Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Disposal of Portions of the Former Homestead Air Force Base (AFB), Florida

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement (SEIS) for the Disposal of Portions of the Former Homestead

Air Force Base (AFB), Florida

The United States Air Force (Air Force) and the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) will prepare an SEIS analyzing the proposed

transfer of airfield and airfield-related properties at the former

Homestead AFB. The SEIS will supplement the 1994 EIS titled Disposal

and Reuse of Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. It will be used by the

Air Force and the FAA in making decisions concerning the proposed

disposal of the property. The Air Force and the FAA will be the lead

agencies for preparing the SEIS. The National Park Service, the Fish

and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency will be

cooperating agencies.

The SEIS will address the potential environmental impacts of the

disposal and reuse of surplus airfield facilities made available by the

realignment of Homestead AFB pursuant to the Defense Base Closure and

Realignment Act. The Air Force seeks to transfer the facilities in a

manner that supports local plans for economic revitalization of South

Florida and protects Biscayne Bay and the nearby national parks. The

SEIS will address the proposed transfer of a one-runway airport and

airport facilities at the former base. It also will address the

potential environmental impacts of any reasonable disposal alternatives

and include possible mitigation measures.

The scoping period for this SEIS formally begins with this Notice

of Intent and will extend through April 30, 1998. The Air Force and FAA

invite the participation of federal, state, and local agencies, any

affected Indian tribal governments, organizations, and interested

persons. Several public scoping meetings will be held at a time and

location to be announced at a later

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date. The purpose of such meetings is to provide a public forum for

officials and the community to provide information and comments and to

identify environmental issues and concerns that should be addressed in

the SEIS. During the meetings the Air Force and FAA will provide

information on the proposal to dispose of the property, describe the

process to be used in preparing the SEIS, and ask for input on the

scope of the SEIS including any reasonable alternatives to the proposed

disposal. In addition to the public scoping meetings, written input is

welcome, and informal meetings may be scheduled if requested.

To ensure sufficient time to adequately consider public inputs on

issues to be included in the SEIS, comments should be presented to the

Air Force and FAA in meetings or forwarded to the address listed below

by April 30, 1998. For further information concerning the SEIS, please

contact: AFBCA/EX, Attn: M. J. Jadick, Homestead AFB SEIS, 1700 N.

Moore Street, Suite 2300, Arlington, VA 22209-2802, 703) 696-5529.

Barbara A. Carmichael,

Alternate Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-5118 Filed 2-26-98; 8:45 am]

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