[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 218 (Thursday, November 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67441-67444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28779]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG 2000-8229]


Deepwater Capability Replacement Project: Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent and request for public comments; public 
meeting notice.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare a draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the development 
of

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a proposed action to modernize and replace the aging and 
technologically obsolete Coast Guard assets required for Deepwater 
missions. The Deepwater Capability Replacement Project (Deepwater 
Project) has been initiated to ensure the timely acquisition over the 
next few decades of appropriate assets for Deepwater missions. The 
Coast Guard seeks public and agency input on the scope of the PEIS. 
Specifically, the Coast Guard requests input on any environmental 
concerns that the public may have related to existing Deepwater assets, 
the proposal to replace and/or modernize these assets, sources of 
relevant data or information, and any suggested analysis methods for 
inclusion in the PEIS.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before January 19, 
2001. Open houses will be held on the following dates:

Oakland, CA, November 27, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Seattle, WA, November 28, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Juneau, AK, November 30, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cleveland, OH, December 4, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cambridge, MA, December 5, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Portsmouth, VA, December 7, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New Orleans, LA, December 11, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Miami, FL, December 12, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Honolulu, HI, December 14, 2000 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The open houses will be held at the following locations:

Oakland, CA--Marriott at City Center, Room 210, 1001 Broadway
Seattle, WA--Seattle Center, Shaw Room, Northwest Rooms Building, 305 
Harrison Street
Juneau, AK--Centennial Hall Convention Center, Egan Room, 101 Egan 
Drive
Cleveland, OH--Cleveland State University, University Center, Room 364, 
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cambridge, MA--Radisson Hotel, Ballroom, 777 Memorial Drive
Portsmouth, VA--Tidewater Community College, Waterfront Room, 7000 
College Drive
New Orleans, LA--New Orleans Public Library, Smith Branch, 6301 Canal 
Blvd
Miami, FL--West Dade Regional Library, Auditorium, 9445 SW 24th Street
Honolulu, HI--Honolulu Maritime Center, Pacific Room, Pier 7 Honolulu 
Harbor

    Comments may be submitted in several ways. To make sure your 
comments and related material are not entered more than once in the 
docket, please submit them by only one of the following means:
    (1) By mail to the Docket Management Facility (USCG-2000-8229), US 
Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (2) By delivery to Room PL-401 on the Plaza Level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) Electronically through the Web Site for the Docket Management 
System at http://dms.dot.gov.
    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments will become part of this docket and will be available 
for inspection or copying at Room PL-401, located on the Plaza Level of 
the Nassif Building at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also view this 
docket, including this notice and comments, on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the 
project, you may contact LCDR Eric Johnson, Deepwater Environmental & 
Facilities Planner, by phone at (202) 267-1665 or by e-mail at 
[email protected] or at the Coast Guard's Deepwater EIS Web Page 
at http://www.deepwaterEIS.com. For questions on viewing, or submitting 
material to the docket, contact Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, DOT, 
202-366-9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related materials on this 
notice. Persons submitting comments should include their names and 
addresses, identify this notice (USCG-2000-8229), and the reasons for 
each comment. You may submit your comments and materials by mail, hand 
delivery, fax, or electronic means to the Docket Management Facility at 
the address given under ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments and 
materials by only one means. If you submit them by mail or hand 
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them 
by mail and would like to know if they reached the Facility, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments and materials received during the comment period. 
For additional information about this notice or the Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement, contact Joan Lang, Deepwater Project 
NEPA Coordinator (under contract to the Coast Guard), 202-267-0284, or 
via email at [email protected].

Open Houses

    The Coast Guard intends to hold open houses at the times and 
locations listed in DATES and ADDRESSES. Comments on issues that the 
public feels should be included in the Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement will be accepted at these meetings.

Background Information

    Deepwater missions are defined as Coast Guard operations that occur 
at least 50 nautical miles offshore, or require an extended on-scene 
presence, long transit times to reach the operations area, and/or the 
forward deployment of forces. The Coast Guard's current Deepwater 
assets--medium- and high-endurance cutters, fixed and rotary wing 
aircraft and their supporting command, control and communications 
systems--are aging and technologically obsolete. The average age of the 
Coast Guard's Deepwater cutters is 27 years, making this force older 
than 40 of the world's 42 major naval fleets. While some cutters have 
received mid-life upgrades, during the next ten to fifteen years all of 
our assets will reach the end of their projected service life. As a 
result of this age, Coast Guard assets lack the ability and technology 
necessary for efficient and effective mission performance.
    The Deepwater Project is the Coast Guard's answer, ensuring the 
timely acquisition of appropriate resources to remedy the aging fleet 
dilemma and meeting deepwater mission requirements. These Deepwater 
missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement (MLE, 
including drug LE, living marine resources LE and alien migrant 
interdiction), national defense and marine environmental protection. 
Detailed information about the Project is included in the Appendix to 
this notice. It may also be found at the Project's web site at http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater.

