Thursday, September 27, 2012

Don't Forget: Davis-Monthan Operation Snowbird Public Comment Period

Posted By on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Here's your cheerful Weekly World Central reminder: The U.S. Air Force extended the Operation Snowbird public comment period to Oct. 4. Last time Weekly World Central wrote up about the project — the draft environmental assessment for the National Air Guard training program bringing U.S. and foreign jets to Tucson, the public comment period first ended Sept. 14.

From the Robin Gomez guest commentary in our Aug. 16 issue:

The expansion of Operation Snowbird, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, would increase the number of flights from 1,190 to 2,256 a year. Night training flights would be allowed. Strangely, the assessment (which can be found in PDF form at www.dm.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120730-035.pdf) concludes that the expansion will have no significant impact on the surrounding community.

The fundamental deficiency of the assessment is its failure to explain how the total number of Operation Snowbird flights can be almost doubled and yet have no significant effect on the surrounding human environment. Residents who live under the current Snowbird flight paths, as well as simple common sense, tell us this can't be true.
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.—The U.S. Air Force is extending the public comment period for the draft Environmental Assessment concerning Operation Snowbird here until Oct. 4.

From the Air Force:

This additional 20-day extension allows citizens more time to analyze the proposal to implement National Guard Training Plan 60-1 supporting Operation Snowbird. The public comment period began July 31, 2012.

The Air Force also has provided a Spanish translation of the draft Finding of No Significant Impact as a convenience for bilingual community members.

The draft EA, including the translated draft FONSI, has been placed at the following local libraries:

Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 East 36th Street, Tucson, Ariz. 85713, and
Salazar-Ajo Library, 33 West Plaza Street, Ajo, Ariz. 85621.

Eckstrom-Columbus Branch Library, 4355 East Calle Aurora, Tucson, Ariz., 85711 (NOTE: the Eckstrom-Columbus Branch Library has moved to a temporary location, which is slated to be open to the public starting Sept. 24)

The Spanish translation of the draft FONSI and the draft 2007 data collection site visit report are also available online at http://www.dm.af.mil/library/operationsnowbirdenvironmentalassessment.asp.

The English translation is the official document of record. The translated draft FONSI is provided for convenience.

Please contact 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs at 520-228-3406 with any questions.

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