[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 53 (Monday, March 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 14737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6721]
[[Page 14737]]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Airborne Laser Demonstration Phase
AGENCIES: Department of Defense, United States Air Force, Air Force
Materiel Command, Space and Missile Systems Center, Phillips
Laboratory, DOD.
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SUMMARY: The United States Air Force (USAF) will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential impacts of
the Demonstrator Phase of the Airborne Laser (ABL) Program. This
program is an Air Force Advanced Technology Demonstration program to
develop and then demonstrate the necessary technologies required to
acquire, track, and then destroy theater ballistic missiles during
boost phase. The ABL Demonstrator Phase includes the design,
development, integration, and testing of a weapons-class Chemical
Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) on the aircraft. The ABL Demonstrator Phase
is scheduled to begin in January 1997 and be completed by the end of
2001. The decision to be made by the Air Force, is to determine where
the ABL Demonstrator Phase test activities will occur.
The ABL Program will require a Home Base, a Diagnostic Test Range
and an Expanded-Area Test Range. The Home Base will be the location for
the ABL Demonstrator Aircraft, its flightline maintenance, ground test
facilities, fuel storage and transfer, laser pressure recovery systems,
and technical and support personnel. The Diagnostic Test Range is the
location for aircraft worthiness and flight certification testing, air
refueling, modification testing, communication and navigation system
testing, integrated weapon system checkouts without laser operations,
short range integrated aircraft and weapons system checkouts and
engagements with low- and high-power laser operations, short range
launch and recovery operations, and target and debris recovery. The
Expanded-Area Test Range is the location for long-range integrated
aircraft and weapon system checkouts and low- and high-power laser
operations, and target and debris recovery.
Alternative sites for the Home Base include Phillips Laboratory at
Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM, and Edwards AFB near Lancaster, CA.
Potential Test Ranges include: the Western Test Range adjacent to
Vandenberg AFB near Lompoc, CA; White Sands Missile Range near Las
Cruces, NM; and Edwards AFB near Lancaster, CA.
The Air Force is planning to conduct a series of scoping meetings
to assist in determining the issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS,
and to involve the public to help the USAF identify those areas of
concern. Comments received as a result of the scoping process will be
used to assist in identifying potential impacts to the quality of the
human environment. To provide a forum for the community to make oral
comments, scoping meetings are scheduled for:
April 4, 1995, 7 p.m. at the Ramada Classic Hotel, Albuquerque, NM.
April 18, 1995, 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Las Cruces, NM.
May 3, 1995, 7 p.m. at the Desert Inn, Lancaster, CA.
May 10, 1995, 7 p.m. at the Best Western Porto Finale, Lompoc, CA.
The purpose of these meetings is to identify the environmental
issues and concerns that should be analyzed to (1) support the ABL, (2)
solicit comments on the proposed action and (3) solicit potential
alternatives for consideration in developing the ABL EIS. Public
hearings are proposed to be conducted in 1996 for the purpose of
obtaining comments on the Draft EIS. Dates, times, and places will be
determined and public notification will be made.
To ensure the USAF will have sufficient time to consider public
scoping comments on environmental issues to be included in the Draft
EIS, and alternatives to be included in the final plan, comments and
proposals should be forwarded to the address below by May 26, 1995.
However, comments will be accepted and considered through the process.
Please direct comments or requests for further information
concerning the ABL EIS to: Michelle Hedrick, Phillips Laboratory/S,E,
3550 Aberdeen Ave. S.E., Bldg. 434,Albuquerque, NM 87117-5776, Toll
free number: 1-800-343-1282.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Environmental impact statement, U.S. Air
Force, Phillips Laboratory, Notice of intent, Airborne laser, Kirtland
AFB, Edwards AFB, White Sands Missile Range, Vandenberg AFB.
Patsy J. Conner,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-6721 Filed 3-17-95; 8:45 am]
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