[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43997-43999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21799]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE


Finding of No Significant Impact for the Defense Logistics Agency 
Late Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Actions

AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) prepared a programmatic 
environmental assessment pursuant to the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) for implementing the 
procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) which evaluated the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic effects associated with realigning designated missions 
and personnel to enduring DLA activities pursuant to recommendations by 
the BRAC Commission and related discretionary action plans. The 
environmental assessment resulted in a finding of no significant 
environmental or socioeconomic impact.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 18, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Daniel W. McGinty, Staff Director, Congressional and Public Affairs, 
Defense Logistics Agency, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite 2533, ATTN: 
CAAR, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6220, (703) 767-6222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In summary, the DLA proposed action, 
identified as the preferred alternative, is to:
     Relocate the Defense Contract Management District West to 
a

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purchased office building in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. Relocate 
the Defense Contract Management Area Office Detroit, Detroit Arsenal, 
MI, to existing facilities on the realigned Detroit Arsenal. Relocate 
the Defense Contract Management Area Office Dayton, Gentile, Air Force 
Station (AFS), OH, to Wright Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), Dayton, 
OH. Relocate the Defense Contract Management Area Office Stratford, 
Stratford Army Engine Plant, CT, to GSA lease facilities in the 
Stratford, CT, area.
     Relocate the Defense Distribution Depot missions that 
remain after the disestablishment of the Defense Distribution Depot 
Letterkenny, PA (DDLP) (with the exception of a DLA satellite operation 
at Letterkenny Army Depot to support the continuing missile maintenance 
mission); the realignment of Defense Distribution Depot Columbus, OH 
(DDCO); and closure of Defense Distribution Depot Memphis, TN (DDMT), 
Defense Distribution Depot Ogden, UT (DDOU) and Defense Distribution 
Depot McClellan, CA (DDMC), and the redistribution of the remaining 
mission and materials to the enduring Defense Distribution Depots. 
Relocate the specified mission from DDLP and discretionary mission from 
Defense Distribution Depot Red River, TX (DDRT) to the Defense 
Distribution Depot Anniston, AL (DDAA). Privatize and ultimately 
disestablish the Defense Distribution Depot San Antonio, TX (DDST). 
Relocate the Deployable Medical Systems (DEPMEDS) from DDOU to Hill 
AFB, Ogden, UT.
     Reorganize the Inventory Control Points (ICPs) from five 
to three (except for the Defense Fuel Supply Center) into the Defense 
Supply Centers, Columbus, OH (DSCC), Philadelphia, PA (DSCP), and 
Richmond, VA (DSCR). Relocate the mission of the Defense Electronics 
Supply Center, Gentile AFS, Dayton, OH, to the DSCC, disestablishing 
the Defense Industrial Supply Center, Philadelphia, (DISC) and 
redistribute the residual mission among the enduring Defense Supply 
Centers. Relocate the Defense Personnel Support Center (to become DSCP) 
to the Naval Aviation Supply Office (Naval Inventory Control Point, 
Philadelphia).
     Enclave Defense National Stockpile (DNSC) material at 
Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, PA, Seneca Army Depot, Romulus, 
NY, and Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, CA. Sell strategic materials and 
ores and return the following sites to the permitting military service 
at Savanna Army Depot, Savanna, IL, DDMT, and Naval Surface Warfare 
Center, Louisville, KY. If, in the future, it were determined that 
materials must be relocated, then site-specific NEPA analysis, if 
appropriate, would be conducted.
     Relocate the Headquarters, Defense Reutilization and 
Marketing Service (DRMS) organizations located at closing 
installations. Specifically, relocate the Defense Reutilization and 
Marketing Service-International Sales Office at DDMT to the 
Headquarters, DRMS, Battle Creek, MI, and the Defense Reutilization and 
Marketing Service-Operations West at DDOU to Hill AFB, UT.
     Close 11 Defense Reutilization and Marketing Offices 
(DRMOs) located at closing and realigning military installations and 
relocate any residual mission to the enduring DRMOs. Surplus and 
hazardous property would be disposed by reutilization, transfer, 
donation, sale, or ultimate disposal (service contract) prior to the 
DRMO relocation or disestablishment. Relocate DRMO San Antonio, Kelly 
AFB, to new facilities at Brooks AFB, TX, or lease back current 
facilities from the Kelly AFB Local Redevelopment Authority (KLRA)--
whichever is determined to be the most operationally efficient and cost 
