[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55755-55757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26761]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) 
for the New Job Corps Center Located off of Overlook Terrace within the 
Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, CT

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the 
New Job Corps Center to be located off of Overlook Terrace within the 
Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, Connecticut.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulation 
(40 CFR part 1500-08) implementing procedural provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Department of Labor, 
Employment and Training Administration, Office of Job Corps, in 
accordance with 29 CFR 11.11(d), gives notice that an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) has been prepared and the proposed plans for a new Job 
Corps Center will have no significant environmental impact. This 
Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be made 
available

[[Page 55756]]

for public review and comment for a period of 30 days.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by November 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Any comment(s) are to be submitted to Michael O'Malley, 
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4659, Washington, DC, 20210, (202) 219-
5468 ext. 115 (this is not a toll-free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the EA and additional 
information are available to interested parties by contacting Marcus 
Gray, Regional Director, Region I (One) Office of Job Corps, JFK 
Federal Building, Room E-350, Boston, MA 02203, (617) 565-2179 (this is 
not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject property is within the Charter 
Oak Business Park in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut. The 
subject property can be accessed via Overlook Terrace, a paved roadway. 
The EA indicates the subject property consists of an approximately 12-
acre parcel of land, identified by the Hartford County Property 
Identification Number 0299, located in Map 105, Block 002, Lot 001. The 
subject property is undeveloped, recently cleared land (former public 
housing). The vicinity (one eight mile) around the subject property has 
undeveloped parcels (demolished public housing) of land as well as land 
developed with commercial, industrial, and residential properties.
    The proposed site of the Hartford Job Corps Center is located in an 
area characterized by a suburban setting southwest of downtown 
Hartford. The site lies on the former location of the Charter Oak 
Terrace public housing project, which was built in 1941-1942. The 
public housing project has recently been demolished. The site is 
currently undeveloped and consists of sparsely scattered evergreen and 
deciduous clusters.
    The proposed Hartford Job Corps Center will be a totally new 
facility utilizing a campus setting. The facility will consist of 
several buildings which will support 200 Non-resident Students. 
Classroom space will be provided in an education building. There will 
also be a vocational education building, a cafeteria/culinary arts 
building, a recreation building, an administration and medical/dental 
building, and a maintenance/warehouse building. The gross area of the 
facility will be 60,160 square feet (This square footage does not 
include the proposed outdoor recreation areas). The developed site will 
be approximately twelve (12) acres of land purchased by the Department 
of Labor from the State of Connecticut.
    The construction of the Job Corps Center on this undeveloped parcel 
would be a positive asset to the area in terms of environmental and 
socioeconomic improvements, and long-term productivity. The proposed 
Job Corps Center will be a source of employment opportunity for people 
in the Hartford, Connecticut area. The Job Corps program provides basic 
education, vocational skills training, work experience, counseling, 
health care and related support services. This program is designed to 
graduate students who are ready to participate in the local economy.
    The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact 
on any natural system or resource. Construction and development 
activities will not impact jurisdictional wetlands. There are no 
``historically significant'' buildings on the site and no areas of 
archaeological significance. No state or federal, proposed or listed, 
threatened or endangered species have been located on the subject 
property.
    Air quality and noise levels should not be affected by the proposed 
development project in Hartford, Connecticut., except possibly 
temporarily during construction of the facility. If air and noise 
pollution permits are required, all pollution sources will be permitted 
in compliance with applicable pollution control requirements. The 
proposed Job Corps Center will not significantly increase vehicle 
traffic in the vicinity.
    The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact 
on the surrounding water infrastructure, represented by water, sanitary 
sewer, and storm water systems. The Metropolitan District Committee 
will provide a new eight-inch water main. The new water main will have 
a flow/pressure of 100 pounds per square inch (psi). The new water main 
and distribution systems will be designed to meet the needs of the Job 
Corps Facility and future developments that may arise in the vicinity.
    The new southwest sanitary sewer interceptor (57-inch gravity sewer 
line) lies east of the site and will provide sewer service for the 
proposed Job Corps Center. This line continues approximately two miles 
north until it reaches the Pope Park Highway #4 siphon structure. At 
this point, the line merges with the Jefferson Street interceptor (54-
inch gravity sewer line). This line merges with the Connecticut River 
interceptor (78-inch gravity sewer line) and continues to the Hartford 
Water Pollution Control Plant. The Hartford Water Pollution Control 
Plant has sufficient excess capacity to handle the wastewater flow from 
the proposed center.
    The capacity of the existing storm drainage distribution system at 
the site is considered adequate for the proposed use. There are no 
retention/detention requirements for this property, and there are 
adequate storm water outfalls. No impact to downstream properties or 
surface waters is expected from storm water run-off from this site. 
Storm water runoff from parking lots, sidewalks, and other structures 
on the proposed Job Corps Center will be managed in accordance with the 
requirements of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection 
(CDEP), Bureau of Water Management.
    The City of Hartford Resource Recovery Authority operates the 
Hartford Landfill. The estimated life remaining at the landfill is 3-5 
years for by-pass waste, and 10-12 years for ash from the waste energy 
plant. The Resource Recovery Authority operates the waste energy plant 
to reduce solid waste entering the landfill. The City of Hartford 
collects residential solid waste, and private transporters collect 
commercial solid waste. All solid waste generated during construction 
and operation of the center will be disposed of in accordance with 
applicable waste management regulations.
    Connecticut Light and Power provides electric service services to 
the project area. Natural gas is provided to the area by Connecticut 
Natural Gas, and telephone service is provided by Southern New England 
Telephone. All of the utilities have facilities and infrastructure 
which are adequate to provide the required service. The proposed 
increased demand on the building utilities is not expected to have a 
significant adverse affect on the environment.
    The Hartford area has a variety of transportation resources. Five 
interstate highways, U.S. Interstate-84, U.S. Interstate-91, U.S. 
Interstate-2, I-3 and U.S. Interstate-5; several major federal routes; 
and a system of state highways serve the Hartford area. Passenger rail 
service is provided by Amtrak, which has a station located 
approximately 3-miles from the subject property at Church Street and 
Union Street. Commercial air service is found at Rentschler Airport, 
which is approximately 4.5 miles from the subject property. The 
Connecticut Transit Authority (CTA) operates a bus system providing 
public transportation in Hartford. Daily service is provided on one of 
the routes running along Flatbush

