[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 82 (Thursday, April 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23057-23058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10746]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearing and Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Naval 
Air Station (NAS) Alameda and the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center 
(FISC), Alameda Annex and Facility, Alameda, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a DEIS for disposal and reuse of 
NAS Alameda and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility. A public hearing will 
be held for the purpose of receiving oral and written comments on the 
DEIS. Federal, State and local agencies and interested individuals are 
invited to be present at the hearing.

DATES: The meeting will be held on May 18, 1999, at 7:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Alameda High School, Little Theatre; 2200 Central Avenue; 
Alameda, California (at the corner of Central Avenue and Walnut 
Street).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jerry Hemstock (Code 7032JH), 
Engineering Field Activity, West, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
900 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, California, telephone (650) 244-3023, 
facsimile (650) 244-3206.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), 
the Department

[[Page 23058]]

of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) the DEIS for Disposal and Reuse of NAS Alameda 
and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility in Alameda, California. A public 
hearing will be held for the purpose of receiving oral and written 
comments on the DEIS. Federal, State and local agencies, as well as 
interested individuals and organizations are invited to be present or 
represented at the hearing.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the DEIS was published in the 
Federal Register on February 22, 1996 (61 FR 36).
    Public scoping meeting announcements were published in four local 
newspapers: the San Leandro Times on February 29, 1996; the Alameda 
Journal on March 1 and 5, 1996; the Oakland Tribune and the Alameda 
Times-Star on March 3 and 5, 1996. A public scoping meeting was held on 
March 13, 1996 at the Alameda High School Cafeteria, 2200 Central 
Avenue, Alameda, California.
    The proposed action is the disposal of Navy property for subsequent 
reuse and redevelopment, in accordance with the 1990 Defense Base 
Closure and Realignment Act, and the 1993 and 1995 Base Realignment and 
Closure Commission recommendations. Approximately 1,693 acres (685 
hectares) of land (1,102 acres (446 hectares) of dry land and 591 acres 
(239 hectares) of submerged land) are available for disposal and are 
the focus of this DEIS. NAS Alameda was operationally closed on April 
30, 1997 and FISC Alameda Annex and Facility (FISC Alameda) was 
operationally closed on September 30, 1998. Approximately 969 acres 
(392 hectares) of the total 2,662 acres (1,076 hectares) of dry and 
submerged land at NAS Alameda and FISC Alameda are being transferred to 
other Federal agencies.
    The DEIS evaluates four reuse alternatives: the Reuse Plan 
(Preferred Alternative), Seaport Alternative, Residential Alternative 
and Reduced Density Alternative. A fifth alternative, no action, 
assumes no disposal of property and retention of the property by Navy 
in caretaker status. Under the No Action Alternative, the operation of 
Miller Elementary School at NAS Alameda would continue through an 
existing lease agreement. All other current leases of NAS Alameda 
property to the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) and 
FISC Alameda property to the City of Alameda would continue until their 
expiration.
    The Reuse Plan Alternative is based on the NAS Alameda Community 
Reuse Plan (Reuse Plan) that was developed by the ARRA, the Local 
Redevelopment Authority. The Reuse Plan envisions a mixed use for the 
properties that includes industrial, commercial residential and 
community uses within six distinct planning areas. Community uses would 
include public parks and open space, schools, a golf course and a 
recreational vehicle park. Industrial uses would include office, 
marine-related light industry and research and development businesses. 
Residential housing would include reuse of existing housing as well as 
new construction. Commercial uses would include neighborhood shopping 
districts, offices, hotels and a conference facility. No decision on 
the proposed action will be made until the NEPA process has been 
completed.
    Potential impacts evaluated in the DEIS include, but are not 
limited to: land use, visual resources, socioeconomics, public 
services, utilities, cultural resources, biological resources, geology 
and soils, water resources, traffic and circulation, air quality, 
noise, and hazardous materials and waste. With two exceptions, 
potentially significant impacts under all of the reuse alternatives can 
be mitigated to nonsignificant levels. Potentially significant but 
mitigable impacts include: traffic impacts on-site, at key local 
intersections and on some roadway and freeway segments under all 
alternatives; traffic impacts on the Webster/Posey Tubes under the 
Reuse Plan Alternative; and air quality impacts at two local 
intersections under the Reuse Plan, Seaport, and Residential 
Alternatives where carbon monoxide concentrations would exceed Federal 
and State standards. The two significant impacts that cannot be 
mitigated are visual impacts from cargo cranes and port facilities 
under the Seaport Alternative that would disrupt existing views, and 
increased predation of the endangered California least tern under the 
Seaport and Residential Alternatives. The DEIS has been distributed to 
affected Federal, State and local agencies and other interested 
parties. In addition, copies of the DEIS are available for review at 
the Alameda Public Library (Main Library, West End Branch and Bay Farm 
Island Branch) and the Oakland Public Library (Main Library and 
Eastmont Branch).
    A public hearing will be held to inform the public of the DEIS 
findings and to solicit and receive oral and written comments. The 
hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on May 18, 1999, at the Alameda High 
School, Little Theatre, 2200 Central Avenue, Alameda, California (at 
the corner of Central Avenue and Walnut Street). Federal, State and 
local agencies and interested parties are invited to be present at the 
hearing. Oral comments will be heard and transcribed by a court 
recorder; written comments are also requested to ensure accuracy of the 
record. All comments, both oral and written, will become part of the 
official record. In the interest of available time, each speaker will 
be asked to limit oral comments to three minutes. Longer comments 
should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing 
either at the hearing or mailed to Mr. Jerry Hemstock at the address 
given above. Written comments are requested not later than June 1, 
1999.

    Dated: April 19, 1999.
Pamela A. Holden,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-10746 Filed 4-28-99; 8:45 am]
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