[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29323-29324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12525]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for Basing the U.S. Marine Corps Joint Strike Fighter F-35B 
on the West Coast

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 regulations implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 
1500-1508), Department of Navy (DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR part 
775), and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order 
P5090.2A, changes 1 and 2), DoN has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental consequences 
that may result from the basing of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) 
on the West Coast of the United States.
    With the filing of the Draft EIS, DoN is initiating a 46-day public 
comment period and has scheduled two public comment meetings to receive 
oral and written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, State and local 
agencies, and interested parties are encouraged to provide comments in 
person at any of the public comment meetings, or in writing anytime 
during the public comment period. This notice announces the date and 
location of the public meetings and provides supplementary information 
about the environmental planning effort.

DATES: The Draft EIS public review period will begin May 21, 2010, and 
end on July 6, 2010. Each of the two public meetings will be conducted 
as an informational open house. Individuals will have the opportunity 
to review the information presented in the Draft EIS. Marine Corps and 
Navy representatives will be available to clarify information related 
to the Draft EIS. Public comment meetings will be held:
    (1) June 15, 2010, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Scripps-Miramar Ranch 
Library Miramar, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive, San Diego, CA.
    (2) June 17, 2010, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Gila Vista Junior High 
School, 2245 S. Arizona Ave., Yuma, AZ.
    Attendees will be able to submit written comments at the public 
meetings. A stenographer will be present to transcribe oral comments; 
however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all statements should be 
submitted in writing. Equal weight will be given to oral and written 
statements. All statements, oral transcription and written, submitted 
during the public review period will become part of the public record 
on the Draft EIS and will be responded to in the Final EIS. Comments 
may also be submitted by regular U.S. mail or electronically as 
described below.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Draft EIS is available at the project Web 
site, http://www.usmcjsfwest.com, and at the local libraries identified 
at the end of this notice. Comments on the Draft EIS can be submitted 
via the project Web site, or submitted in writing to: Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command Southwest, Attn: JSF EIS Project Manager, 1220 
Pacific Highway, San Diego, California 92132-5190. Mailed comments must 
be postmarked by July 6, 2010, and electronic comments must be 
submitted on or before July 6, 2010, to be considered in this 
environmental review process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Adrianne Saboya, Environmental 
Planner, Central Integrated Product Team at telephone: 619-532-4742, by 
fax: 619-532-4160 or write to Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Southwest, Attn: Ms. Adrianne Saboya, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, 
California 92132-5190.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent (NOI) for the EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2009 (Vol. 74, No. 10, 
p. 2515).

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would base up to 11 operational F-35B squadrons 
and 1 Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) squadron (184 aircraft) on 
the West Coast, and would replace eight F/A-18 squadrons (126 aircraft) 
and four AV-8B squadrons (56 aircraft) currently authorized for basing 
on the West Coast. The proposed action also includes construction and/
or renovation of airfield facilities necessary to accommodate and 
maintain the F-35B squadrons, including construction of an auxiliary 
landing field on the Barry M. Goldwater Range West in Arizona; changes 
to personnel in support of basing; and conducting F-35B training and 
readiness operations in existing airspace and on existing ranges to 
ensure pilots attain and maintain combat ready status. The eight F/A-18 
squadrons to be replaced are currently authorized for basing at Marine 
Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. The four AV-8B squadrons are based at 
MCAS Yuma.

Purpose and Need

    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to efficiently and 
effectively maintain combat capability and mission readiness as the 
Marine Corps faces increased deployments across a spectrum of 
conflicts, and a corresponding increased difficulty in maintaining an 
aging legacy aircraft inventory. The need for the proposed action is to 
replace aging legacy aircraft and integrate the operational and OT&E F-
35B squadrons into the existing Marine Corps command and organizational 
structure. This action would also ensure that the Marine Corps' 
aircrews benefit from the aircraft's major technological improvements 
and enhanced training and readiness requirements.

