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

COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Chapter 6CHAPTER 6CUMULATIVE IMPACTSFederal and Department of the Navy (DON) regulations implementing National Environmental PolicyAct (NEPA) (42 USC § 4321 et seq. and 32 CFR 775 respectively) require that the cumulative impacts ofa Proposed Action be assessed. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations implementing theprocedural provisions of NEPA define cumulative impacts as: “‘Cumulative impact’ is the impact on theenvironment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present,and reasonably foreseeable future action regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or personundertakes such other actions. Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectivelysignificant actions taking place over a period of time” (40 CFR § 1508.7).The relationship of a proposed action to the overall cumulative impacts in an ROI can be that a singleproject may have individually minor impacts; however, when considered together with other projects, theeffects may be collectively significant. A cumulative impact is, therefore, the additive effect of allprojects in the same geographic area. In general, the effects of a particular action or group of actionsmust meet all of the following criteria to be considered cumulative impacts:Effects of several actions occur in a common locale or regionEffects on a particular resource are similar in nature, such that the same specific element of aresource is affected in the same specific wayEffects are long-term as short-term impacts dissipate over time and cease to contribute tocumulative impacts6.1 LAND AREA CUMULATIVE IMPACTSThe COMPTUEX/JTFEX activities are short-term, intermittent, and do not involve land acquisition, newconstruction, or expansion of military presence in Southern California. Shore-based activities associatedwith COMPTUEX/JTFEX training events would have no significant cumulative impacts. Minor impactsassociated with implementation of the No Action Alternative and the Proposed Action would not beexpected to result in cumulative impacts when added to impacts from other activities at the designatedshore-based training ranges.6.2 AIR QUALITY IMPACTSImplementation of the No Action Alternative and Proposed Action would result in no long-term increasesin emissions in the exercise areas. Units that participate in COMPTUEX/JTFEX events have beenaccounted for either in the participation of units normally using the ranges evaluated, or were accountedfor in the specific EIS evaluations for the ranges in which the COMPTUEX/JTFEX events would occur.The emissions would therefore not be subject to the General Conformity Rule and a conformitydetermination is not required. Emissions associated with the No Action Alternative and Proposed Actionboth within and outside U.S. Territory would be below the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)thresholds. Therefore, cumulative impacts to air quality would not be considered significant.6-1 February 2007