list of acronyms and abbreviations

578 Pages·2011·23.31 MB·English

Final

F-35 Force Development Evaluation
and Weapons School Beddown
Environmental Impact Statement

United States Air Force
Air Combat Command

May 2011

F-35 FORCE DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (FDE) AND
WEAPONS SCHOOL (WS) BEDDOWN
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)

Responsible Agency: United States Air Force, Air Combat Command

Proposed Action: The Air Force proposes to base 36 F-35 fighter aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada
between 2012 and 2020. The aircraft would be assigned to the Force Development Evaluation (FDE) program and
Weapons School (WS) at Nellis AFB. Flight activities would occur at Nellis AFB and Nevada Test and Training
Range (NTTR). The F-35 beddown would also require construction of new facilities, and alteration and demolition
of existing facilities at Nellis AFB.

Public distribution of the document took place March 31, 2008. The public review period, which included three
public hearings, began April 4, 2008 when the Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal
Register. The public review period concluded May 22, 2008.

Inquiries regarding this Air Force proposal should be directed to:

HQ ACC/A7PS
129 Andrews St., Ste 327
Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769
ATTN: Mr. Nick Germanos

In addition, the document can be viewed on and downloaded from the World Wide Web at www.accplanning.org
and www.nellis.af.mil/library/environment.asp.

Designation: Final Environmental Impact Statement

Abstract: This Final EIS, prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, responds to public
and agency review and comments on the Draft EIS. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is being developed to
replace and supplement Air Force legacy fighter aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Federal law and United States Air Force (Air Force) policy require implementation of an FDE program and WS
training of all new aircraft. To meet these requirements for the F-35, the Air Force proposes to base 12 F-35 aircraft
at Nellis AFB for the FDE program and an additional 24 F-35 for WS training. As a phased program reliant on
manufacturing progress and other elements of F-35 deployment, the first F-35 would arrive in 2012 and the last in
2020. This proposal involves construction, demolition, or modification of base facilities and implementation of
flight activities for the FDE program and WS within the NTTR. The Draft EIS analyzed the potential environmental
consequences of the proposed beddown at Nellis AFB and the no-action alternative. Under the no-action
alternative, the FDE program and WS would not be implemented at Nellis AFB. None of the associated
construction or personnel changes would occur. The findings indicate that the proposed F-35 beddown would not
adversely impact airspace and aircraft operations, safety, recreation, socioeconomics, environmental justice and
protection of children, soils, water, biological resources, cultural resources, or hazardous materials and waste.
Emissions of CO and NO would exceed de minimus, but these would not result in adverse impacts or affect Clark
x
County’s attainment goals based on State Implementation Plans for the pollutants. The proposed beddown would
increase noise levels around Nellis AFB based on analyses using currently available data on the F-35. Under the
proposed action, there would be an overall increase in the number of people affected and the land area exposed to
DNL noise levels of 65 dB and greater. Currently, noise levels of 65 dB DNL and greater affect a large number of
minority populations and to a lesser extent low-income populations and that trend would continue under the
proposed action. These populations live in areas already zoned for land uses above 65 dB DNL but Nellis AFB
would continue to employ noise abatement procedures to reduce noise effects in the surrounding communities. The
Air Force would also continue to assist local officials who seek to establish or modify noise attenuation measures for
residences. For NTTR, subsonic noise levels would increase a maximum of 3 dB. Sonic booms would increase by
no more than 4 booms per month in one military operations areas and by no more than 2 booms per month in
restricted areas. Supersonic activity would increase noise in some areas under the NTTR airspace authorized for
supersonic flight by no more than 2 CDNL. There are no significant cumulative impacts from the interaction of the
F-35 beddown and other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable actions.

LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ABW Air Base Wing DAQEM Department of Air Quality and
ACAM Air Force Conformity Applicability Environmental Management
Model dB Decibel
ACC Air Combat Command DERP Defense Environmental Restoration
ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Program
Concern DNL Day-Night Average Sound Level
ACM Asbestos-Containing Material DNWR Desert National Wildlife Range
ACMI Air Combat Maneuvering DoD Department of Defense
Instrumentation DOE Department of Energy
ABW Air Base Wing DOI Department of Interior
AFB Air Force Base DRC Document Review Committee
AFI Air Force Instruction DRMO Defense Reutilization and
AFOSH Air Force Occupational Safety and Marketing Office
Health DWMA Desert Wildlife Management Area
afy Acre Feet Per Year EA Environmental Assessment
AGE Aerospace Ground Equipment EIAP Environmental Impact Analysis
AGL Above Ground Level Process
AGM Air-to-Ground Missile EIS Environmental Impact Statement
AICUZ Air Installation Compatible Use EMI Electromagnetic Interference
Zone EO Executive Order
AMU Aircraft Maintenance Unit EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal
APZ Accident Potential Zone EPA United States Environmental
ARTCC Air Route Traffic Control Center Protection Agency
ATC Air Traffic Control ERP Environmental Restoration
ATCAA Air Traffic Control Assigned Program
Airspace ESA Endangered Species Act
AWACS Airborne Warning and Control FAA Federal Aviation
System Administration
BAQ Bureau of Air Quality FDE Force Development Evaluation
BART Best Available Retrofit Technology FLPMA Federal Land Policy and
BASH Bird/Wildlife-Aircraft Strike Management Act
Hazard FY Fiscal Year
BLM Bureau of Land Management GHG Greenhouse Gas
BO Biological Opinion gpd Gallons Per Day
BRAC Base Realignment and Closure GPS Global Positioning System
CAA Clean Air Act H S Hydrogen Sulfide
2
CAAA Clean Air Act Amendments HAP Hazardous Air Pollutant
CCSD Clark County School District HAZMAT Hazardous Materials
CCWRD Clark County Water Reclamation HMA Herd Management Area
District HTTC High Technology Training
CDNL C-Weighted Day-Night Average Complex
Sound Level ICRMP Integrated Cultural Resources
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Management Plan
Response, Compensation, and IFR Instrument Flight Rules
Liability Act IICEP Interagency and Intergovernmental
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality Coordination for Environmental
CFR Code of Federal Regulations Planning
CGTO Consolidated Group of Tribes and IOC Initial Operational Capability
Organizations IR Instrument Flight Rules
CO Carbon Monoxide IRP Installation Restoration Program
CTOL Conventional Take-off and JAST Joint Advance Strike Technology
Landing JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munitions
CWA Clean Water Act JSF Joint Strike Fighter
CZ Clear Zone Km Kilometer
kV Kilovolt PCBs Polychlorinated Biphenyls
L Sound Level PHL Potential Hearing Loss
LBP Lead-Based Paint PL Public Law
L Onset Rate-Adjusted Monthly Day- PM Particulate Matter Less than 10
dnmr 10
Night Average Sound Level Microns
L Maximum Sound Level PM Particulate MatterLess than 2.5
max 2.5
L/O Low Observables Microns

LOLA Live Ordnance Loading Area POL Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants
MAILS Multiple Aircraft Instantaneous PSD Prevention of Significant
Line Source Deterioration
MLWA Military Land Withdrawal Act psf Per Square Foot
MMRP Military Munitions Response RANW Range Wing
Program RCRA Resource Conservation and
MOA Military Operations Area Recovery Act
MOU Memorandum of Understanding REDHORSE Rapid Engineers Deployable Heavy
MOUT Military Operations in Urban Operational Repair Squadron
Terrain Engineer
mm Millimeter RFMDS Red Flag Measurement and
MRTFB Major Range and Test Facility Debriefing System
Base RMP Resource Management Plan
MSA Munitions Storage Area ROD Record of Decision
MSL Mean Sea Level SAM Surface-to-Air Missile
MTR Military Training Route SEL Sound Exposure Level
NA Number of Events Above SHPO State Historic Preservation Office
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality SIP State Implementation Plan
Standards SP State Park
NAC Nevada Administrative Code SO Sulfur Dioxide
2
NACTS Nellis Air Combat Tracking SO Sulfur Oxide
x
System TCE Trichloroethylene
NAP Native American Program TCP Traditional Cultural Properties
National Register National Register of Historic Places TSCA Toxic Substance Control Act
NDOT Nevada Department of UAS Unmanned Aerial System
Transportation USACE United States Army Corps of
NDEP Nevada Division of Environmental Engineers
Protection USAFWC United States Air Force Warfare
NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife Center
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act USC United States Code
NESHAP National Emission Standards for USCB United States Census Bureau
Hazardous Pollutants USFS United States Forest Service
NHPA National Historic Preservation Act USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Service
Safety and Health USGCRP United States Global Change
NIPTS Noise-Induced Permanent Research Program
Threshold Shift UST Underground Storage Tank
nm Nautical Mile VOC Volatile Organic Compounds
NO Nitrogen Dioxide VFR Visual Flight Rules
2
NO Nitrogen Oxide VR Victor Route
x
NOI Notice of Intent VRM Visual Resources Management
NOTAM Notice to Airmen WG Wing
NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission WGEF Wind Generating Energy Facility
NTS Nevada Test Site WINDO Wing Infrastructure Development
NTTR Nevada Test and Training Range Outlook
NV Nevada WMA Wildlife Management Area
NWR National Wildlife Refuge WS Weapons School
O Ozone WSA Weapons Storage Area
3
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Act
OT&E Operational Test and Evaluation
Pb Lead
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY