Federal Register April 9, 2008 - (Volume 73, Number 69)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent To Terminate the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Introduction of F/A-18E/F (Super Hornet) Aircraft to the East
Coast of the United States (Construction and Operation of an Outlying Landing
Field); To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Construction and
Operation of an Outlying Landing Field To Support Carrier Air Wing Aircraft at
Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk, VA; and To Announce Public
Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In a Notice of Intent published on June 24, 2005 (70 Federal Register
[FR] 36566), the Department of the Navy announced its intent to prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to provide additional
analysis of the environmental consequences associated with the construction and
operation of an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) needed to support operations of
Super Hornet squadrons stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia,
and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice of Availability (NOA)
of the Draft SEIS on February 23, 2007 (72 FR 8155). Pursuant to section
(102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the
regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts
1500-1508), the Navy announces its intent to terminate the Draft SEIS for the
Introduction of F/A-18E/F (Super Hornet) Aircraft to the East Coast of the
United States (Construction and Operation of an Outlying Landing Field) and
prepare an EIS to evaluate potential environmental consequences of the
construction and operation of an OLF at new alternative sites to support Field
Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) training requirements for carrier-based
fixed-wing aircraft stationed at and transient to NAS Oceana and Naval Station
(NS) Norfolk Chambers Field, Virginia. The five new alternative OLF sites
identified to date are: (1) Cabin Point Site, located in Surry, Prince George,
and Sussex counties, Virginia; (2) Dory Site, located in Southampton and Sussex
counties, Virginia; (3) Mason Site, located in Sussex and Southampton counties,
Virginia; (4) Sandbanks Site, located in Gates and Hertford counties, North
Carolina; and (5) Hale's Lake Site, located in Camden and Currituck counties,
North Carolina. These five site alternatives were identified by applying
operational, environmental and population criteria to a list of 13 new sites
provided by the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia, as
well as on the five sites examined in the Draft SEIS.
Dates and Addresses: The Navy is initiating a scoping process to identify
community concerns and local issues that will be addressed in the EIS.
Federal, state, and local elected officials and agencies and interested
persons are encouraged to provide comments to the Navy to identify
environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. To be most
helpful, scoping comments should clearly describe the specific issues or
topics the EIS should address.
Public scoping meetings, using an Open House format, will be held to receive
written comments or concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. Public
scoping meetings will be as follows:
Currituck County, North Carolina. North Carolina Cooperative
Extension, Currituck County Center, 120 Community Way, Barco, NC 27917 on
April 28, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
Prince George County, Virginia. J.E.J Moore Middle School, 11455 Prince
George Drive, Disputanta, VA 23842 on April 29, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
Sussex County, Virginia. Sussex Central High School, 21394 Sussex Drive,
Sussex, VA 23884 on April 30, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
Southampton County, Virginia. Southampton High School, 23350 Southampton
Parkway, Courtland, VA 23837 on May 1, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
Gates County, North Carolina. Gates County High School, 088 U.S. Highway
158 West, Gatesville, NC 27938 on May 2, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.;
Camden County, North Carolina. Camden County High School, 103 U.S.
Highway 158 West, Camden, NC 27921 on May 5, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and
Surry County, Virginia. Surry Central High School, 1675 Hollybush Road,
Dendron, VA 23839 on May 7, 2008, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The dates, times, and locations of public scoping meetings are also
available at
(http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.olfeis.com),
and will be provided to local and regional media serving localities in the
vicinity of proposed OLF sites.
Comments can be made in the following ways: (1) Written statements submitted
to Navy representatives at the public scoping open houses; (2) written
statements mailed to Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508, Attn: Code EV OLF
Project Manager; and (3) written statements submitted via the Web site at
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.OLFEIS.com.
All written comments must be postmarked by June 7, 2008.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy proposes to construct an OLF that will
support the FCLP operations of carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft squadrons
stationed at and transient to NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia (F/A-18C
Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons and Fleet Replacement Squadrons
(FRS)), and NS Norfolk Chambers Field, Norfolk, Virginia (E-2C Hawkeye, C-2A
Greyhound, and E-2C/C-2A FRS). While NALF Fentress will continue providing
necessary support for FCLP and other training requirements, this landing
field alone cannot fully support training requirements of home-based and
transient aircraft from NAS Oceana and NS Norfolk Chambers Field. Training
requirements for aircraft based at these airfields can exceed NALF Fentress
capacity up to 63% of the time during summertime when hours of darkness are
limited. Capacity problems are further exacerbated when operational demands
require surging additional carrier strike groups. A new OLF is required to
provide year-round capacity to support FCLP training requirements under the
Fleet Response Plan, provide operational flexibility needed to respond to
emergent national defense requirements, and FCLP training consistent with
at-sea operating conditions. Facilities at the OLF would include an
8,000-foot runway, aircraft traffic control tower, and other support
buildings. The Navy also proposes to establish Class D airspace around the
OLF. Property and property interests for construction of the facilities,
airfield safety zones, and projected high-noise zones would need to be
acquired through purchase, lease, or acquisition of restrictive use or
conservation easements.
