20110762 Ver 1_Finding of No Significant Impact_20110815

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
UNITED STATES FLEET FORCES
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
TARGET PADS AND SUPPORT AREAS OF THE NAVY DARE COUNTY BOMBING
AND ELECTRONIC COMBAT RANGE, NORTH CAROLINA
Pursuant to Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations
Parts 1500-1508) implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), and in accordance with the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Instruction 5090.1 C,
the Department of the Navy gives notice that an Environmental Assessment (EA) has been
prepared and that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required for the Improvements to
the Target Pads and Support Areas of the Navy Dare County Bombing and Electronic Combat
Range (Navy Range).
The Dare County Bombing and Electronic Combat Range is a U.S. Air Force (USAF)-owned
weapons range located on the Dare County peninsula in the coastal plain of northeastern North
Carolina. It is used jointly by the USAF and the Navy. It has been operational since 1965 and
has been owned by the USAF since 1978. Of the 46,621 acres of the Dare County Bombing and
Electronic Combat Range, the Navy utilizes the northern half, and the Air Force utilizes the
southern half. The Navy's impact area, referred to as the "keyhole" due to its shape, comprises
approximately 2,500 acres and is used by the Navy to train tactical air crews to deliver air-to-
ground munitions.
The proposed action is to improve or restore the surface area of the Navy Range by increasing
the hardened surfaces. The proposed action will be achieved through the implementation of the
preferred alternative which will restore/expand 10 target pads, create/restore associated target
access roadways, and establish a 2-acre maintenance area and a 2-acre storage area. The
proposed action will allow the Navy to continue to access and maintain targets, improve the
Navy's ability to recover expended munition, and improve operational safety and fire breaks.
The proposed action is necessary to meet the Navy's obligations to train naval forces for combat
under Title 10 U.S.C. Section 5062.
The Environmental Assessment considered the following alternatives to achieve the proposed
action:
No Action Alternative - Under the No-Action Alternative, target pad expansions and the
construction of range support areas would not be completed. Range management actions and
storage of equipment and surplus targets would not be altered.
Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative) - Alternative 1 encompasses the restoration and expansion
of current target pads, the establishment of new target pads for targets placed directly on native
wetland vegetation, improvement and creation of associated target access roadways, the
expansion of the maintenance area and the creation of an equipment storage area.
Approximately 8.5 acres of wetlands will be filled as a result of implementing Alternative 1.
Fill material (such as dirt and/or sand free of contaminants/debris from a commercial borrow
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FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TARGET PADS
AND SUPPORT AREAS OF THE NAVY DARE COUNTY BOMBING AND ELECTRONIC COMBAT
RANGE, NORTH CAROLINA
site), geotextile material, and gravel will be layered to construct the target pads, roadways, and
range support areas.
Alternative 2 - Under this alternative, target pads will be established or expanded to a distance
that will enable nearly total recovery of all spent munitions. Target access roadways and range
support areas would be expanded as discussed in Alternative 1. In total approximately 15.5 acres
of wetlands will be filled as a result of implementing Alternative 2.
The preferred alternative will have no significant impact upon geology and soils, recreational
use, socio-economics, transportation, or land use. There will be no disproportionately high and
adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and low-income populations, nor any
disproportionate environmental health or safety risks to children. Navy Dare County Bombing
and Electronic Combat Range is part of a larger, 46,621 acre U.S. Air Force weapons range and
has been an operational range since 1965. Surrounding land is generally undeveloped, zoned for
conservation, and includes the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
There will be no significant effect on any historic resources. No historic buildings or
archaeological sites exist in the project area. In accordance with Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act, the Navy consulted with the North Carolina State Historic
Preservation Office which concurred with the Navy's determination of no effect on historic and
archaeological resources. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources concurred with
the Navy's determination on November 9, 2010.
There will be no significant impact upon any federally listed threatened or endangered species,
critical habitat, or other protected species. Species of concern may be present on the Range as
detailed in the environmental assessment. However, no species or critical habitats are found
within the project area; as such, no adverse impacts are expected.
There will be no significant adverse effect to any population of migratory bird species as listed
under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. Part 703). No impacts to any populations of
Bald Eagles, as listed under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, are likely to occur as a:
result of the proposed action.
There will be no significant impacts to air quality. Dare County Bombing range is located within
a designated attainment area for all six National Ambient Air Quality Standard criteria pollutants
and is therefore exempt from the general conformity analysis. Short-term construction emissions
will result from construction vehicles, equipment, and associated fugitive dust. Total emissions
of criteria pollutants are well below the de minimis levels used to gauge and minimize regulated
air quality impacts in nonattainment areas.
There will be no significant impacts to water resources. Best management practices and
engineering controls (e.g., silt fences, booms, and wet suppression) will be implemented during
construction and post-construction phases to minimize impacts from soil erosion, sedimentation,
storm water run-off, and fugitive dust. Dare County Bombing range is comprised of 99%
wetland. Approximately 8.5 acres of wetland will be filled as a result of the proposed action.
However, the Navy will obtain a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and a state
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FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TARGET PADS
AND SUPPORT AREAS OF THE NAVY DARE COUNTY BOMBING AND ELECTRONIC COMBAT
RANGE, NORTH CAROLINA
certification under Section 401 before beginning construction and will mitigate wetlands impacts
at a ratio greater than 1:1 by purchasing credits through an offsite wetlands mitigation bank. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acted as a cooperating agency in preparation of the
Environmental Assessment.
There will be no significant impacts to the coastal zone. After consultation with applicable
North Carolina agencies, the Navy determined the proposed action is consistent to the maximum
extent practicable with North Carolina's coastal zone enforceable policies. The North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Coastal Management concurred
with the Navy's determination on December 1, 2010.
Based on information gathered during the preparation of the EA, the Navy finds that the
proposed action will not have a significant impact on the environment. The EA and FONSI
prepared by the Navy addressing this action may be obtained from: Ms. Kelly Proctor (Code
EV22), Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, Virginia
23508; or by phone at [phone]. A limited number of copies of the EA are available to fill
single copy requests.
_S iq t(
Date
J.W. MURPHY
Deputy Chief of Staf
for Fleet Readiness
United States Fleet Forces Command
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