```
[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66065-66066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32939]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for Development of Facilities to Support Basing U.S. Pacific 
Fleet F/A-18E/F Aircraft on the West Coast of the United States

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for development of facilities to support basing U.S. 
Pacific Fleet F/A-18E/F aircraft on the West Coast of the United 
States. Two public hearings will be held for the purpose to receive 
oral and written comment on the DEIS. Federal, state and local 
agencies, and interested individuals are invited to be present or 
represented at the hearing.

DATES: Hearing dates are as follows:
    1. January 7, 1998, 7:00 p.m., Lemoore, CA.
    2. January 8, 1998, 7:00 p.m., El Centro, CA.

ADDRESSES: Hearing locations are:
    1. Lemoore--Lemoore City Council Chamber, 429 C Street, Lemoore, 
California.
    2. El Centro--Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 940 
West Main Street, El Centro, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Surinder Sikand, (650) 244-3020.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), implementing the 
procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the 
Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for development of facilities to support basing U.S. Pacific 
Fleet F/A-18E/F aircraft on the West Coast of the United States.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the DEIS was published in the 
Federal Register on 7 April 1997 (62 FR 16563). Public scoping meetings 
for the proposed project were held on Monday, April 28, 1997, at the 
Lemoore High School Cafeteria, Lemoore, California; on Tuesday, April 
29, 1997, at the Imperial County Board of Supervisors Office, El 
Centro, California; and on Wednesday, April 30, 1997, in the 
Bougainvillea Room, Orchid Professional Building, Camarillo, 
California.
    The proposed action includes siting 164 F/A-18E/F aircraft, 
locating associated military personnel and family members, and 
providing associated training functions at the receiving installation. 
The two installations considered in detail for the West Coast base are 
Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore and Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro. 
NAS Lemoore is the preferred alternative evaluated in the

[[Page 66066]]

EIS. For NAS Lemoore, where F/A-18C/D strike fighter squadrons are 
currently based, the proposed action would result in an increase of 92 
aircraft because 72 of the 164 aircraft would replace existing F/A-18 
aircraft. Basing the aircraft at NAF El Centro, which does not have 
existing strike fighter squadrons, would result in an increase of 164 
aircraft at the installation.
    The DEIS analyzes potential environmental impacts to land use and 
airspace, visual resources, socioeconomics, cultural resources, traffic 
and circulation, air quality, noise, biological resources, water 
resources, utilities and services, public health and safety, and 
hazardous materials and waste. Potentially significant, but mitigable, 
environmental impacts include impacts to land use and airspace and 
biological resources at NAF El Centro, schools (socioeconomics) at NAS 
Lemoore, and traffic, air quality, and hazardous materials and storage 
at both installations. Significant, and not mitigable, impacts related 
to noise have been identified at NAF El Centro.
    No decision on the proposed action will be made until the National 
Environmental Policy Act process has been completed.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local 
agencies, local groups, elected official, special interest groups, and 
individuals. The DEIS is also available for review at the following 
public libraries: Lemoore, Hanford, Fresno, Avenol, El Centro, and 
Brawely.
    The 2 public hearings will be held for the purpose to receive oral 
and written comment on the DEIS. The first hearing will be held on 
Wednesday, January 7, 1998, at 7:00 p.m., at the Lemoore City Council 
Chamber, 429 C Street, Lemoore, California. The second hearing will be 
held on Thursday, January 8, 1998, at 7:00 p.m., at the Imperial County 
Board of Supervisors Chambers, 940 West Main Street, El Centro, 
California. Federal, state and local agencies, and interested 
individuals are invited to be present or represented at the hearing. 
Oral comments will be heard and transcribed by a court recorder. To 
assure accuracy of the record, all comments should be submitted in 
writing. All comments, both oral and written, will become part of the 
public record in the study. In the interest of available time, each 
speaker will be asked to limit oral comments to three minutes. Longer 
comments should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in 
writing either at the hearing or mailed to Mr. Surinder Sikand (Code 
70311), Engineering Field Activity West, Naval Facilities Engineering 
Command, 900 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, California 94066, FAX (650) 
244-3206. Written comments are requested not later than January 26, 
1998.
    Electronic Filing Address--comments and data may be submitted by 
electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected].

    Dated: December 12, 1997.
Michael I. Quinn,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-32939 Filed 12-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
```