The U.S. Air Force is inviting the public’s input on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Pilot Training Center of F-35A aircraft.

The Air Force has not chosen a base yet. Potential locations include:
Boise Air Terminal Airport Air Guard Station, also known as Gowen Field, Idaho;
Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.;
Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.;
and Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station, Ariz.

The purpose of the proposal is to train pilots and personnel to operate F-35A aircraft. Training would include the use of existing training airspace and ranges, which permit flare countermeasures, supersonic flight and the use of munitions.

To download a copy of the Draft EIS, visit www.F-35ATrainingEIS.com. A paper copy of the document is also available at the following public libraries:

Copper Queen Library
6 Main St.
Bisbee, AZ 85603

Safford City-Graham County Library
808 S. 7th Ave.
Safford, AZ 85546

San Carlos Public Library
89 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, AZ 85550

Sierra Vista Public Library
2600 E. Tacoma St.
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

Valencia Branch Library (only one in Tucson)
202 W. Valencia Road
Tucson, AZ 85706

All comments on the Draft EIS must be postmarked or received by March 14, 2012, for consideration in the Final EIS.

Written comments on the Draft EIS may be submitted to:

David Martin, Air Force Contractor, and Kim Fornof
HQ AETC/A7CPP
266 F Street West, Bldg. 901
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4319
Fax: 210-652-5649
Email: aetc.a7cp.inbox@us.af.mil
Written and oral comments may also be submitted in person at the public hearings.

Public Hearings: Three public hearings near Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station will be held to inform the public and receive public comments on the Draft EIS. All hearings include an open house information session from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a presentation and formal public comment session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Representatives from the Air Force will be available during the open house session to provide information and to answer questions related to the Draft EIS.

Date: Feb. 21, 2012
Location: Windemere Hotel & Conference Center
Grand Ballroom
2047 S. Highway 92
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

Date: Feb. 22, 2012
Location: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Tucson Airport
North Ballroom
4550 S. Palo Verde Road
Tucson, AZ 85714

Date: Feb. 23, 2012
Location: Tucson Jewish Community Center Auditorium
3800 E. River Road
Tucson, AZ 85718

The Draft EIS does say: “On July 29, 2010 the Air Force announced its Preferred Alternative for the Pilot Training Center as 72 F-35A training aircraft at Luke AFB, Arizona. However, no decisions regarding the proposal will be made until after the environmental impact analysis process is complete”.

I blogged about that preliminary decision re: Luke AFB last year (click here).

I hear that the F-35A at 104 decibels is allegedly 4 x as loud as the F-16. If you feel strongly about this issue, do send in a written comment or attend these public hearings to voice your concerns and/or learn more about the F-35A. For more information on noise levels go to Tucson Forward, www.tucsonforward.com.

The info postcard I received from the U.S. Air Force also says that you also seek info from Maj Gabe Johnson, 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office, TIA Air Guard Station, by calling 520-295-6192.

•November 19, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Empire High School, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Tucson, AZ
•December 1, 2011, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Corona Foothills Middle School, 16705 S. Houghton Road, Corona, AZ
•December 7, 2011, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Benson High School, 360 S. Patagonia Street, Benson, AZ
•December 10, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Elgin Elementary School, 23 Elgin Rd., Elgin, AZ

I attended the first public hearing yesterday at Palo Verde High School, where the audience of about 300 people were overwhelmingly in favor of the proposed mine in the Santa Rita Mts. The pro-mine speakers (which I heard) said that the Southern AZ economy needed these mining jobs, and that Augusta Resources was working with the U.S. Forest Service to obtain the necessary permits and plan for reclamation of the tailings.

For my previous blog about the draft Enviromental Impact Statement (click here.)

You can comment at these public hearings orally or in writing, online (click here), by phone toll free at (888) 654-6646, or by mail to:

Rosemont Comments
P.O. Box 4207
Logan, UT 84323

Written comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (435) 750-8799 and by electronic mail (e-mail) to CoronadoNF@RosemontEIS.us. The subject line of facsimiles and e-mails should include the words “Rosemont Copper Project DEIS”. E-mail attachments should be in Word (.docx), rich-text format (.rtf), or portable document format (.pdf).