The EIS will address environmental consequences associated with construction
of the airfield, associated infrastructure and support facilities, and
aircraft operations. In addition, the EIS will assess socioeconomic
consequences associated with acquisition of property and property interests
for the OLF and any relocation of residences within the proposed airfield
safety and projected high-noise zones.
The Navy has worked with the leadership in the State of North Carolina and
Commonwealth of Virginia to identify a range of reasonable site location
alternatives for the OLF. For purposes of analysis, an estimated 25,000 to
30,000-acre area is being considered for each site location alternative.
Additional alternative site locations may be identified during the scoping
process. The five site location alternatives identified to date are: (1)
Cabin Point Site, located in Surry, Prince George, and Sussex counties,
Virginia; (2) Dory Site, located in Southampton and Sussex counties,
Virginia; (3) Mason Site, located in Sussex and Southampton counties,
Virginia; (4) Sandbanks Site, located in Gates and Hertford counties, North
Carolina; and (5) Hale's Lake Site, located in Camden and Currituck
counties, North Carolina.
The Navy has and will continue to work with the leadership from the State of
North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as local communities
to explore all possible economic benefits to the community to offset the
potential impacts from the OLF. During the scoping process, the Navy will
encourage and solicit input on other potential economic benefit proposals.
The Navy intends to analyze potential environmental consequences of the
construction and operation of the OLF on the natural environment, including,
but not limited to, air quality, plant and animal habitats, and water
resources such as streams and wetlands. It will also evaluate potential
consequences to the built environment, including land use patterns,
transportation, housing, and regional economy. Further, the Navy will
prepare analyses of projected operations on existing airspace and of
aircraft noise exposure levels on the ambient noise environment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508, Attn: Code EV
OLF Project Manager. Dated:
April 4, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-7463 Filed 4-8-08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
Navy Presentation to Surry County March 27, 2008
This is a PDF file of what appears to be a power point presentation by the
United States Fleet Forces Command covering the whole OLF project. You can
access it here.
Navy to sell OLF Site 2008-01-25 Freedom ENC - Kingston Free Press
Sue Book
NEW BERN - The Navy plans to sell the 2,000 acres it bought in Washington County
for an outlying landing field.
Rear Adm. Davidson of Navy Fleet Forces Command gave that news Wednesday in a
talk with two congressmen from North Carolina. He also said that when the Navy
ultimately chooses a site, it will look for ways to make residents of the area
happy.
The Navy announced Tuesday that it was dropping the Washington County site and
four others that have been studied for six years. Instead, the Navy said, it
will study five other sites—two in North Carolina and three in Virginia.
Anderson met with Rep. Walter B. Jones and Rep. G.K. Butterfield in
Washington, D.C., to discuss the particulars of why two new sites were selected.
The landing field would be used for F/A-18-Super Hornet pilots to practice night
aircraft carrier landings.
AA 30,000-acre site near Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Washington
County was the Navy’s first choice of the five original sites in North Carolina.
Including the land purchases, the Navy spent about $25 million on the process of
studying that site and the others that are now off the list.
The two new North Carolina sites are Hale’s Lake site in Camden and Currituck
counties, which is in Jones’ U.S. House District 3, and the Sandbanks site in
Gates County, which is in Butterfield’s District 1.
Jones said, “It sounds like what they are going to do is pretty much what we did
leading up to the decision on Washington County.” No information was provided on
how the Navy chose the five new sites other than information on population
density and open land for access to about 30,000 acres.
“They are already planning to get rid of the land they bought,” Ken Willis, a
Butterfield spokesman, said after the 45-minute meeting with Navy officials. He
said the Navy would publish the disposal plan in the Federal Register in the
spring. “They seem to understand they need the support of the community for this
to work and will work in any way they can to insure they get it,” Willis said.
That could include payments in lieu of taxes, leasing from another owner to
mitigate any tax loss, and asking residents up front what would work to make an
OLF palatable to a community.
“Overall, the meeting was very positive. They are winnowing it down to where it
works for them and the community and the political landscape. I think the Navy
understands much better this time around.”
Still, residents of areas around the new sites could have much on hold for 30
months while the Navy studies.
When the announcement was made in January 2002 that a northeastern Craven County
site was being considered for an OLF, Don Ipock’s family had recently started
Phase 1 of a 17-lot subdivision off Spruill Town Road that would be have been
right at the end of the runway.
