[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 145 (Monday, August 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41453-41454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16392]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Report on the Value and Effectiveness of Emergency Alternative 
Arrangements for the Interim Beddown of the F-22 Formal Training Unit 
at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On June 17, 2021, the Air Force submitted a report to the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) that addressed the value and 
effectiveness of

[[Page 41454]]

the emergency alternative arrangements for National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review of proposed emergency response 
actions agreed to by the CEQ for the Department of the Air Force's (Air 
Force) Interim Beddown of the F-22 Formal Training Unit at Eglin Air 
Force Base, Florida.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Mike Spaits, Public Affairs, 96 TW/PA, 101 West D Ave., 
Building 1, Suite 238, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, (850) 882-7660; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 21, 2018, the Air Force sought 
CEQ approval of alternative arrangements, pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.11 
for implementing the procedural provisions of the NEPA, Sec. Sec.  42 
U.S.C. 4321, et seq., to respond to a pilot manning crisis that 
presented significant national security implications. The emergency was 
the Air Force's need to restore training of replacement pilots for the 
F-22 in northwest Florida by January 31, 2019, and there was 
insufficient time to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 
The CEQ regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA 
provide that when such emergency circumstances make it necessary for an 
agency to take an action without observing the normal procedures set 
forth in those regulations, the federal agency should consult with CEQ 
about alternative arrangements for compliance with NEPA. On December 
21, 2018, CEQ concluded consultation and approved alternative 
arrangements pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.11. The Air Force immediately 
accepted the alternative arrangements, documenting this acceptance in a 
decision memorandum. On January 11, 2019, the Air Force announced its 
decision in the Federal Register (Federal Register, Vol. 84, No. 8, p. 
103, January 11, 2019) to accept alternative arrangements approved by 
the CEQ. The Air Force's decision memorandum provides, ``At the 
conclusion of the alternative arrangements and no later than two years 
from the date of the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS, the Air 
Force will provide a report to CEQ on the use of the alternative 
arrangements that reviews the value and effectiveness of these 
arrangements.'' Now, at the conclusion of the alternative arrangements 
and approximately two years from the date of the NOI to prepare an EIS 
(Federal Register Vol 84, No. 58, p. 11289, March 26, 2019), the Air 
Force has prepared the required report on the use of the alternative 
arrangements that reviews their value and effectiveness. Additionally, 
as required in the alternative arrangements, the Air Force is providing 
this notice of the report in the Federal Register, local newspapers, 
including the Northwest Florida Daily News and the Bay Beacon, and 
online at https://www.eglin.af.mil/.

Adriane Paris,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-16392 Filed 7-30-21; 8:45 am]
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