[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 221 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57596-57597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28256]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
for the New Job Corps Center on the Loring AFB in Caribou, ME
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the
New Job Corps Center on Loring AFB.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR part 1500-08) implementing procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration, Office of Job Corps, in
accordance with 29 CFR 11.11(d), gives notice that an Environmental
Assessment (EA) has been prepared and the proposed plans for the new
Loring AFB Job Corps Center will have no significant environmental
impact, and this Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
will be made available for public review and comment for a period of 30
days.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by December 18, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Any comment(s) are to be submitted to Amy Knight, Employment
and Training Administration, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210, (202)219-5468.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the EA and additional
information are available to interested parties by contacting Albert
Glastetter, Director, Region I (One), Office of Job Corps, One Congress
Street, 11th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, (617)565-2167.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed site, located in ten existing
buildings on the Loring AFB, is comprised of approximately 30 acres.
The site is part of the larger AFB complex which consists of
approximately 8,317 acres, but which is to be down-sized pursuant to
findings of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. Loring
AFB has served in its military role since 1917. The proposed site is
bordered by Texas Road to the north, Georgia Road to the east, Weinman
Road to the south, and Cupp Road to the west.
The proposed Job Corps Center is designed to accommodate 392 full-
time students with dormitories, educational/vocational facilities, food
service facilities, medical/dental facilities, recreational facilities,
administrative offices, storage and support. Approximately 268,759
gross square feet in the existing buildings will be rehabilitated, with
the addition of 5,940 gross square feet of new structure. The proposed
project is designed to be constructed in accordance with the local
fire, building, and zoning code requirements.
The site is located in a rural setting with open space extending in
all directions. To the west, across Cupp Road, there is a substantial
ten-acre wetland, while to the south there is a large wooded area.
Outdoor recreational facilities include nearby baseball and softball
fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a running track, and walking
trails.
The new facilities associated with the Job Corps will make use of
an existing roadway and infrastructure such as water and sewer lines,
telephone poles, and stormwater drainage systems. The proposed building
rehabilitation program will include the proper mitigation of all
asbestos materials and lead-based paint, where necessary. Underground
storage tanks and
[[Page 57597]]
contaminated soils resulting from earlier fuel oil spills will be
completed by the Air Force prior to Job Corps startup.
Conversion of this part of Loring AFB to a Job Corps Center would
be a positive asset to the area in terms of environmental and
socioeconomic improvements and long-term productivity. With the loss of
Loring AFB as a significant employer, the City of Caribou will face an
increased demand by its citizens for employment opportunities. The new
Job Corps Center will be a new source of such employment opportunity.
In addition, the Job Corps program, which provides basic education,
vocational skills training, work experience, counseling, health care
and related support services, is expected to graduate students ready to
participate in the local economy and elsewhere.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact
on any natural system or resource. There are no ``historically
significant'' buildings on the site and no areas of archaeological
significance. There are no threatened or endangered species located on
Loring AFB. Surface water, groundwater, woodlands, and wetlands would
not be adversely affected because the rehabilitation, construction, and
operational activities associated with the proposed project do not
represent any increased significant change from the historical use of
the site as a residential area with support facilities. The base-wide
remediation of contamination, currently underway by the U.S. Air Force
throughout Loring AFB, will minimize impacts from existing sources of
contamination upon the natural systems and resources.
Based upon preliminary analyses, no significant levels of radon
exist on the site. Analytical data describing the Loring AFB surface
water supply documents that there are no levels of lead present in the
drinking water. A corrosion protection system in place at the Loring
AFB water treatment plant will mitigate any excess lead that may occur
in drinking water supplied to the center. An asbestos assessment of the
ten-building complex has been completed. Only one location in Building
5904 warranted repair or abatement of asbestos-containing duct
insulation. Mitigation of asbestos-containing duct insulation will be
addressed during rehabilitation. Lead-based paint is believed to exist
in three buildings built prior to 1978. Mitigation measures will take
place if the designated use of the building so warrants.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact
upon air quality, noise levels, and lighting. Air quality is good in
the area and the proposed project would not be a source of air
emissions. Noise levels in the area are consistent with rural/suburban
areas and, with the exception of the construction period, the proposed
project will not be a source of additional noise. Finally, street
lights for the proposed project will be modified in the final design,
if necessary, to ensure levels of illumination consistent with the
utilization needs.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impacts
upon the existing infrastructure represented by water, sewer, and
stormwater systems. Adequate water is available to the site through the
Loring AFB water supply system. Stormwater runoff is accommodated by an
existing sewer system. The separate sanitary sewer collection system is
in place and is deemed to be adequate. Wastewater treatment will be
achieved at the nearby Loring AFB wastewater treatment plant on Sawyer
Road. The treatment plant is operating under an existing NPDES permit
and has been meeting its discharge limits.
The proposed site is surrounded by electrical power to its
boundaries and an adequate distribution system on site. New
distribution systems would not be required. The proposed demands on
electric power are not expected to have a significant adverse affect on
the environment. Similarly, traffic behavior patterns are not expected
to change as a result of the proposed project. Adequate levels of
service would be sustained at all intersections on the base and off on
local access roads, so no significant adverse affects are expected.
There will be no significant adverse affects upon local medical,
emergency, fire and police facilities, all of which are located in the
towns of Limestone, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, and Presque Isle. One Job
Corps complex building is to be remodeled, so as to include a new
medical/dental facility to address normal demands. The new Job Corps
facility will be supported by local medical facilities, including Cary
Medical Center in Caribou and the complex of regional facilities
managed from Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle. Emergency, fire,
and police services will be provided through a cooperative arrangement
with the towns of Limestone, Fort Fairfield, and Caribou.
The proposed project population will not have a significant adverse
sociological effect on the surrounding community, which is
characterized by a diverse ethnicity, and offers an abundance of
recreational, educational and cultural opportunities. Similarly, the
proposed project will not have a significant adverse affect on
demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the area. Rather, the
implementation of the Job Corps will help to fill a void created by the
closure of Loring AFB by providing jobs and educational opportunities
for local residents.
The alternatives considered in the preparation of the EA were as
follows: (1) The ``No Build'' alternative, (2) the ``Alternative
Sites'' alternative, and (3) the ``Continue as Proposed'' alternative.
The ``No Build'' alternative is considered inadequate because it would
require fitting the Job Corps program into an existing building complex
that is ill-equipped for its intended use and, due to the age of some
buildings, contains old, out-of-date electrical, mechanical, and HVAC
systems and potential sources of environmental contamination; e.g.,
asbestos, lead-based paint, contaminated soils. Alternative sites in
New York City, New York and Camden, New Jersey were considered by the
Department of Labor for the new Job Corps Center site, but did not meet
the minimum selection criteria for locating a new Job Corp Center.
After rehabilitating the ten existing buildings, and constructing the
one new building, the proposed facilities will be suitable for their
intended purpose in the Job Corps, will be environmentally safe, and
will be consistent with current building codes and safety practices.
Based on the information gathered during the preparation of the EA
for the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration,
the Office of Job Corps finds that the location of a Job Corps Center
on the Loring AFB in Caribou, Maine will not create any significant
adverse impact on the environment and, therefore, recommends that the
project continue as proposed. The proposed project is not considered to
be highly controversial.
Dated: at Washington, DC, this 6th day of November, 1995.
Mary Silva,
Acting Director of Job Corps.
[FR Doc. 95-28256 Filed 11-15-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M