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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2514-2515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-834]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Basing the U.S. Marine Corps Joint Strike Fighter F-35B on the East 
Coast

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy NEPA regulations (32 CFR 
Part 775), and Marine Corps NEPA directives (Marine Corps Order 
P5090.2A, change 1), the Department of the Navy intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and conduct public scoping 
meetings for the proposed basing and operation of 13 Joint Strike 
Fighter (JSF) F-35B squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) 
Beaufort, in Beaufort, South Carolina and MCAS Cherry Point in 
Havelock, North Carolina.

DATES: Public scoping meetings, following an informal open house 
format, will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the dates indicated 
below, at the following locations:
    (1) February 3, 2009, Holiday Inn Resort, Conference Room, 2225 
Boundary St., Beaufort, SC.
    (2) February 4, 2009, Senior Center, 15 Thornton Drive, NE., 
Ludowici, GA.
    (3) February 5, 2009, McIntosh County Middle School, Cafeteria, 500 
Green Street, Darien, GA.
    (4) February 10, 2009, Havelock Tourist and Event Center, 201 
Tourist Center Drive, Havelock, NC.
    (5) February 11, 2009, Emerald Isle Community Center, 7500 Emerald 
Isle Dr., Emerald Isle, NC.
    (6) February 12, 2009, Fred A. Anderson Elementary School, 
Cafeteria, 507 Anderson Dr., Bayboro, NC.
    Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties and 
persons are encouraged to attend any of the open house scoping 
meetings. At these open houses, proposal-related displays and material 
will be available for public review; Marine Corps and Navy staff will 
be present to address questions; and the public will have an 
opportunity to submit written comments on environmental concerns that 
should be addressed in the EIS.

ADDRESSES: All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed 
action and alternatives at any public scoping open houses and anytime 
during the 30-day scoping comment period, which ends February 16, 2009. 
There are three ways in which comments can be submitted: (1) By 
attending one of the public scoping open houses, (2) by e-mail using 
the project public Web site at http://www.usmcJSFeast.com or (3) by 
mail. All written comments on the scope of the EIS should be submitted 
and postmarked no later than February 16, 2009. Comments submitted by 
mail should be sent to: USMC F-35B East Coast Stationing EIS, P.O. Box 
56488, Jacksonville, FL 32241-6488.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The F-35B EIS Project Manager at 757-
444-1126. Please submit requests for special assistance, sign language 
interpretation for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids needed 
at the public meeting to the F-35B EIS Project Manager by January 28, 
2009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Marine Corps variant of the JSF, the F-
35B, is a short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL), multi-role fighter 
aircraft whose primary emphasis is air-to-ground combat. The aircraft 
is designed to replace existing fleets of F-18 A/C/D Hornets (strike 
fighter), AV-8B Harriers (attack), and the EA-6B Prowler (electronic 
warfare) aircraft. The F-35B East Coast basing proposal would take 
approximately 11 years to implement and would begin in 2012. The 
proposal would base up to 216 aircraft (i.e., 10 active-duty and 1 
reserve squadron of up to 16 aircraft each and 2 Pilot Training Center 
(PTC) squadrons at 20 aircraft each) at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS Cherry 
Point. Facility construction and modifications would occur prior to and 
continue throughout F-35B squadron arrivals; the F-35B would operate 
within existing airspace and at training ranges currently used by 
Marine Corps Hornet, Harrier, and Prowler aircraft.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would base and operate a total of 13 F-35B (the 
Marine Corps variant of the JSF) squadrons at both MCAS Beaufort and 
MCAS Cherry Point. This F-35B is a next generation, stealth, 
supersonic, multi-role fighter aircraft that will replace aging Marine 
Corps fleets of F-18 A/C/D Hornets, AV-8B Harriers, and EA-6B Prowlers 
in the 2nd and 4th Marine Air Wings. Specifically, the squadrons would 
include up to 10 F-35B active-duty squadrons of up to 16 aircraft per 
squadron, 1 reserve F-35B squadron comprising up to 16 aircraft, and 2 
PTC F-35B squadrons composed of up to 20 aircraft per squadron.

Purpose and Need

    To meet any crisis or conflict that may arise both now and into the 
future, Marine Corps Aviation must be manned, trained, and equipped to 
conduct world-wide air combat operations. For this reason, 
technological superiority in its air fleet is an essential requirement. 
The purpose of the proposed action, therefore, is to provide state-of-
the art F-35B aircraft to Marine Corps fleets by replacing aging 
aircraft inventories. The basing action would provide both the 
facilities and functions to support and maintain these new aircraft as 
well as the airfields, airspace, and ranges to train air crews in these 
next-generation aircraft.

Preliminary Alternatives

    The Marine Corps developed a range of reasonable basing 
alternatives in a three-tiered alternatives development process. The 
process applied the purpose and need to identify potential sites that 
could maximize JSF integration into existing Marine Air Ground Task 
Force organizations, maximize utilization of existing infrastructure, 
and provide efficient use of existing ranges. The alternative 
development process identified five preliminary basing alternatives. 
These alternatives distribute differing combinations of F-35B active-
duty, reserve, and PTC squadrons at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS Cherry 
Point. The basing alternatives include:

[[Page 2515]]

     No-action alternative, where F-35B aircraft would not 
replace F-18A/C/D, AV-8B, and EA-6B squadrons at MCAS Beaufort and MCAS 
Cherry Point. The no-action alternative, while required by NEPA from 
which to measure potential impacts, would not meet the purpose and need 
of the proposed action and would prevent the Marine Corps from 
fulfilling its assigned combat missions.
     Alternative 1 would base three F-35B squadrons and the PTC 
(with two squadrons) at MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry point would receive 
eight squadrons.
     Alternative 2 would base the PTC (with two squadrons) at 
MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry Point would receive eleven squadrons.
     Alternative 3 would base eight squadrons at MCAS Beaufort; 
MCAS Cherry Point would receive three squadrons and the PTC (with two 
squadrons).
     Alternative 4 would base eleven squadrons at MCAS 
Beaufort; MCAS Cherry Point would receive the PTC (with two squadrons).
     Alternative 5 would base two F-35B squadrons and the PTC 
(with two squadrons) at MCAS Beaufort; MCAS Cherry point would receive 
nine squadrons.

Environmental Issues and Resources To Be Examined

    The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects 
associated with each of the above alternatives. Issues to be addressed 
may include, but are not limited to, biological resources, historic and 
archaeological resources, geology and soils, hydrology, water quality, 
air quality, noise, safety, hazardous materials and waste, visual 
resources, socioeconomics, and environmental justice. Relevant and 
reasonable measures that could avoid or mitigate environmental effects 
will also be analyzed.
    Additionally, the Marine Corps will undertake any consultations 
required by the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National 
Historic Preservation Act, and any other applicable law or regulation.

EIS Schedule

    This Notice of Intent is the first phase of the EIS process and 
announces the 30-day public comment period to identify community 
concerns and local issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The next 
phase occurs when the Department of the Navy publishes a Notice of 
Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register and local media to publicly 
release the Draft EIS. A 45-day public comment period for the Draft EIS 
will commence upon publication of the NOA in the Federal Register . The 
Marine Corps will consider and respond to all comments received on the 
Draft EIS when preparing the Final EIS. The Department of the Navy 
intends to issue the Final EIS no later than October 2010, at which 
time an NOA will be published in the Federal Register and local media. 
A Record of Decision will be issued 30 days following publication of 
the Final EIS.

    Dated: January 12, 2009.
A.M. Vallandingham,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate Generals Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal 
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-834 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
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