[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 25590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12212]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy, DoD


Notice of Availability and Public Hearing for the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air 
Station Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL

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 1500-1508), the Department of 
the Navy prepared and filed with the U. S. Environmental Protection 
Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to evaluate the 
proposed disposal and reuse of Naval Air Station (NAS) Cecil Field, 
Jacksonville, Florida. A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the DEIS was 
published in the Federal Register on April 25, 1997. The April 25 NOA 
initiated a 45-day public comment period on the DEIS.
    In accordance with the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (PL 
101-510), as implemented by the 1993 and 1995 Base Realignment and 
Closure processes, the Navy has been directed to close Naval Air 
Station (NAS) Cecil Field, located in Duval and Clay Counties, Florida. 
The Navy intends to dispose of approximately 17,000 acres of land in 
two of the station's operational areas, the Main Station and the Yellow 
Water area.
    The Navy intends to retain other NAS Cecil Field assets including 
Outlying Field (OLF) Whitehouse, the Yellow Water Family Housing Area, 
and the Pinecastle Target Complex.
    The Navy's DEIS addresses the environmental impacts associated with 
the disposal and proposed redevelopment of NAS Cecil Field. The 
proposed redevelopment includes a mix of aviation, industrial, 
forestry, and recreational uses in the Duval County portion, and the 
portion in Clay County would be retained for conservation purposes. The 
DEIS also addresses the environmental impacts of four alternative reuse 
scenarios (ARSs), which consist of reasonable future uses of the 
military property to be disposed at NAS Cecil Field.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state and local 
agencies, elected officials, and public interest groups. The DEIS has 
also been filed for public review at the local libraries. A limited 
number of single copies are available, and may be obtained by 
contacting the Navy representative listed at the end of this notice. 
The Department of the Navy will hold a public hearing for interested 
parties and agencies to provide comments on the DEIS on May 27, 1997, 
beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Drill Hall at the Post of Snyder, 
Florida Army National Guard Center, 9900 Normandy Boulevard, 
Jacksonville, Florida.
    Following a presentation by the Navy, the public will be invited to 
submit oral comments on the DEIS. Oral statements will be heard and 
transcribed by a stenographer; however, to ensure accuracy of the 
record, all statements should be submitted in writing. In the interest 
of available time, speakers will be asked to limit oral comments to 
five minutes.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties and agencies are invited to review and 
comment on the DEIS. Written comments may be mailed to or sent by 
facsimile to the Department of the Navy at: Commander, Southern 
Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Attn: Mr. Robert 
Teague, P.E. (Code 064), P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston, SC 29419-
9010, phone: 803/820-5785, facsimile: 803/820-5993. Comments must be 
postmarked, if mailed, or received, if sent by facsimile, by June 10, 
1997 to be considered part of the public record. All written and oral 
comments received on the DEIS at the hearing and during the 45-day 
comment period will be considered in a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) to be prepared by the Navy.

    Dated: May 6, 1997.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-12212 Filed 5-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P