“We didn’t have a problem with the OLF but the subdivision was going to be in
the impact zone,” he said. With just two 2,300-square-foot houses built in
Pierces Landing Subdivision, the project went on hold.
“We’ve kind of been waiting and watching,” Ipock said. “I was kind of neutral on
the OLF but it is probably better that we can move forward.”
With Tuesday’s news that the Navy has ended a six-year environmental impact
study of the five sites including Craven County, Ipock listed the lots Wednesday
with Donna Harmatuck and Company. He plans to move full speed ahead on the
development.
The announcement brings some uncertainty to areas like Havelock, which supports
and depends on a military-based economy and has consistently supported efforts
for an Eastern North Carolina OLF.
Lt. Cmdr. Cindy Moore, who is on the staff of the secretary of the Navy, said
Tuesday that the change in site locations did not come with any base change for
two Super Hornet squadrons scheduled to be stationed at Cherry Point in
September 2010.
“Squadron basing is still on track,” Moore said.
Havelock Mayor Jimmy Sanders said, “Havelock is certainly anxious to get the two
squadrons. We hope they come. They are welcome as the military has always been
here.”
“The Marine Corps knows that and after this process, we hope the military in
general knows how much we do care about the military,” Sanders said. “Even
though the OLF was not successful, it in no way diminishes the feelings of the
people in our area.”
Sue Book can be reached at (252) 635-5666 or sbook@freedomenc.com
Navy OLF Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Project Site (link
opens in new window)
This is a Navy Web site with a lot of OLF information, it has recently
been redesigned.
I do not know how much of the information is new or changed. The first
page is the
Navy OLF Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Project Anouncement
copied below.
NAVY STATEMENT REGARDING SECNAV OLF ANNOUNCEMENT JANUARY 22, 2008
The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations’ staffs have reviewed
U.S. Fleet Forces Command’s assessment of new information provided by State
officials in North Carolina and Virginia about locations that potentially meet
Navy Outlying Landing Field (OLF) requirements.
The Navy commends Virginia and North Carolina leadership for their cooperation
in collecting and providing new information about locations within their
respective States. Their involvement in this process has been instrumental in
facilitating the Navy’s careful consideration of the public comments on the
draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
After thorough review of the new information provided by the states, and a
similarly thorough reassessment of the Navy’s operational requirements, the Navy
has decided, under the National Environmental Policy Act, to terminate the
current draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, and initiate a new
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the impacts of construction and
operation of an OLF at five new potential OLF sites to support Field Carrier
Landing Practice training requirements for all Carrier Air Wing aircraft based
at NAS Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Three of the sites are in
Virginia, and two are in North Carolina. The Virginia sites include Cabin Point
(formerly known as sites 2A, B and C in the information provided by Virginia
officials), Dory (formerly known as site 3A) and Mason (formerly site known as
site 3B). The North Carolina sites to be considered are Hale’s Lake in Camden
and Currituck Counties, and Sandbanks in Gates County. Based on our evaluation
of available information, these sites each have operational, environmental, and
population characteristics that make them viable site alternatives for further
analysis.
The five sites analyzed in the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(Bertie, Craven, Hyde, Perquimans and Washington/Beaufort Counties, NC) are no
longer under consideration as potential OLF sites. The Navy will hold public
scoping meetings on the new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in Spring 2008.
A Federal Register notice is being developed that will announce opportunities
for the public to provide input and propose additional sites for the new EIS.
That notice is scheduled to be published in March/April 2008.
These five alternative sites, as well as the no action alternative, will be
fully evaluated in a new EIS in compliance with the National Environmental
Policy Act before making any further decision on constructing an additional OLF.
This analysis is expected to take about 30 months to complete.
Throughout this process the Navy will continue to work closely with the
Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of North Carolina on these new sites and
the Congress on this matter. The Navy believes that by working with state and
local officials, we can understand their perspective on the issues and seek
common ground on ways to mitigate impacts and identify potential benefits.
U.S. Scales Back JSF, Super Hornet Buys
National Defense NDIA's Business and Technology Magazine March 2003
Consolidation of Navy-Marine tactical aviation eliminates 497 aircraft
by Sandra I. Erwin
Only a year ago, a flag officer described the Navy’s aircraft procurement
program as “our biggest challenge.”
At the time, the officer showed a spending plan that funded 85 aircraft in 2004,
with quantities gradually increasing through 2007, when the total aircraft buy
soared to 193.
“Our goal is 180 to 210 aircraft per year,” said the official.
When the same official recently presented the Navy’s budget for the coming
fiscal year, the aviation picture had changed dramatically. This time, there was
no mention of the 180-to-210 aircraft goal. Rather, the forecast showed that
tactical-aviation procurement accounts would be shrinking drastically, largely
due to the consolidation of Navy and Marine Corps strike fighter units, slated
to begin this year.
