F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...
F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...
F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...
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F-<strong>22</strong> <strong>Plus</strong>-<strong>Up</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong><br />
Executive Summary<br />
Additional F-<strong>22</strong>s training in the airspace would increase chaff or flare use proportionately (an<br />
estimated 16.7 percent) over baseline F-<strong>22</strong> use. After deployment of each chaff bundle, four 1-<br />
inch by 1/2-inch plastic or nylon pieces and six 2-inch by 3-inch pieces of paper fall to the<br />
ground. After deployment of each flare, three plastic pieces of up to 2 inches by 2 inches and<br />
one 1-inch by 1-inch to 4-inch by 15-inch aluminum-coated duct tape-type mylar wrapping fall<br />
to the ground. These nylon, paper, or other pieces would not affect safety for human or<br />
biological resources under the airspace. No safety consequences from continued chaff and flare<br />
use are anticipated.<br />
Air Quality<br />
<strong>Base</strong>. The Anchorage area is in air quality attainment for all criteria pollutants and anticipated<br />
emission resulting from the Proposed Action would not cause or contribute to a new National<br />
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) violation. No conformity determination is required as<br />
the emissions for all pollutants are below the de minimis threshold established by the U.S.<br />
<strong>Environmental</strong> Protection Agency (USEPA) in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 93.153.<br />
Airfield flight operation emissions are projected to be minimally higher than at present, yet<br />
should result in no change in air quality within the Anchorage area. No additional global<br />
Green House Gases (GHG) would be emitted by transferring six F-<strong>22</strong> aircraft from New Mexico<br />
to Alaska. Regional GHG would increase less than one percent of the regional military GHG<br />
emissions.<br />
Airspace. Areas under the training airspace are within air quality attainment. Emissions from<br />
the increase above current F-<strong>22</strong> operations would be transitory and dispersed over the extensive<br />
Alaskan Special Use Airspace (SUA). More than 99.5 percent of F-<strong>22</strong> flight operations occur at<br />
altitudes above the mixing height of pollutants. Residents and visitors to Alaska Native villages<br />
and traditional subsistence areas underlying this airspace would not experience any change in<br />
emissions associated with the Proposed Action.<br />
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management<br />
<strong>Base</strong>. There would be no significant impacts on hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, or the<br />
<strong>Environmental</strong> Restoration Program (ERP). Existing procedures are adequate to handle the<br />
changes anticipated with the expected approximate 16.7 percent increase in use of F-<strong>22</strong><br />
hazardous materials associated with the plus-up.<br />
Airspace. The F-<strong>22</strong> plus-up would not substantially change airspace use or training. The F-<strong>22</strong><br />
does not discharge hazardous wastes in the Alaskan airspace. Various hazardous materials and<br />
fluids are contained in the aircraft but are not released in the training airspace. No significant<br />
impacts on hazardous materials or wastes in the training airspace are expected.<br />
Biological Resources<br />
<strong>Base</strong>. No impacts would occur to vegetation and no wildlife habitat would be lost within the<br />
base environs Region of Influence (ROI) at JBER-<strong>Elmendorf</strong>. Concerns for biological resources<br />
include potential impacts on threatened or endangered species, and noise associated with F-<strong>22</strong><br />
operations.<br />
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