81 FR 61199 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Housing Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), OH

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
United States Air Force

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 172 (September 6, 2016)

The United States Air Force (Air Force) is issuing this notice to notify the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the housing program at Wright-Patterson AFB. The EIS is being prepared in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 1500- 1508, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA; and the Air Force Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP) [32 CFR part 989]. This notice also serves to invite early public and agency participation in determining the scope of environmental issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS and to identify and eliminate from detailed study the issues which are not significant. To effectively define the full range of issues and concerns to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force is soliciting scoping comments from interested local, state and federal agencies, interested American Indian tribes, and interested members of the public. This NOI also serves to invite stakeholder participation and comment as part of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and in support and furtherance of the NHPA Section 106 consultation process. Scoping comments may be submitted to the Air Force at the planned public scoping meetings and/or in writing.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61199-61200]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21274]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

United States Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Housing Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), 
OH

AGENCY: United States Air Force, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The United States Air Force (Air Force) is issuing this notice 
to notify the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the housing program at Wright-Patterson AFB. The 
EIS is being prepared in accordance with National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969; 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 1500-
1508, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for 
implementing NEPA; and the Air Force Environmental Impact Analysis 
Process (EIAP) [32 CFR part 989].
    This notice also serves to invite early public and agency 
participation in determining the scope of environmental issues and 
alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS and to identify and eliminate 
from detailed study the issues which are not significant. To 
effectively define the full range of issues and concerns to be 
evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force is soliciting scoping comments from 
interested local, state and federal agencies, interested American 
Indian tribes, and interested members of the public. This NOI also 
serves to invite stakeholder participation and comment as part of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and in support and 
furtherance of the NHPA Section 106 consultation process.
    Scoping comments may be submitted to the Air Force at the planned 
public scoping meetings and/or in writing.

DATES: The Air Force plans to hold two public scoping meetings from 
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on the dates and at the locations listed below.
 Monday, September 26, 2016: Fairborn High School Auditorium, 
306 E. Whittier Avenue, Fairborn, OH 45324
 Tuesday, September 27, 2016: Fairborn High School Auditorium, 
306 E. Whittier Avenue, Fairborn, OH 45324

    The agenda for each scoping meeting is as follows:

 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.--Open House and comment submission
 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.--Air Force Presentation
 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.--Open House and comment submission 
resumes

    Local notices announcing scheduled dates, locations, and addresses 
for each meeting will be published in the Dayton Daily News, Fairborn 
Daily Herald, Beavercreek News Current, Xenia Daily Gazette and other 
publications a minimum of fifteen (15) days prior to each meeting.
    Comments will be accepted at any time during the Environmental 
Impact Analysis Process (EIAP). However, to ensure the Air Force has 
sufficient time to consider public input in the preparation of the 
Draft EIS, scoping comments must be submitted no later than October 9, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Information on the Wright-Patterson AFB housing project can 
be accessed at the project Web site at http://wpafbhousingeis.versar.com. The project Web site can be used to submit 
scoping comments to the Air Force, or comments and inquiries may also 
be submitted by mail or email to the 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs 
Office, 5135 Pearson Road, Bldg. 10, Room 253A, Wright-Patterson AFB, 
OH 45433 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, 100 homes remain in the USAF 
inventory at WPAFB. These homes include ten homes on Yount Drive built 
in 1975, 89 homes built in 1934-1937 within a planned thematic 
landscape

[[Page 61200]]

now managed as the Brick Quarters Historic District (BQHD), and the 
NRHP-eligible Foulois House constructed in 1874. WPAFB presently 
operates and maintains the BQHD and Foulois House under provisions of 
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Sections 106 and 110. 
Environmental studies and impact analysis will evaluate options for new 
construction, conveyance to a private developer, lease, and demolition 
of these last remaining government-owned homes. Public scoping meetings 
will be held to assist in identifying reasonable alternatives, 
potential impacts, and the relative significance of impacts to be 
analyzed in the EIS.
    The purpose of the action is to provide housing that meets Air 
Force standards for key and essential (K&E) personnel and their 
dependents stationed at WPAFB. The need for this action stems from 
mission requirements, Department of Defense (DOD) policy, and the 
USAF's obligations under the NHPA and Executive Order (EO) 13287, 
Preserve America. At a minimum, this action must support the mission by 
providing residences for 30 K&E personnel and their dependents who are 
required to live on WPAFB. The current privatized housing inventory 
does not support these needs, as the homes are not of adequate square 
footage and are not proximate enough to K&E work locations to support 
the base's housing requirements for the identified K&E personnel.
    The EIS will address concerns associated with modification, 
conveyance, lease, and/or demolition of historic homes within the BQHD. 
The EIS will analyze alternatives that could include military 
construction and continued government ownership, housing privatization 
of all or a portion of the homes, NHPA Section 111 Lease, reuse as 
temporary lodging facilities, demolition, and the No Action 
Alternative. Within the framework of these alternatives, the EIS will 
support Air Force decisions by identifying and evaluating potential 
impacts to land use, safety, noise, hazardous materials and solid 
waste, earth resources, water resources, air quality, transportation, 
cultural resources, biological resources, socioeconomics, and 
environmental justice.
    The USAF intends to use the EIS process and documentation to aid in 
fulfilling its NHPA, Section 106 consultation requirements (36 CFR 
800.8) particularly regarding public participation in the planning 
process associated with this EIS. In addition, extensive consultation 
under NHPA Sec. 106 is ongoing with the OHPO, ACHP and other interested 
parties. That consultation is expected to produce a Sec. 106 project 
Programmatic Agreement which will be executed prior to issuance of this 
EIS's Record of Decision (ROD).

Henry Williams,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-21274 Filed 9-2-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-10-P