FAQs

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TIMING

When will the Air Force and the National Guard release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for review, and comment by the public?

No formal date has been scheduled for the release of the F-35 DEIS, which will address the identification of Truax as the Preferred Alternative site by the Air Force to host the F-35 for its 5th (Ops 5) site.  The Department is focused on releasing a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliant DEIS that is complete and accurate in its findings. 

 

How and when will I be able to offer my comments to the Department after the Ops 5 DEIS is released?

Citizens can submit written comments during the public comment period that follows release of the Draft EIS and precedes the preparation of a Final EIS, which takes into account information gathered during the public comment period. 

Citizens can submit written comments to an address that will be published in the Federal Register and in the DEIS.  There will also be a public comment meeting in Madison, during which verbal comments will be taken from the public for the record.  A public comment session will occur in Madison and each of the other four Alternative Sites identified by the Air Force during its basing process.

 

 

SAFETY

What safety factors are considered prior to a Record of Decision to locate the F-35 at any location?

The elements of the F-35A beddown that could potentially affect safety are evaluated relative to the degree to which the action increases or decreases safety risks to the public or private property. Ground, fire, and flight safety are assessed for the potential to increase risk and the capability to manage that risk by responding to emergencies.

 

 

ENVIRONMENT

 

What are the water-quality issues the DEIS will address and, specifically, will the use of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) used in firefighting materials be addressed?  What about the impacts the introduction of the F-35 at Truax could have on the presence of PFOS — could this be a subject of the DEIS?

The DEIS will take into account all existing, and potential future, water-quality impacts.  While the DEIS is not specifically focused on the topic of PFOS, it will address any potential impacts to ground water and drinking water, which the stationing of the F-35 will have on the surrounding area for each of the five sites considered by the Air Force.

 

 

How will the Draft Environmental Impact Statement assess the impact of the F-35 on air quality if the aircraft are placed in Madison?

The air quality analysis estimated the magnitude of emissions that would occur from proposed F-35A construction and operational activities at each base-specific location. The estimation of proposed operational emissions is based upon the net change in emissions between existing aircraft operations and projected F-35A operations.

The beddown of the F-35A at each proposed basing location would require construction and/or renovation of airfield facilities to accommodate the basing decision, including training facilities, hangars, taxiways, and maintenance and fueling facilities. Air quality impacts due to proposed construction activities would occur from (1) combustive emissions due to the use of fossil fuel-powered equipment and (2) fugitive dust emissions due to the operation of equipment on exposed soil.

 

How is the site-specific noise data for F-35 basing, which will be included in the Environmental Impact Statement, being developed?

Several typical F-35A flight profiles for use in environmental impact analysis have been developed through repeated closely measured flight simulator runs. Modeled flight profiles include data on aircraft altitude, engine power setting and air speed at several points along a prescribed flight track. This EIS reflects the most up to date set of flight profiles available for the F-35A.

 

Are their potential impacts to surface water and the soils around the air base that the EIS will address?  If so, what will the EIS assess?

Impacts on soils and surface water can result from earth disturbance that would expose soil to wind or water erosion. Analysis of impacts on soils and surface water examines the potential for such erosion at each installation and describes typical measures employed to minimize erosion. In addition, soil limitations and associated typical engineering remedial measures are evaluated with respect to proposed construction. Flooding impacts are evaluated by determining whether proposed construction is located within a designated floodplain. Groundwater impacts are evaluated by determining whether groundwater beneath the project site would be used for the Proposed Action, and if so, by determining the potential to adversely affect those groundwater resources. Soils and water resource impacts are not evaluated for the areas below the primary use airspace for the F-35A or the auxiliary airfields identified for use by the F-35A because no ground-disturbing activities or use of water resources are at these locations.

 

 

How are wetlands, threatened and endangered/special status species taken into consideration within the EIS that will be published?

Mapping data for biological resources including vegetation and wildlife; wetlands and aquatic communities; and threatened, endangered, and special status species were obtained from a number of federal and state agencies, primarily in Geographic Information System (GIS) format. These data were mapped along with proposed project components (bases/airports, auxiliary airfields, and airspace), and acres of vegetation cover types and habitat were calculated in GIS (sources cited where applicable). Impact analyses were conducted using knowledge of wildlife habitat and sensitive species occurrence data, where available, based on where construction-related ground disturbance, airfield operations (takeoffs, landings, engine run-ups), and activities in airspace and MTRs would occur.

Assessing the significance of direct and indirect impacts on biological resources is based on Federal and state determinations of:

  • the importance (legal, commercial, recreational, ecological, or scientific) of the resource,
  • the rarity of a species or habitat regionally,
  • the sensitivity of the resource to proposed construction and training activities,
  • the proportion of the resource that would be affected relative to its occurrence in the region,
  • the duration of the impact. Federal or state agencies consider impacts on biological resources to be greater if priority species or habitats are adversely affected, if substantial effects occur over relatively large areas, and/or if disturbances cause reductions in population size or distribution of a priority species.

 

 

COMMUNITY

What would be the impact to communities under the airspace?

F-35A flight activities would take place in existing airspace. Therefore, no airspace modifications would be required under any of the scenarios. Existing airspace unit lateral and vertical boundaries would not be expanded under any of the scenarios. Airspace training operations would be consistent with existing airspace operations and would comply with established range and land management plans. Furthermore, safety guidelines and existing range management and land use plans would be updated to address F-35A operations, as necessary.

 

What would be the impact to recreational areas under the airspace?

F-35A flight activities would take place in existing airspace. Therefore, no airspace modifications would be required under any of the scenarios. Existing airspace unit lateral and vertical boundaries would not be expanded under any of the scenarios. Airspace training operations would be consistent with existing airspace operations and would comply with established range and land management plans. Furthermore, safety guidelines and existing range management and land use plans would be updated to address F-35A operations, as necessary.

Recreational areas, for example, vary in the degree to which quiet is desirable and necessary for a high-quality recreation experience; how much of an area is devoted to developed and undeveloped recreation and the remoteness of the area are also factors.

 

 

JUSTICE

What does the DEIS assess under the issue categories associated with socioeconomics and environmental justice?
The socioeconomic analysis focuses on the effects resulting from the incoming personnel, as well as construction programs under each alternative and F-35A aircraft scenario. The incoming personnel and construction activities contribute additional income and new demands for products and services into the local economy that would lead to additional population growth, employment growth, greater earnings, and increased demand for public services. The net change for each socioeconomic indicator is compared to the existing conditions in the ROI to identify the intensity of the effects. The magnitude of these effects is estimated through economic impact analysis, which models the relationship between industrial sectors and household expenditures.

The economic impact analysis was conducted using the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) economic forecasting model. The IMPLAN model uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis to construct a mathematical representation of a local economy using region-specific spending patterns, economic multipliers, and industries.

The demographic profile of the region provides the context within which the environmental justice analysis was conducted. In order to determine whether or not environmental impacts would disproportionately affect minority or low-income populations, it is necessary to establish an appropriate basis of comparison. The environmental justice analysis, therefore, used this community of comparison to define the affected area. Most environmental effects from the alternatives are expected to occur within areas encompassing the base and other lands under the airfield noise contours. Noise impacts within the primary training airspace associated with each of the beddown alternatives were also considered.