Comments are requested by 1/18/2012.

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) is the coaliton group in opposition to the proposed mine and they are having workshops about the draft EIS. One is today in Elgin at 2 p.m. and below is their schedule of these workshops. Go to their website, http://www.scenicsantaritas.org/action.

November 13, 2-3:30pm
Elgin Community Club, 475 Elgin Road, Elgin
(sponsored by Mountain Empire Action Alliance)

December 5th, 6:30-8 pm
Cady Hall – 346 Duquesne Ave. Patagonia, AZ

December 9th, 1:30 pm
Green Valley American Legion Hall – 1560 W. Duval Mine Rd. Green Valley

December 11th, 7 pm
Quail Creek – Madera Clubhouse ballroom – 2055 E. Quail Crossing Blvd., Green Valley

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas logo

Stay tuned for any additional public hearing notices by the U.S. Forest Service.

Tucson, AZ (October 13, 2011) – “The Coronado National Forest will soon be accepting
public comments on the Rosemont Copper Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) in a variety of formats. The DEIS is available online at
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado and is expected to be available October 14 at
www.RosemontEIS.us . Mailings began this week. Citizens are encouraged to read the
DEIS before submitting comments. Although comments may be submitted in many
ways, citizens need only provide comments once for them to receive full consideration.
The 90-day comment period is expected to begin on October 22, following publication of
the Environmental Protection Agency’s Notice of Availability of the DEIS in the Federal
Register.
Oral and written comments will be received by the Forest at the following scheduled
public meetings.

–October 22, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Desert Diamond Conference Center, 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd., Sahuarita, AZ **
–November 5, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Elgin Elementary School, 23 Elgin Rd., Elgin, AZ (tentative)*
–November 12, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega, Tucson, AZ
–November 19, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Empire High School, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Tucson, AZ
–December 7, 2011, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Benson High School, 360 S. Patagonia Street, Benson, AZ
–January 7, 2012, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Desert Diamond Conference Center, 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd., Sahuarita, AZ **

Meetings will include informational sessions and comment sessions, during which oral
statements will be recorded. Citizens do not need to be present at any meetings to
comment on the DEIS. Requirements for commenting may be found at 36 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 215.

Oral comments will also be accepted by telephone by calling (888) 654-6646.”

I attended the press conference yesterday where Coronado National Park Supervisor Jim Upchurch spoke about the long process of getting to this point since March 2008, and the issuance of the Draft EIS, after receiving 11,000 public comments. He said they hope to have the final decision on EIS on the Rosemont Mine sometime in 2012, as they can “require reasonable measures to protect the natural resources.” He encouraged public participation/input via the upcoming hearings, by phone, email, or regular mail. Additional public hearings may be considered according to Upchurch.

The coalition group in opposition to the Rosemont mine, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) also held a press conference after Upchurch spoke, and their speakers were Dr.Tom Purdon from Green Valley, Randy Serraglio (Center for Biological Diversity), Gayle Hartmann (SSSR President), Elizabeth Webb (Empire Fagen Coalition), Roger Featherstone (AZ Mining Reform Coalition), Mark Williams (Mountain Empire Action Alliance), Scott Kardel (International Dark Skies Assn.), and rancher Grace Wystrach representing businesses in Santa Cruz County. District 5 Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias also spoke about this being the “wrong place, wrong mine”, and the harm the mine would do to the cultural antiquities of the area as well as tourism. All the speakers spoke of the harmful consequences of Rosemont Copper’s mine to the environment.

website for SSSR: http://www.scenicsantaritas.org/

*Update: Elgin meeting re-scheduled to December 10, same time, same place.
** Both Sahuarita hearings to be rescheduled (10/20/11 notice) due to conflicts with other events

11/12/11 Update: Dec. 1 meeting, 5 to 9 p.m. at Corona Foothills Middle School in Vail added to schedule.