[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5169-5170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2010]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy


Record of Decision for Realignment of Naval Air Warfare Center 
Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD

    Pursuant to Section 102(2)C of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
for implementing NEPA procedures (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Department of 
the Navy announces its decision to implement realignment of Naval Air 
Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, Maryland.
    In accordance with legislative requirements of the Base Closure and 
Realignment Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-510), as implemented by the 
1993 Base Closure and Realignment process (BRAC-93), the Navy was 
directed to realign operations and personnel from the Naval Air Systems 
Command (NAVAIR) in Arlington, Virginia and NAWCAD in Trenton, New 
Jersey to NAWCAD Patuxent River, Maryland. The realignment involves 
relocating approximately 2,670 administrative personnel from leased 
space in Arlington and 116 research personnel from the existing NAWCAD 
Trenton facility to NAWCAD Patuxent River. To meet the facility and 
operational requirements of the realignment, Navy will construct 
administrative, laboratory, and engine testing facilities at NAWCAD 
Patuxent River. The realignment will also require minor modifications 
to the existing child care facility, utilities improvements, and 
improvements to Buse Road at the site of the administrative facility.
    A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was prepared for the 
action and distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies and to 
interested individuals and groups. The DEIS was made available to the 
public on 25 August 1994 and evaluated alternative sites and 
environmental impacts of the construction and operation of new 
facilities. A Final EIS (FEIS), which was made available to the public 
on 9 December 1994, primarily addressed public and agency comments to 
the DEIS and provided further clarification of anticipated 
environmental impacts. The EIS process evaluated the foreseeable 
physical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts from facility 
construction and operation on-base and to the Tri-County area from the 
additional personnel associated with the realignment. The comment 
period for the FEIS expired 9 January 1995 and only one agency response 
has been received; and it was supportive in nature.
    The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act waived certain aspects 
of NEPA such that the environmental analysis need not consider the no-
action alternative (no realignment), nor other realignment locations. 
However, alternative means of accommodating the mandated BRAC-93 
realignment at NAWCAD Patuxent River were considered. Existing 
facilities were evaluated, but were determined not suitable for the 
NAVAIR and NAWCAD Trenton activities. An initial site selection study 
was performed to identify potential alternative sites for the 
construction of new facilities at NAWCAD Patuxent River. These 
potential alternative sites were then evaluated against refined 
evaluation criteria that addressed the site's suitability. The refined 
evaluation criteria included land use issues, environmental issues, 
operational requirements, and development costs. The alternatives 
evaluation process resulted in the following projects to accommodate 
the realignment.
    The NAVAIR headquarters facility includes a five-story, 462,500 
square feet (SF) administrative building, three-story parking garage, 
and surface parking. Construction of the facilities will require 
demolition of existing structures, removal of 16 acres of trees, and 
construction and relocation of utilities infrastructure, including an 
electrical substation adjacent to the existing utilities right-of-way. 
A stormwater detention basin will be constructed to retain runoff from 
impervious surfaces. Buse Road will be widened from Cuddihy Road to 
south of the NAVAIR facility. The existing two-lane road will be 
widened to four lanes plus a median.
    Realignment of NAWCAD Trenton will require the construction of 
engine testing facilities (cells) and related laboratories. The 
Propulsion System Evaluation Facility (PSEF), which will be located 
north of Building 106, offers access to the airfield, access to a fuel 
supply, close proximity to supporting facilities, land use 
compatibility and minimal environmental impacts. The test cells will be 
composed of nine specific units designed to test engines, turbines, 
alternative fuels, and engine starters. The PSEF includes a 100,000 SF 
one-story building to accommodate the nine test cells and associated 
laboratories and offices, a cooling tower, several small equipment 
storage buildings, and a parking lot. Operation of the specialized 