The decision to merge the two services’ aviation units, dubbed “tac-air
integration,” was sealed last fall, when then-Commandant Gen. James L. Jones and
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vernon Clark signed a “memorandum of agreement.”
Part of the deal is to transfer the base of operations for six Marine squadrons
of F/A-18 strike fighters, from land to Navy aircraft carriers. The six would be
added to the four Marines squadrons that already operate from carriers. Each of
the 10 squadrons will be assigned to a Navy air wing. Conversely, three Navy
fighter squadrons will be relocated to land-based units.
The tac-air consolidation agreement generally stipulates that, in the future,
there will be a “seamless integration” of Navy and Marine squadrons, which will
“train, deploy and fight side by side,” said a Navy spokesman.
The Navy estimated that the integration will save $19 billion in future aircraft
procurements.
The cutbacks in future buys most heavily affect the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
program, which will lose 409 aircraft. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet program will
have 88 fewer airplanes.
The JSF program as first conceived included 480 carrier-based aircraft for the
Navy and 480 short-takeoff (STOVL) versions for the Marine Corps. The Super
Hornet program is being restructured, with fewer E/Fs and the addition of up to
90 G-models, called the EA-18, for electronic warfare missions. The current
five-year spending plan includes 56 EA-18s.
When all is said and done, the United States will have 59 Navy-Marine strike
fighter squadrons flying 1,140 aircraft. That compares with 64 squadrons in
service today, operating 1,637 aircraft.
The Navy will be decommissioning three active-duty and one reserve F/A-18
squadrons, while the Marines expect to decommission one reserve fighter
squadron. The services have not yet settled on a schedule for the disbandment of
those units.
Super Hornet basing divided on East Coast
Sea Power, Nov 2003 by Burgess, Richard R
In a long-anticipated move, the Navy has decided to base its East Coast
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters at two air stations, Naval Air Station
Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.
The decision is a compromise of competing interests including training and
readiness benefit, noise management, construction costs, and economics.
The Navy will station eight strike fighter squadrons equipped with Super Hornets
at Oceana-in addition to the East Coast Super Hornet training squadron-and two
Super Hornet squadrons at Cherry Point, currently the home of only Marine Corps
squadrons. The option of basing six squadrons at Oceana and four at Cherry Point
was considered and rejected.
The Super Hornets-already in operation at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.-are
expected to arrive at Oceana in late 2004. The Navy plans to base 120 Super
Hornets at Oceana and 24 at Cherry Point.
The decision is similar to one made during the early 1990s with the closure of
Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The Navy moved all but two
Cecil-based F/A-18C Hornet squadrons to Oceana, and moved two to Marine Corps
Air Station Beaufort, S.C. The training impact was minimal because the Marine
Corps also based Hornet squadrons at Beaufort-including two that routinely
deploy with carrier air wings-and already maintained a support infrastructure
for the Hornets.
The decision to place two Super Hornet squadrons at Cherry Point enjoys no such
advantage, because the Marine Corps does not operate the Super Hornet. The main
advantage of basing at Cherry Point is the noise reduction that would occur at
Oceana, where encroachment of development has increased the political pressure
to reduce jet noise, not only at Oceana but also at Fentress Field in nearby
Chesapeake. The engines that power the Super Hornets are louder than the engines
that power the Hornets and F-14 Tomcats currently based at Oceana.
Along with the Super Hornet basing decision, the Navy announced plans to build
an outlying field in Washington County, N.C., where the Super Hornets from both
bases would practice carrier landings. Navy officials said in a release that
Washington County was recommended because it included "a low population density
and a lack of airspace conflicts and obstructions (such as tall towers), as well
as avoidance of extensive wetland complexes, public interest areas, and
ecologically sensitive areas."
Navy floats proposals on Super Hornet basing
Sea Power, Sep 2002
The Department of the Navy has released a draft of an environmental impact
statement (DEIS) for public comment on the basing of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
strike fighter on the East Coast. The Navy has proposed two alternative plans
for basing 11 squadrons of Super Hornets at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana in
Virginia Beach, Va., and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, N.C.
Navy officials said that the preferred basing plans are: (1) six fleet squadrons
(13 aircraft each) at Oceana and four at Cherry Point; or (2) eight squadrons at
Oceana and two at Cherry Point. Both proposals include basing a fleet readiness
squadron (32 aircraft) at Oceana. The Navy also proposes building an outlying
field (OLF)-used for field carrier landing practice-in either Craven County or
Washington County in North Carolina.
