[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64071-64072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30721]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Navy, DoD


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
to Open Scoping for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three NIMITZ 
Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States 
Pacific Fleet

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 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 developing and operating home 
port facilities for three nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) in 
support of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
    The scope of the proposed action is to: (1) determine the 
appropriate home port for two CVNs that will replace two 
conventionally-powered aircraft carriers (CVs) that are currently 
homeported at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the Naval Complex 
San Diego, CA, and (2) reevaluate the current location of one CVN 
homeport at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Everett in order to increase 
efficiency of support infrastructure, maintenance, and repair 
capabilities, to reduce costs, and to enhance crew quality of life. 
Decisions for facilities development need to be made as soon as 
possible to accommodate planned arrival schedules of the CVNs to the 
Pacific Fleet (one as early as 2001) and to gain infrastructure 
benefits prior to upcoming ship maintenance periods (commencing in 
1999). These schedules are now sufficiently clarified to allow Navy to 
proceed with the proposed actions at this time.
    There are three major U.S. areas of Navy concentration in the 
Pacific: San Diego, CA complex; Puget Sound, WA complex; and Pearl 
Harbor, HI complex. Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the San 
Diego Naval Complex and Puget

[[Page 64072]]

Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Bremerton and NAVSTA Everett in the Pacific 
Northwest are currently designated as CVN home ports. All three 
locations will be considered as alternative locations for the proposed 
actions. Although not currently designated as a CVN home port, Pearl 
Harbor is capable of accommodating deep-draft ships and will also be 
evaluated as a potential home port.
    The 1993 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission 
recommended, and the President and Congress directed the closure of NAS 
Alameda, CA (scheduled for 1997), and the relocation of two CVNs to 
fleet concentrations in San Diego, CA, and in the Pacific Northwest. 
Consequently, the Department of the Navy established homeporting 
capabilities for one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at NAS North 
Island in the San Diego Naval Complex, CA (scheduled for completion in 
1998), and one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at PSNS Bremerton, WA 
(which has now been implemented). The proposed actions do not involve a 
reexamination of homeporting actions directed by the 1993 Defense Base 
Closure and Realignment process.
    As the proposed actions could result in the aggregation of CVNs at 
PSNS Bremerton, consideration will be given to relocation of non-
nuclear powered deep-draft Navy support ships currently homeported at 
PSNS Bremerton.
    The EIS will analyze the potential environmental effects of the 
proposed actions at the alternative locations discussed above, 
including any associated facilities development and dredging, and other 
reasonable alternatives identified during the public scoping process. 
Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include: geology, 
topography, and soils; dredging, hydrology, and water quality; 
pollution prevention; biology and natural resources; noise; air 
quality; land use; historic and archeological resources; socioeconomics 
schools, and housing, transportation/circulation/parking; public 
facilities and recreation; safety and environmental health; aesthetics; 
utilities; and environmental justice. Issue analysis will include an 
evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-term, and cumulative impacts 
associated with the proposed actions. No decision to implement the 
proposed actions will 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 these proposed actions. 
Public meetings to receive oral comments from the public will be held 
in the four primary areas of consideration (San Diego, CA; Bremerton, 
WA; Everett, WA; and Honolulu, HI) in January and February 1997. These 
meetings will be announced in the Federal Register and in local area 
newspapers. Navy representatives will be available at the scoping 
meetings to receive comments from the public regarding issues of 
concern. A brief presentation describing the proposed actions and the 
NEPA process will precede a 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 meetings. 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 the EIS should be 
postmarked no later than 28 February 1997 and sent to the following 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 Mr. Daniel Muslin (Code 03PL), Southwest Division, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190; 
telephone (619) 532-3403.

    Dated: November 27, 1996.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-30721 Filed 12-2-96; 8:45 am]
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