Composite Training Unit Exercises and Joint Task ... - Govsupport.us

COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Executive SummaryALTERNATIVES CONSIDEREDThe No Action Alternative consists of the individual operations at existing major ranges and facilitiesassociated with COMPTUEX and JTFEX events from February 2007 through January 2009. Under thisalternative, Commander, THIRD Fleet would continue to conduct training operations. These operationswould include three ESG COMPTUEXs, four CSG COMPTUEXs, three ESG JTFEXs, and four CSGJTFEXs, for a total of fourteen exercises in two years in the southwestern United States and SOCALOPAREAS.Under the Proposed Action, Commander, THIRD Fleet would have the option to conduct two concurrent,major range events. While the overall number of major range events depicted in the No ActionAlternative (14 exercises) would not increase, Commander, THIRD Fleet, would have the flexibility toassess two Strike Groups simultaneously, thereby supporting the Fleet Response Plan. Concurrent majorrange events provide: flexibility to respond to surge requirements; valuable opportunities for carrieroperations; and enhanced operational capabilities.SUMMARY OF FINDINGSAs defined in the CEQ regulations, an environmental assessment is a concise public document that brieflyprovides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impactstatement (EIS) or a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). In this case, an EA/OEA is being preparedas part of an ongoing planning process intended to optimize THIRD Fleet COMPTUEX and JTFEXcapabilities and to anticipate changes in exercise requirements or demand. This EA/OEA assesses theenvironmental effects of ongoing exercises at current operational levels and capacity using existingmilitary assets (the No Action Alternative) as well as effects of conducting concurrent major range events(the Proposed Action).Military installations and ranges providing infrastructure support to military units participating inCOMPTUEX and JTFEX have been omitted from further consideration in this EA/OEA. COMPTUEXand JTFEX activities carried forward for analysis include those which are not addressed in current NEPAdocumentation, and occur in offshore and nearshore ranges and operating areas. The EA/OEA analyzesCOMPTUEX/JTFEX major range events for the period of operations from February 2007 to January2009.The analysis conducted in the COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA focused on the following resources: airquality, water resources, noise, biological resources, cultural resources, hazardous materials and wastes,socioeconomics, environmental justice and protection of children, land use, transportation, and publichealth and safety. For biological resources, the COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA includes analysis relatedto mid-frequency active sonar and underwater explosives. The COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA providesan analysis of exposure of marine mammals to mid-frequency active sonar and underwater explosivesduring the COMPTUEX/JTFEX training events for both the No Action Alternative and the ProposedAction.Based on the analysis presented in this EA/OEA (and summarized in Table ES-1), no significant impactson any of the affected environmental resource areas would occur as a result of implementation of the NoAction Alternative or Proposed Action. Based on the results of the impact analysis presented in theEA/OEA, the No Action Alternative does not meaningfully differ from impacts associated with theProposed Action. The impacts are fundamentally the same because:The sum total number and type of training activity is the same for both alternativesES-3 February 2007