The basing of the Super Hornet squadrons on the East Coast will not result in an
overall increase of fighters at Oceana; in fact, fleet introduction of the
aircraft already has resulted in a decrease of the jet inventory at Oceana.
Three Oceana-based squadrons of F-- 14s have moved to Naval Air Station Lemoore,
Calif., within the last year for transition to the Super Hornet, and will be
joined there by at least two more F-- 14 squadrons from Oceana. All 10 of the
Super Hornet fleet squadrons scheduled to be based on the East Coast will derive
from six F-14 squadrons already based in Oceana, and from four Hornet squadrons
also based at Oceana (or exchanged with Lemoore). The exact number could be
affected by plans to place more Marine Corps Hornet squadrons on aircraft
carriers.
The basing of some East Coast Super Hornets at Cherry Point in lieu of basing
all of them at Oceana likely will increase basing costs because of the need for
logistical support at two bases instead of one. The Marine Corps is not
scheduled to operate Super Hornets. During the mid- 990s, when the Navy moved
its 13 East Coast Hornet squadrons from NAS Cecil Field, Fla., Congress dictated
that the Navy station two of the squadrons at MCAS Beaufort, S.C.; the impact of
the Congressional mandate was minimal, however, because the logistical
infrastructure to support the Hornet already existed at Beaufort, the East Coast
base for Marine Corps Hornets.
The proposal to build a new OLF in North Carolina is believed to have been
developed, at least in part, because of pressure to limit operations at the OLF
at Fentress Field in Chesapeake, Va. Complaints of aircraft noise in the
environs of Fentress have risen steadily in recent years.
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana - from Global Security.org
Source: Final Environmental Impact Statement for Realignment of F/A-18 Aircraft
and Operational Functions from NAS Cecil Field, Florida to Other East Coast
Installations (March 1998).
In 1940, the Navy acquired the land that would eventually become Naval Air
Station (NAS) Oceana. At that time, the surrounding area was mainly farmland.
Airspace and facility restrictions preclude NAS Norfolk from serving as the home
station for tactical air units, and in the 1950s NAS Oceana was expanded to
Master Jet Base status to serve that purpose. NAS Oceana has grown to become one
of the largest and most advanced air stations in the world, comprising 6,820
acres (including Dam Neck Annex). Obstruction clearances and flight easements
total an additional 3,680 acres. Its four runways—three measuring 8,000 feet in
length and one measuring 12,000 feet—are designed for high-performance aircraft.
NAS Oceana's primary mission is to train and deploy the Navy's fighter/attack
squadron—the F-14 Tomcats and the F/A-18 Hornets. Two H-3 Sea King helicopters
also are assigned to NAS Oceana for search-and-rescue duties. Pilots stationed
at NAS Oceana fly approximately 219,000 training operations each year.
Both Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress in Chesapeake, VA and
Naval Station (NS) Norfolk Chambers Field in Norfolk, VA are under the command
of NAS Oceana. The Navy Dare County Range located in North Carolina is also
under NAS Oceana's command. This facility has hosted naval fighter and attack
squadrons for nearly fifty years. In the early 1990s the base hosted the Grumman
F-14 Tomcat fighter and A-6 Intruder attack aircraft. The Intruder has since
left the inventory, and the Tomcat is slated for retirement over the next
decade. However, Oceana has retained its role as the primary East Coast home for
these missions, accepting eight fleet squadrons and one Fleet Replacement
Squadron (FRS) of F/A-18 Hornets in response to basing decisions and BRAC
direction. Apparently mindful of the recent BRAC decisions to close some key
naval aviation installations, some members of the Virginia Beach community
strongly lobbied to have the Hornet assigned to Oceana; however, the aircraft
has received a mixed reception. Despite a lower level of assigned aircraft and
airfield operations than occurred at Oceana in the mid-1980s, the noise impacts
of the F/A-18 have led to considerably more community dissatisfaction than
encountered earlier. This apparent contradiction can be explained by a number of
factors: Virginia Beach is a much more diverse community and relatively less
dependent on the Navy economy than it was two decades ago; the community has
grown rapidly, in some cases unwisely, around the base, particularly during the
“down years” prior to the Hornets’ arrival; and the F/A-18 is perceived as
noisier than other aircraft stationed at Oceana in past years.
Increases in base loading at Oceana as the result of BRAC decisions,
following the reduction of flying activity during the phase out of the A-6, has
resulted in a dramatic increase in noise complaints in the Tidewater area of
Virginia. This increase in complaints can be attributed, at least in part, to
the increased operational and noise footprint of the F/A-18, when compared with
the A-6 and even the F-14 Tomcat. The competition for access to overland
airspace in close proximity to the Norfolk area is expected to increase. This
competition can be traced to the lack of training airspace in the immediate
area, the relatively short operating range of the Hornet and a projected
increase in the basing of high performance Air Force aircraft at Langley AFB.