[[Page 55757]]

Avenue and Newfield Avenue to downtown Hartford. The nearest boarding 
point is on Flatbush Avenue approximately 800 feet from the subject 
property. The proposed project will have no significant adverse impacts 
on transportation services in the community.
    There will be no significant increase in demand for local medical, 
emergency, fire and police services from the proposed project. The 
primary care facility located closest to the subject property is the 
St. Francis Memorial Hospital. There are also private medical 
facilities located throughout the Hartford area. Security services at 
the Hartford Job Corps will be provided by the center's staff, with two 
personnel on the day shift, three on evening shift, and two on the 
night shift. Police services to the proposed subject property will be 
provided by the Hartford Police Department, which is located 
approximately six (6) miles from the subject property. The state police 
assist the city police and county sheriff as necessary.
    The City of Hartford will provide fire protection. The closest fire 
station to the project site is the Hartford Fire Department Station 
located at Pearl Street, which is approximately 0.25 miles from the 
project site. Backup assistance will be provided by the fire station at 
611 Liberty Street. The Hartford Fire Department is a full time 
emergency response agency providing 24-hour service. The Hartford area 
utilizes the 911 emergency call system for all emergencies including 
fire and police. All emergency services in the area are adequate to 
meet the needs of the proposed Job Corps Center.
    The proposed project will not have a significant adverse 
sociological effect on the City of Hartford community. The area is 
characterized by a fairly diverse ethnicity, and offers numerous 
educational and recreational opportunities. Similarly, the proposed 
project will not have a significant adverse affect on demographic and 
socioeconomic characteristics of the area.
    The alternatives considered in the preparation of this EA were as 
follows: (1) No Action; (2) Construction at an Alternate Site; and (3) 
Continue Construction as Proposed. The ``No Action'' alternative was 
not selected. The ``Alternate Site'' alternative was not selected. The 
U. S. Department of Labor solicited proposals for new Job Corps Center 
sites on March 10, 1998, and received five proposals. Of the five site 
proposals, the only site within the State of Connecticut was the 
subject property on Overlook Terrace. Due to the suburban location, the 
lack of alternative construction sites, and the absence of any 
identified adverse environmental impacts from locating a Job Corps 
Center at the subject property, the ``Continue Construction as 
Proposed'' alternative was selected.
    Based on the information gathered during the preparation of the EA, 
no environmental liabilities, current or historical, were found to 
exist on the proposed Job Corps Center site. The construction of a Job 
Corps Center on the undeveloped parcel located off of Overlook Terrace 
within the Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, Connecticut, will not 
create any significant adverse impacts on the environment.

    Dated at Washington, DC, this 6th day of October, 1999.
Mary Silva,
Director of Job Corps.
[FR Doc. 99-26761 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P