cells will require utility hook-ups and an underground fuel supply 
pipeline system. A detention basin will control stormwater runoff from 
the PSEF.
    The on-base child-care facility (Building 2030) will be expanded by 
adding 3,560 SF to accommodate dependents of military personnel.
    All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental impacts at 
NAWCAD Patuxent River will be adopted during the construction and 
operation of the facilities. Navy will obtain all appropriate 
construction and operation permits and approvals from jurisdictional 
agencies prior to implementation. Construction of the facilities will 
result in the loss of approximately 16 acres of woodlands. This 
represents less than one percent of the woodlands on-base and no 
reforestation measures are proposed. No jurisdictional wetlands, or 
threatened or endangered species will be affected by the realignment 
action. Regional air quality is not expected to be degraded as a result 
of the proposed action. Although NAWCAD Patuxent River is located in an 
attainment area and the 1993 Clean Air Act General Conformity Rule does 
not apply, the EIS evaluated potential air quality impacts in 
neighboring Calvert and Charles Counties (designated as non-attainment 
for ozone). That analysis concluded that realignment-related commuter 
traffic will result in de minimis air emissions, and therefore will 
conform to the State Implementation Plan for air quality. 
[[Page 5170]] 
    The EIS evaluated potential impacts to Maryland Coastal Resources 
and concluded that the realignment of NAWCAD Patuxent River will be 
consistent with Maryland Coastal Zone policies to the maximum extent 
practicable.
    Construction of a portion of the parking lot for the NAVAIR 
Headquarters facility will adversely affect a known archeological site. 
Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, a Memorandum of 
Agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) will coordinate 
further treatment of the site through a Phase III data recovery survey 
prior to allowing construction of that portion of the parking lot to 
ensure that adverse affects will be mitigated to the greatest extent 
possible. Building 408, a World War II-era temporary structure, will be 
demolished to accommodate the NAVAIR facility. Demolition of Building 
408 will be conducted in accordance with the 1985 Programmatic 
Agreement covering such structures.
    Regional impacts associated with the relocation of approximately 
2,800 personnel and their families were addressed in the EIS. Extensive 
coordination with state and local agencies, economic development 
groups, school boards, and community officials were conducted to assess 
the potential economic and community impacts associated with the 
realignment. Because some personnel may stay at their current 
residences, it is conservatively estimated that 2,185 new households 
could relocate to the Tri-County region of southern Maryland. Direct 
and indirect employment income generated from the realignment is 
expected to reach $300 million annually. Between 1,280 and 2,185 school 
age children could accompany relocating personnel, most of whom are 
expected to attend schools in St. Mary's County. The three school 
boards of the Tri-County area have stated their willingness to accept 
increases in student enrollment and have integrated the increase into 
their schools' planning. In accordance with E.O. 12898 (Environmental 
Justice), Navy considered potential impacts to minority and low-income 
persons and concluded that no disproportionate adverse impacts are to 
be expected.
    There are adequate utilities in the region to support the 
realignment. The realignment is expected to generate a regional 
increase in groundwater withdrawal of approximately 2.5 percent over 
current use, which is well within the capacity of the aquifer. 
Additional wastewater inflows to area treatment facilities are not 
expected to approach allocated capacities. Regional population growth 
has been and continues to be expected by community and regional 
planning organizations. The potential increase in population is within 
the growth projected for southern Maryland. Some community services 
such as police and fire protection may need to be expanded to 
accommodate increases in community populations, however, the 
realignment is not anticipated to result in a significant burden on 
these communities.
    Questions regarding the Draft and Final Environmental Impact 
Statements prepared for this action may be directed to: Commanding 
Officer, Engineering Field Activity Chesapeake, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, Washington Navy Yard, Building 212, 901 M Street 
SE, Washington DC 20374-2121 (Attn: Mr. Mike Bryan, Code 20N), 
telephone (202) 685-3061, fax (202) 685-3061.

    Dated: January 23, 1995.
Elsie L. Munsell,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment and Safety).
[FR Doc. 95-2010 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P