TONIGHT! Navy Requests Public Comment On Wallops Runway Use

A public meeting will be conducted tonight on the proposal by the Navy to use the Wallops runway for practice landings and takeoffs. The meeting will be at the visitor's center from 5 until 8 PM. Local residents will get the opportunity to seek information and share their opinions.

The U.S. Navy has prepared and released to the public a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects that may result from the Navys proposal to conduct regular, scheduled E-2C/D Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) operations at either Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport or at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). Under the proposal, these twin engine, turboprop aircraft would conduct up to 20,000 FCLP passes annually at the selected field. The Navy has not identified a preferred site in this EA.

Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress is the single, local FCLP outlying landing field supporting two major naval air installations, Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field. NALF Fentress lacks the capacity to support all FCLP training requirements under all operational conditions. As a result FCLP training for E-2 and C-2 aircraft is routinely conducted at NALF Fentress during late night and early morning hours (from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.). Additionally, the training capacity shortfalls that result from having only one local facility to support two major naval air stations can require the use of alternative FCLP equipped airfields out of the local area.

Public input is very important in order for the Navy to fully understand community concerns and relevant issues. Individuals interested in the project are encouraged to provide their comments on the document within the public comment period from September 06 to October 05, 2012.

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