§ 989.26 Classified actions (40 CFR 1507.3(c)). ( a ) Classification of an action for national defense or foreign policy purposes does not relieve the requirement of complying with NEPA. In classified matters, the Air Force must prepare and make available normal NEPA environmental analysis documents to aid in the decision-making process; however, Air Force staff must prepare, safeguard, and disseminate these documents according to established procedures for protecting classified documents. If an EIAP document must be classified, the Air Force may modify or eliminate associated requirements for public notice (including publication in the Federal Register) or public involvement in the EIAP. However, the Air Force should obtain comments on classified proposed actions or classified aspects of generally unclassified actions, from public agencies having jurisdiction by law or special expertise, to the extent that such review and comment is consistent with security requirements. Where feasible, the EPF may need to help appropriate personnel from those agencies obtain necessary security clearances to gain access to documents so they can comment on scoping or review the documents.
( b ) Where the proposed action is classified and unavailable to the public, the Air Force may keep the entire NEPA process classified and protected under the applicable procedures for the classification level pertinent to the particular information. At times (for example, during weapons system development and base closures and realignments), certain but not all aspects of NEPA documents may later be declassified. In those cases, the EPF should organize the EIAP documents, to the extent practicable, in a way that keeps the most sensitive classified information (which is not expected to be released at any early date) in a separate annex that can remain classified; the rest of the EIAP documents, when declassified, will then be comprehensible as a unit and suitable for release to the public. Thus, the documents will reflect, as much as possible, the nature of the action and its environmental impacts, as well as Air Force compliance with NEPA requirements.
( c ) Where the proposed action is not classified, but certain aspects of it need to be protected by security classification, the EPF should tailor the EIAP for a proposed action to permit as normal a level of public involvement as possible, but also fully protect the classified part of the action and environmental analysis. In some instances, the EPF can do this by keeping the classified sections of the EIAP documents in a separate, classified annex.
( d ) For § 989.26(b) actions, an NOI or NOA will not be published in the Federal Register until the proposed action is declassified. For § 989.26(c) actions, the Federal Register will run an unclassified NOA which will advise the public that at some time in the future the Air Force may or will publicly release a declassified document.
( e ) The EPF similarly protects classified aspects of FONSIs, RODs, or other environmental documents that are part of the EIAP for a proposed action, such as by preparing separate classified annexes to unclassified documents, as necessary.
( f ) Whenever a proponent believes that EIAP documents should be kept classified, the EPF must make a report of the matter to SAF/IEI, including proposed modifications of the normal EIAP to protect classified information. The EPF may make such submissions at whatever level of security classification is needed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issues. SAF/IEI, with support from SAF/GC and other staff elements as necessary, makes final decisions on EIAP procedures for classified actions.
[64 FR 38129, July 15, 1999, as amended at 72 FR 37106, July 9, 2007; 79 FR 35287, June 20, 2014]