[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53822-53823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25712]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD 95-046]
Proposed Closure of Coast Guard Facilities on Governors Island,
New York, and Relocation of Coast Guard Facilities; Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has prepared a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) to guide its decision-maker on the proposed
closure of Coast Guard facilities on Governors Island and relocation of
Coast Guard operations and facilities to several receiving sites within
the New York Harbor region (``proposal''). No decision has been made.
There would be no significant impact on the environment, and
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement would not be
necessary. This notice announces the availability of the FONSI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
CDR Takasugi, Executive Officer, Civil Engineering Unit Providence,
(401) 736-1776, [FAX] (401) 736-1704. Copies of the FONSI,
Environmental Assessment, and Public Comment Report are available from
him.
Background
Governors Island is located in New York Harbor, south of Manhattan
and west of Brooklyn. It houses Support Center New York and a number of
tenant commands. The 172-acre island is surrounded by a seawall and is
accessible by ferry from Manhattan.
The USCG is looking for a means to reduce its annual operating
costs by $400 million, and closure of the Governors Island facilities
is intended to partially fulfill that goal. The USCG functions at
Governors Island would be relocated off the island.
The USCG prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and implementing regulations
and procedures. The EA evaluated the potential environmental impacts--
on land use, infrastructure (traffic and utilities), public services,
public health and safety, noise, air quality, geology and soils, water
resources, biological resources, socioeconomics, and cultural
resources--of closure of USCG facilities at Governors Island. The EA
also evaluated the potential environmental impacts of relocating these
facilities to other sites within the New York Harbor region.
On June 1, 1995, the USCG published [60 FR 28642] a notice
announcing the availability of an EA and of a draft FONSI, comments on
which documents would be due on or before July 3, 1995. The USCG
received 24 comments. These comments are addressed in the Public
Comment Report and will be provided to the decision-maker with the EA
and FONSI before deciding on the proposal.
Those facilities on Governors Island that serve the New York Harbor
region would be relocated to the Battery Building, the Military Ocean
Terminal Bayonne, Rosebank, Wadsworth, and Sandy Hook.
(a) The Battery Building: The proposal would relocate various local
functions including offices for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Recruiting,
Marine Safety, Law Enforcement, Licensing and
[[Page 53823]]
Inspection, and the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System to
the Battery Building in Manhattan. It would not relocate any vessels to
this site. The Battery Building would be renovated, but no building
demolition or construction would be involved.
(b) The Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne: The proposal would
relocate the Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) and several USCG vessels to
Bayonne, New Jersey. The vessels are the USCG Cutter (USCGC) RED BEECH,
a 157-foot buoy tender; the USCGC PENOBSCOT BAY, a 140-foot cutter; the
USCGC STURGEON BAY, also a 140-foot cutter; two 65-foot tugboats; two
46-foot buoy tenders; and tow 21-foot boats. Construction would involve
wharf improvements, new floating docks, a new fuel system, and new
shore ties. A new building for the ANT would contain modern facilities,
parking, and storage. The storage would accommodate hazardous materials
(batteries, paints, solvents, and lubricants), vehicles, trailer-
mounted vessels (in addition to the USCG vessels discussed above), and
ANT supplies.
(c) Rosebank: The proposal would relocate Station New York to
Rosebank on Staten Island. Six search-and-rescue vessels and related
equipment would be relocated to this site. Construction would include
the replacement of existing piers, the addition of wave screens, and
the addition of a new fueling system for these vessels. The buildings
would be demolished and replaced, and housing in two other buildings
would be renovated.
(f) Wadsworth: The proposal would relocate administrative offices
for Group New York, the control room for Vessel Traffic Service, and
the Marine Safety Office to Wadsworth on Staten Island. It would not
relocate any vessels to this site. Construction would include the
renovation of one building and of part of another, and the demolition
of three buildings for parking.
(e) Sandy Hook: The proposal would relocate engineering functions
of Group New York to Sandy Hook, in New Jersey. It would not relocate
any vessels to this site. Construction would include the renovation of
the administrative building and boathouse, the demolition of the
maintenance-and-repair building, the erection of an engineering
building for the Group, and improvements to parking.
The EA on which the final FONSI rests discusses two alternatives to
no closure of USCG facilities at Governors Island: closure with
standard maintenance, and closure with basic maintenance. (The
relocation of tenant commands would be the same under the one
alternative as under the other.) The standard-maintenance alternative
would provide utility maintenance, full-time fire and security service,
and full building maintenance, consistent with the historic-maintenance
plan. The basic-maintenance alternative would limit governmental
maintenance expenditures to the least amount feasible. (No closure, or
no action, assumes the continued operation of Support Center New York
with tenant commands on Governors Island; it does not meet the purpose
and need for the proposal: to reduce costs given straitened budgets.)
Closure with standard maintenance is the preferred alternative.
This alternative would have no significant environmental impacts.
Consequently, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not
required.
Dated: October 12, 1995.
T. W. Josiah,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Resources.
[FR Doc. 95-25712 Filed 10-16-95; 8:45 am]
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