[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 5472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01986]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to the Gulf of Alaska 
Navy Training Activities Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of the Navy (DoN), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to 
prepare a supplement to the December 2020 Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Navy 
Training Activities Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS). This supplement 
to the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS will address a change in the Study 
Area and the addition of a new Continental Shelf and Slope Mitigation 
Area.

ADDRESSES: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Attention: 
GOA Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager, 1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 
203, Silverdale, Washington 98315-1101, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTATRY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the NEPA, 
regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508), and Presidential Executive Order 12114, the DoN 
announced its intent to prepare a supplement to the 2011 GOA Navy 
Training Activities EIS/OEIS and 2016 GOA Navy Training Activities 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS in the Federal Register (FR) on February 10, 2020 
(85 FR 7538), and invited the public to comment on the scope of the 
Supplemental EIS/OEIS. A Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS was subsequently 
released on December 11, 2020 (85 FR 80093), in which the potential 
environmental effects associated with military readiness training 
activities conducted within the GOA Study Area were evaluated.
    Since the release of the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS on December 
11, 2020, the DoN has recognized that the size and shape of the 
Temporary Maritime Activities Area (TMAA) in the Gulf of Alaska does 
not provide sufficient space for the realistic maneuvering of vessels 
and aircraft during training exercises. The proposed study area will 
now include additional air space and sea space to the west and south of 
the TMAA. This additional area is referred to as the Western Maneuver 
Area (WMA) and is approximately 185,806 square nautical miles. The 
TMAA, as currently defined (approximately 42,146 square nautical 
miles), would remain unchanged with all activities involving active 
sonar and explosives still occurring in this area only. No new or 
increased training activities are proposed as part of the revised 
proposed action, only an expansion of the overall training area for 
vessel and aircraft maneuvering purposes. In addition, DoN proposes 
implementing a new mitigation area within the continental shelf and 
shelf slope area of the TMAA. To protect marine species and 
biologically important habitat, use of explosives (up to 10,000 feet 
altitude) would be restricted in this area.
    All public comments received during the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS 
comment period (December 11, 2020, through February 16, 2021) are still 
valid and will be considered in the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS for 
this action. Previously submitted comments need not be resubmitted. The 
supplement to the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS is expected to be 
available in March 2022. A Notice of Availability of the supplement to 
the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS will be published in the Federal 
Register at that time, and the supplement to the Draft Supplemental 
EIS/OEIS will be released for a public comment period of 45 days. No 
decision will be made to implement any alternative in the GOA Study 
Area until the NEPA process is complete and a Record of Decision is 
signed by the DoN.

    Dated: January 25, 2022.
J.M. Pike,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-01986 Filed 1-31-22; 8:45 am]
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