[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96-97]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31232]



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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 Gulf of 
Mexico 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) as implemented by the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and Executive Order 12114 
Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions, the Department 
of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) for public release on January 
2, 2009. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a cooperating 
agency for the EIS/OEIS. The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential 
environmental impacts over a 10-year planning horizon associated with 
Navy Atlantic Fleet training; research, development, testing, and 
evaluation (RDT&E) activities; and associated range capabilities 
enhancements (including infrastructure improvements) within the 
existing Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) Range Complex.
    The GOMEX Range Complex geographically encompasses offshore, near-
shore, and onshore Operating Areas (OPAREAs), ranges, and special use 
airspace (SUA). Components of the GOMEX Range Complex encompass: 17,440 
square nautical miles (nm\2\) of OPAREA sea space; 20,810 nm\2\ of SUA 
off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas; 
12,000 nm\2\ of military operating areas over Florida, Alabama, 
Mississippi, and Texas; as well as 15 nm\2\ of inland range areas in 
east-central Mississippi and east-central Texas.
    The Navy will conduct four 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 of the public hearings for this Draft EIS/OEIS.

Dates and Addresses: Public hearings will be held on the following 
dates and locations:
    1. February 2, 2009 at the Bay Point Marriott, 4200 Marriott Drive, 
Panama City Beach, FL 32408;
    2. February 3, 2009 at the New World Inn, 600 South Palafox Street, 
Pensacola, FL 23502;
    3. February 4, 2009 at the New Orleans Marriott, 555 Canal Street, 
New Orleans, LA 70130; and
    4. February 6, 2009 at the Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach Hotel, 1102 
South Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
    All meetings will start with an open house session from 5 p.m. to 7 
p.m. followed by a formal public hearing presentation and public 
comment period from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The open house sessions will allow 
individuals to review the information presented in the GOMEX Range 
Complex Draft EIS/OEIS. Navy representatives will be available during 
the open house sessions to clarify information related to the Draft 
EIS/OEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508-1278, Attn: Code 
EV22TW (GOMEX EIS/OEIS PM), Fax: 757-322-4894 or http://www.GOMEXRangeComplexEIS.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare the GOMEX 
Range Complex Draft EIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on 
August 31, 2007 (72 FR 50333-50335). Four public scoping meetings were 
held at the following dates and locations:
    1. September 24, 2007 at the Gulf Coast Community College, Panama 
City, FL;
    2. September 25, 2007 at the Pensacola Junior College (Warrington 
Campus), Pensacola, FL;
    3. September 26, 2007 at the Alfred Bonnabel High School, Metairie, 
LA; and
    4. September 28, 2007 at the Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach Hotel, 
Corpus Christi, TX.
    The proposed action is to support and conduct current, emerging, 
and future training and RDT&E operations in the GOMEX Range Complex by 
maintaining baseline training and testing operations at current levels; 
modifying training and testing as necessary in support of the Fleet 
Readiness Training Plan (FRTP); and implementing enhanced range complex 
capabilities. The FRTP implements the Fleet Response Plan, which 
ensures continuous availability of agile, flexible, trained, and ready 
surge-capable (rapid response) forces. No major changes to GOMEX Range 
Complex facilities, operations, training, or RDT&E capacities over the 
10-year planning period are expected from the proposed action. Rather, 
the proposed action will result in relatively small-scale but critical 
range enhancements and changes to training and testing operations in 
the GOMEX Range Complex necessary for the Navy to maintain a state of 
military readiness commensurate with its national defense mission. The 
primary focus of the Draft EIS/OEIS is to address the recommended range 
enhancements and changes to current and future training and testing 
operations that have the potential to impact the environment.
    The purpose for the proposed action is to: Achieve and maintain 
Fleet readiness using the GOMEX Range Complex to support and conduct 
current, emerging, and future training operations and RDT&E operations; 
expand warfare missions supported by the GOMEX Range Complex; and 
upgrade and modernize existing range capabilities to enhance and 
sustain Navy training and RDT&E. The need for the proposed action is to 
provide range capabilities for the training and equipping of combat-
capable naval forces ready to deploy worldwide. In this regard, the 
GOMEX Range Complex furthers the Navy's execution of its 
Congressionally-mandated roles and responsibilities under Title 10 
U.S.C. Sec.  5062 by:
     Maintaining current levels of military readiness by 
training in the GOMEX Range Complex;
     Accommodating future increases in operational training 
tempo in the GOMEX Range Complex and supporting the rapid deployment of 
naval units or strike groups;
     Achieving and sustaining readiness of ships and squadrons 
so the Navy can quickly surge significant combat power in the event of 
a national crisis or contingency operation consistent with the FRTP;
     Supporting the acquisition and implementation into the 
Fleet of advanced military technology. The GOMEX Range Complex must 
adequately support the testing and training needed for new vessels, 
aircraft, and weapons systems; and
     Maintaining the long-term viability of the GOMEX Range 
Complex while protecting human health and the environment and enhancing 
the quality and communication capability and safety of the range 
complex.
    Alternatives in this Draft EIS/OEIS were evaluated to ensure that 
they meet the purpose and the need of the proposed action, giving due 
consideration to range complex attributes such as the capability to 
support current and emerging Fleet tactical training and RDT&E 
requirements; the capability to support realistic, essential training 
at the level

