PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Office Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command 1562 Mitscher Avenue, Suite 250 Norfolk, Va. 23551-2487 (757) 836-3600 Fax: (757) 836-3601 Press Release xx-14 April 25, 2014
Navy Releases Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for P-8A Home Basing The Navy has published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register concerning the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the home basing of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The Final SEIS addresses the potential environmental effects of home basing P-8A squadrons at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla., and NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. This document supplements the original 2008 Final EIS, which determined that the Poseidon would be based at three installations – NAS Jacksonville, NAS Whidbey Island and Marine Corps Base (MCB) Kaneohe Bay, Hi. The Navy now proposes to achieve operational savings and efficiencies by basing the aircraft at two, vice three bases. Alternative 1 has been identified in the Final SEIS as the preferred alternative, and calls for basing six fleet squadrons and the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) at NAS Jacksonville and six fleet squadrons at NAS Whidbey Island. The proposed action also includes a permanent rotating squadron detachment at MCB Kaneohe Bay, with periodic squadron detachments to Naval Base Coronado, Calif. The P-8A is a safe, reliable airframe, and is the military version of the commercial Boeing 737. It replaces the venerable P-3C Orion aircraft, that is nearing the end of its service life. The first P-8A aircraft began operating at NAS Jacksonville in 2012. Public input was a valuable part of the SEIS process, and the Navy accepted input throughout the public comment period conducted from September 20 to December 2, 2013. The Final SEIS addresses comments received during this period. The Final Supplemental EIS is available for review at www.mmaseis.com and has been distributed for review at the following local libraries: NAS Jacksonville, Fla.: Webb-Wesconnett Regional Branch Jacksonville Public Library 6887 103rd Street Jacksonville, Fla. 32210 MCB Hawaii Kaneohe Bay, Hi.: Kaneohe Public Library 45-829 Kamehameha Highway 1
Honolulu, Hi. 96744 NB Coronado, Calif.: Coronado Public Library 640 Orange Avenue Coronado, Calif. 92118 NAS Whidbey Island, Wa.: Oak Harbor City Library 1000 SE Regatta Drive Oak Harbor, Wa. 98277 Anacortes Public Library 1220 10th Street Anacortes, Wa. 98221 La Conner Regional Library 614 Morris Street La Conner, Wa. 98257 Coupeville Public Library 788 NW Alexander Street Coupeville, Wa. 98239 This Notice of Availability begins a mandatory 30-day waiting period, after which the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, or his representative, will sign a Record of Decision which will be published in the Federal Register. -USN-
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