Over the modern battlefield, an increasing percentage of operations are
conducted at night. Night flying is an integral part of an aviator’s training
program. In particular, night Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) – the
simulated carrier landing practice conducted at Chambers Field, NALF Fentress
and NAS Oceana – is crucial training for maintaining the proficiency of
aircrews. To be effective, night flight training must occur in sufficient
conditions of darkness, which necessitates later hours of operations during
summer months, when sunset occurs after 8:30 p.m. This situation may be
aggravated, such as when operations pick up prior to carrier deployment,
resulting in a higher number of scheduled night operations.
A lawsuit is currently being pursued by a group of Virginia Beach residents,
charging that the Navy’s noise analysis prepared in support of the F/A-18
rebasing decision was inadequate and misleading. The parties have stated that
they do not want the aircraft removed from Oceana, but there is the potential
for some restriction to be imposed on operations that could severely diminish
the base’s potential to host future systems.
The Navy is taking a proactive stance in noise management at Oceana. A
comprehensive web site portrays AICUZ noise and Accident Prevention Zone (APZ)
contours for all three Navy airfields in the area, along with explanations of
the mitigating actions being undertaken by the base. Two of the actions,
construction of an engine test enclosure (“hush house”) at Oceana and
installation of a TACAN 26 at NALF Fentress, involved substantial investment.
Other actions include modifications to traffic patterns and limitations on
flight activities during nighttime (2300-0700 local) at all three installations.
Naval pilots are required to comply with noise abatement procedures.
Procedures used to reduce noise upon takeoff include securing afterburners no
later than the airfield boundary and climbing rapidly on departure, taking the
noise away from the community. Flight crews are periodically briefed on the
existing patterns and the need to maintain the published patterns. Night
operations are limited to those that are necessary and essential.
Perhaps the overriding concern for this area is the potential for separate
and inadequately coordinated Air Force and Navy basing actions to exceed the
region’s real operational capacity, whether measured in airspace access,
environmental compliance or community acceptance. The Air Force has indicated
that Langley AFB would be the beddown location for its first operational F-22
unit (presumably the 1 st Fighter Wing, currently stationed at Langley and
equipped with F-15C/D fighter aircraft). The Navy will probably replace current
Hornets (F/A-18C and F/A-18D models) at Oceana with the F/A-18E/F “Super
Hornet”, and perhaps eventually with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
The Navy has identified four Navy and Marine Corps air stations as potential
receiving sites for the Super Hornet: Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort,
South Carolina; MCAS Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina; Naval Air Station
(NAS) Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia; and NAS Meridian, Mississippi. As part
of the EIS process, the Navy is investigating the possibility of establishing an
outlying landing field (OLF) that would support the Field Carrier Landing
Practice (FCLP) of the Super Hornet squadrons. The OLF is under study for basing
options associated with MCAS Beaufort, MCAS Cherry Point, and NAS Oceana.
The Navy will consider both single-siting and split-siting Super Hornet
squadrons at one or more of the air stations. The naval air station supports the
aircraft squadrons with maintenance and repair; flight training; and
communication between squadrons regarding tactics, training, and deployment.
When the squadrons are separated between two or more bases, the operational
efficiency of the command is negatively affected. In addition, much of the
support equipment and facilities are particular to the type of aircraft, such as
aircraft parts, maintenance procedures, and training programs. The personnel
that are employed in supply, maintenance, and training services at the base are
also trained to support a particular type of aircraft. When the squadrons are
separated between two or more bases, the support equipment, facilities, and
personnel must be duplicated.
Stationing the F/A-18E/F at NAS Oceana would also entail training at Bombing
Target (BT)-9 (Brant Island Shoal), Pamlico County, North Carolina, BT-11 (Piney
Island), Carteret County, North Carolina, and Dare County Training Range, North
Carolina
BRAC 2005
Secretary of Defense Recommendation: In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations,
DoD recommended to realign NAS Oceana by relocating to Eglin AFB, FL, a
sufficient number of instructor pilots, operations, and maintenance support
personnel to stand up the Navy’s portion of the Joint Strike Fighter Initial
Joint Training Site, hereby established at Eglin AFB.
Additional Recommendation: The Secretary’s proposed list submitted on
May 13, 2005 did not include this facility in this context. It was added by the
Commission on July 19, 2005 for further consideration.
Secretary of Defense Justification: The recommendation would establish
Eglin Air Force Base, FL as an Initial Joint Training Site that would teach
entry-level aviators and maintenance technicians how to safely operate and
maintain the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) (F-35) aircraft. Assuming no
economic recovery, this recommendation could result in a maximum potential
reduction of 69 jobs (33 direct jobs and 36 indirect jobs) over 2006-2011 in the
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area (less
than 0.1 percent).