Proposed Action

    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (Section 102[2][c]), as implemented by the Council on

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Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), Department 
of Transportation (DOT) Order 5610.1C (Procedures for Considering 
Environmental Impacts), and Coast Guard Policy (NEPA: Implementing 
Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts, COMDTINST 
M16475.1C), the Coast Guard intends to prepare a Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on the Deepwater Project. The 
purpose of a PEIS is to develop a high-level approach and direction for 
implementing a broad policy or program. The Deepwater Project meets 
those criteria.
    NEPA requires federal agencies to consider all significant aspects 
of environmental impacts that may result from a proposed action, to 
inform the public of potential impacts and alternatives, and to 
facilitate public involvement in the assessment process. The core of 
the impact assessment process is the environmental impact statement, or 
EIS. The EIS must include, among other topics, discussions of the 
purpose and need for the proposed action, a description of 
alternatives, and an evaluation of the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action and alternatives. Once an EIS is completed, the lead 
agency prepares a record of decision (ROD), a legally binding document 
that identifies the agency's decision including any mitigation measures 
required to offset impacts.
    A programmatic EIS is prepared on a ``broad federal action such as 
the adoption of new agency programs''. When preparing a PEIS, the 
agency may evaluate the program based on common geographic locations, 
similarities of impacts, or stages of development. Because no site-
specific homeporting and bedding down decisions--allocating assets and 
staff to Coast Guard facilities--will be made during this stage of the 
project, the PEIS is expected to facilitate and expedite the 
preparation of subsequent project-specific NEPA documents.
    The PEIS will address the general environmental impacts of each of 
the three alternative systems being considered for replacement of the 
current Deepwater system, and the no action alternative, while 
subsequent analyses will address specific implementing actions, such as 
homeporting new ships and aircraft. Hence, as the first-tier EIS, the 
PEIS would cover general issues in a broader program-oriented analysis. 
Subsequent NEPA documentation will concentrate on the issues specific 
to the action being considered.
    The environment to be affected by the proposed action may be the 
entire marine and terrestrial coastal region of the continental US, 
Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Guam, and the Great Lakes where the 
Coast Guard has Deepwater facilities, as well as the areas where 
Deepwater missions are conducted. Deepwater missions are defined as 
Coast Guard operations that occur at least 50 nautical miles offshore, 
or require an extended on-scene presence, long transit times to reach 
the operations area, and/or the forward deployment of forces. The PEIS 
will discuss the general aspects of the affected environment, such as 
air quality, water quality, terrestrial and marine vegetation and 
wildlife, endangered species and their habitat, wetlands, historic and 
cultural resources, public safety, and land use. The PEIS will compare 
the potential environmental impacts and benefits that would result from 
each of the three alternatives and the no action alternative. For the 
purposes of the PEIS, the location of these assets throughout the 
country will be designated on a regional level. As required by NEPA, 
the Coast Guard also will analyze the ``no action'' alternative as a 
baseline for comparing the impacts of the proposed project.
    The Coast Guard encourages public participation in the PEIS 
process. Presently, the Coast Guard is conducting a nationwide public 
scoping process to help identify environmental issues to be addressed 
in the PEIS. The scoping period will be 45 days starting with 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The public and 
agencies will be able to select from a variety of outreach tools to 
learn about the Deepwater Project. Multiple methods for providing 
comments will be available, including mail, Internet, and fax. These 
opportunities will be widely publicized through multiple news media and 
the Deepwater Project EIS web site at http://www.DeepwaterEIS.com. 
Information on the Coast Guard's Deepwater mission can be found at 
http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater. In addition, the Coast Guard will 
conduct open houses according to the schedule provided in this Federal 
Register notice (see DATES). This process is designed to ensure the 
public participation process is accessible to all interested parties 
and that it meets the goal established by Executive Order 12898 
(Environmental Justice) by including all affected low-income and 
minority populations in the public participation process.
    In order to obtain maximum public input and participation, the USCG 
will release all relevant information allowed by law. Some procurement 
sensitive and other information may be withheld from public documents. 
To the fullest extent possible, the USCG will segregate any procurement 
sensitive information that is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA) into an appendix to facilitate public review 
of the remainder of the NEPA document. If segregation of information 
exempt from FOIA would leave essentially meaningless material, the USCG 
will withhold portions of the NEPA document or the entire NEPA document 
from the public. However, the USCG shall circulate the complete NEPA 
document including procurement sensitive information withheld from 
public review, to the USCG decision makers, in accordance with the CEQ, 
DOT and USCG Regulations.
    Following the scoping process, the Coast Guard will prepare a Draft 
PEIS. Unless the USCG finds that the entire NEPA document must be 
withheld from public review, a notice of availability will be published 
in the Federal Register and national newspapers when the Draft PEIS is 
available. Public notices will be mailed or e-mailed to those on the 
PEIS distribution list. This period will provide the public with an 
opportunity to review the document and to offer appropriate comments. 
Public hearings may be held during the review period to capture verbal 
comments on the Draft PEIS. If public hearings will be held, the time 
and place of the hearings will be announced in the Federal Register and 
other media.
    Unless the USCG finds that the entire NEPA document must be 
withheld from public review, the comments received during the Draft 
PEIS review period will be published and made available in the Final 
PEIS. A notice of availability of the Final PEIS will be published in 
the Federal Register and in other public notices. NEPA provides for a 
30-day comment period after publication of the Final PEIS, during which 
the public may comment on the adequacy of responses to comments and the 
Final PEIS. After that time, a ROD detailing the Coast Guard's decision 
identifying the selected alternative will be prepared and published in 
the Federal Register. The entire ROD will be available for public 
review regardless of whether parts or all of the DEIS and FEIS must be 
withheld from the public.

