8/8/2019 Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman Notice of Intent

1/2

61452 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 192/ Tuesday, October 5, 2010/ Notices

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Individual or DoD militarycomponent.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:

None.

[FR Doc. 201024844 Filed 10410; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 500106P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare anEnvironmental Impact Statement forMilitary Training Activities at the NavalWeapons Systems Training FacilityBoardman, OR, and To AnnouncePublic Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c)of the National Environmental PolicyAct of 1969, as implemented by theCouncil on Environmental Qualityregulations (40 CFR Parts 15001508),the Department of the Navy (DoN)announces its intent to prepare anEnvironmental Impact Statement (EIS)to evaluate the potential environmentaleffects of continuing training activitieson and increasing usage of the NavalWeapons Systems Training Facility(NWSTF) Boardman, Oregon.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Two publicscoping meetings will be held to receiveoral and/or written comments on

environmental concerns that should beaddressed in the EIS. The publicscoping meetings will be held on thefollowing dates and times, and at thefollowing locations:

1. Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 5p.m.8 p.m., at Port of MorrowConference Center, Riverfront Room, 2Marine Drive, Boardman, OR 97818;

2. Thursday, October 28, 2010, 5p.m.8 p.m., at Hermiston ConferenceCenter, Rotary Room, 415 S. Highway395, Hermiston, OR 97838.

Each scoping meeting will consist ofan informal, open house session with

information stations staffed by DoN andNational Guard representatives. Detailsof the meeting locations and times will

be announced in local newspapers.Additional information concerningmeeting times will be available on theEIS Web page located at: http://www.NWSTFBoardmanEIS.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.Amy Burt, Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand, Northwest, 1101 TautogCircle, Suite 203, Silverdale,Washington 983151101, Attn: NWSTF

Boardman Project Manager, CodeEV1.AB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DoNsproposed action includes rangeenhancements and changes to trainingactivities, capacities, and facilities asthey currently exist on NWSTFBoardman. The Proposed Action would

result in selectively focused but criticalrange enhancements and increases inDoN and Oregon National Guardtraining that are necessary to ensureNWSTF Boardman supports militarytraining and readiness objectives.

The overall strategic mission ofNWSTF Boardman is to support navaland joint services operational readiness

by providing a suitable range within thegeographical vicinity for Commander,U.S. Pacific Fleet and Oregon NationalGuard forces in the northwest.

The EIS study area consists of NWSTFBoardman airspace, Military OperatingArea and Restricted Airspace totaling

approximately 500 square miles, and47,432 acres of land within the

boundaries of NWSTF Boardman.NWSTF Boardman is rectangularshaped oriented from north to south,approximately 6 miles by 12 miles insize, and is situated 2.5 miles south ofthe town of Boardman and the ColumbiaRiver, and southwest of Umatilla,Oregon.

The purpose of the Proposed Actionis to: (1) Ensure that NWSTF Boardmancontinues to support critical militarytraining activities in a realistic and cost-effective manner; (2) Achieve and

maintain military readiness usingNWSTF Boardman to support andconduct current, emerging, and futuretraining and research, development, testand evaluation (RDT&E) activities; and(3) Upgrade and modernize NWSTFBoardmans existing capabilities toaddress shortfalls in available trainingrange capabilities in the PacificNorthwest.

The Proposed Action is needed toprovide a training environmentconsisting of range areas, facilities andinstrumentation with the capacity andcapabilities to fully support required

training tasks for military units. In thisregard, NWSTF Boardman furthers themilitarys execution of its roles andresponsibilities under United StatesCode (U.S.C.) Title 10 (federal military)and U.S.C. Title 32 (State NationalGuard). To comply with its Title 10 and32 mandates, the military needs tomaintain current levels of militaryreadiness by improving training atNWSTF Boardman, accommodatepossible future increases in operationaltraining and force structure changes,and maintain the long-term viability of

NWSTF Boardman as a military trainingand testing area.

Under the No Action Alternative,training activities and major rangeevents would continue at current levels.The DoN and National Guard trainingactivities currently conducted onNWSTF Boardman, presented as the NoAction Alternative, have been ongoing

at present levels and frequencies forapproximately 10 years.

Under Alternative 1, NWSTFBoardman would support an increase intraining activities to include forcestructure changes associated with theintroduction of new weapon systems,vehicles, and aircraft, in addition toaccommodating training activitiescurrently conducted on the range.Alternative 1 would also include theimplementation of range enhancementsto allow NWSTF Boardman to complywith DoN and National Guardrequirements to enable militarypersonnel to qualify on weaponsystems. These required rangeenhancements could include theconstruction of a Multi-PurposeMachine Gun Range, a Digital Multi-Purpose Training Range, a Convoy LiveFire training range, a DemolitionTraining Range, construction of a jointrange administration/Unmanned AerialSystem (UAS) maintenance building,UAS landing strip, and the opening ofa second target area for air to ground

bombing exercises.Alternative 2 consists of all elements

of Alternative 1 plus the addition of athird target area, a helicopter landing

zone, a second Convoy Live Fire range,four mortar pads, and a separate joint-use administrative facility. Alternative 2also includes an increase in trainingactivities associated with theseadditional range enhancements.

Environmental issues that will beaddressed in the EIS, as applicable,include but are not limited to thefollowing: Air quality, airspace,

biological resources, includingthreatened and endangered species,cultural resources, water resources,geology and soils, hazardous materialsand waste, health and safety, noise,

socioeconomics, and transportation.The DoN is initiating the scopingprocess to identify community concernsand local issues that will be addressedin the EIS. Federal, state and localagencies, Federally Recognized NativeAmerican Tribes, the public, and allinterested persons are encouraged toprovide oral, written, or electroniccomments to the DoN to identifyspecific environmental issues or topicsof environmental concern that thecommenter believes the DoN shouldconsider. All comments, electronic,

VerDate Mar2010 18:36 Oct 04, 2010 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05OCN1.SGM 05OCN1

http://www.nwstfboardmaneis.com/http://www.nwstfboardmaneis.com/http://www.nwstfboardmaneis.com/http://www.nwstfboardmaneis.com/http://www.nwstfboardmaneis.com/

8/8/2019 Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman Notice of Intent

2/2