None regarding the second recommendation.
Community Concerns: The Virginia Beach, Virginia community places high
value on the military’s contribution to the community and fears the loss of over
11,000 direct jobs would devastate the local economy. The state has invested
significant resources in improved roads around the base and moving schools out
of the Accident Potential Zones. They acknowledged noise complaints by a small,
but vocal, minority of residents but pointed out that planning commissions are
developing new community planning overlays to limit encroachment and reduce
development in the Accident Potential Zones. They argued funds needed to
implement the Commission’s consideration to relocate the Master Jet Base to
Cecil Field, Florida could be better spent on the Navy’s more pressing needs.
They believe the Navy has no better or affordable alternative than remaining at
NAS Oceana and managing encroachment.
The Jacksonville, Florida community offered to return all of the former NAS
Cecil Field property, improved and unencumbered – free and clear. Local
governments are prepared to absorb and support the approximately 11,000
personnel that would be associated with the relocation of the Navy’s Atlantic
Fleet Master Jet Base to Cecil Field. The community has invested $133 million to
upgrade Cecil Field’s infrastructure and has secured $130 million in funding for
a high speed access road from Cecil Field to Interstate Highway 10. All required
base conversion activities, including a new or updated Environmental Impact
Statement, can be completed in time to allow the Navy to establish and occupy a
new Master Jet Base within the BRAC timeframe.
Commission Findings: The Commission found that significant residential
and commercial encroachment had continued around NAS Oceana and Naval Auxiliary
Landing Fields (NALF) Fentress for many years and was exacerbated when the 1995
BRAC Commission redirected F-18 aircraft and supporting assets from MCAS Cherry
Point, NC and MCAS Beaufort, SC to NAS Oceana to take advantage of the excess
capacity at NAS Oceana. It was the sense of the Commission that the encroachment
issues were having a detrimental effect on the operations and training of the
Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Strike Fighter Wings and on the safety and welfare of the
citizens of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, VA. Consequently, the future for NAS
Oceana as a Master Jet Base was severely limited, whereas Jacksonville, FL had
taken effective and positive measures to protect the Air Installation
Compatibility Use Zones (AICUZ) around Cecil Field, FL, and Naval Outlying
Landing Field (NOLF) Whitehouse.
The intent of the Commission is to ensure that the State of Virginia and the
municipal governments of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake take immediate and
positive steps to halt the encroaching developments that are pending before them
now and in the future, and also to roll back the encroachment that has already
occurred in the Accident Potential Zones (APZ) around NAS Oceana and NALF
Fentress, particularly in the APZ-1 areas. The Commission also considers that
the more severe encroachment problems were created by the state and local
governments by ignoring the Navy’s repeated objections to incompatible
residential and commercial developments under the AICUZ guidelines.
Consequently, the funds to halt and reverse the encroachment should not come
from federal funds, but rather from state and local funding sources.
It is the sense of the Commission that the Secretary of Defense deviated from
the BRAC criteria by failing to consider NAS Oceana for closure or realignment.
The longstanding and steadily worsening encroachment problem around NAS Oceana,
without strong support from state and city governments to eliminate current and
arrest future encroachment, will in the long term create a situation where the
military value of NAS Oceana will be unacceptably degraded. The remedies
presented to the Commission thus far have been unconvincing. It is also the
sense of the Commission that the future of naval aviation is not Naval Air
Station Oceana. The Commission urges the Navy to begin immediately to mitigate
the noise encroachment and safety issues associated with flight operations
around the Virginia Beach area by transitioning high-density training evolutions
to other bases that are much less encroached, such as NOLF Whitehouse, FL, or
Kingsville, TX.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to cause a rapid, complete due diligence
review of the offer of the State of Florida to reoccupy the former NAS Cecil
Field and to compare this review against any plan to build a new master jet base
at any other location. This review is to be completed within 6 months from the
date that the BRAC legislation enters into force and is to be made public to the
affected states for comment. After review of the states’ comments, which shall
be submitted within 120 days after publishing the review, the Secretary of
Defense shall forward to the oversight committees of Congress the review, the
state comments, and his recommendation on the location of the Navy's future
Atlantic Fleet Master Jet Base.
