DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711110258

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JOHN MURPHY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   61 lines

COMMENT DEADLINE ON BRINGING MORE JETS TO OCEANA EXTENDED

You have another two weeks to register your thoughts on the Navy's plans to bring as many as 180 F/A-18s to Oceana Naval Air Station - thanks to North Carolina.

The Navy on Monday announced that it will extend to Dec. 2 the public comment period on its environmental impact study of the proposed move.

It also scheduled an additional public hearing Nov. 17 in Manteo, N.C., to allow more input from residents there.

The Navy last month held six public hearings on the matter in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

Many of the hearings attracted a number of residents. But an Oct. 23 hearing in Manteo drew just five people, only one of whom commented. The Navy announced Monday that it would advertise a second hearing there to allow more input.

Manteo is located near Dare County Bombing Range, a 46,000-acre facility surrounded by the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge that is used primarily by the Navy and Air Force. Relocating all the jets to Oceana would mean an additional 1,500 to 2,000 operations, or ``sorties,'' annually there.

``We want to make sure that everyone has a chance to go out,'' said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mark McDonald, a spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet.

The public comment period was scheduled to end Nov. 18, but North Carolina officials, who are still hoping to snare some of the jets, asked for more time to review the study.

``We requested the extension in order to provide our clients with sufficient time to thoroughly analyze the draft Environmental Impact Statement,'' said Frank Sheffield, an attorney representing Allies in Defense of Cherry Point, a group of state and local officials. ``We have no interest in delaying the decision-making process, but the complexity of the draft EIS .

Sheffield said that the group plans to submit an ``extensive'' response to the statement by the new deadline.

Navy officials, however, do not expect the extension to delay the Navy's decision on where it will relocate the jets. The announcement is expected in the spring.

U.S. Rep. Owen B. Pickett, D-2nd District, who represents Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk, dismissed the impact of North Carolina's request.

``It was anticipated that there would be an extension. It will make no substantial difference in the situation,'' Pickett said in a prepared statement.

Lt. Cmdr. McDonald said the Navy has received about 200 comments since it released the study in September.

The draft report recommended that all of the jets be relocated from Cecil Field, Fla., to Oceana.

The Navy is legally required to grant a 45-day period for public input. When the Navy released the environmental study in September, it allowed a 60-day comment period.

North Carolina's request brings it to 75 days.

The draft Environmental Impact Statement outlines the effects and costs of relocating Cecil Field's 180 F/A-18s.

While the Navy wants to move 11 fleet squadrons (132 aircraft) and a fleet replacement squadron (48 aircraft) to Virginia, other options include splitting the F/A-18s between Oceana and installations at Cherry Point, N.C., and Beaufort, S.C.

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