[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 66 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18522-18523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7085]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Southern 
California Range Complex (Including the San Clemente Island Range 
Complex)

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 and the regulations implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and 
Presidential Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (Navy) 
prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on 
March 28, 2008, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) for the Southern California 
Range Complex (including the San Clemente Island Range Complex). This 
Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects of current 
and emerging training and research, development, test, and evaluation 
(RDT&E) activities in the Southern California (SOCAL) Range Complex, 
and proposed upgrades and modernization of range complex capabilities 
for Navy training and testing. A Notice of Intent for this Draft EIS/
OEIS was published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2006 (71 FR 
76639).
    The Navy will conduct three public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. Federal, State, and local 
agencies and interested individuals are invited to be present or 
represented at the public hearings. This notice announces the dates and 
locations for the public hearings for the Draft EIS/OEIS.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: An open house session will precede the public 
hearing at each of the locations listed below. Individuals will be 
allowed to review the information presented in the Draft EIS/OEIS and 
Navy representatives will be available during the open house sessions 
to clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS. For all meetings, 
the open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the public 
hearing will be held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
    Public hearings will be held on the following dates and at the 
following locations in California:
    1. April 29, 2008 at the Oceanside Civic Center Public Library, 330 
North Coast Highway, Oceanside, California;
    2. April 30, 2008 at the Coronado Community Center, 1845 Strand 
Way, Coronado, California;
    3. May 1, 2008 at the Long Beach Public Library, 101 Pacific 
Avenue, Long Beach, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Southwest, Attention: SOCAL EIS Project Manager (Code REVPO), 1220 
Pacific Highway, Building 127, San Diego, California 92132-5190; phone 
619-532-2803; or http://www.socalrangecomplexeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the SOCAL Range Complex is to 
serve as the principal U.S. Navy training venue in the eastern Pacific 
with the unique capability and capacity to support required current, 
emerging, and future training. As a result, the Navy proposes to 
implement actions within the SOCAL Range Complex to: increase training 
and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) operations from 
current levels as necessary to support the Fleet Readiness Training 
Plan (FRTP); accommodate mission requirements associated with force 
structure changes and introduction of new weapons and systems to the 
Fleet; and implement enhanced range complex capabilities.
    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to achieve and maintain fleet 
readiness using the SOCAL Range Complex, while enhancing training 
resources through investment on the ranges. The need for the Proposed 
Action is to enable the Navy to meet its statutory responsibility 
(found in Title 10 of the United States Code, section 5062) to 
organize, train, equip, and maintain combat-ready naval forces and to 
successfully fulfill its current and future global mission of winning 
wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas. The 
existing SOCAL Range Complex plays a vital part in the execution of 
this naval readiness mandate and has done so successfully for the last 
70 years. The San Diego, California, region is home to the largest 
concentration of U.S. naval forces in the world, and the SOCAL Range 
Complex is the most capable and heavily used Navy range complex in the 
eastern Pacific region. The Navy's Proposed Action is a step toward 
ensuring the continued vitality of this essential naval training 
resource.
    The SOCAL Range Complex consists of three primary components: ocean 
operating areas, military special use airspace, and San Clemente Island 
(SCI). The range complex is situated between Dana Point and San Diego 
along the California coast, and extends more than 600 nautical miles 
(nm) southwest into the Pacific Ocean. The SOCAL Range Complex 
encompasses 120,000 square nm of sea space, 113,000 square nm of 
designated airspace, and over 42 square nm of land area (SCI). The Navy 
proposes to maintain the existing established boundaries of the range 
complex's ocean areas and designated airspace.
    Three alternatives are evaluated in this Draft EIS/OEIS, including 
two action alternatives (Alternatives 1 and 2) and the No-action 
Alternative. The No-action Alternative stands as no change from current 
levels of training and RDT&E usage. Alternatives 1 and 2 analyze 
increased tempo and frequency of training in the SOCAL Range Complex.
    Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 also address proposed new types of 
training, as well as training associated with new types of ships, 
weapons, and systems that are being introduced into the Navy's fleet 
(e.g., The Littoral Combat Ship). Force structure changes associated 
with new weapons systems would include new mine countermeasures systems 
and also would include training and operations associated with the 
proposed homeporting of the aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON at Naval 
Base Coronado. In addition, Alternative 2 addresses the proposed 
construction and use of a shallow water training range (SWTR) and 
shallow water minefield, as well as an increase in use of commercial 
air services to support training events. Alternative 2 is the Navy's 
preferred alternative.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS has been distributed to various Federal, State, 
and local agencies, as well as other interested individuals and 
organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available 
for public review at the following libraries: San Diego Central 
Library, 820 ``E'' Street, San Diego, California; Oceanside Civic 
Center Public Library, 330 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, California; 
San Clemente Public Library, 242 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 
California; San Pedro Regional Library, 931 South Gaffey Street, San 
Pedro, California; and Long Beach Public Library, 101 Pacific Avenue, 
Long Beach, California. Single copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are

[[Page 18523]]

available upon written request to: SOCAL EIS, SOCAL EIS Project Manager 
(Code REVPO), 1220 Pacific Highway, Building 127, San Diego, California 
92132-5190. In addition, an electronic copy of the Draft EIS/OEIS is 
also available for public viewing or download at http://www.socalrangecomplexeis.com. The Web site also contains information 
about the SOCAL Range Complex and a form for submission of electronic 
comments.
    Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties are 
invited to be present or represented at the public hearings. Written 
comments can be submitted during the public hearings. Oral statements 
will be heard and transcribed by a stenographer; however, to ensure the 
accuracy of the record, all oral statements should be submitted in 
writing. All statements, both oral and written, will become part of the 
public record on the Draft EIS/OEIS and will be addressed in the Final 
EIS/OEIS. Equal weight will be given to both oral and written 
statements.
    In the interest of available time, and to ensure that 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 long statement is 
to be presented, it should be summarized at the public hearing and the 
full text submitted in writing either at the hearing, via the project 
Web site, or mailed to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, 
Attention SOCAL EIS Project Manager (Code REVPO), 1220 Pacific Highway, 
Building 127, San Diego, California, 92132-5190.
    All written comments must be post-marked or received by May 19, 
2008, to ensure they become part of the official record. The project 
Web site, http://www.socalrangecomplexeis.com, provides a form for 
submission of electronic comments. All timely comments will be 
addressed in the Final EIS/OEIS.

    Dated: March 27, 2008.
T.M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-7085 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]
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