Commission Recommendations: The Commission found that when the
Secretary of Defense failed to recommend the realignment of Naval Air Station
Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia, he substantially deviated from final selection
criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the Force Structure Plan; that the Commission
add to the list of installations to be closed or realigned the recommendation:
Realign Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia by relocating the East Coast
Master Jet Base to Cecil Field, FL, if the Commonwealth of Virginia and the
municipal governments of Virginia Beach, VA, and Chesapeake, Virginia, fail to
enact and enforce legislation to prevent further encroachment of Naval Air
Station Oceana by the end of March 2006, to wit: enact state-mandated zoning
controls requiring the cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake to adopt zoning
ordinances that require the governing body to follow Air Installation
Compatibility Use Zone (AICUZ) guidelines in deciding discretionary development
applications for property in noise levels 70 dB Day-Night, average noise Level
(DNL) or greater; enact state and local legislation and ordnances to establish a
program to condemn and purchase all the incompatible use property located within
the Accident Potential Zone 1 areas for Naval Air Station Oceana, as depicted in
the 1999 AICUZ pamphlet published by the US Navy and to fund and expend no less
than $15 million annually in furtherance of the aforementioned program; codify
the 2005 final Hampton Roads Joint Land Use Study recommendations; legislate
requirements for the cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake to evaluate
undeveloped properties in noise zones 70 dB DNL or greater for rezoning
classification that would not allow uses incompatible under AICUZ guidelines;
establish programs for purchase of development rights of the inter-facility
traffic area between NAS Oceana and NALF Fentress; enact legislation creating
the Oceana-Fentress Advisory Council. It shall be deemed that the actions
prescribed to be taken by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Cities of
Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake respectively, by the end of March 2006 have not
been taken in their entirety, unless the Department of Defense Inspector General
so certifies in writing to the President and oversight committees of Congress by
June 1, 2006; and, if the State of Florida appropriates sufficient funds to
relocate commercial tenants presently located at Cecil Field, Florida,
appropriates sufficient funds to secure public-private ventures for all the
personnel housing required by the Navy at Cecil Field to accomplish this
relocation and turns over fee simple title to the property comprising the former
Naval Air Station Cecil Field, including all infrastructure improvements that
presently exist, to the Department on or before December 31, 2006, if the
Commonwealth of Virginia and the municipal government of Virginia Beach, VA, and
Chesapeake, VA, decline from the outset to take the actions required above or
within 6 months of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the municipal governments of
Virginia Beach, VA, and Chesapeake, VA, failing to carry through with any of the
actions set out above, whichever is later. The State of Florida may not encumber
the title by any restrictions other than a reversionary clause in favor of the
State of Florida and short-term tenancies consistent with the relocation of the
Master Jet Base to Cecil Field. It shall be deemed that the actions prescribed
to be taken by the State of Florida and the City of Jacksonville respectively by
the end of 31 December 2006 have not been taken in their entirety unless the
Department of Defense Inspector General so certifies in writing to the President
and oversight committees of Congress by June 1, 2007. If the Commonwealth of
Virginia and the municipal governments of Virginia Beach, VA, and Chesapeake,
VA, fail to take all of the prescribed actions and the State of Florida meets
the conditions established by this recommendation, the units and functions that
shall relocate to Cecil Field will include but are not limited to all of the
Navy F/A-18 strike fighter wings, aviation operations and support schools,
maintenance support, training, and any other additional support activities the
Navy deems necessary and appropriate to support the operations of the Master Jet
Base.
Number and Type of Annual Operations Projected
for FY2000 -
NAS Oceanaa
Aircraft Type
Operation
Day
Nightb
Total
F-14
Departures
16,527
1,426
17,953
Arrivals
15,817
2,129
17,946
FCLP
860
396
1,256
Other Operations
46,617
3,260
49,877
TOTAL
79,821
7,211
87,032
F/A-18
Departures
22,147
1,495
23,642
Arrivals
20,901
2,754
23,655
FCLP
460
1,004
1,464
Other Operations
64,970
5,178
70,148
TOTAL
108,478
10,431
118,909
Transient Aircraft
Departures
2,584
52
2,636
Arrivals
2,596
40
2,636
FCLP
0
0
0
Other Operations
7,274
146
7,420
TOTAL
12,454
238
12,692
AIRFIELD TOTAL
200,753
17,880
218,633
Note: A takeoff or a landing each count as one operation. A pattern such as
FCLP, counts as two operations.
a The environmental impact statement to assess the relocation
of Atlantic Fleet F/A-18 squadrons from NAS Cecil Field, Florida to other east
coast installations projected that operations at NAS Oceana and NALF Fentress
would peak by FY 1999. The highest level of aircraft operations, however, will
not be reached until FY 2000.
bb For the purposes of modeling, nighttime is defined as the
time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Source: Final Environmental Impact Statement for Realignment of F/A-18 Aircraft
and Operational Functions from NAS Cecil Field, Florida to Other East Coast
Installations (March 1998).
Summary of Factors Evaluated for Proposed OLF Sites in Virginia
1
Summary of Factors
Evaluated for Proposed OLF Sites in
Virginiaa