[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 178 (Friday, September 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52972-52973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21344]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearings for the Undersea Warfare Training Range 
Draft Overseas Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Statement

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 and regulations implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order 
(EO) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions, the 
Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Overseas Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS/EIS) on September 12, 
2008. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a Cooperating 
Agency for the OEIS/EIS.
    The Draft OEIS/EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of 
the construction and operation of an Undersea Warfare Training Range 
(USWTR) associated with Navy Atlantic Fleet training activities. The 
construction of the proposed USWTR would entail the instrumentation of 
a 500-square nautical mile (NM\2\) area of the sea floor with undersea 
cables and sensor nodes, connected to the shore via a single trunk 
cable.
    The western edge of the range would be located approximately 50 NM 
off the coast of Jacksonville, FL. The USWTR would allow ships, 
submarines, and aircraft to perform anti-submarine warfare (ASW) 
training in littoral, or near shore, waters. A Notice of Intent (NOI) 
for the OEIS/EIS was published in the Federal Register on May 13, 1996 
(Federal Register, Volume 61, No. 93, pp 22028). A Revised NOI for this 
Draft OEIS/EIS and Notice of Request for Public Scoping Comments were 
published in the Federal Register on September 21, 2007 (Federal 
Register, Volume 72, No. 183, pp 54015-54016).
    The Navy will conduct four public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments on the Draft OEIS/EIS. Federal agencies, state 
agencies, local agencies, and interested individuals are invited to be 
present or represented at the public hearings. This notice announces 
the dates and locations of the public hearings for this Draft OEIS/EIS.
    An open house session will precede the scheduled public hearing at 
each of the locations listed below and will allow individuals to review 
the information presented in the USWTR Draft OEIS/EIS. Navy 
representatives will be available during the open house sessions to 
clarify information related to the Draft OEIS/EIS.
    Dates and Addresses: Public hearings will be held on the following 
dates and times at the following locations:
    1. September 29, 2008, at the Chincoteague Center (open house 
poster session from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal hearing from 7 p.m. to 
9 p.m.), 6155 Community Drive, Chincoteague, VA;
    2. October 1, 2008 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center (open house 
poster session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and formal hearing from 8 p.m. to 
10 p.m.), 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC;
    3. October 6, 2008 at the Sheraton North Charleston--Convention 
Center (open house poster session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal 
hearing from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.), 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston, SC;
    4. October 7, 2008 at the University of North Florida--University 
Center (open house poster session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal 
hearing from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.), 12000 Alumni Drive, Jacksonville, FL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Atlantic, Attention: EV22LL (USWTR OEIS/EIS Program Manager (PM)), 6506 
Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278; facsimile: 804-200-
5568 or http://projects.earthtech.com/uswtr/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose for the proposed action is to 
enable the U.S. Navy to train effectively in a shallow water 
environment (120 to 900 feet in depth) at a suitable location for 
Atlantic Fleet ASW capable units.
    The need for the proposed action is to provide range capabilities 
for training and equipping combat-capable naval forces ready to deploy 
worldwide. In this regard, the USWTR furthers the Navy's execution of 
its Congressionally-mandated roles and responsibilities under Title 10 
U.S.C 5062. Training on the USWTR would ensure this Congressional 
mandate is implemented by allowing the Navy to: effectively equip its 
forces for deployment to littoral areas worldwide, such as the Arabian 
Sea; use active sonar to assist in the detection of extremely quiet

[[Page 52973]]

