The Navy released a statement on March 3 stating that the final environmental assessment was available for public viewing and that the proposed landing field expansion project would not cause a significant impact on the quality of human life in the areas affected by the expansion.

Steve Oivanki, project manager for Gulf South Research Corporation, said he wrote the environmental assessment.

“The Navy has signed a finding of no significant impact, stating that there are no significant impacts from the project,” he said. “Therefore, they are moving forward to survey properties and contact those that will be acquired for the NOLF expansions.”

The Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla. operates 13 outlying landing fields for training purposes, two of which are located in Baldwin County. The Navy plans to expand the landing fields in Summerdale and Foley to provide runway lengths necessary for the Navy’s new T-6B aircraft training sessions. The aircraft requires longer runways for safe operation. Whiting Field’s transition from the T-34C to the new aircraft is planned to last until 2015.

The Navy proposes to extend runways at the Foley landing field to 5,000 feet in length for solo-pilot training and runways at the Summerdale field to 4,000 feet for dual-pilot training. The T-34C aircraft required a 3,000 foot runway. There would also be 3,000 feet in clear zones installed at the ends of the extended runways.

“Resources analyzed in the (environmental assessment) include land use, agriculture, water quality, biological resources, air quality, noise, cultural resources, socioeconomic resources, transportation, air traffic and public health and safety,” the Navy stated, noting that they received word from the Alabama State Historic Preservation Officer that there would be no adverse effects on historic properties in the area with regard to the proposed action and no significant environmental impacts were identified for the proposed action. “Based on the analysis presented in the (environmental assessment) and coordination with federal agencies and the state of Alabama, the Navy finds that implementation of the proposed action will not significantly impact the quality of the human or natural environment.”

Approximately 203 acres around the two landing fields would be acquired by the navy for the expansion. Some of the land is zoned for residential or agricultural use. The environmental assessment states that some of the affected land includes Don McDuffie Road, which is at the west end of a Foley landing field runway, and Lassiter Farm Road, which is located on the east side of the Summerdale landing field. The assessment also states that “road relocation right-of-way would require the purchase of approximately 1.2 acres if private property at (the Foley landing field).”

The environmental assessment and final no of significant impact will be available for 30 days on the project website at www.navyolfextensions.com. A draft of the plans and the assessment was released on Aug. 19 with a 30-day comment period, and a public meeting was held on Aug. 31 in Robertsdale.