Navy Releases Draft Environmental Assessment
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast and Naval Air Station Whiting Field (NASWF) completed the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) necessary for the runway extension in Baldwin County, Ala. The draft recommends the extension of runways at Barin and Summerdale Navy Outlying Fields (NOLF).
A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. in the Central Annex Auditorium, at 22251 Palmer Street, Robertsdale, Ala. to enable local residents to review the proposed extension plan and provide comments to Navy representatives.
Public review of the draft EA is available via the web at http://www.navyolfextensions.com/index.html, and at the following public libraries: Foley Public Library, 319 East Laurel St., Foley, Ala., 36535; Summerdale Public Library, 202 West Broadway St., Summerdale, Ala, 36580; and the Mobile Public Library, 700 Government St., Mobile, Ala., 36620-1403.
Interested persons may also receive a copy of the draft EA by sending a written request to Mr. Sean Heath, NAVFAC Southeast, Box 30, Bldg. 903, NAS Jacksonville, FL 32212 or via fax at (225) 761-8077.
Public and agency comments on the draft EA are solicited for a period of 30 days from publication of the official notice, which will be issued Aug. 19. Comments must be received by Heath, through the web site or via email at Sean.Heath@navy.mil by Sept. 20, 2010 in order to be addressed in the final EA. Please put NASWF-T6 in the subject line of any email comments sent.
The U.S. Navy is proposing to re-pave and extend runway surfaces at existing NOLFs located in Baldwin County, Ala. to accommodate T-6B "Texan" landing requirements. The proposed action would provide two 5,000-foot long runways with 1,000-foot long overruns for safety and 2,000-foot long clear zones for noise reduction at the end of each runway at Barin NOLF. Summerdale NOLF would have two runways extended to 4,000-feet with the same overruns and clear zones.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field and Training Air Wing FIVE, the base's major tenant command, provide primary flight training to nearly 60 percent of all Navy and Marine Corps aviators as well as to U. S. Coast Guard aviators, select Air Force pilots and flight students from allied foreign countries. The current training aircraft was implemented in 1977 and is aging. The T-34 Turbo Mentor has already begun transitioning to the T-6B Texan. The transition is expected to be complete by 2013.