modern diesel submarines; and train with the actual sensors and weapons 
systems used in combat to mimic realistic wartime conditions.
    The Draft OEIS/EIS evaluates the potential impacts of five 
alternatives for USWTR including the No Action Alternative. The 
alternatives were evaluated in the Draft OEIS/EIS to ensure they met 
the purpose and need, giving due consideration to the following: 
physiographic features (water depth, range area length/width ratio, 
shallow/deep water depth ratio, and range orientation to the 
shoreline), adequacy of support infrastructure (shore landing site for 
trunk cable and helicopter training and recovery support), 
climatological criteria (visibility, wind speeds, and wave height), 
proximity to homeports/air stations (helicopter, submarine, and surface 
ship homeports), range installation and use (commercial fishing, ocean 
currents, and bottom type), and non-critical support infrastructure 
(air space control, shore landing site, and proximity to docking 
facility for range support craft).
    These alternatives include: The No Action Alternative, under which 
no USWTR would be installed off the east coast of the U.S., although 
ASW training, including active sonar activities, would continue across 
Navy operating areas (OPAREAs) and adjacent areas; Site A (Preferred 
Alternative) which would be located offshore of northeastern Florida in 
the Jacksonville OPAREA; Site B, located offshore of Charleston, South 
Carolina in the Charleston OPAREA; Site C, located offshore of 
southeastern North Carolina, within the Cherry Point OPAREA; and Site 
D, located offshore of the northeastern coast of Virginia in the 
VACAPES OPAREA. Two alternative sites, Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of 
Maine, were eliminated from further consideration because of distance 
and climatology.
    The Draft OEIS/EIS analyzed potential impacts on multiple resources 
including, but not limited to: The marine environment; biological 
resources, including threatened and endangered species; and 
socioeconomic resources. No significant adverse impacts were identified 
for any resource area for any of the alternatives that cannot be 
mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals to 
underwater sound.
    The Navy has applied to NMFS under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
for a Letter of Authorization and governing regulations to authorize 
incidental takes of marine mammals that may result from operation of 
the proposed USWTR. The Navy is consulting with NMFS under section 7 of 
the Endangered Species Act on the potential for effects on sea turtles 
from installation and operation of the proposed range.
    The USWTR Draft OEIS/EIS was distributed to Federal, State, and 
local agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and 
organizations on September 12, 2008. The public comment period will end 
on October 27, 2008. Copies of the USWTR Draft OEIS/EIS are available 
for public review at the following libraries: Chincoteague Island 
Library, 4077 Main Street, Chincoteague, VA; Eastern Shore Public 
Library, 23610 Front Street, Accomac, VA; Virginia Beach Central 
Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA; Worcester 
County Library, Ocean City Branch, 200 14th Street, Ocean City, MD; 
Wicomico County Free Library, 122 South Division Street, Salisbury, MD; 
Carteret County Public Library, 210 Turner Street, Beaufort, NC; Onslow 
County Public Library, 58 Doris Avenue East, Jacksonville, NC; 
Charleston County Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC; and 
Jacksonville Public Library, Regency Square Branch, 9900 Regency 
Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL.
    The USWTR Draft OEIS/EIS is also available for electronic public 
viewing at http://projects.earthtech.com/uswtr/. A paper copy of the 
Executive Summary or a single CD with the USWTR Draft OEIS/EIS will be 
made available upon written request by contacting Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, Atlantic Division; Attention: Code EV22LL (USWTR 
OEIS/EIS PM); 6506 Hampton Blvd; Norfolk, VA 23508-1278. Facsimile: 
804-200-5568. Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties 
are invited to be present or represented at the public hearing. Written 
comments can also be submitted during the open house sessions preceding 
the public hearings.
    Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a stenographer; 
however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all statements should be 
submitted in writing. All statements, both oral and written, will 
become part of the public record on the Draft OEIS/EIS and will be 
responded to in the Final OEIS/EIS. Equal weight will be given to both 
oral and written statements. In the interest of available time, and to 
ensure all who wish to give an oral statement have the opportunity to 
do so, each speaker's comments will be limited to three (3) minutes. If 
a long statement is to be presented, it should be summarized at the 
public hearing with the full text submitted either in writing at the 
hearing, or mailed or faxed to Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Atlantic Division; Attention: Code EV22LL (USWTR OEIS/EIS PM); 6506 
Hampton Blvd; Norfolk, VA 23508-1278. Facsimile: 804-200-5568.
    In addition, comments may be submitted on-line at http://projects.earthtech.com/uswtr/ during the comment period. All written 
comments must be postmarked by October 27, 2008 to ensure they become 
part of the official record. All comments will be addressed in the 
Final OEIS/EIS.

    Dated: September 5, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-21344 Filed 9-11-08; 8:45 am]
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