Upcoming Community Involvement Plan
As part of the commitment to fostering open communication and collaboration with the local community and environmental protection, we are pleased to inform you about the upcoming development of a Community Involvement Plan at Morris Air National Guard Base. For more information, click here.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input through an anonymous survey, click here.
Air Force releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Regional Special Use Airspace Optimization, hosts public hearings
MORRIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz. – The Air Force announces its Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on August 9 to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of optimizing the special use airspace available to support Air Force missions in Arizona. The Air Force is soliciting comments on the Draft EIS and inviting all interested persons, agencies, or organizations to attend a public hearing.
The Air Force is proposing to alleviate training shortfalls and address evolving training needs by requesting that the Federal Aviation Administration implement regional airspace modifications such as: adjusting the times of use, adjusting the horizontal dimensions, adjusting the altitudes to support low-altitude training, authorizing supersonic training at lower altitudes, and authorizing the use of chaff and lowering the minimum release altitude for flares. The Proposed Action doesn’t include the creation of new special use airspace or any changes at the installations, changes to land use beneath the airspace, or weapons release. The special use airspace being addressed in the EIS is located throughout Arizona and a small area of western New Mexico. The Draft EIS is available for review and download on the project website (www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com) paper copies may be reviewed in several local libraries (see website for all library repositories).
Comments can be made at public hearings, submitted online at the project website, or by mailing to the following address: Arizona Regional Airspace EIS, c/o Stantec, 501 Butler Farm Rd., Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666.
To ensure full consideration of all comments should be submitted by October 9, 2024.
In-person and virtual public hearings are being held throughout Arizona and New Mexico from August 26 through September 13, 2024. See project website for specific times, dates and
instructions for participating in hearings.
Concurrent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, the Air Force is conducting National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 consultation regarding potential effects of the Proposed Action on historic properties
Arizona Air National Guard Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Updates
The National Guard Bureau (NGB) invites public comment on the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) For Off-base Drinking Water Response Action to support a non-time critical removal action of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Morris Air National Guard Base, Tucson International Airport, Arizona.
The EE/CA documents the evaluation of alternatives and selection of the proposed remedy by the NGB to conduct a Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) in response to the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (two (2) subsets of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)), above the Environmental Protection Agency’s lifetime Health Advisory levels of 70 parts per trillion, both individually or combined, in two (2) off-base private residential drinking water wells. The drinking water wells are downgradient of Morris Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Tucson, Arizona.
PFOS/PFOA present in groundwater in the vicinity of the base is attributable to human action, including past firefighting and training activities by the Arizona Air National Guard. In response, the ANG is temporarily providing bottled water to the impacted well owners, and proposes a final remedy of connecting both properties to municipal drinking water. The municipal connections will ensure safe drinking water is provided to the properties.
A Public Comment Period on the EE/CA non-time critical removal action will begin on May 2, 2022 and will end on June 1, 2022. Written comments related to the ANG actions presented in the EE/CA should be sent to the ANG Environmental Restoration Senior Program Manager, Mr. Keith Freihofer (address provided below) by June 1, 2022. The ANG will respond to Public Comments, and they will be included with the EE/CA and/or Action Memorandum. The Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) For Off-base Drinking Water Response Action is available on the Base webpage provided below.
The Draft EE/CA is available here
For more information, contact: Keith Freihofer at 3501 Fetchet Avenue, Joint Base Andrews, MD, 20762-5157, keith.freihofer.1@us.af.mil or by telephone at 240-612-8762.
The Air Force launched a comprehensive approach to identify, respond to and prevent drinking water contamination after determining that Aqueous Film Forming Foam — a firefighting agent containing PFOS/PFOA and used commercially and by the Department of Defense — may have been released at fire training areas, emergency response and aircraft crash sites at active, Reserve, Air National Guard and closed installations. Morris Air National Guard Base was one of 203 installations the Air Force Civil Engineer Center identified as a potential AFFF-release location. As Citizen-Airmen, members of the 162nd Wing live and work in our community while serving part-time. We care about the health of our Airmen, neighbors and the community we call home. We will continue to work diligently to investigate and perform remedial actions.
We will remain cooperative with residents and partners to deliver information and updates here as soon as they become available.
For more information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 520-295-6192.
You can learn more about the Air Force’s response to PFOS/PFOA at other installations from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center website: https://www.afcec.af.mil/WhatWeDo/Environment/Perfluorinated-Compounds/
The Federal Aviation Administration announces its adoption of the Final Environmental Assessment (dated December 2019) and issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for its federal action of approving an Airport Layout Plan update for the Tucson International Airport (Airport) located in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
The action addressed by the FONSI includes the construction of a new Entry Control Facility (ECF) for the Tucson Air National Guard Base (ANGB) and the relocation of the Aerovation Hangar at the Airport. The need for this action is driven by the existing configuration of the entry road to the Tucson ANGB, which causes security risks and congestion.
The FONSI indicates that the proposed action is consistent with existing environmental policies and objectives as set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act and will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.
Electronic copies of the FONSI are available for review at the following:
Relevant documents are: LINK TO FAA FONSI in PDF
Tucson Airport Authority www.flytucson.com/taa/about/public-notices-2/
Public Notice -- Relative Risk Site Evaluation
Morris Air National Guard Base, Tucson, Ariz.
The Air Force completed the Relative Risk Site Evaluation (RRSE) for the Morris Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Tucson, Arizona, to support sequencing of environmental restoration work. When the term "Air Force" is used in this public notice, it includes the Air National Guard. Please click here to review the RRSE Fact Sheet and Scoring Summaries.
The RRSE process is used to evaluate the relative risk posed by an environmental restoration site in relation to other sites. Restoration sites in Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) are evaluated during the RRSE process to sequence sites for Remedial Investigation. Due to discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which includes perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), a RRSE was completed for the sites at this installation. Relative risk is not the sole factor in determining the sequence of environmental restoration work, but it is an important consideration in the priority setting process.
This RRSE fact sheet with individual site summaries is issued in accordance with the Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) and is available for public review for 30 days as of this notice. The public comment period for Morris ANGB has ended.
At Morris ANGB, nine restoration sites were evaluated in the current RRSE. The Overall Site Category scores were eight “High,” zero “Medium” and one “Low” categories. Additional information on the RRSE framework and the scoring process for the sites is included in the RRSE which can be found at the Morris ANGB website located at the following link: https://www.162wing.ang.af.mil/About-Us/Environmental/. Additionally, all administrative records can be found by selecting the “Air National Guard” button and searching “Morris ANG Base” on the following site: https://ar.afcec-cloud.af.mil/.
For more information, please contact Keith Freihofer at 3501 Fetchet Avenue, Joint Base Andrews, MD, 20762-5157, 240-612-8762.