    Dated: November 3, 2000.
R.J. Casto,
RADM, USCG, Assistant Commandant for Acquisition.

Appendix

The Coast Guard Deepwater Capabilities Replacement Project

    The Coast Guard operates in inland, coastal, and Deepwater 
maritime regions.

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Deepwater missions are defined as operations that occur at least 50 
nautical miles offshore, or require an extended on-scene presence, 
long transit times to reach the operations area, and/or the forward 
deployment of forces. Deepwater missions typically require Coast 
Guard personnel to be involved in long-term, continuous missions, 
often with deployments away from home stations for several months on 
end. These missions may also take place in severe environments from 
arctic to tropical, 24 hours a day, wherever the Coast Guard's 
presence is required.
    Overall, the Coast Guard performs fourteen statutorily mandated 
missions in the Deepwater regions around the globe. These fall into 
four main categories: Maritime Law Enforcement; Maritime Safety; 
National Defense; and Marine Environmental Protection.
    Maritime Law Enforcement includes: Living marine resources 
enforcement, drug interdiction, alien migrant interdiction and 
general law enforcement.
    Maritime Safety includes: Search and rescue (SAR) and the 
International Ice Patrol.
    National Defense includes: General defense operations, maritime 
intercept operations, deployed port security and defense operations, 
environmental defense operations, and peacetime military engagement.
    Marine Environmental Protection includes: Maritime pollution 
enforcement and response, lightering zone enforcement and foreign 
vessel inspection.
    In 1999, an Interagency Task Force on United States Coast Guard 
Roles and Missions was appointed to ``provide advice and 
recommendations regarding the appropriate roles and missions for the 
Coast Guard through the year 2020,'' with special attention to the 
Deepwater missions. The Task Force's findings affirmed that the 
Coast Guard must remain a military, multi-mission, maritime service 
in the 21st century to meet national policies and statutory 
mandates. The Task Force further recommended that the Coast Guard 
forces possess inherent operational flexibility and adaptability, 
including the ability to operate alongside the forces and personnel 
of other US armed services, US civilian agencies, and nations. In 
addition, the Coast Guard must strive to be cost effective across 
all missions.
    The Coast Guard's Deepwater ships and aircraft (assets) are 
aging and technologically obsolete. This equipment was originally 
acquired from the early 1960s to the mid 1980s. The average age of 
the Deepwater cutters is 27 years old, making this force older than 
36 of the world's 41 major naval fleets. Although some cutters 
received upgrades, during the next 10 years these cutters will reach 
the ends of their projected service lives.
    Consequently, Deepwater assets lack fundamental capabilities and 
technologies necessary for efficient and effective mission 
performance. Examples include poor sensors and night operations 
capability, inadequate communication systems among Coast Guard units 
and forces of other services, agencies and navies of other 
countries. In addition, antiquated technology increases operating 
and maintenance hours and costs, placing greater demands on the 
logistics infrastructure.
[FR Doc. 00-28779 Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
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