[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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