[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 239 (Friday, December 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80076-80077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26950]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Virtual Public Meetings for the Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement 
for Gulf of Alaska Navy Training Activities

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability; notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality, and 
Presidential Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (DON) 
has prepared and filed with the United States Environmental Protection 
Agency a draft supplement to the 2011 Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Navy 
Training Activities Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) (referred to as the 2011 GOA 
Final EIS/OEIS) and the 2016 GOA Navy Training Activities Final

[[Page 80077]]

Supplemental EIS/OEIS (referred to as the 2016 GOA Final Supplemental 
EIS/OEIS). In the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS, the DON assesses 
the potential environmental effects associated with continuing periodic 
military readiness activities in the GOA Temporary Maritime Activities 
Area (TMAA). This notice announces the public review and comment period 
and the dates of the virtual public meetings, includes information 
about how the public can review and comment on the document, and 
provides supplementary information about the environmental planning 
effort.

DATES: All comments must be postmarked or received online by 11:59 p.m. 
Pacific Standard Time on February 16, 2021, for consideration in the 
development of the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS. Federal agencies and 
officials, Alaska Native Tribes, state and local agencies and 
officials, and interested organizations and individuals are encouraged 
to provide comments on the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS during the 
public review and comment period.
    Due to COVID-19 travel and public event restrictions, the DON is 
holding virtual public meetings, consisting of a presentation and 
question and answer sessions, to discuss the Proposed Action and the 
draft environmental impact analysis. Visit www.GOAEIS.com/VPM to learn 
more about and attend a virtual public meeting. An audio-only option 
will also be available. Meetings will occur as follows:
    1. Tuesday, January 19, 2021, from 3 to 4 p.m. Alaska Standard Time
    2. Wednesday, February 3, 2021, from 5 to 6 p.m. Alaska Standard 
Time
    Substantive questions for discussion with Navy representatives at 
the virtual public meetings can be submitted between January 11 and 18, 
2021, for the January 19, 2021, meeting, and between January 26 and 
February 2, 2021, for the February 3, 2021, meeting. Email questions to 
[email protected] or complete the form at www.GOAEIS.com.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command Northwest, Attention: GOA Supplemental EIS/OEIS 
Project Manager, 1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315-
1101, or submitted electronically via the project website at 
www.GOAEIS.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Northwest, Attention: Ms. Kimberly Kler, GOA Supplemental EIS/OEIS 
Project Manager, 1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315-
1101, 360-315-5103, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DON's Proposed Action is to continue 
periodic military training activities within the GOA TMAA. Proposed 
training activities are similar to those that have occurred in the GOA 
TMAA for decades. The geographic extent of the GOA TMAA and Proposed 
Action, including the location, number, and frequency of major training 
exercises, remain unchanged from the 2016 Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS. 
Although the types of activities and number of events in the Proposed 
Action are the same as in previous documents (Alternative 1 in both the 
2011 and 2016 impact analyses), there have been changes in the 
platforms and systems used in those activities. For example, the EA-6B 
aircraft and frigate, and their associated systems, have been replaced 
by the EA-18G aircraft, Littoral Combat Ship, and Destroyer. The 2020 
Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS includes the analysis of at-sea training 
activities projected to meet readiness requirements beyond 2022 and 
into the reasonably foreseeable future, and reflects the most up-to-
date compilation of training activities deemed necessary to accomplish 
military readiness during that time period.
    The 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS also updates the 2011 and 2016 
impact analyses with new information and analytical methods the DON 
developed and has used since 2016. New information includes an updated 
acoustic effects model, updated marine mammal density data and sea 
turtle hearing criteria, and other emergent best available science. The 
DON is preparing a Supplemental EIS/OEIS to renew required federal 
regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The DON will consult 
with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service to renew these permits and authorizations. 
Additionally, NMFS is a cooperating agency for this Supplemental EIS/
OEIS.
    The 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS is available for electronic 
viewing or download at www.GOAEIS.com. The 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/
OEIS was distributed to federal agencies and federally recognized 
Alaska Native Tribes with which the DON is consulting.
    All comments submitted during the public review and comment period 
from December 11, 2020, to February 16, 2021, will become part of the 
public record, and substantive comments will be addressed in the Final 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS.
    The DON is committed to providing the public an accessible version 
of the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS during COVID-19 conditions. If 
you need assistance accessing the document or attending the virtual 
public meetings, please contact Ms. Julianne Stanford, Navy Region 
Northwest Public Affairs Office, at [email protected] or 360-
867-8525. For all other queries or if you require additional 
information about the project, please contact Ms. Kimberly Kler, GOA 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager, at [email protected].
    Individuals interested in receiving electronic project updates can 
subscribe on the project website to receive notifications via email for 
key milestones throughout the environmental planning process.

    Dated: December 3, 2020.
K. R. Callan,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-26950 Filed 12-10-20; 8:45 am]
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