[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 73 (Friday, April 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20141-20142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9369]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for Development of Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy (DON) announces its intent to prepare a 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the development 
of Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in order to provide needed 
facilities and services and deliver overall benefits to the DON at the 
Pearl Harbor Naval Complex. This announcement also serves as notice 
that public scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments in 
accordance with NEPA, and request input as part of the Section 106 
process of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as 
implemented by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) 
regulations (36 CFR part 800). The PEIS will also address the potential 
impacts of the sale or lease of DON property on Oahu, as authorized by 
10 USC 2814 ``Special authority for the development of Ford Island, 
Hawaii'' and 10 U.S.C. 2871 et seq. ``Alternate Authority for the 
Acquisition and Improvement of Military Housing.''

DATES: Two public scoping meetings will be held to receive oral and 
written comments on the scope of the PEIS and public input relative to 
historic resources. The first meeting will be held on May 2, 2000, at 7 
p.m. in the Washington Middle School, 1633 South King Street, Honolulu, 
Hawaii. The second meeting will be held on May 4, 2000, at 7 p.m. in 
the Makalapa Elementary School, 4435 Salt Lake Boulevard, Honolulu, 
Hawaii.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stanley Uehara (Code PLN231), 
Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 258 Makalapa 
Drive, STE 100, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 96860-3134; telephone (808) 471-
9338; fax (808) 474-5909; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to develop Ford 
Island to provide needed facilities and services and deliver overall 
benefits to the Department of the Navy (DON) at the Pearl Harbor Naval 
Complex. Ford Island is a central feature in the Pearl Harbor National 
Historic Landmark. The PEIS will also address the potential impacts of 
the sale or lease of Navy property on Oahu to fund the development on 
Ford Island, as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 2814 ``Special authority for 
the development of Ford Island, Hawaii'' (hereafter referred to as 
``Ford Island legislation'') and 10 U.S.C. 2871 et seq. ``Alternate 
Authority for the Acquisition and Improvement of Military Housing'' 
(hereafter referred to as the Military Housing Privatization Initiative 
(MFPI) legislation). The Ford Island legislation allows DON to sell or 
lease properties in Hawaii and use the proceeds to develop Ford Island. 
The MHPI legislation allows DON to sell or lease properties and use the 
proceeds to invest in public-private ventures to provide military 
housing. Properties available for potential sale or lease include: DON 
property at the Waikele Branch of Naval Magazine Lualualei; the golf 
course, family housing, and related property at the former Naval Air 
Station Barbers Point; family housing and related property at Iroquois 
Point/Puuloa; property on Pearl Harbor mainside; and property on Ford 
Island. In addition to the Ford Island and MHPI legislation, other 
existing authorities could be used such as construction using 
traditional Military Construction or Non-appropriated Funds.
    Due to the variety of actions envisioned for Ford Island, a PEIS is 
appropriate to provide an overview analysis of the affected environment 
and the potential cumulative impacts of reasonably foreseeable actions. 
Additional NEPA documentation may subsequently be required as specific 
projects are identified to meet the development objectives. The DON is 
considering adaptive reuse of existing structures on Ford Island and 
new construction to meet such facility requirements as: administrative 
and operational facilities, family and bachelor housing, transient 
lodging, support and commercial services, and infrastructure. 
Development could include filling some tidelands to construct a 
breakwater and/or marina. In addition to these requirements, 
approximately 75 acres on Ford Island could be made available for 
compatible commercial ventures. The purpose of developing Ford Island 
is to allow the DON to centralize operations for overall efficiency; to 
improve the quality of life for service members by improving work and 
leisure facilities and reducing commuting distances; and to reduce 
maintenance costs and congestion at mainside by replacing antiquated 
and obsolete facilities. Development of some portions of Ford Island is 
constrained by existing facilities, historic resources, and operational 
requirements.
    Alternatives to be considered in the PEIS will be potential land 
development options comprising various levels of land-use for Ford 
Island that are consistent with the development objectives. The DON 
will solicit input from private sector developers through a Request for 
Expressions of Interest in order to obtain their expertise in 
developing land-use alternatives. Any reasonable alternatives to DON's 
land-use concept will be considered, as will comments received from 
federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations and the 
public during the scoping process.

[[Page 20142]]

    The PEIS will evaluate the environmental effects associated with 
alternatives developed through the Request for Expressions of Interest 
and during the scoping process. Issues to be addressed include, but are 
not limited to: cultural and historic resources and impacts on the 
adjacent USS Missouri and USS Arizona Memorial; biological resources 
and habitat as may be impacted by in-water construction; water 
resources and hydrology; soils and geology; public services and 
utilities; traffic and noise; public health and safety; hazardous 
materials and wastes; and environmental justice. The analysis will 
include an evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-term, and 
cumulative impacts. No decision to implement any alternative, including 
the No-Action Alternative, will be made until the NEPA process is 
complete.
    The DON will conduct two public scoping meetings to identify 
potentially significant issues, and to notify interested and affected 
parties of the PEIS process. A brief presentation describing the 
proposed action, historic resources related to the Pearl Harbor 
National Historic Landmark, and the NEPA process will precede the 
public's opportunity to comment relating to the scope of the PEIS. The 
purposes and format of the meetings are provided to invite public input 
on historic resource issues as part of the Section 106 process of the 
National Historic Preservation Act, as well as public involvement 
requirements specified under NEPA. It is important that interested 
federal, state, and local agencies, organizations and individuals take 
this opportunity to identify environmental and other related concerns 
that they believe should be addressed during preparation of the PEIS.
    To allow time for all views to be shared, speakers will be asked to 
limit their oral comments to three minutes. Agencies and the public are 
invited to provide written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral 
comments at the public meetings. Scoping comments should clearly 
describe specific issues or topics that the commentor believes the PEIS 
should address and those that the NHPA process should address. Written 
comments are to be filed with Mr. Stanley Uehara (Code PLN231), Pacific 
Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 258 Makalapa Drive, STE 
100, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and must be postmarked no later than May 15, 
2000.

    Dated: April 7, 2000.
J.L. Roth,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-9369 Filed 4-13-00; 8:45 am]
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