[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 4457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02325]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Patuxent River Complex Testing and Training and To Announce Public 
Scoping Meetings

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, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality, the Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its 
intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Research, 
Development, Test and Evaluation (hereinafter referred to as 
``testing'') and training activities within the Patuxent River Complex 
(PRC), Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD. The proposed action is to 
continue conducting military testing and training activities within the 
PRC to meet current and projected military readiness requirements. The 
proposed action includes testing and training activities analyzed in 
the Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft 
Division (NAWCAD) December 1998 PRC Final EIS and subsequent 
Environmental Assessments, plus adjustments to current testing and 
training activities required to support projected Navy military 
readiness requirements into the foreseeable future.

DATES: The 45-day public scoping comment period begins February 15, 
2019 and ends April 1, 2019. Public scoping meetings will be held on 
March 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2019. All public comments are due by April 1, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the following locations:
    1. March 4, 2019, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Light of Christ Anglican 
Church, 9500 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville, VA 22473-0609.
    2. March 5, 2019, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Southern Maryland Higher 
Education Center, Building 1 Multi-Purpose Room, 44219 Airport Road, 
California, MD 20619-2010.
    3. March 6, 2019, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., University of Maryland, 
Eastern Shore, Richard A. Henson Center Ballroom, 30690 University 
Blvd. S, Princess Anne, MD 21853-1295.
    4. March 7, 2019, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., St. Paul's United 
Methodist Church, Parish Hall, 205 Maryland Avenue, Cambridge, MD 
21613-1924.
    The Navy invites public comments on the scope of the analysis, 
including potential environmental issues and viable alternatives to be 
considered during the development of the Draft EIS. Comments may be 
provided at the public scoping meetings, by mail, and through the EIS 
website at: http://www.prceis.com. Comments must be postmarked or 
received online by April 1, 2019. Mailed comments must be sent to the 
address in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for 
consideration in the Draft EIS preparation.
    The scoping meetings will consist of informal, open house sessions 
with informational poster stations staffed by Navy representatives. 
Meeting details will be announced in local area newspapers. Additional 
information on the public scoping meetings will be available on the EIS 
website at: http://www.prceis.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft 
Division Range Sustainability Office, Atlantic Test Range, Building 
2118, 23013 Cedar Point Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670-1183, Attn: Ms. 
Crystal Ridgell, EIS Project Manager, 301-342-9902 or project website: 
http://www.prceis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NAWCAD is the Navy's action proponent for 
activities in the PRC, and is based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent 
River, Maryland approximately 60 miles southeast of Washington, DC. The 
PRC is a Major Range and Test Facility Base with the mission of testing 
Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, aircraft systems, and inert weapons in 
the military restricted and surrounding airspace that overlies the 
middle Chesapeake Bay water range, the southern end of the Potomac and 
Patuxent Rivers, as well as lands in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. 
The PRC is critical to supporting NAWCAD's mission to deliver high 
quality, affordable aircraft products and services in support of Navy 
and Marine Corps military readiness. Navy pilots also conduct training 
flights within the PRC.
    The proposed action is to continue conducting military testing and 
training activities within the PRC to meet current and projected 
military readiness requirements. The proposed action includes testing 
and training activities analyzed in the 1998 PRC Final EIS and 
subsequent environmental assessments, as well as adjustments to current 
testing and training activities to support projected Navy readiness 
requirements into the foreseeable future.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to provide Sailors and 
Marines with equipment and technology that operates effectively and 
safely to support current and projected future military readiness 
requirements.
    The need for the proposed action is to maintain military readiness 
of naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and 
maintaining freedom of the seas, now and into the future, consistent 
with Title 10, Section 5062, of the United States Code.
    The Navy will evaluate the potential environmental impacts from a 
No Action Alternative and action alternatives, and will analyze 
potential impacts on environmental resources from activities included 
in the alternatives. These environmental resources include, but are not 
limited to: Biological resources (e.g., aquatic and terrestrial 
protected species); water resources and sediments; air quality; 
airborne noise; cultural resources; socioeconomics; land use; public 
health and safety; hazardous material and waste; and environmental 
justice.
    The scoping process is helpful in identifying public concerns and 
local issues to be considered during the development of the Draft EIS. 
Federal, state, and local agencies; federally recognized tribes; and 
interested persons are encouraged to provide substantive comments to 
the Navy on environmental resources and issue areas of concern that the 
commenter believes the Navy should consider. All comments, provided 
orally or in writing at the scoping meetings, submitted via the EIS 
website, or mailed, will be taken into consideration during the 
development of the Draft EIS.

    Dated: February 15, 2019.
M.S. Werner,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-02325 Filed 2-14-19; 8:45 am]
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