Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 195 / Friday, October 6, 2000 / Notices 59829

District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

ATTN: CENAB–PL–P, P.O. Box 1715,

Baltimore, Maryland 21203–1715. Email address:

maria.e.delatorre@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–25658 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–41–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

Establishment of New and/or

Modification of Existing Military

Operations Areas Near Marine Corps

Air Station Cherry Point, NC

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by

the Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508),

the Department of the Navy announces

its intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the

potential environmental consequences

of the establishment of new and/or

modification of existing Military

Operations Areas (MOAs) near Marine

Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point,

North Carolina. The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) will serve as a

cooperating agency on this EIS.

DATES: All written scoping comments

should be postmarked by November 20,

2000. Public scoping open houses will

be held to receive oral and/or written

comments on environmental concerns

that should be addressed in the EIS on

October 23, 2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30

pm, in the Cape Hatteras High School,

Highway 12, Buxton, North Carolina;

October 24, 2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30

pm, in the Northside High School, 7860

Free Union Church Road, Pinetown,

North Carolina; October 25, 2000, from

5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, in the East Carteret

High School, 3263 Highway 70,

Beaufort, North Carolina; and October

26, 2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, in

the New Bern Riverfront Convention

Center, 203 South Front Street, New

Bern, North Carolina.

ADDRESSES: Written comments,

statements and/or questions regarding

scoping issues should be addressed to:

Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, (Code BD33KK),

1510 Gilbert Street, Norfolk, Virginia,

23511.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Kelly Knight, telephone (757) 322–4886,

fax (757) 322–4894.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Establishment of new and/or

modification of existing MOAs is

required to provide military aviators

with more realistic training

opportunities. The purpose of this

action is to eliminate required

administrative airspeed reductions so

that aircraft can maintain tactical flight

profiles, and create additional SUA in

order to optimize existing aviation

training. Military aviators using existing

SUA in the MCAS Cherry Point area are

required to reduce airspeed to 250 knots

or less prior to entering non-SUA below

10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) and

when transiting from one noncontiguous SUA to another. This

airspeed reduction requires aircrews to

initiate speed reduction prior to

departing existing SUA, thereby

terminating their tactical profile. This

greatly diminishes training value due to

decreased realism in tactical flight

profiles and restricted tactical approach

options, which require the repetition of

non-tactical maneuvers during training.

Second, expansion of SUA over land is

desired to accommodate critical aircrew

training requirements that do not

require the use of restricted airspace

such as air combat maneuvers,

formation flight, air intercepts, staging

and packaging of multiple aircraft

strikes, and a larger acquisition area for

simulated weapon systems delivery.

These objectives cannot be met through

non-SUA actions due to the space

requirements to accommodate such

operations and restrictive procedures

inherent in Airspace for Special Use

development and utilization.

Seven MOA alternatives have been

identified so far, four individual MOA

alternatives and three combination

MOA alternatives, for consideration in

the EIS. The individual MOA

alternatives include: (1) Establishment

of the Core MOA at a proposed location

east of MCAS Cherry Point and

extending from Cape Lookout north to

Portsmouth Island and overlying the

Cape Lookout National Seashore; (2)

establishment of the Mattamuskeet

MOA at a proposed location located

northeast of MCAS Cherry Point and

overlying portions of Pamlico, Beaufort,

Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties

and the Lake Mattamuskeet and

Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges;

(3) establishment of the Cherry MOA at

a proposed location northwest of MCAS

Cherry Point and overlying portions of

Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort and Hyde

counties; and (4) modification of the

Pamlico B MOA located northeast of

MCAS Cherry Point and overlying the

Pamlico Sound and portions of Carteret,

Hyde and Dare counties. Unlike the first

three proposed MOAs, Pamlico B is an

existing MOA the use of which would

be modified by lowering its base

altitude from 8,000 feet mean sea level

(MSL) to 3,000 feet MSL. All other

existing dimensions would remain

unchanged. The proposed floor for any

MOA alternative under consideration is

3,000 feet above ground level. In

addition to these four individual MOA

alternatives, three combination MOA

alternatives have been identified. They

include: (1) Core and Mattamuskeet

MOAs, (2) Core and Cherry MOAs, and

(3) Core and Pamlico B MOAs. The No

Action Alternative, which would

neither establish new nor modify

existing MOAS, will also be analyzed in

this EIS.

Environmental issues to be addressed

in the EIS include, but are not limited

to, the effects on wildlife and threatened

and endangered species, public lands

and waters, civilian aviation, public

health and safety, recreation, and

community noise.

The Marine Corps will initiate a

scoping process for the purpose of

determining the extent of issues to be

addressed, and identifying significant

issues related to this action. Public

scoping meetings will be held as noted

in the Dates section of this notice. These

meetings will be advertised in area

newspapers.

Marine Corps representatives will be

available at these meetings to receive

comments from the public regarding

issues of concern to the public. Federal,

state and local agencies, and interested

individuals are encouraged to take this

opportunity to identify environmental

concerns that should be addressed

during the preparation of the EIS.

Agencies and the public are also invited

and encouraged to provide written

comment on scoping issues in addition

to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the

public meeting. To be most helpful,

scoping comments should clearly

describe specific issues or topics that

the commentor believes the EIS should

address. Written statements and/or

questions regarding the scoping process

should be mailed by November 20, 2000

to: Commander, Atlantic Division (Attn:

Code BD33KK), Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, 1510 Gilbert

Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23511.

