and other 
forces and military activities. The Commander, Fleet Forces Command and 
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet are responsible for operations, 
maintenance, training, and support of this national training asset.
    Naval transformation initiatives determine current, emerging, and 
future requirements for training access to the SOCAL Range Complex. 
Moreover, recent world events have placed the U.S. military on 
heightened alert in the defense of the U.S., and in defense of allied 
nations. At this time, the U.S. military, and specifically the U.S. 
Navy, is actively engaged in anti-terrorism efforts around the globe. 
Title 10 U.S. Code Section 5062 directs the Chief of Naval Operations 
to maintain, train, and equip all naval forces for combat so that they 
are capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining 
freedom of the seas. To achieve this level of readiness, naval forces 
must have access to ranges, operating areas (OPAREAs), and airspace 
where they can develop and maintain skills for wartime missions and 
conduct RDT&E of naval weapons systems. As such, DON ranges, OPAREAs, 
and airspace must be maintained and/or enhanced to accommodate 
necessary training and testing activities in support of national 
security objectives.
    The proposed action, therefore, responds to DON's need to: (1) 
Maintain baseline operations at current levels; (2) accommodate future 
increases in operational training tempo in the SOCAL and SCI Range 
Complexes as necessary to support the deployment of naval forces; (3) 
achieve and sustain readiness in ships and squadrons so that the DON 
can quickly surge significant combat power in the event of a national 
crisis or contingency operation and consistent with Fleet Readiness 
Training Plan; (4) support the acquisition, testing, training, and 
introduction into the Fleet of advanced platforms and weapons systems; 
and, (5) implement investments to optimize range capabilities required 
to adequately support required training. DON will meet these needs and 
maintain the long-term viability of the SOCAL Range Complex, while 
protecting human health and the environment.
    Three alternatives will be evaluated in the EIS/OEIS, including: 
(1) The No Action Alternative, comprised of baseline operations and 
support of existing range capabilities; (2) Alternative 1 comprised of 
the No Action Alternative plus additional operations on upgraded/-
modernized existing ranges; and (3) Alternative 1 plus new ranges, new 
dedicated capabilities, additional increased tempo (beyond Alternative 
1) to optimize training in support of future contingencies. The 
analysis will address potentially significant direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts on biological resources, land use, air quality, 
water quality, water resources, and socioeconomics, as well as other 
environmental issues that could occur with the implementation of the 
DON's proposed actions and alternatives.
    The DON is initiating the scoping process to identify community 
concerns and local issues to be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. Federal, 
State, and local agencies, and interested parties are encouraged to 
provide oral and/or written comments to the DON that identify specific 
issues or topics of environmental concern that should be addressed in 
the EIS/OEIS. Written comments must be postmarked by February 8, 2007, 
and should be mailed to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Southwest, 2585 Callaghan Hwy., San Diego, CA 92136-5198; Attention: 
Ms. Diori Kreske, telephone 619-556-8706.

    Dated: December 13, 2006.
M.A. Harvison,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, Federal 
Legislative Liaison Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-21802 Filed 12-20-06; 8:45 am]
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