[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43012-43013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15328]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Air National Guard F-15EX Eagle II and F-35A Lightning II Beddowns

AGENCY: National Guard Bureau, Department of the Air Force, Department 
of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice 
of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to 
assess the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts 
associated with beddown of F-15EX and F-35A aircraft that would replace 
the legacy F-15C/D aircraft. The DAF is the lead agency on the 
preparation of the EIS and the Department of the Navy and the Federal 
Aviation Administration are participating as cooperating agencies.

DATES: A public scoping period of 45 days will take place starting from 
the date of this Notice of Intent (NOI) publication in the Federal 
Register. Identification of potential alternatives, information, and 
analyses relevant to the proposed action are requested and will be 
accepted at any time during the EIS process. To ensure DAF has 
sufficient time to consider public input in the preparation of the 
Draft EIS, scoping comments should be submitted in writing to the 
website or the address listed below within the 45-day scoping period. 
In-person scoping meetings are scheduled at Fresno, CA on August 9th, 
Lemoore, CA on August 10th, New Orleans, LA on August 16th, and 
Westfield, MA on August 18th. Virtual scoping meetings are scheduled at 
New Orleans, LA on August 23rd, Westfield, MA on August 24th, Fresno 
and Lemoore on August 25th.

ADDRESSES: The project website (www.ANGF15EX-F35A-EIS.com) provides 
information on the EIS and the scoping process and can be used to 
submit scoping comments online. Scoping comments may also be submitted 
by email to NGB.A4.A4A.NEPA.COMMENTS.org@us.af.mil">NGB.A4.A4A.NEPA.COMMENTS.org@us.af.mil, including F-15EX_F-
35A Beddown EIS in the subject line, or by mail to Mr. Will Strickland, 
National Guard Bureau, NGB/A4AM, Shepperd

[[Page 43013]]

Hall, 3501 Fetchet Avenue, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762-5157; (240) 
612-7042. EIS inquiries and requests for digital or print copies of 
scoping materials are available upon request to Mr. Strickland at the 
email or mailing address provided. For printed material requests, the 
standard U.S. Postal Service shipping timeline will apply. Members of 
the public who want to receive future mailings informing them on the 
availability of the Draft and Final EIS, or to receive periodic Fact 
Sheets, are encouraged to submit a comment that includes their name and 
email or postal mailing address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Proposed Action is to 
replace aging F-15C/D aircraft currently utilized by the Air National 
Guard with the state-of-the-art fighter aircraft to better address 
future mission requirements, offer expanded capability, and provide 
life-cycle cost savings in comparison to continued operation of 
existing F-15C/D aircraft. The Proposed Action is needed because the F-
15C/D aircraft are reaching the end of their service life. It is not 
economically feasible to retain the F-15C/D aircraft beyond fiscal year 
2026 and DAF has already begun to retire aircraft that have reached the 
end of their serviceability. The proposed basing alternatives include 
the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base (ANGB), 
Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, Westfield, Massachusetts; the 144th 
Fighter Wing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, 
California; the 144th Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Lemoore, 
Lemoore, California; and the 159th Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station 
Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Belle Chasse, Louisiana. These aircraft 
would replace the legacy F-15C/D aircraft at the selected 
installations, with the exception of NAS Lemoore, which does not 
currently have F-15C/D aircraft to replace.
    The EIS will assess the potential environmental consequences of 
each alternative in support of these operational beddowns. Each of the 
two F-15EX beddowns would include one squadron of 21 Primary Aircraft 
Authorized, 2 Backup Aircraft Inventory, and 1 Aircraft Reserve; the F-
35A beddown would include one squadron of 21 Primary Aircraft 
Authorized and 2 Backup Aircraft Inventory. These aircraft are being 
acquired in support of the Air National Guard mission.
    Resource areas being analyzed for impacts under the Proposed Action 
include noise, biological resources, cultural resources, 
socioeconomics, soils and geology, water resources, infrastructure and 
transportation, land use, hazardous materials and wastes, health and 
safety, air quality, and environmental justice and other sensitive 
receptors. Potential significant impacts as a result of the Proposed 
Action include those related to aircraft noise, air quality, and land 
use. Should any permits be required for the Proposed Action, the DAF 
will identify and obtain all appropriate permits. The DAF will also 
consult with appropriate resource agencies and Native American tribes 
to determine the potential for significant impacts. Consultation will 
be incorporated into the preparation of the EIS and will include, but 
not be limited to, consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act and consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    The Draft EIS is anticipated in summer 2023 and the Final EIS is 
anticipated in Winter/Spring 2024. The Record of Decision would be 
approved and signed no earlier than 30 days after the Final EIS.
    Scoping and Agency Coordination: To effectively define the full 
range of issues to be evaluated in the EIS, DAF will determine the 
scope of the analysis by soliciting comments from interested local, 
state, and federal elected officials and agencies, Tribes, members of 
the public, and others. Consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 11988 
and E.O. 11990, this Notice of Intent initiates early public review of 
the Proposed Action and alternatives and invites public comments and 
identification of potential alternatives. Comments will be accepted 
throughout the process, but in order to have comments incorporated into 
the Draft EIS, comments should be received within 45 days of the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The scheduled 
dates, times, locations, and addresses for the scoping meetings are 
concurrently being published in local media and on the website. Public 
scoping will be accomplished both remotely and in-person during the 
scoping period. The project website provides posters, a presentation, 
an informational fact sheet, downloadable comment forms to fill out and 
return by mail, and the capability for the public to submit scoping 
comments online.

Adriane Paris,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-15328 Filed 7-18-22; 8:45 am]
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