United States EPA Gives Green Light For F-35A Wing Beddown at Tyndall Air Force Base

Panama City, Florida – The United States Environmental Protection Agency has issued “no environmental concerns” regarding a proposed F-35A Wing Beddown at Tyndall Air Force Base, and MQ-9 Wing Beddown at Tyndall Air Force Base or Vandenberg Air Force Base. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency did have “particular noise concerns for Tyndall Elementary School” with the F-35A, but the USAF Final EIS addresses this issue and will also reevaluate it the once the “Full Operational Tempo of the squadrons is in place” and stated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that “Noise Mitigation Measures Considered and Found to not be Feasible at This Time”. 

The much anticipated Record of Decision is expected any day now, after the U.S. Air Force’s Final Environmental Impact Statement was published in the Federal registry on December 4th, 2020 and the 30-day post-filing waiting period ended on January 4, 2021.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Executive Summary can be viewed below:

Executive Summary_F-35-MQ-9_FINAL_EIS.pdf  (11/19/2020)
Final EIS Executive Summary

Vol 1 of 2-F-35-MQ-9_FINAL_EIS.pdf (11/19/2020)
Final EIS Volume 1

Vol 2 of 2-Appendices F-35-MQ-9_Final EIS.pdf (11/19/2020)
Final EIS Volume 2, Appendices

The Record of Decision will be the final action to approve the replacement of the F-22’s that were relocated from Tyndall AFB to Eglin Air Force Base, following damage from Hurricane Michael. Tyndall AFB was once the home to the largest installation of the F-22’s in the United State Air Force inventory, but that all changed due to Category 5 Hurricane Michael landfall on Tyndall on October 10th, 2018. 

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is planning two independent Air Combat Command proposed aircraft beddown actions: 

• The beddown of an active-duty F-35A Wing at Tyndall AFB, FL and
• The beddown of an MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Wing at either Tyndall AFB, FL or Vandenberg AFB, CA.

More information on the F-35A Wing and MQ-9 Wing Beddowns Environmental Impact Statement Website.