673ABW JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The United States Air Force (USAF) announces the availability of the draft Proposal to Improve F-22 Operational Efficiency at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA), draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and draft Finding of No Practicable Alternative (FONPA) for public review and comment. These documents were prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to evaluate the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts associated with implementing the proposed action.
This effort supplements the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared by the USAF in 2018 to examine the environmental consequences of the changes to the flight operations and runway usage at JBER. In September 2018, the USAF signed a Record of Decision (ROD) selecting Alternative F, which consisted of extending JBER’s Runway 16/34 north 2,500 feet and using the extended runway for more efficient F-22 flight operations. The original EIS can be found online at: https://www.jber.jb.mil/Portals/144/Services-Resources/environmental/CompletedNEPA/Environmental-Vol%201-JBER-F22-FEIS-Feb2018_full.pdf
After the preferred alternative was chosen in 2018, the USAF received new information relevant to the environmental concerns of the runway extension and associated improvements. This information included the Approved Jurisdictional Determination (AJD) that wetlands in the proposed action area are not regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the documentation of previously unknown cultural resources, the discovery of soils containing per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) inside the excavation limits, and a preliminary Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) assessment.
In addition to the new information, the design of the planned runway extension also evolved. The preferred alternative examined by this supplemental EA would extend the north-south runway (Runway 16/34) on JBER by approximately 2,900 feet (an addition of approximately 400 feet), re-route Airlifter Drive for safety, construct ground improvements to stabilize the Fish and Triangle Lake hydrology, and change several fill and disposal areas.
The draft SEA, draft FONSI, and draft FONPA are available for a period of 30- days following the publication of this notice. These documents are also available for review at:
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Library, Bldg. 7, JBER-R, AK 99505
- Anchorage Public Library, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK 99503
- Chugiak-Eagle River Library, 12001 Business Blvd. #176, Eagle River Town Center, Eagle River, AK 99577
The documents are also available online in the “Public Documents and Notices” Section of: https://www.jber.jb.mil/Services-Resources/Environmental/. Written comments and inquiries should be directed to JBER Public Affairs, 10480 Sijan Ave., Suite 123, JBER, AK 99506. Emailed comments can be submitted to jber.pa@us.af.mil. Comments received by April 23, 2022 will be considered when preparing the final FONSI.
PRIVACY ADVISORY NOTICE Public comments on this Draft EA are requested pursuant to NEPA, 42 United States Code 4321, et seq. All written comments received during the comment period will be made available to the public and considered during the final EA preparation. Providing private address information with your comment is voluntary and such personal information will be kept confidential unless release is required by law. However, address information will be used to compile the project mailing list and failure to provide it will result in your name not being included on the mailing list.