[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5566-5567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2160]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Availability for the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for the Development and Operation of Small-Scale Wind Energy 
Projects at United States Marine Corps Facilities Throughout the United 
States

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 of 1969 (NEPA) (42 United States Code 4321), as implemented 
by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
Parts 1500-1508), and Marine Corps NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order 
P5090.2A), the Department of the Navy announces the availability of, 
and invites public comments on the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (Draft PEA) for the development and operation of small-scale 
wind energy projects at United States Marine Corps (USMC) facilities 
throughout the Continental United States (CONUS). A PEA evaluates a 
major action on a broad, programmatic basis. Thus, site-specific NEPA 
analysis may be tiered off this document as appropriate.
    Dates and Addresses: The public comment period begins upon 
publication of a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft PEA in the 
Federal Register. The comment period will last for 30 days thereafter.
    The Draft PEA is available for electronic viewing at http://marines.mil/unit/marforres/MFRHQ/FACILITIES/FACILITIES.aspx, or by 
sending a request to Alain Flexer, USMC Marine Forces Reserves 
(MARFORRES), by telephone 504-678-8489, by fax 504-678-6823, by e-mail 
to [email protected] or by writing to: MARFORRES, Facilities, Attn: 
Alain Flexer, 4400 Dauphine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70146-5400.
    Comments: All comments, written or submitted via the internet, are 
treated

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equally, become part of the public record on the Draft PEA, and will be 
considered in the Final PEA. During the 30-day comment period, all 
written comments should be mailed to MARFORRES, Facilities, Attn: Alain 
Flexer, 4400 Dauphine Street, New Orleans, LA 70146-5400. Please submit 
all comments by the end of the 30-day comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MARFORRES: Attn: Alain Flexer, 
telephone 504-678-8489 or by e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MARFORRES (Energy Office) has completed a 
Draft PEA for the development and operation of small-scale wind energy 
projects at USMC CONUS facilities. The USMC has previously identified 
the subset of facilities at which wind is the most readily available 
and economically feasible renewable energy source and which may be 
included in their wind energy program, therefore, this Draft PEA does 
not consider other forms of renewable energy.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce dependency on 
fossil fuels and increase energy security and efficiency through 
development of small-scale wind energy projects at USMC CONUS 
facilities. The proposed action would enable MARFORRES to achieve 
specific goals regarding energy production and usage set by Executive 
Orders, legislative acts, and Federal agencies.
    The Draft PEA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of 
constructing and operating small-scale wind energy facilities, with the 
number and sizes of turbines for each facility ranging from one to four 
and from 0.1 MW to 2.5 MW respectively. Under the No Action 
Alternative, the USMC would not pursue the development and operation of 
small-scale wind energy projects at USMC CONUS facilities.
    Environmental resources addressed in the Draft PEA include land 
use; noise; geological resources; water resources; biological 
resources; cultural resources; visual resources; socioeconomics; air 
quality; utilities; airspace; health and safety; hazardous materials; 
and transportation. The Draft PEA also analyzes cumulative impacts from 
other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.
    Schedule: NOA of the Draft PEA will be published in the Federal 
Register. This notice initiates the 30-day public comment period for 
the Draft PEA. If the Draft PEA determines a more thorough analysis is 
necessary, then the USMC will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS). If additional analysis is not necessary, the USMC will issue a 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The USMC intends to issue the 
Final PEA no later than February 2011, at which time a NOA of the FONSI 
or Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS will be published.

    Dated: January 25, 2011.
D.J. Werner,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-2160 Filed 1-31-11; 8:45 am]
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