Notice2025-07091
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Expansion of the Foreign Military Sales F-35 Pilot Training Center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas
Primary source
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Published
April 24, 2025
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentAir Force Department
Abstract
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed changes to the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Pilot Training Center (PTC) at Ebbing Air National Guard (ANG) Base where the ANG is a tenant at Fort Smith Regional Airport, Arkansas. The SEIS evaluates the Proposed Action, the Refine Operations Alternative, and the No Action Alternative. The DAF is the leading agency on the preparation of this SEIS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Airports Division, is participating as a cooperating agency because the action involves changes to the Airport Layout Plan.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 78 (Thursday, April 24, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 78 (Thursday, April 24, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17246-17247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07091]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Expansion of the Foreign Military Sales F-35 Pilot
Training Center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas
AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense,
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice
of Intent (NOI), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement
(SEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with
proposed changes to the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Pilot Training
Center (PTC) at Ebbing Air National Guard (ANG) Base where the ANG is a
tenant at Fort Smith Regional Airport, Arkansas. The SEIS evaluates the
Proposed Action, the Refine Operations Alternative, and the No Action
Alternative. The DAF is the leading agency on the preparation of this
SEIS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Airports
Division, is participating as a cooperating agency because the action
involves changes to the Airport Layout Plan.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The project website (<a href="https://www.fmsptceis.com/">https://www.fmsptceis.com/</a>) provides information related to the SEIS, such as
environmental documents, schedule, and project details. Members of the
public who want to receive future mailings informing them of the
availability of the Draft SEIS and Final SEIS are encouraged to submit
a request via the website. For other inquiries, please contact Daniel
Hawkins, AETC Public Affairs by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#12535746513c42535d5267613c73743c7f7b7e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c2d29382f423c2d232c191f420d0a42010500">[email protected]</span></a> (include
Ebbing FMS SEIS in the subject line of the email), by mail at AETC/PA
100 H Street West, Bldg. 905, Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph, TX
78150, or by phone at (210) 652-4400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2023, the DAF published the
Beddown of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Pilot Training Center (PTC)
at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas or Selfridge Air National
Guard Base, Michigan Final Environmental Impact Statement (hereinafter
referred to as the ``2023 FMS PTC EIS'') and signed the DAF Record of
Decision (ROD) on March 11, 2023, selecting Ebbing ANG Base as the
location to establish the FMS F-35 PTC. The FAA also served as a
cooperating agency for the development of the initial EIS. After the
signing of the DAF ROD for the 2023 FMS PTC EIS, new training
requirements have emerged due to additional FMS purchases of F-35
aircraft, including operations that incorporate the F-35B's Short
Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capabilities.
The purpose for the DAF's Proposed Action furthers the 2023 FMS PTC
EIS and ROD to establish a permanent FMS
[[Page 17247]]
PTC at a single location within the Continental United States to
provide consolidated FMS F-35 pilot training for our FMS nation
partners. The need for the Proposed Action addresses the increased
capacity required to support the additional purchases of FMS aircraft
by our nation partners. The DAF has identified a Proposed Action, the
No Action Alternative, and the Refine Operations Alternative to be
carried forward for analysis in the SEIS. Under all alternatives, air
crews would utilize existing designated special use airspace over areas
in Arkansas and Oklahoma. No new special use airspace would be created
or modified as part of any of the alternatives.
Under the Proposed Action, the DAF proposes to expand the permanent
FMS PTC mission at Ebbing ANG Base over what was analyzed and
authorized in the 2023 FMS PTC EIS and ROD. This Proposed Action would
beddown an additional 12 F-35s at Ebbing ANG Base and increase F-35
operations (to include F-35B STOVL operations), personnel, and new
facilities. Proposed changes in aircraft operations that were not
evaluated in the 2023 FMS PTC EIS include the addition of STOVL
operations for F-35B aircraft; F-35A and F-35B flight tracks and flight
profiles would be revised based on an updated training syllabus;
afterburner would be used on 95% of departures for both the F-35A and
F-35B; and there would be no reduced-power departures, allowing the F-
35 aircraft to accelerate to a 350-knot climb airspeed.
Under the No Action Alternative, the DAF would not expand the FMS
PTC mission at Ebbing ANG Base and the DAF would proceed with the
implementation of the 2023 FMS PTC ROD issued on March 11, 2023.
Under the Refine Operations Alternative, the DAF would not beddown
the additional 12 F-35 aircraft, but aircraft operations would be
modified as described in the Proposed Action for the existing 24 F-35
aircraft to satisfy the additional requirements and operational
procedures identified for F-35A and F-35B aircraft after completion of
the 2023 FMS PTC EIS. With the Refine Operations Alternative, the
numbers of annual operations at Ebbing ANG Base, airspace events,
Military Training Route events, nighttime operations and events, as
well as use of munitions and countermeasures would not change from
those listed under the 2023 FMS PTC EIS. Personnel numbers would not
change from those described in the 2023 FMS PTC EIS. No additional
construction activities would occur under the Refine Operations
alternative except for the construction of a vertical landing pad for
STOVL operations. Both the Proposed Action and Refine Operations
Alternative would require changes to the Airport Layout Plan,
necessitating review and approval by the FAA. Potential impacts may
include impacts resulting from, or to, noise, land use, socioeconomics,
cultural resources, biological resources, physical resources, and air
quality.
Potential permits that could be required include, but are not
limited to, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, General
Construction, and a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit.
Consultation will include, but not necessarily be limited to,
consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and
consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act, to include consultation with federally recognized Native American
Tribes. The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft SEIS is
anticipated in the Summer of 2025 and the NOA for the Final SEIS is
anticipated in the Spring of 2026. A decision could be made no earlier
than 30 days after the Final SEIS is published. There is no formal
scoping period that will take place for this project and there will be
no public scoping meetings as allowed in 32 CFR 989.20(b).
Tommy W. Lee,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-07091 Filed 4-23-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3911-44-P
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