59830 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 195 / Friday, October 6, 2000 / Notices

Dated: September 25, 2000.

Elsie L. Munsell,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy,

(Environment and Safety).

[FR Doc. 00–25655 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

the West Coast Introduction of the MV–

22 Tilt-Rotor Aircraft to Third and

Fourth Marine Aircraft Wings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as implemented by the

Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508),

the Department of the Navy intends to

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential

environmental effects of the West Coast

introduction of the MV–22 tilt-rotor

aircraft to the Third and Fourth Marine

Aircraft Wings.

DATES: All written comments must be

postmarked no later than December 1,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Seven public scoping

meetings will be held to receive oral

and/or written comments from agencies

and interested individuals on

environmental concerns that should be

addressed in the EIS.

1. October 25, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at The Desert Inn, 44219

Sierra Highway, Lancaster, California;

2. November 1, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at the County Administrative

Center, 940 Main Street, Room 211, El

Centro, California;

3. November 2, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

9:00 pm at Yuma Main Library,

Auditorium, 350 Third Avenue, Yuma,

Arizona;

4. November 6, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at Torrey Pines High School,

Lecture Hall, 3710 Del Mar Heights

Road, San Diego, California;

5. November 7, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at San Clemente High School,

Little Triton Theater, 700 Avenida Pico,

San Clemente, California;

6. November 8, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at Mira Mesa High School,

Auditorium, 10510 Reagan Road, San

Diego, California;

7. November 9, 2000, from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm at the Fallbrook Community

Center, 341 Heald Lane, Fallbrook,

California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Doug Gilkey, Southwest Division, Naval

Facilities Engineering Command, 1220

Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132–

5190; telephone 619–532–3348, fax

619–532–2469, email

gilkeyde@efdsw.navfac.navy.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MV–

22 aircraft, known as the Osprey,

represents a new technology in military

aviation. This aircraft utilizes tilt-rotary

technology to enable it to operate like a

rotary-wing aircraft and a fixed-wing

aircraft. The MV–22 will replace the

aging CH–46 and CH–53 rotary-wing

aircraft. In December 1999, the

Department of the Navy completed an

EIS for introduction of the MV–22 to the

Second Marine Aircraft Wing

supporting Fleet Marine Force training

and operations at Marine Corps Base

(MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The proposal being evaluated in this

EIS is the basing and operation of seven

squadrons of MV–22 aircraft in the

Third Marine Aircraft Wing and two

squadrons of MV–22 aircraft in the

Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing. The

primary mission of the MV–22 in the

Third and Fourth Marine Aircraft Wings

will be to support Fleet Marine Force

training and operations at MCB Camp

Pendleton; accordingly, alternatives to

be considered in the EIS are all aviation

facilities within the operational radius

of the MV–22 from MCB Camp

Pendleton.

This proposal includes construction

and/or renovation of facilities to

accommodate the aircraft, and

associated equipment and personnel.

Also, the proposal includes the use of

existing and potentially new outlying

fields and other landing areas, as well

as existing and potentially new airspace

for military aircraft in support of both

military training and operations.

The Marine Corps is currently

evaluating all DoD West Coast

installations to develop reasonable MV–

22 siting alternatives. To date, five

installations have been identified as

potential receiving sites: Marine Corps

Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton,

MCAS Miramar, MCAS Yuma, Naval

Air Facility El Centro, and Edwards Air

Force Base. Application of screening

criteria will identify a range of

reasonable alternatives that will be

evaluated in the EIS and other siting

alternatives may be considered as

appropriate.

Environmental issues to be addressed

in the EIS include: geological resources,

biological resources, water resources,

noise, air quality, land use

compatibility, cultural resources,

socioeconomics, environmental justice,

public health and safety, transportation/

circulation, aesthetics, utilities,

hazardous materials and solid waste.

The Marine Corps will initiate a

scoping process for the purpose of

determining the extent of issues to be

addressed, and identifying the

significant issues related to this action.

The Marine Corps will hold public

scoping meetings as noted in the

Addresses Section of this notice. These

meetings will be advertised in area

newspapers.

Marine Corps representatives will be

available at these meetings to receive

comments from the public regarding

issues of concern to the public. Federal,

state and local agencies, and interested

individuals are encouraged to take this

opportunity to identify environmental

concerns that should be addressed

during the preparation of the EIS.

Agencies and the public are also invited

and encouraged to provide written

comments on scoping issues in addition

to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the

public meeting. To be most helpful,

scoping comments should clearly

describe specific issues or topics that

the commentor believes the EIS should

address.

Written comments must be

postmarked no later than December 1,

2000, and mailed to: Commander,

Southwest Division, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific

Highway, San Diego, CA 92132–5190

(Attn: Mr. Doug Gilkey).

Dated: September 30, 2000.

Duncan Holaday,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy,

(Installations and Facilities).

[FR Doc. 00–25656 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory

Information Management Group, Office

of the Chief Information Officer invites

comments on the submission for OMB

review as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on or before

November 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Attention: Lauren Wittenberg, Acting

Desk Officer, Department of Education,

Office of Management and Budget, 725

17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New