Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command -- Congress has approved recapitalization of one squadron of eight C-130H aircraft, to be replaced with eight state-of-the-art C-130J aircraft at one of four candidate Air Force Reserve Command installations (Proposed Action), including: Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia; Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station (ARS), Minnesota; Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado; or Youngstown ARS, Ohio. The Proposed Action also includes making near-term modifications to infrastructure (e.g., hangars, ramps) required to achieve minimal Initial Operations Capability to accept the C-130J aircraft and mission set. The Proposed Action is needed to respond to evolving mission needs and operational demands, particularly in response to weather-related events. The aging fleet of C-130H aircraft currently in use is nearing the end of its useful life, including decreasing operational reliability, and increasing routine maintenance costs. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology, which reduces manpower requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides long-term life-cycle cost savings over the C-130H model. The C-130J mission would result in a long-term support personnel (manpower) decrement and requires new flight qualification for pilots and loadmasters.
The following resources were identified for study in this EA: Air Quality, Biological Resources, Climate, Cultural Resources, Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste, Noise, Socioeconomics, and Safety and Occupational Health.
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Link to the full draft assessment can be found here.