[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 46636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22425]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
to Open Scoping for the Disposal and Reuse of Long Beach Naval 
Shipyard, Long Beach, California

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy announces its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and to open scoping to evaluate the 
environmental effects associated with the disposal and reuse of Long 
Beach Naval Shipyard (NSY), Long Beach, California. Long Beach NSY is 
located in Long Island Beach Harbor, immediately east of Long Beach 
Naval Station, and includes approximately 259 acres of real estate. On 
this, approximately 4 acres will be retained as a government-owned, 
contractor-operated parcel, and 85 acres will revert automatically to 
the City of Long Beach in conformance with the original deed which 
transferred land from the City to the Navy. These parcels are not 
included as part of the disposal and reuse of the Long Beach NSY. The 
proposed action involves the disposal of land, buildings, and 
infrastructure for subsequent reuse of the remaining 170 acres.
    As a result of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (DBCRA) 
of 1990 (Public Law 101-510), and in accordance with the Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process of 1995, Long Beach NSY is 
slated for operational closure on September 30, 1997. The DBCRA, as 
amended by the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, 
established procedures to minimize hardships on local communities 
adversely affected by base closures and to facilitate economic recovery 
of such communities. In this regard, job creation and economic 
development are given the highest priority in the reuse of closed 
military bases, in accordance with objectives for disposal of federal 
property.
    The Secretary of the Navy must consider the community's 
redevelopment plan proposed for the base slated for closure. The 
development plan is a plan approved by the Local Redevelopment 
Authority (LRA) which provides for the reuse or redevelopment of the 
closed military installation. The City of Long Beach was designated as 
the LRA by the Secretary of Defense. The City of Long Beach has 
prepared a reuse plan (July 1996) with recommendations for the reuse of 
surplus Long Beach Naval Shipyard property.
    An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared by the 
Department of the Navy in accordance with NEPA and DBCRA requirements. 
The EIS will analyze the environmental effect of the disposal and reuse 
of the Long Beach NSY. The environmental studies will be based on the 
reasonably foreseeable reuse of the existing buildings and 
redevelopment of the site. The EIS will analyze three reuse 
alternatives in an equal level of detail and a ``no action'' 
alternative. The proposed action is the disposal of the base for reuse. 
Alternative 1 is consistent with the reuse plan proposed by the LRA and 
would involve demolition of three piers, two dry-docks (one large dry-
dock would remain), and most buildings. These would be replaced by a 
152-acre container terminal; an intermodal railyard; an 18-acre (one 
pier) shipyard facility surrounding the remaining dry-dock, with a 
100,000 square-foot support building (possibly an existing building); 
and six 500,000-barrel tanks in a 36-acre liquid bulk facility. 
Alternative 2, Two-pier Shipyard, would be identical to the proposed 
action except that the shipyard area would be expanded to 32 acres and 
contain 2 piers and some additional buildings. Alternative 3, 
Commercial Shipyard, would involve the conversion of the existing 
shipyard for commercial use. Under this alternative, all the piers and 
dry-docks would remain and most of the buildings could be reused. The 
EIS will also address any alternatives that are raised during the 
public scoping process. Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS 
include: geology, topography, and soils; hydrology; biology; noise; air 
quality; land use; historic and archaeological resources; socio-
economic; transportation/circulation; public facilities/recreation; 
safety and environmental health; aesthetics; and utilities. Issue 
analysis will include an evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-
term, and cumulative impacts associated with the proposed action. The 
decision to implement the proposed action will not be made until the 
NEPA process is complete.

ADDRESSES: The Department of the Navy will initiate a scoping process 
for the purpose of determining the scope of issues to be addressed and 
for identifying significant issues relative to this action. A public 
meeting to allow oral comments from the public will be held at the Long 
Beach Public Library, Main Branch, 101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, 
California on September 18, 1996 at 7:00 P.M. This meeting will be 
advertised in area newspapers. Navy representatives will be available 
at the scoping meeting to receive comments from the public regarding 
issues of concern. A brief presentation describing the disposal and 
NEPA processes will precede request for public comments. It is 
important that federal, state, and local agencies, as well as 
interested organizations and individuals, take this opportunity to 
identify environmental concerns that they feel should be addressed 
during the preparation of the EIS.
    Agencies and the public are 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 the EIS 
should address. Written comments or questions regarding the scoping 
process and/or EIS should be postmarked no later than October 4, 1996 
and sent to the following address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melanie Ault (Code 232MA), BRAC 
Program Office, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering 
Command, 1420 Kettner Boulevard, Suite 507, San Diego, CA 92101-2404; 
telephone (619) 556-0250 Ext. 226.

    Dated: August 28, 1996.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-22425 Filed 9-3-96; 8:45 am]
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