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and frequency sufficient to support the FRTP and the Tactical Training 
Theater Assessment and Planning Program; and the capability to support 
training requirements while following Navy Personnel Tempo of 
Operations guidelines. Reasonable alternatives were carried through the 
Draft EIS/OEIS analysis.
    The Draft EIS/OEIS considers three alternatives as summarized 
below:
    (1) No Action Alternative--maintains current operations to include 
surge consistent with the FRTP.
    (2) Alternative 1--includes No Action Alternative plus eliminates 
Mine Warfare training (mine countermeasures and mine neutralization) 
within the GOMEX Range Complex, conducts new training associated with 
air-to-surface bomb training, and uses more Commercial Air Services 
aircraft for support of Air Intercept Control Exercise oppositional 
forces.
    (3) Alternative 2--includes most elements of Alternative 1 but 
would implement additional enhancements to enable the GOMEX Range 
Complex to meet foreseeable needs. These include implementation of the 
Joint National Training Capability, elimination of High Explosive (HE) 
bomb use during major exercise air-to-surface bombing events, 
decreasing HE bomb use during unit level training, and increasing Non-
Explosive Practice Munition (NEPM) bomb use during major exercises. 
Alternative 2 is considered the Preferred Alternative.
    The decision to be made by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy 
(Installations & Environment) is to determine which alternatives 
analyzed in the Draft EIS/OEIS satisfy both the level and mix of 
training and RDT&E to be conducted and the range capabilities 
enhancements to be made within the GOMEX Range Complex that best meet 
the needs of the Navy given that all reasonably foreseeable 
environmental impacts have been considered.
    This Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects 
of GOMEX Range Complex Navy Atlantic Fleet training, RDT&E activities, 
and associated range capabilities enhancements over a 10-year planning 
horizon. Alternatives are evaluated within twenty environmental 
resource areas according to identified stressors. The twenty 
environmental resource areas include, but are not limited to, water, 
air quality, marine communities, marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, 
essential fish habitat, seabirds, migratory birds, cultural, regional 
economy, and public health and safety. Identified stressors include, 
but are not limited to, vessel movements, aircraft over flights, NEPMs, 
underwater detonations, and HE ordnance. The analysis includes an 
evaluation of the short term, long term, direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts as well as addresses methods to reduce or minimize 
impacts to affected resources. The analysis indicates that 
implementation of the No Action Alternative, Alternative 1, or 
Alternative 2 would not result in unavoidable significant adverse 
effects to resources analyzed. The analysis indicates no significant 
impact to resources in U.S. territorial waters and no significant harm 
to resources in non-territorial waters.
    In accordance with 50 CFR 401.12, the Navy will prepare a 
biological evaluation to assess the potential effects of the proposed 
action on marine resources and anadromous fish protected under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA). In accordance with the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1371[a][5]), the Navy submitted a request for 
a Letter of Authorization for the incidental taking of marine mammals 
due to the proposed action. The Navy will submit a consultation package 
in accordance with legal requirements set forth under regulations 
implementing Section 7 of the ESA (50 CFR 402; 16 U.S.C 1536 (c)) for 
listed species under jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
and the NMFS.
    The GOMEX Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to Federal, State, and 
local agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and 
organizations on January 2, 2009. The public comment period will end on 
February 16, 2009. Copies of the GOMEX Draft EIS/OEIS are available for 
public review at the following libraries:
    1. Bay County Public Library, 898 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 
32401;
    2. Pensacola Public Library, 200 West Gregory Street, Pensacola, FL 
32501;
    3. West Florida Public Library--Southwest Branch, 12248 Gulf Beach 
Highway, Pensacola, Pensacola, FL 32507;
    4. Walton County Coastal Library, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa 
Beach, FL 32459;
    5. Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, 2517 Seventh Street, 
Meridian, MS 39301;
    6. Ben May Main Library, 701 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602;
    7. East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie, 
LA 70001;
    8. New Orleans Public Library--Main Library, 219 Loyola Avenue, New 
Orleans, LA 70112;
    9. Central Library, 805 Comanche, Corpus Christi, TX 78401; and
    10. Southmost Branch Library, 4320 Southmost Blvd, Southmost, TX 
78522.
    The GOMEX Draft EIS/OEIS is also available for electronic public 
viewing at http://www.GOMEXRangeComplexEIS.com. A paper copy of the 
executive summary or a single CD with the GOMEX Draft EIS/OEIS will be 
made available upon written request by contacting Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, Atlantic Division; 6506 Hampton Blvd; Norfolk, VA 
23508-1278; Attn: Code EV22TW (GOMEX EIS/OEIS PM); Fax: 757-322-4894.
    Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties are 
invited to be present or represented at the public hearing. Written 
comments can also be submitted during the open house sessions preceding 
the public hearings. 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 EIS/
OEIS and will be responded to 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 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 with the full text submitted either 
in writing at the hearing, or mailed or faxed to Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, Atlantic Division; 6506 Hampton Blvd; Norfolk, VA 
23508-1278; Attn: Code EV22TW (GOMEX EIS/OEIS PM), Fax: 757-322-4894. 
Comments may also be submitted on-line at http://www.GOMEXRangeComplexEIS.com during the comment period. All comments 
must be postmarked by February 16, 2009 to ensure they become part of 
the official record. All comments will be addressed in the Final EIS/
OEIS.

    Dated: December 22, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-31232 Filed 12-31-08; 8:45 am]
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