Alternatives Considered in the Draft EIS

    The proposed F-35B squadrons would be split between two aviation 
facilities. Evaluations were made of the following five split-basing 
alternatives.
     Alternative 1 (Preferred)--Six operational squadrons at 
MCAS Miramar in San Diego County, California, and five operational 
squadrons plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma in southwestern Arizona.
     Alternative 2--Four operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar 
and seven operational squadrons plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
     Alternative 3--Seven operational squadrons plus one OT&E 
squadron at MCAS Miramar and four operational squadrons at MCAS Yuma.
     Alternative 4--One operational squadron plus one OT&E 
squadron at MCAS Miramar and ten operational squadrons at MCAS YUMA.
     Alternative 5--Ten operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar 
and one operational squadron plus one OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma.
    Under all basing alternatives, MCAS Miramar would lose eight F/A-18 
squadrons and MCAS Yuma would lose four AV-8B squadrons. Construction 
of an auxiliary landing field within the Barry M. Goldwater Range West, 
as well as operations within the Bob Stump Training Range Complex and 
Barry M. Goldwater Range East are included as

[[Page 29324]]

part of each basing alternative. A sixth alternative, No Action, 
assumes no aircraft would be replaced, aircraft operations would 
continue at the current level, and no infrastructure improvements or 
personnel changes related to basing the F-35B aircraft on the West 
Coast would occur.
    Potential impacts were evaluated in the Draft EIS under all 
alternatives for the following resources: airfields and airspace; 
noise; air quality; safety and environmental health; land use; 
infrastructure and utilities; socioeconomics; community facilities and 
services; ground traffic and transportation; environmental justice; 
hazardous materials management; biological resources; topography, 
geology and soils; water resources; and cultural and traditional 
resources.
    The preferred alternative would result in a reduction of 30 
aircraft and 635 military personnel at MCAS Miramar and an increase of 
32 aircraft and 491 military personnel at MCAS Yuma. New support 
facilities at MCAS Miramar would include two new hangars, helipad and 
apron expansion, wash racks and rinse facilities, a simulator facility, 
and a runway upgrade. New support facilities at MCAS Yuma would include 
four new hangars, modifications to an existing hangar, new wash racks, 
runway upgrades, enlisted quarters and dining facility, a simulator 
facility, new parking apron, and other minor infrastructure 
improvements.
    Environmental consequences of the proposed action would principally 
arise from construction; impacts from operation of the F-35B would be 
relatively minor. The Draft EIS enumerates an array of conservation and 
construction measures and features of project design and planning that 
would avoid and minimize most potential impacts. The proposed action 
would fully comply with regulatory requirements for the protection of 
environmental resources.
    Unavoidable impacts of implementing the preferred alternative 
include construction impacts on biological resources at MCAS Miramar, 
especially one threatened (Coastal California Gnatcatcher) and one 
endangered species (San Diego Fairy Shrimp), and loss of 0.05 acres of 
vernal pool habitat. Construction of an auxiliary landing field at the 
Barry M. Goldwater Range West would affect habitat for a species (flat-
tailed horned lizard) proposed for listing as threatened. A Biological 
Assessment has been submitted to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 
compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
    The other alternatives have similar types and levels of impacts, 
with the most extensive unavoidable impacts occurring at MCAS Miramar 
under Alternative 5 (10 operational squadrons at MCAS Miramar, 1 
operational and 1 OT&E squadron at MCAS Yuma) related to the loss of an 
area supporting vernal pool habitat and associated federally listed 
species.

Schedule

    The Notice of Availability publication in the Federal Register and 
local print media starts the 46-day public comment period for the Draft 
EIS. DoN will consider and respond to all written and electronic 
comments, including e-mail, submitted as described above in preparing 
the Final EIS. DoN intends to issue the Final EIS in September 2010, at 
which time an NOA will be published in the Federal Register and local 
print media. A Record of Decision is expected in December 2010. Copies 
of the Draft EIS can be found on the project Web site, http://www.usmcjsfwest.com or at the following locations:
    (1) San Diego County Public Library Fallbrook Branch, 124 S. 
Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028, telephone: 760-728-2373,
    (2) San Diego Public Library Mira Mesa Branch, 8405 New Salem 
Street, San Diego, CA 92126, telephone: 858-538-8165,
    (3) Scripps-Miramar Ranch Library Miramar, 10301 Scripps Lake 
Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, telephone: 858-538-8158,
    (4) Yuma County Library Heritage Branch (Main Library) 350 Third 
Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364, telephone: 928-782-1871.

    Dated: May 18, 2010.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-12525 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P