[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 217 (Thursday, November 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-28002]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 10, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy

 

Notice of Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for Disposal and Redevelopment of Naval Base Charleston, 
North Charleston, South Carolina

    Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 
Parts 1500-1508), implementing procedural provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act, the Department of the Navy has prepared and 
filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the disposal and subsequent 
redevelopment of the Naval Base Charleston, North Charleston, South 
Carolina.
    In response to the recommendations of the 1993 Defense Base Closure 
and Realignment Commission and to legislative requirements in the 1990 
Base Closure and Realignment Act (BCRA) (Pub. L. 101-510), Naval Base 
Charleston is to be closed. Activities included in the closure are the 
Naval Station, the Naval Shipyard, the Fleet Industrial Support Center, 
the Fleet and Mine Warfare Training Center, the Submarine Training 
Facility, and the Naval Reserve Center.
    Naval Base Charleston is located in the City of North Charleston 
approximately five miles north of the City of Charleston. The Base 
encompasses approximately 1,575 acres of land along the Cooper River 
and includes about 2.3 million square feet of industrial space, l.8 
million square feet of warehouse space, 2.2 million square feet of 
administrative space, 86 residences, 19 barracks, 152 marina slips, 23 
piers, 5 dry-dock facilities, and a wide range of recreational 
facilities.
    The proposed action addressed in the DEIS is the disposal and 
subsequent redevelopment of lands/facilities determined surplus to the 
needs of the federal government. A Charleston Naval Complex Reuse Plan 
was prepared by the Building Economic Solutions Together (BEST) 
Committee, which included representation of over 40 local groups and 
organizations from throughout the region. This plan, which identifies a 
preferred development plan, was approved by both the BEST Committee and 
the recently created Charleston Naval Base Redevelopment Authority. The 
DEIS has been prepared to address the environmental consequences of the 
implementation of this comprehensive reuse plan.
    In the preparation of the Redevelopment Plan, consideration was 
given to the possible reuse of the Base by other federal, state, and 
local agencies, homeless support organizations, business interests 
(i.e., privatization of the Shipyard), and recreational users. Various 
reuse scenarios were developed by BEST, and a preferred reuse plan was 
identified and approved following public review and evaluation. The 
Preferred Alternative evaluated in the DEIS is the Preferred 
Development Plan as approved by BEST and the Redevelopment Authority.
    The Preferred Redevelopment Plan identifies areas of the Naval Base 
for use as a Cargo Terminal, Intermodal Rail Yard, Marine Industrial 
Park, recreational areas, cultural park warehouse space and open space/
stormwater management. The Shipyard is to be privatized for continued 
use as a shipyard. The preferred plan also provides facilities for 
local/regional homeless service agencies including residential, 
training, and administrative uses. The plan also provides for use of 
lands/facilities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency 
(NOAA), the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), and interim use 
of facilities by the Navy.
    In response to environmental concerns and the current 
unavailability of information from ongoing Installation Restoration 
efforts, a Contingent Redevelopment Plan is being considered as part of 
the Preferred Alternative. The Contingent Redevelopment Plan includes 
all the same components as the Preferred Development Plan and will 
result in similar beneficial economic impacts, but will avoid 
restoration sites if necessary. The DEIS also addresses potential 
impacts to community services, traffic, air quality, water quality, 
vegetation and wildlife, cultural resources, noise and land use.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local 
government agencies and elected officials, special interest groups, 
libraries and the media. A limited number of single copies are 
available at the address listed at the end of this notice.
    The Department of the Navy will hold two public hearings to inform 
the public of the DEIS findings and to solicit comments. One hearing 
will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Monday, November 28, 1994, 
at the Chicora Neighborhood Center, North Charleston. The second 
hearing will be held from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Tuesday, November 29, 
1994, at the North Charleston City Hall. Public hearing times will be 
as scheduled or until the conclusion of public comments. The hearings 
will be conducted by the Navy. Federal, state, and local agencies and 
interested parties are invited and urged to attend or be represented at 
the hearings. Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a 
stenographer, however, to assure the accuracy of the record, all 
statements should be submitted in writing. All statements, both oral 
and written, will become part of the public record. Equal weight will 
be given to both oral and written comments.
    In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to 
limit remarks to five minutes. Longer statements should be summarized 
at the public hearing and submitted in writing either at the hearing or 
mailed to the address listed at the end of this announcement. All 
written statements must be postmarked by Monday, December 12, 1994 to 
become part of the official record.
    Additional information concerning this notice may be obtained by 
contacting Mr. William Sloger, PE (Code 203WS), Southern Division, 
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 2155 Eagle Drive, North 
Charleston, South Carolina, 29419-9010, telephone (803) 743-0797.

    Dated November 8, 1994.
L.R. McNees,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liason Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-28002 Filed 11-9-94; 8:45 am]
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