[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2176-2177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01224]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Second Record of Decision for the Presidential Aircraft 
Recapitalization Program at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility 
Washington, Maryland Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Second Record of Decision.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On January 7, 2019, the United States Air Force (``Air 
Force'') signed a Second Record of Decision for the Presidential 
Aircraft Recapitalization Program (``Program'') Final Environmental 
Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Michael Ackerman, (210) 925-2741, AFCEC/CZN, 2261 Hughes 
Ave, Ste. 155, JBSA Lackland, TX 78326-9853.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By this decision, the Air Force will 
construct and operate a permanent Hazardous Cargo Pad and Explosive 
Ordnance Disposal Proficiency Range at a location known as Southeast 
Option 1A-3 at Joint Base Andrews, as portrayed in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement. Further, the Air Force has decided to 
amend mitigations described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
and adopted in the 2017 Record of Decision for the Presidential 
Aircraft Recapitalization Hangar Complex (``Hangar Complex''), to 
reflect

[[Page 2177]]

regulatory review and verification of natural resource areas that would 
be subject to mitigation and permitting during the final design process 
for the Hangar Complex. In addition, the Air Force has decided to 
relocate the Military Working Dog Kennel to the Vermont Road site to 
better meet current facility standards and operational requirements. 
Last, the Air Force has also clarified the decision in relation to the 
golf courses at Joint Base Andrews affected by the Program.
    As analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, the 
existing Hazardous Cargo Pad at Joint Base Andrews would need to be 
relocated in order to accommodate the Hangar Complex. During the 
Environmental Impact Analysis Process, the Air Force considered a 
variety of siting alternatives for these facilities. In the 2017 Record 
of Decision, the Air Force identified Hazardous Cargo Pad and Explosive 
Ordnance Disposal Proficiency Range Southeast Option 1 or a variant 
thereof (e.g. Southeast Option 1A or 1A-3) as its preferred alternative 
for the permanent siting of these facilities, but did not make a final 
selection on the permanent siting of these facilities.
    To arrive at a decision among the remaining preferred alternatives 
for the permanent siting of the Hazardous Cargo Pad and Explosive 
Ordnance Disposal Proficiency Range, the Air Force considered a range 
of operational, mission capability, land use compatibility and safety 
factors, as well as potential impacts to adjacent landowner, Soil Safe, 
Incorporated. Southeast Option 1A-3 was ultimately chosen for 
implementation because it: (1) Meets the purpose and need for the 
Program; (2) eliminates off-installation land acquisition; (3) 
minimizes impacts to adjacent environmental resources compared to other 
alternatives; and (4) avoids many adverse effects to adjacent 
landowner, Soil Safe, Incorporated.
    In the 2017 Record of Decision, the Air Force identified its 
decision to relocate the Military Working Dog Kennel to the Vermont 
Road location subject to specific contingencies. Since publication of 
the 2017 Record of Decision, funding for the relocation of the Military 
Working Dog Kennel to a new facility has been secured by Joint Base 
Andrews. This funding will allow relocating the Kennel to this new 
facility irrespective of the contingencies. The Vermont Road location 
better meets the mission and operational requirements of the Kennel, 
compared to the existing facility, in terms of facility size, layout 
and amenities. Consequently, the Air Force is electing to use this 
location as the site for the new Kennel facility.
    Air Force decisions documented in the Program Records of Decision 
were based on matters discussed in the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement, inputs from the public and regulatory agencies, and other 
relevant factors. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was made 
available to the public on October 17, 2017 through a Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register (Volume 82, Number 199, Page 
48227) with a wait period that ended on November 15, 2017. A Notice of 
Availability for the December 2017 Record of Decision was published in 
the Federal Register on February 16, 2018 (Volume 83, Number 33, Page 
7017).

    Authority: This Notice of Availability is published pursuant to 
the regulations (40 CFR part 1506.6 and 1502.14(e)) implementing the 
provisions of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and the Air Force's 
Environmental Impact Analysis Process (32 CFR parts 989.21(b) and 
989.24(b)(7)).

Henry Williams,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-01224 Filed 2-5-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-10-P