[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 110 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14081]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 9, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy

 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed 
Disposal and Reuse of Excess Property at Naval Air Station Memphis, 
Millington, TN

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, as implemented 
by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508), the Department of the Navy announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental 
effects of the disposal and reuse of excess property at Naval Air 
Station (NAS) Memphis, Millington, Tennessee.
    In accordance with recommendations of the 1993 Base Closure and 
Realignment Commission, the Navy plans to realign NAS Memphis. As part 
of the realignment, air operations conducted at NAS Memphis will be 
either disestablished or transferred to other naval facilities. The 
proposed action involves the disposal of the majority of the land, 
buildings, and infrastructure associated with the air operations at NAS 
Memphis including runways, taxi ways, hangers, etc. Approximately 1500 
acres will be declared excess.
    The Navy intends to analyze the environmental effects of the 
disposal of the excess NAS Memphis property based on the reasonably 
foreseeable reuse of the property, taking into account uses identified 
by the Millington Base Reuse Committee determined during the scoping 
process. It is anticipated that reuse of NAS Memphis will include, but 
not be limited to, aviation uses, education or institutional uses, 
commercial and light industry, office space, wildlife preserve, 
recreational uses, or a combination of those uses. The EIS will 
evaluate alternative reuse concepts of the property, including the ``no 
action'' alternative, which would be retention of the property by the 
Navy in caretaker status. However, due to provisions found in the Base 
Realignment and Closure Act, selection of the ``no action'' alternative 
would be considered impractical for the Navy to implement.
    Major environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS 
include, but are not limited to, air quality, water quality, wetlands, 
endangered species, cultural resources, and socio-economic impacts of 
the reasonably foreseeable reuse of the property.
    The Navy is initiating this scoping process for the purpose of 
determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the 
significant issues related to this action. The Navy will hold a public 
scoping meeting on June 28, 1994, beginning at 7 p.m., at the Baker 
Community Center, 7942 Church Street, Millington, Tennessee. This 
meeting will be advertised in Millington area newspapers.
    A brief presentation will precede request for public comment. Navy 
representatives will be available at this meeting to receive comments 
from the public regarding issues of concern to the public. It is 
important that federal, state, and local agencies and interested 
individuals take this opportunity to identify environmental concerns 
that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. In the 
interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit oral 
comments to five minutes.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comment in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the 
public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly 
describe specific issues or topics which the commentor believes the EIS 
should address.
    Written statements and/or questions regarding the scoping process 
should be mailed no later than July 31, 1994, to: Commanding Officer, 
Southern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, P.O. Box 
190010, North Charleston, SC 29419-9010 (Attn: Mr. Laurens Pitts, Code 
203), telephone (803) 743-0893.

    Dated: June 6, 1994.
Lewis T. Booker, Jr.,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-14081 Filed 6-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-AE-P