[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27867-27868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13808]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Disposal and Reuse of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, 
Naval Ordnance Station Louisville, KY

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 as implemented in the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of Navy 
announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the Disposal and Reuse of Naval Ordnance Station Louisville (NOSL).
    In accordance with the 1995 Base Closure and Realignment Act, the 
Navy intends to close NOSL and dispose of the property. NOSL is a 
depot-level maintenance facility that provides maintenance, overhaul, 
and repair of small to large caliber Naval guns, and on-board Navy 
weapons systems. It is the Navy's only remaining full-service gun and 
gun weapons system facility. It is located in the city limits of 
Louisville. The property occupies 142 acres of land surrounded by 
industrial and single family as well as multi-family residential areas. 
It includes 92 structures containing more than 1.63 million square feet 
of production, administrative, supply, and miscellaneous support 
facilities.
    The objective of the EIS is to describe the existing conditions of 
NOSL and to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the 
various reuse alternatives, including: (1) Privatizing the gun and gun 
weapons systems facilities of NOSL, so that the mission remains the 
same but the ownership of the equipment and facilities is transferred 
to the private sector, with the remainder of the base being disposed in 
accordance with the land use described in Louisville/Jefferson County 
Redevelopment Authority's Facility Privatization and Reuse Plan; or (2) 
disposing the property for purposes of mixed land use that does not 
include privatization.
    The significant primary and secondary adverse and beneficial 
environmental effects that may result from the disposal and reuse of 
NOSL will be identified and fully discussed. Major environmental issues 
that will be addressed in the EIS include air quality, water quality, 
and impacts to wetlands, and endangered species, cultural resources, 
and socioeconomics.
    In addition to compliance with NEPA, a cultural resources survey is 
being conducted to comply with Sections 106 and 110 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The survey will focus on 
the potential for properties, machinery, and equipment to be eligible 
for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
    The Navy will hold a public scoping meeting for the purpose of 
further identifying the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. It 
will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 1996 at 7:00 PM at the Navy and 
Marine Corps Reserve Center, 5401 Southside Drive, Louisville, 
Kentucky. Navy representatives will make a brief presentation, then 
members of the pubic will have the opportunity to provide their 
comments. It is important that federal, state, and local agencies and 
interested individuals take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. In the interest of time, 
speakers will be asked to limit their comments to five minutes.

ADDRESSES: Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written 
comments in addition, or, in lieu of, oral comments at the scoping 
meeting. To be most helpful, comments should clearly describe specific 
issues or topics which the EIS should address. Written comments must be 
postmarked by July 18, 1996, and should be mailed to Commanding 
Officer, Southern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, P.O. 
Box 190010, North Charleston, South Carolina 29419-9010

[[Page 27868]]

(Attn: Mr. Will Slogger), telephone (803) 820-5797. The scoping meeting 
will be conducted in English, and requests for language interpreters or 
other special communications needs should be made to Mr. Sloger at 
least one week prior to the meeting. The Navy will make every 
reasonable effort to accommodate these needs.

    Dated: May 29, 1996.
M.A. Waters,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-13808 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-01-M