[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28642-28643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13412]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard
[CGD 95-046]


Closure of Coast Guard Facilities on Governors Island, NY, and 
Relocation of Coast Guard Facilities; Environmental Assessment and 
Draft Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the closure of 
Coast Guard facilities on Governors Island and relocation of Coast 
Guard operations and facilities to several receiving sites. The EA 
concluded that there will be no significant impact on the environment 
and that preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement will not be 
necessary. This notice announces the availability of the EA and draft 
FONSI and solicits comments.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 3, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast 
Guard Civil Engineering Unit Providence, 300 Metro Center Blvd., 
Warwick, RI 02886, or may be delivered to the same address between 8 
a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The 
telephone number is (401) 736-1776.
    Copies of the EA and draft FONSI may be obtained by contacting LCDR 
Dan Takasugi at (401) 736-1776 or faxing a request to (401) 736-1704. 
Several copies of the EA and draft FONSI are also available for 
inspection at the Governors Island Library; the New Amsterdam Public 
Library, 9 Murray [[Page 28643]] Street, New York, NY 10007; the St. 
George Public Library, 5 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301; and 
the Middletown Public Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, Middletown, NJ 
07748.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LCDR Dan Takasugi, Executive Officer, 
Civil Engineering Unit Providence, (401) 736-1776.

Request for Comments

    Copies of the EA and draft FONSI are available as described under 
ADDRESSES. The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to comment on 
these documents. The Coast Guard will consider these comments prior to 
making a decision to implement closure and relocation actions.

Background

    Governors Island is located in New York Harbor, south of Manhattan 
and west of Brooklyn. It houses a large U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 
facility, Support Center New York, and a number of tenant commands. The 
172-acre island is surrounded by a seawall and is accessed by ferry 
from Manhattan.
    The USCG is looking for a means to reduce its annual operating 
costs and closure of the Governors Island facility is intended to 
partially fulfill that goal. The USCG functions at Governors Island 
would be relocated off the island.
    This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and evaluates the 
potential environmental impacts of closure of Coast Guard facilities at 
Governors Island. It also evaluates the potential environmental impacts 
of relocating these facilities to other sites in the New York Harbor 
region including: land use; infrastructure (traffic and utilities); 
public services; public health and safety; noise; air quality; geology 
and soils; water resources; biological resources; cultural resources; 
and socioeconomics.
    Those facilities on Governors Island which provide service to the 
New York Harbor region would be relocated to other facilities within 
the New York Harbor region located at the Battery Park Building, 
Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne, Rosebank, Wadsworth, and Sandy Hook. 
The description of the relocation sites is as follows:
    (a) The Battery Park Building: The proposed action would relocate 
various local functions from Governors Island to the Battery Park 
Building in Manhattan. This would include offices for the Coast Guard 
Auxiliary, Recruiting, Law Enforcement, Licensing and Inspection, and 
Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) programs. No 
vessels would be relocated from Governors Island to the Battery Park 
Building. The building would be renovated but no building demolition or 
construction would be involved.
    (b) Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne, NJ: The proposed action would 
relocate the Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) and nine Coast Guard vessels 
currently stationed at Governors Island to Bayonne, New Jersey. Cutters 
that would be relocated at Bayonne include the U.S. Coast Guard (USCGC) 
RED BEECH (a 157-foot buoy tender), USCGC PENOBSCOT BAY (a 140-foot 
cutter), USCGC STURGEON BAY (a 140-foot cutter), two 65-foot tugboats, 
two 46-foot buoy tenders, and two 21-foot vessels. Construction 
activities would include wharf improvements, new floating docks, a new 
fuel system, and new shore ties. A new building would be constructed 
for the ANT team for new facilities, storage, and parking. Storage 
areas would be used for hazardous materials (batteries, paints, 
solvents, and lubricants) and storage for vehicles, trailer-mounted 
vessels, and ANT supplies.
    (c) Rosebank, Staten Island: The proposed action would relocate 
Station New York from Governors Island to Rosebank on Staten Island. 
Six search and rescue vessels and related equipment would be relocated 
at Rosebank. New construction would include the replacement of existing 
piers, the addition of wave screens, and the addition of a new fueling 
system for these vessels. Two buildings would be demolished and 
replaced, and existing housing in two other buildings would be 
renovated.
    (d) Wadsworth, Staten Island: The proposed action would relocate 
Group New York administrative offices, the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) 
control room, and the Marine Safety Office to Wadsworth on Staten 
Island. No vessels would be relocated to this facility. Construction 
activities would include the renovation of one building and a portion 
of an existing building, and the demolition of three buildings for new 
parking areas.
    (e) Sandy Hook, NJ: The proposed action would relocate Group New 
York engineering functions to Sandy Hook, in New Jersey. No vessels 
would be relocated to this facility.
    Construction activities would include the renovation of the 
Administrative building and boathouse, demolition of the Maintenance 
and Repair building, the construction of a new Group Engineering 
building, and parking improvements.
    Two alternatives for the closure of Coast Guard facilities at 
Governors Island are discussed in the Environmental Assessment: closure 
with standard maintenance, and closure with basic maintenance. Under 
both alternatives, the relocation of tenant commands would be the same. 
The standard maintenance alternative would provide utility maintenance, 
full-time fire and security service, and full building maintenance, 
consistent with the historic landmark maintenance plan. The basic 
maintenance alternative would limit government maintenance expenditures 
to the least amount feasible. A third alternative, the no action 
alternative, assumes the continued operation of Support Center New York 
on Governors Island.
    The standard maintenance alternative is the preferred alternative. 
This alternative was determined to have no significant environmental 
impacts. Consequently, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement 
is not required to implement this alternative.
Kent H. Williams,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 95-13412 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]
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