[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 165 (Friday, August 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51528-51530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20937]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for Outdoor Research, Development, Test and Evaluation 
Activities, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, 
VA

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) and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations 
for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy (DoN) 
has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential 
environmental effects of expanding Naval Surface Warfare Center, 
Dahlgren Division's (NSWCDD) research, development, test and evaluation 
(RDT&E) activities within the Potomac River Test Range (PRTR) complex, 
Explosives Experimental Area (EEA) Range complex, the Mission Area, and 
Special-Use Airspace (SUA) located at Naval Support Facility (NSF) 
Dahlgren, Dahlgren, VA.
    The DoN will conduct three public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, state, and local agencies, 
elected officials, and other interested individuals and organizations 
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.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Public hearings will be held on the following 
dates and locations:
    1. September 11, 2012 at the Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and 
Fire Department, 12245 Rock Point Road, Newburg, MD 20664;
    2. September 12, 2012 at the A.T. Johnson Alumni Museum, 18849 
Kings Highway, Montross, VA 22520; and
    3. September 13, 2012 at the Mary Washington University-Dahlgren 
Campus, 4224 University Drive, King George, VA 22485.
    All meetings will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will 
begin with a presentation followed by a public comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Commander, Naval Surface Warfare 
Center Dahlgren Division, 6149 Welsh Road, Suite 203, Dahlgren, VA 
22448-5130, Attn: Code C6 (NSWCDD PAO), Fax: 1-540-653-4679, Email: 
[email protected], Phone: 1-540-653-8154, or Web site: http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/EIS/index.aspx.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare the NSWCDD 
Outdoor RDT&E Activities Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on June 18, 2007 (72 FR 33456-33457). Five public scoping 
meetings were held on the following dates and locations:
    1. July 23, 2007, Shiloh Baptist Church, 13457 Kings Highway, King 
George, VA 22485;
    2. July 24, 2007, Christ Episcopal Church, 37497 Zach Fowler Road, 
Chaptico, MD 20621;
    3. July 25, 2007, La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, 911 
Washington Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646;
    4. July 30, 2007, Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, 203 Dennison 
Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443; and
    5. July 31, 2007, Callao Rescue Squad Hall, 1348 Northumberland 
Highway, Callao, VA 22435.
    The proposed action is to expand NSWCDD's RDT&E capabilities within 
the PRTR Complex, the EEA Range Complex, Mission Area, and SUA. These 
RDT&E activities include outdoor operations that require the use of 
ordnance, high-power electromagnetic (EM) energy, high-energy (HE) 
lasers, and chemical and biological simulants (non-toxic substances 
used to mimic dangerous agents). Under the proposed action, the average 
number of events that could take place annually (with the exception of 
large-caliber gun firing events) would increase above current baseline 
levels. To ensure that equipment and materials work effectively, even 
in less-than-ideal conditions, some activities would take place under 
conditions in which activities are now rarely/never conducted, such as 
at dusk, dawn, and night and in adverse weather.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to enable NSWCDD to meet 
current and future mission-related warfare and force-protection 
requirements by providing RDT&E of surface ship combat systems, 
ordnance, HE lasers and directed-energy systems, force-level warfare, 
and homeland and force protection.
    The need for the proposed action is to enable the DoN and other 
stakeholders to successfully meet current and future national and 
global defense challenges required under 10 U.S.C. 5062 (2006) by 
developing a robust capability to carry out assigned RDT&E activities 
within the PRTR and EEA Range Complexes,

[[Page 51529]]

