PUBLIC NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROPOSED FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT / FINDING OF NO PRACTICABLE ALTERNATIVE
FOR THE PROPOSED THIRD PORT IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT AT JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, FORT EUSTIS, VIRGINIA
A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to analyze the impacts of the proposed Third Port Improvements Project at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Fort Eustis (JBLEEustis), Virginia (hereinafter “Proposed Action” or “Third Port Improvements Project”). The Proposed Action involves preparing the Third Port facility for the assignment of a new vessel class at the port. The Proposed Action includes replacing the finger piers with the addition of a wave screen and stern ramp and deepening the berthing area, realigning the mooring field and constructing a sill to reduce sediment accretion in the channel, deepening the access area between the mooring field and channel, adding fendering and catwalks to the Landship, and
constructing a sill near the general’s ramp.
The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, and Air Force instructions implementing NEPA. The Draft EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action, two Action Alternatives, and the No-Action Alternative. Based on the analysis presented in the Draft EA, the Air Force has prepared a proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). In addition, a proposed Finding of No Practicable Alternative (FONPA) has been prepared pursuant to Executive Order 11990, Wetlands Protection, because there is not practicable alternative to the Third Port Improvements Project that would avoid indirect impacts to regulated wetlands.
This Draft EA and proposed FONSI and FONPA are being made available for public review and comment for a 30-day period from 20 December 2021 to 18 January 2022. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, hard copies of the Draft EA and proposed FONSI and FONPA will not be made available. Instead, documents are available to review at the 733d Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), Environmental Element webpage (www.jble.af.mil/Units/Army/Eustis-Environmental/) and the USACE Norfolk District (www.nao.usace.army.mil/) website.
You are encouraged to submit written comments by email at shannon.j.reinheimer@usace.army.mil or by mail at Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers, Operations Branch, 803 Front St, Norfolk, VA 23510 within 30 days of this notice.
PRIVACY ADVISORY NOTICE
Public comments on this Draft EA are requested pursuant to NEPA, 42 United States Code 4321, et seq. All written comments received during the comment period will be made available to the public and considered during the final EA preparation. Providing private address information with your comment is voluntary and such personal information will be kept confidential unless release is required by law. However, address information will be used to compile the project mailing list and failure to provide it will result in your name not being included on the mailing list.