[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 185 (Monday, September 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49399-49400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23640]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Proposed Disposal and Reuse of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft 
Division, Warminster, PA

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as 
implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations 
(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy announces its 
intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate 
the potential environmental effects of the disposal and reuse of the 
Naval Air Warfare Aircraft Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), 
Warminster, Pennsylvania. The NAWCAD is located in Bucks County 
approximately 18 miles north of Center City Philadelphia and 15 mile 
west of the New Jersey/Pennsylvania state line. The NAWCAD's mission 
has been the principal Navy research, development, test and evaluation 
center for naval aircraft systems, and for airborne and anti-submarine 
warfare systems.
    In accordance with the decision of the Base Closure and Realignment 
Commission in 1993 and 1995, acting under the provisions of the 1988 
Base Close and Realignment Commission Act (commonly known as the BRAC 
legislation), the Navy plans to close and dispose of the NAWCAD. The 
majority of the existing aircraft systems research, development, test, 
and evaluation (RDT&E) functions are to be relocated to the Naval Air 
Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. The proposed action to be 
analyzed in the EIS involves the disposal of land, buildings, and 
infrastructure for subsequent reuse.
    A reuse plan developed by the Bucks County Economic Adjustment 
Committee (EAC) and Base Reuse Subcommittee will be the preferred 
alternative presented in the EIS. The proposed reuse plan is designed 
to be market-driven, to capitalize on the site's assets, and minimize 
the impacts of the site's constraints. The major elements of the reuse 
plan are: incubator research and development (R&D) and educational use 
of the developed areas on either side of Jacksonville Road; new 
industrial/business/office R&D complex (159 acres) on the undeveloped 
area at Jacksonville Road and Street Road frontages; park and 
recreation uses (258 acres); university/institutional land (84 acres) 
to support a new college with approximately 2,000 students; and a major 
new spine road linking the site and providing new access points to the 
site. Other reuse plan elements include the following: senior 
congregate care site (38 acres) providing health and living care 
opportunities; Navy retained housing; residential lands (39 acres) in 
Ivyland Borough; municipal lands for Warminster Township use (24 
acres); hotel/conference center site (10 acres); and additional lands 
for roadways and easements.
    The EIS to be prepared by the Navy will address the following known 
areas of concern: effects of new development at the NAWCAD on the 
regional socioeconomic environment, potential effects on infrastructure 
and transportation systems, and the effects of reuse on any historic 
properties on-site. Additionally, potential impacts to the natural 
environment that will be addressed in the EIS include, but are not 
limited to, air quality, water quality, hazardous materials, wetlands, 
and endangered species.
    The Navy will initiate a scoping process for the purposes of 
determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying 
significant issues related to the proposed reuse. The Navy will hold a 
public scoping meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 1995, beginning at 
7:30 pm at the Longstreth Elementary School, 999 Roberts Avenue, 
Warminster, Pennsylvania. This notice will also appear in local papers.
    A brief presentation will precede a request for public comment and 
will include a general description of the proposed reuse plan developed 
by the Bucks County Economics Adjustment Committee. 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 5 minutes.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments 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 that the commenter believes should 
be 

[[Page 49400]]
addressed in the EIS. Written statements and/or questions regarding the 
scoping process should be mailed no later than November 1, 1995 to: 
Commanding Officer, Northern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering 
Command, 10 Industrial Highway, Lester, Pennsylvania, 19113 (Attn: Mr. 
Kurt Frederick, Code 202, telephone (610) 595-0759).

    Dated: September 19, 1995.
M.D. Schetzsle, Lt, JAGC, USNR,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-23640 Filed 9-22-95; 8:45 am]
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