[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38674-38675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17142]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Redesignation of the Environmental Impact Statement To 
Transition FA-18C Strike Fighter Squadrons to FA-18E Strike Fighter 
Squadrons at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, as an Environmental 
Assessment and Announcement of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Navy's (DoN) intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the transition of the 
remaining F/A-18A/C/D (Hornet) aircraft, based at Naval Air Station 
(NAS) Oceana, to the F/A-18E/F (Super Hornet), published in the Federal 
Register on September 10, 2015 (80 FR 175), is hereby modified. The DoN 
is redesignating the EIS as an Environmental Assessment (EA). The DoN 
will hold public meetings on August 29 and 30, 2017, to inform the 
public and answer questions about the Draft EA and the proposed action 
as well as provide opportunities for the public to comment on the Draft 
EA.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and regulations implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality, the DoN published a Notice of Intent to prepare 
an EIS to transition Hornet aircraft to Super Hornet aircraft at NAS 
Oceana on September 10, 2015, in the Federal Register (80 FR 175). The 
majority of aircraft based at NAS Oceana transitioned to Super Hornet 
over a decade ago (as part of a separate proposed action), and are 
currently conducting flight training operations at NAS Oceana and Naval 
Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress. The purpose of transitioning 
the remaining Hornet aircraft to Super Hornet aircraft is to provide 
newer, more capable, and more reliable aircraft to the NAS Oceana-based 
strike fighter community, which are needed to support the Navy's 
national defense requirements under Title 10 U.S. Code Section 5062.
    During the development of the EIS, the DoN's analysis showed no

[[Page 38675]]

significant environmental impacts. This is because Super Hornet flight 
training is nearly identical to Hornet flight training. Consequently, 
there would be little to no change to the type and quantity of flight 
training operations at NAS Oceana and NALF Fentress as a result of the 
transition. The analysis also showed there would be only minor noise 
increases in a few areas; however, no increases would be greater than 
1.6 decibels (dB) Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL). A 3 dB DNL or 
less change in noise levels is barely perceptible to the human ear. No 
significant environmental impacts were identified for the other 
resources analyzed in the EA, including air quality, public health and 
safety, environmental justice, land use, biological resources, and 
cultural resources. Accordingly, the DoN announces to public the 
redesignation of the EIS as an EA for this action.
    With this redesignation of the EIS as an EA, the DoN is initiating 
a 30-day public review and comment period on the Draft EA beginning on 
August 16, 2017 and ending on September 15, 2017. The Draft EA is 
available at the following link: http://www.oceanastrikefighter.com. A 
printed copy and an electronic copy of the Draft EA have also been 
placed in the following libraries:
    1. Great Neck Area Library, 1251 Bayne Drive, Virginia Beach, 
Virginia 23454.
    2. Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, 4100 Virginia Beach 
Boulevard, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452.
    3. Oceanfront Area Library, 700 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia 
Beach, Virginia 23451.
    4. Princess Ann Area Library, 1444 Nimmo Parkway, Virginia Beach, 
Virginia 23456.
    5. Wahab Public Law Library, 2425 Nimmo Parkway, Judicial Center, 
Bldg 10B, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456.
    6. Windsor Wood Area Library, 3612 South Plaza Trail, Virginia 
Beach, Virginia 23452.
    7. Chesapeake Central Library, 298 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, Virginia 
23322.
    8. Greenbrier Library, 1214 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake, Virginia 
23320.
    The DoN will hold public meetings to inform the public and answer 
questions about the Draft EA and the proposed action as well as provide 
opportunities for the public to comment on the Draft EA. Federal, 
state, and local agencies and officials, Native American Indian Tribes 
and Nations, and interested organizations and individuals are 
encouraged to provide comments in person at the public meetings or in 
writing during the 30-day public review period. Two public meetings 
will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on:
    1. Tuesday, August 29, 2017, at the Columbian Club, 1236 Prosperity 
Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451.
    2. Wednesday, August 30, 2017, at the Hickory Ruritan Club, 2752 
Battlefield Boulevard South, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322.
    The public meetings will be open house sessions with informational 
poster stations. Members of the public will have the opportunity to ask 
questions of DoN representatives and subject matter experts. Attendees 
will also be able to provide verbal comments to a stenographer or 
submit written comments during the public meetings. In addition to 
participating in the public meetings, members of the public may submit 
comments via the U.S. Postal Service using the mailing address 
identified in the contact information later in this notice or 
electronically using the project Web site (http://www.oceanastrikefighter.com). All comments made at the public meetings, 
or postmarked or received online by September 15, 2017, will become 
part of the public record and be considered in the Final EA.
    The DoN may release the city, state, and 5-digit zip code of 
individuals who provide comments during the Draft EA public review and 
comment period. However, the names, street addresses, email addresses 
and screen names, telephone numbers, or other personally identifiable 
information of those individuals will not be released by the DoN unless 
required by law. Prior to each commenter making verbal comments to the 
stenographer at the public meetings the commenter will be asked whether 
he or she agrees to a release of their personally identifiable 
information. Those commenters submitting written comments, either using 
comment forms or via the project Web site, will be asked whether they 
authorize release of personally identifiable information by checking a 
``release'' box.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NAS Oceana Strike Fighter Transition 
EA Project Manager (Code EV21/TW); Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508.

    Dated: August 7, 2017.
A.M. Nichols,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-17142 Filed 8-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P