[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37942-37943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17965]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Rescheduled Public Hearing and Extension of the Public 
Comment Period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for 
Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Navy Property Identified in the Guam Land 
Use Plan (GLUP '94)

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the DEIS for Disposal 
and Reuse of Surplus Navy Property Identified in the Guam Land Use Plan 
(GLUP '94). Navy previously announced locally that a public hearing 
would be held on July 15, 1999 at the Guam Hilton for the purpose of 
receiving oral and written comments on the DEIS. This notice announces 
to the public that Navy is further extending the public comment period 
for the DEIS until September 15, 1999 and rescheduling the public 
hearing that was previously announced in the Federal Register (64 FR 
33274) and locally in Territory of Guam Newspapers and direct mailings. 
Federal and Government of Guam agencies, interested individuals, and 
organizations are invited to be present or represented at the public 
meeting that is hereby rescheduled as shown below.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on August 26, 1999 at 7:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Guam Hilton, Marianas Ballroom, 202 Pale San Vitores Road, 
Tumon, Guam 96931.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gerald Gibbons (PLN231GG), Pacific 
Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 258 Makalapa Drive, 
Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134, telephone (808) 471-9338, 
facsimile (808) 474-5909.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the Navy 
has prepared and filed with the EPA the DEIS for Disposal and Reuse of 
Surplus Navy Property Identified in the GLUP '94. A Notice of Intent 
(NOI) to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 
10, 1998 (63 FR 17824). A public scoping meeting announcement was 
published on April 18, 19, and 20, 1998, in the Pacific Daily News on 
Guam. A public scoping meeting was held on May 7, 1998 at the Chamorro 
Village Main Pavilion, Paseo Complex, Agana, Guam. The Notice of 
Availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on May 
21, 1999 (64 FR 27781).
    The proposed action is the disposal of approximately 2,798 acres of 
surplus Navy property in the Territory of Guam in a manner consistent 
with the reuse identified by the local redevelopment authority, the 
Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA), in its Reuse Plan for GLUP 
'94 Navy Surplus Properties. The property covered in the EIS has been 
divided into 20 parcels located in Dededo, Tiyan, Tamuning, Barrigada, 
Nimitz Hill, Apra Heights, Naval Station, Piti, and Santa Rita. 
Nineteen parcels were identified as releasable in the GLUP '94. One 
parcel, the Officers Housing site at Naval Air Station (NAS) Agana, was 
not considered in the GLUP '94 but was recommended for disposal as part 
of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure

[[Page 37943]]

(BRAC) decision. This parcel was included in GEDA's Reuse Plan and is 
included in the scope of this EIS.
    The DEIS evaluates three reuse alternatives and a ``No Action'' 
Alternative. The reuse alternatives are based upon conceptual land use 
plans documented in GEDA's Reuse Plan and approved by Governor Carl T. 
C. Gutierrez of Guam. Each reuse alternative proposes various land 
uses, e.g., residential, commercial, etc., as well as roadway 
improvements. The ``No Action'' Alternative assumes Navy's retention of 
the parcels in caretaker status and continuation of existing leases 
according to their terms.
    The Preferred Alternative recommended by GEDA consists of the 
following elements: retention of open space for recreation and 
conservation, single-family affordable housing, a golf resort, 
commercial centers, warehouse and light industrial space, and 
agricultural activities. The EIS also evaluates reuse alternatives with 
lower and higher intensities of development. The Lower Intensity 
Alternative would retain more open space and involve renovation rather 
than expansion of certain facilities and less new construction. The 
Higher Intensity Alternative would provide more new construction, and 
development densities would approach the maximum allowed under local 
zoning.
    Except for traffic and air quality impacts at one intersection, 
potentially significant impacts under all of the reuse alternatives can 
be mitigated to nonsignificant levels. The impacts which can be 
mitigated by the local reuse authority to nonsignificant levels include 
infrequent exceedance of air quality standards during peak-hour traffic 
at intersections, incompatible land uses and noise, effects on cultural 
resources, traffic congestion at key intersections, increases in school 
enrollment in three districts due to new housing development, and 
cumulative impacts on health care, police, fire, and civil defense 
services. Unacceptable traffic conditions at the intersection of Route 
1 and Route 16 would occur with or without the proposed reuse. 
Mitigation would compensate for the reuse component of traffic at this 
intersection, but it would still remain above capacity. The following 
potentially significant but mitigable impacts are identified for the 
Higher Intensity Alternative: inadequate capacity of the Agana 
wastewater treatment plant during peak flow conditions, cumulative 
solid waste impacts, and impacts of the proposed power plant at Rizal/
Aflleje beach on the marine environment. The ``No Action'' Alternative 
has the least potential for environmental impacts and demands on Guam's 
infrastructure.
    The DEIS has been distributed to agencies and other interested 
parties. Copies may be reviewed at the Agana, Barrigada, Dededo, 
Merizo, and Yona public libraries. A limited number of single copies 
are available upon request from the contact listed above.
    A public hearing will be held on August 26, 1999 at the Guam Hilton 
to inform the public of the DEIS findings and to solicit and receive 
oral and written comments. Government 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. 
Gerald Gibbons at the address given above. Comments must be postmarked 
no later than September 15, 1999 to be considered in the Final EIS.

    Dated: July 9, 1999.
Michael I. Quinn,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Alternate Federal 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-17965 Filed 7-13-99; 8:45 am]
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