effective. Site-specific NEPA analysis to determine potential 
environmental and socioeconomic effects would be conducted, if 
appropriate, by the U.S. Air Force.
     Relocate the operational sites of the Defense Systems 
Design Center (DSDC) located at closing installations. Specifically, 
relocate DSDC-H from DDOU to Hill AFB, DSDC-NJ, from DDMT to the 
Federal Center Building, Battle Creek, MI, and DSDC-SMA from DDLP, 
Chambersburg, PA, to the Defense Distribution Depot, Susquehanna, PA.
    Alternatives considered included the proposed action, which was the 
preferred alternative, and the no action alternative. No other 
alternative was considered feasible because it would entail 
modernization or renovation of existing facilities, leasing of off-base 
facilities, and construction of new facilities beyond that determined 
essential to meet minimum requirements to accommodate relocating 
activities. Criteria used in the decisionmaking process included 
adhering to the approved BRAC Commission recommendations, maintaining 
effective and efficient customer support by locating support as close 
as possible to customers, and maximizing use of existing facilities. 
Any other alternative would require excessive facility construction 
and/or modifications, diminish customer support, and increase costs to 
conduct business.
    Based upon the EIFS model output, the 1,620 personnel relocating to 
the Defense Construction Supply Center, Columbus, OH, from Gentile AFS, 
would not create a significant socioeconomic effect in the region of 
influence. The population increase in Columbus, OH, would be less than 
0.12 percent for that region of influence. Additionally, employment 
would be created in the region of influence and a slight increase in 
the support infrastructure within the region would occur (e.g., 
increases in traffic and school populations).
    Site-specific NEPA analysis to determine the potential 
environmental and socioeconomic effects beyond the programmatic level 
will be conducted, if appropriate, for the following actions: 
Privatizing the Defense Distribution Depot McClellan, CA (DDMC) and 
Defense Distribution Depot San Antonio, TX (DDST); relocating the 
Deployable Medical Systems (DEPMEDS) from DDOU to Hill AFB, Ogden, UT; 
temporary and permanent construction of a hazardous materials storage 
warehouse at the Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, CA (Tracy 
site); and the construction of a new facility at Brooks AFB or lease 
back of the current facilities from the KLRA for the DRMO located at 
Kelly AFB, TX. If, in the future, it were determined that DNSC 
materials must be relocated, then site-specific NEPA analysis, if 
appropriate, would be conducted.
    Separate site-specific NEPA analyses to determine the potential 
environmental and socioeconomic effects beyond the programmatic level 
have been conducted for the following actions: relocation of the 
Defense Electronics Supply Center mission to the Defense Supply Center, 
Columbus, OH (DSCC), for which an environmental assessment (EA) for the 
construction of the operational facility was conducted and a Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI) signed on June 27, 1991; conversion of 
the Defense Distribution Depot Columbus, OH (DDCO) to a storage site 
for slow moving/war reserve materiel, a project that would be 
categorically excluded from analysis in accordance with DLAR 1000.22; 
completion of an AF Form 813 by the Air Force on July 27, 1994, which 
documented that the Air Force approved a categorical exclusion from a 
full EA for activities relocating from Gentile AFS to Wright Patterson 
AFB; and completion of an EA and FONSI by the Navy on November 22, 
1996, associated with the relocation of the Defense Personnel Support 
Center (DPSC) to the Naval Aviation Supply Office (Naval Inventory 
Control Point,

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Philadelphia, PA) and the consolidation of the Defense Industrial 
Supply Center with DPSC.
    The military services exercising their land-owning responsibilities 
will conduct the NEPA analysis for the disposal and reuse of DLA sites.
    For the other actions, the environmental assessment showed that 
implementing the proposed action would cause minimal or no adverse 
environmental and socioeconomic effects. A positive effect would be 
realized through a reduction in DLA's consumption of resources and 
thereby lessen negative environmental effects associated with routine 
support of Armed Forces activities. Analysis of the consequences of the 
proposed action does not indicate any environmental impact mitigation 
measures required or optional at the program level. Accordingly, an 
environmental impact statement will not be prepared.
    A public comment period regarding the environmental assessment will 
begin at the time of publication of this notice and will conclude 30 
days following. Copies of the environmental assessment are available 
for inspection at the address listed above. Interested parties may 
contact the DLA Public Affairs Office at (703) 767-6200.

    Dated: August 12, 1997.
Jan B. Reitman,
Staff Director (Environmental and Safety Policy).
[FR Doc. 97-21799 Filed 8-15-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3620-01-M