|
A Cryptome DVD is offered by Cryptome. Donate $25 for a DVD of the Cryptome 11.5-years archives of 43,000 files from June 1996 to January 2008 (~4.5 GB). Click Paypal or mail check/MO made out to John Young, 251 West 89th Street, New York, NY 10024. Archives include all files of cryptome.org, jya.com, cartome.org, eyeball-series.org and iraq-kill-maim.org. Cryptome offers with the Cryptome DVD an INSCOM DVD of about 18,000 pages of counter-intelligence dossiers declassified by the US Army Information and Security Command, dating from 1945 to 1985. No additional contribution required -- $25 for both. The DVDs will be sent anywhere worldwide without extra cost. |
31 May 2008
[Federal Register: May 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 104)]
[Notices]
[Page 30903]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29my08-51]
[[Page 30903]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Expansion of the Powder River Complex Near Ellsworth AFB, South
Dakota
AGENCY: Air Combat Command, Department of the Air Force.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and
procedures (32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to
advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). The EIS will assess the potential environmental
consequences of a proposal to expand and enhance the Air Force's
existing Powder River Complex (PRC) which currently has both airspace
and ground-based Air Force training assets in South Dakota, Wyoming,
and Montana.
The Air Force proposal would establish the Powder River Training
Complex (PRTC). The PRTC would more effectively use limited resources
and finite flying hours by providing locally the realistic training
needed by B-1 and B-52 aircrews flying from Ellsworth Air Force Base
(AFB) and Minot AFB, respectively. This would address the training and
other limitations affecting the existing PRC training assets as they
are currently configured. The proposed action would restructure and
reconfigure the existing PRC Military Operations Areas (MOAs) and
associated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA), establish
additional MOA/ATCAA combinations in portions of South Dakota, North
Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, and include Gap MOAs to link these
airspace units together for anticipated quarterly exercises. The
resulting PRTC would provide a versatile, scalable complex with more
realistic, effective, and efficient air combat training. Under each
action alternative, the proposal would add new airspace with a floor of
500 feet above ground level (AGL) and eliminate some existing airspace.
The proposed PRTC would also support additional ground-based simulated
threat emitters under the MOAs, authorize use of defensive chaff and
flares throughout the special use airspace, and permit supersonic
flight above 10,000 feet AGL (above ground level) within the special
use airspace. Changes to the airspace would permit increased local
training throughout the MOAs and ATCAAs and provide for almost a full
range of required combat training missions which replicate the combat
conditions faced by Ellsworth AFB and Minot AFB aircrews. The modular
design of the airspace would provide for more viable combat training
with today's technological systems, and support missions such as
dissimilar air combat training, network linked operations, and large
force exercises. Three action alternatives and a no-action alternative
have currently been identified for analyses (per 40 CFR 1502.14(d)).
Alternative A, Full PRTC, would establish low (MOAs) and high (ATCAA)
airspace that would expand the area overflown at low altitude from the
existing approximately 5,900 square miles to approximately 31,700
square miles. Under Alternative B the low-altitude MOA airspace would
overfly approximately 22,800 square miles. Under Alternative C the low-
altitude MOA airspace would overfly approximately 24,500 square miles.
The proposed ATCAA airspace would overfly approximately 37,800 square
miles under Alternatives A, B, or C. Under the no action alternative,
the existing PRC would continue with low altitude MOAs overflying
approximately 5,900 square miles and ATCAAs overflying approximately
14,100 square miles.
DATES: The Air Force will host a series of public scoping meetings in
communities underlying and/or adjacent to the proposed action. The
purpose of these meetings is to receive public input on the proposed
action and alternatives, as well as gain a better understanding of the
potential issues and concerns related to this proposal. All public
meetings will be held from 4-7 p.m. The schedule and locations of the
scoping meetings are provided below:
1. Monday, June 16, 2008: Rapid City Public Library, 610 Quincy
Street, Rapid City, SD.
2. Tuesday, June 17, 2008: Community Center, 1111 National Street,
Belle Fourche, SD.
3. Wednesday, June 18, 2008: Crook County Public Library, 414 E.
Main Street, Sundance, WY.
4. Thursday, June 19, 2008: Campbell County Fire Department, 106
Rohan Ave, Gillette, WY.
5. Friday, June 20, 2008: Sheridan Senior Center, 211 Smith Street,
Sheridan, WY.
6. Monday, June 23, 2008: Hardin Chamber of Commerce, 10 E.
Railroad Street, Hardin, MT.
7. Tuesday, June 24, 2008: IDCLC, 520 Poplar Drive, Colstrip, MT.
8. Wednesday, June 25, 2008: Miles Community College, 2715
Dickinson, Miles City, MT.
9. Thursday, June 26, 2008: St. Joan of Arc Parish Hall, Church
Street, Ekalaka, MT.
10. Friday, June 27, 2008: Powder River County District High
School, 500 North Trautman, Broadus, MT.
11. Tuesday, July 8, 2008: Baker High School, 1015 South Third
Street West, Baker, MT.
12. Wednesday, July 9, 2008: City Hall, 101 First Street, SW,
Bowman, ND.
13. Thursday, July 10, 2008: Elgin Community Center, 305 N Main
St., Elgin, ND.
14. Monday, July 14, 2008: Harding County Memorial Recreation
Center, West Allison Street, Buffalo, SD.
15. Tuesday, July 15, 2008: Bison School Cafeteria, 200 E. Carr
St., Bison, SD.
Additional community meetings are being coordinated for the Crow
Indian Reservation, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Standing Rock
Indian Reservation and Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
ADDRESSES: Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested groups
and persons are invited to attend the scoping open house meetings. All
are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action either at the
scoping meetings or by mail, postmarked no later than August 4, 2008 to
ensure proper consideration in the environmental impact analyses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct written comments or requests
for further information to: Ms. Linda DeVine, HQ ACC/A7PP, 129 Andrews
Street, Suite 122 (Room 317), Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769 (757-764-
9434).
Bao-Anh Trinh,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-11957 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-05-P