the Mission Area, and the SUA at NSF Dahlgren.
    NSWCDD evaluated a range of alternatives that would meet action 
objectives, and applied screening criteria to identify those 
alternatives that were ``reasonable'' (i.e., practical and feasible). 
Reasonable alternatives were carried through the Draft EIS analysis. 
Screening criteria included:
    1. Criterion 1--accommodate historical and current, baseline RDT&E 
mission requirements for activities that have the potential to affect 
human health and/or the environment; namely, those involving ordnance, 
the use of high-power EM energy, HE lasers, chemical simulants, and the 
use of the PRTR;
    2. Criterion 2--accommodate known future requirements, which 
include the use of biological simulants alone;
    3. Criterion 3--accommodate optimal potential future requirements 
by incorporating a margin of growth for the most actively evolving 
programs for which it is difficult to accurately forecast future needs, 
and include mixtures of biological and chemical simulants; and
    4. Criterion 4--minimize impacts to commercial and recreational use 
of the Potomac River.
    Reasonable alternatives were carried through the Draft EIS 
analysis. The Draft EIS considers three alternatives as summarized 
below:
    1. No Action Alternative--maintains current operations and provides 
a baseline against which to measure the impacts of the other two 
alternatives.
    2. Alternative 1--includes No Action Alternative plus growth above 
No Action Alternative levels necessary to meet RDT&E mission 
requirements in the near future.
    3. Alternative 2--Provides for roughly 15% growth in activity 
levels above that of Alternative 1 to provide a margin of growth for 
the most actively evolving programs. It addresses current baseline 
requirements, known future requirements, and projected increases in the 
foreseeable future based on current trends. This alternative is the 
Preferred Alternative.
    Alternatives 1 and 2 constitute increases in current activities of 
small-arms firing, detonations, high-power EM energy events, HE laser 
events, chemical and biological simulant (defense) events, and PRTR 
hours of use.
    Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative) satisfies current baseline 
requirements, includes the growth necessary to meet known RDT&E mission 
requirements for the near future and includes a margin of growth for 
the most actively evolving programs, namely those for which the numbers 
of future annual test events, firings, and hours of use are harder to 
predict because of the uncertainties inherent in carrying out RDT&E.
    The Draft EIS evaluates the potential environmental effects 
associated with NSWCDD's outdoor RDT&E activities. Alternatives were 
evaluated within resource areas including land use and plans, coastal 
zone resources, socioeconomics, environmental justice communities, 
protection of children, utilities, air quality, noise levels, cultural 
resources, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, health and safety, 
geology, topography, soils and sediments, water resources, and aquatic 
and terrestrial biological resources. The analysis includes an 
evaluation of the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. Methods to 
reduce or minimize impacts to affected resources are addressed.
    The DoN has made a preliminary finding that for all three 
alternatives there would be no significant impact to land use and 
plans, coastal zone resources, socioeconomics, low-income and minority 
populations, children, utilities, air quality, noise levels, cultural 
resources, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, health and safety, 
geology, topography, soils and sediments, water resources, and aquatic 
and terrestrial biological resources, and we are awaiting concurrence 
from the respective agencies.
    All alternatives have the potential to affect fish and sea turtles 
species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In accordance 
with Section 7 of the ESA, the DoN consulted with the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) for potential impacts to federally-listed 
species. NMFS concurred with the DoN's finding that the alternatives 
are not likely to adversely affect the endangered shortnose sturgeon, 
the Atlantic sturgeon, or ESA-listed sea turtles. No terrestrial 
animals or plants protected under the ESA, the Migratory Bird Treaty 
Act, or Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act would be affected. Based 
on the DoN's analysis, the proposed action would not result in the 
incidental harassment of marine mammals protected under the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act.
    The DoN is also consulting with NMFS regarding potential effects on 
essential fish habitat under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act with the release of this Draft EIS. The DoN has made 
a preliminary finding that there would be no adverse impacts on 
essential fish habitat under any of the alternatives, and we are 
awaiting concurrence from NMFS.
    Federal Coastal Consistency Determinations will be forwarded to 
Virginia and Maryland with the Draft EIS. Based on analysis, the DoN 
has made a preliminary finding that there would be no to minimal impact 
on coastal resources, and the Proposed Action is consistent to the 
maximum extent practical with Virginia and Maryland policies. We are 
awaiting concurrence from the Virginia and Maryland Coastal Management 
Programs.
    The DoN consulted with the State Historic Preservation Officers 
(SHPOs) in Maryland and Virginia. Both SHPOs concluded there would be 
no adverse effect on National Register-listed or eligible resources in 
the areas of potential effect under all the alternatives.
    NSWCDD will continue to adhere to general safety and environmental 
protective measures for all RDT&E activities and to implement specific 
protective measures for RDT&E activities using chemical and biological 
stimulants. No specific mitigation measures are required.
    The Draft EIS was distributed to federal, state, and local 
agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and 
organizations. The public comment period will end on October 1, 2012. 
The Draft EIS is available for review or download at: http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/EIS/index.aspx.
    Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at the 
following libraries:
    1. Lewis Egerton Smoot Memorial Library, 8562 Dahlgren Road, King 
George, VA 22485;
    2. Cooper Memorial Library, 20 Washington Avenue, Colonial Beach, 
VA 22443;
    3. Northumberland Public Library, 7204 Northumberland Highway, 
Heathsville, VA 22473;
    4. Charles County Public Library, La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett 
Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646; and
    5. St. Mary's County Library, Leonardtown Branch, 23250 Hollywood 
Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
    Federal, state, and local agencies, elected officials, and 
interested individuals and organizations are invited to be present or 
represented at the public hearings where oral and written comments on 
the Draft EIS will be received. 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

[[Page 51530]]

statements, both oral and written, will become part of the public 
record on the Draft EIS and will be responded to in the Final EIS. 
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 two (2) 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, faxed, or 
emailed to Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, 
6149 Welsh Road, Suite 203, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5130, Attn: Code C6 
(NSWCDD PAO), Fax: 1-540-653-4679, or Email: [email protected] 
during the comment period. All written comments must be postmarked or 
received by October 01, 2012 to ensure they become part of the official 
record. All comments will be addressed in the Final EIS.

    Dated: August 20, 2012.
C.K. Chiappetta,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-20937 Filed 8-23-12; 8:45 am]
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