[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 69080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30671]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Basing F-35A Operational Aircraft

AGENCY: United States Air Force, Air Combat Command and Air National 
Guard.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and 
procedures (32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of 
establishing operational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft at 
one or more existing Air Force installations within the continental 
United States.
    The proposed basing alternatives include: Mt. Home AFB, Idaho; Hill 
AFB, Utah; Burlington Air Guard Station (AGS), Vermont; Shaw AFB/
McEntire Joint National Guard Base (JNGB), South Carolina (SC); and 
Jacksonville AGS, Florida.
    Each candidate base is an alternative. For Mt. Home AFB, Hill AFB, 
and Shaw AFB/McEntire JNGB, the potential environmental impacts will be 
analyzed for no action and in increments of 24 primary assigned 
aircraft (PAA). For Burlington AGS and Jacksonville AGS, the potential 
environmental impacts will be analyzed for no action and in increments 
of 18 and 24 primary assigned aircraft.
    The Air Force version of the F-35 JSF, designated F-35A, is a 
conventional take-off, multiple-role fighter with an emphasis on air-
to-ground missions. The aircraft was designed to supplement and 
eventually replace legacy aircraft as well as complement the air-to-air 
mission of the F-22A Raptor. At any of the alternative locations, the 
beddown action would involve personnel changes, facility construction 
and modifications, and aircraft operations.
    Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to 
be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope of the 
EIS (i.e., what will be covered and in what detail) by soliciting 
scoping comments from interested state and federal agencies and 
interested members of the public through the Federal Register and 
various media in the local areas of concern. Scoping comments should be 
submitted to the address below by the date indicated. The Air Force 
will also hold a series of scoping meetings to further solicit input 
regarding the scope of the proposed action and alternatives.

DATES: The Air Force intends to hold scoping meetings in the following 
communities: January 11-14, 2010 Grand View, Twin Falls, Boise, and Mt. 
Home Idaho; January 19-22, 2010 Ogden, Layton, Callao Utah; Wendover 
Nevada; January 25-28, 2010 Winooski, Vermont; Littleton, New 
Hampshire; Watertown, New York; February 1-4, 2010 Sumter, Eastover, 
and Kingstree, South Carolina; Augusta and Brunswick Georgia; February 
8-12 2010 Jacksonville, Avon Park, Lake Wales and Palatka Florida. The 
scheduled dates, times, locations and addresses for the meetings will 
be published in local media a minimum of 15 days prior to the scoping 
meetings. All meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    Comments will be accepted at any time during the environmental 
impact analysis process. However, to ensure the Air Force has 
sufficient time to consider public input in the preparation of the 
Draft EIS, comments should be submitted to the address below by March 
1, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sheryl Parker, HQ ACC/A7PS, 129 
Andrews Street, Suite 337, Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769, telephone 757/
764-9334.

Bao-Anh Trinh, YA-3, DAF,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-30671 Filed 12-29-09; 8:45 am]
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