US Air Force release draft EIS for F-35 operational basing

Air Force officials release draft EIS for F-35 operational basing 13 April 2012
by Mitch Gettle | Air Force Public Affairs Agency

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123297884

"WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force has filed a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed operational basing of the F-35 Lightning II within the continental United States.

The current active Air Force and Air National Guard alternatives under consideration are: Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt.; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Jacksonville Air Guard Station, Fla.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Shaw AFB/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.

"Candidate installations were identified through a deliberate process that began with a clear definition of training requirements and progressed through a screening process leading to the alternatives currently being considered," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations. "The Air Force is analyzing the impacts of basing three squadrons of 24 aircraft each at the active duty location and one squadron of 24 aircraft at the Air National Guard location."

Hill AFB is the Air Force's preferred alternative for the active duty operational location and Burlington Airport is the Air Force's preferred alternative for the Air National Guard operational location. A final decision regarding selection of an operational bed down location will be made upon completion of the environmental impact statement....

...The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of the Navy are cooperating agencies in the EIS process."

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Get your environmentals here:

Center for Sustainable Installations

http://www.accplanning.org/

This website replaces any and all previously existing websites for ACC EIAP documentation.

Current Initiatives
F-35 Operational Draft EIS Volume I
F-35 Operational Draft EIS Volume II
F-35 Operational Draft EIS Executive Summary [11Mb]
Powder River Training Complex DRAFT EIS
White Elk Military Operations Area Final EIS
F-35 Force Development Evaluation and Weapons School Beddown - Nellis AFB - Final EIS

Draft environmental study released for basing F-35s at Hill AFB By Steve Fidel, Deseret News
April 13 2012

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8655 ... -Hill.html

"HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force on Friday released the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the first bases slated to receive the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.

The study analyzes the potential environmental consequences of a United States Air Force proposal to "beddown" F-35A Lightning II aircraft at one or more Air Combat Command or Air National Guard bases starting in 2015, to be completed by 2020.

Hill recently unveiled new facilities on base to maintain the next-generation aircraft, scheduled to replace the base's F-16s. Although a timeframe for the changeout at Hill has not been announced, the EIS executive summary said the first deliveries of F-35As could be as early as 2015 and be completed by 2020.

For aircraft enthusiasts, the draft EIS includes diagrams of the fighter and program particulars. For environmentalists, the document includes projections of the aircraft's ground impacts, like sonic booms and impacts on wetlands and wildlife. The EIS also makes economic projects significant to local and state governments where they would be located...."

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Looking at the executive summary for the EIS it appears that Burlington, Vermont has more adverse impacts than the other ANG sites. Looking at the memberships of congressional committees Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee. Burlington makes sense to me now.