[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37458-37459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17905]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Public Hearings for the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for Ford Island Development, Pearl Harbor, HI

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with 
the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Ford Island 
Development, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Two public hearings will be held to 
receive oral and written comments on the Draft PEIS in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as implemented by 
the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508), and request input as part of the Section 106 process of the 
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as implemented by the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regulations (36 CFR Part 
800). Federal, state, and local agencies and interested individuals are 
invited to be present or represented at the hearing.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The first public hearing will be held on 
Wednesday, August 1, 2001, at 7 p.m. in the Aliamanu Intermediate 
School Cafeteria, 3271 Salt Lake Boulevard, Honolulu, HI. The second 
public hearing will be held on Thursday, August 2, 2001, at 7:00 p.m. 
in the Washington Middle School Cafeteria, 1633 South King Street, 
Honolulu, HI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stanley Uehara (Code PLN231), 
Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 258 Makalapa 
Drive, STE 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134, telephone (808) 471-9338, 
fax (808) 474-5909, E-Mail .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of NEPA, the 
Navy has prepared and filed with the EPA a Draft PEIS for development 
of Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, HI.
    A Notice of Intent for this PEIS was published in the Federal 
Register on April 14, 2000 (65 FR 20141).
    Two public scoping meetings were held in Honolulu, HI, on May 2, 
2000, and on May 4, 2000.
    The proposed action is to consolidate selected operations at Pearl 
Harbor by locating and relocating certain activities onto Ford Island. 
This proposed action will use special legislation (10 U.S.C. 2814) that 
permits the Navy to sell or lease underutilized Navy properties on Oahu 
and to use the proceeds (in cash or in kind) for construction and 
facilities maintenance on Ford Island. Other work will be accomplished 
through conventional means such as the Military Construction Program, 
Non-Appropriated Funds, and Family Housing Public-Private Venture. 
Under consideration are new construction and, as appropriate, adaptive 
reuse of existing structures on Ford Island, for up to 420 new family 
housing units, up to 250,000 square feet of administrative space, 
bachelor enlisted quarters for up to 1,000 personnel, and a 
consolidated training complex, as well as infrastructure improvements. 
Up to 75 acres on Ford Island are proposed for private sector 
opportunities through a lease agreement. Four other Navy-owned parcels 
are proposed for sale or lease in return for revenues or in-kind 
consideration: Navy property at the Waikele Branch of Naval Magazine 
Pearl Harbor; family housing and related property at the former Naval 
Air Station Barbers Point; family housing and related property at 
Iroquois Point/Puuloa Housing; and Halawa Landing property on Pearl 
Harbor main side.
    The proposed action will make positive use of the available lands 
and historic buildings on Ford Island in order to achieve greater 
operational efficiency and provide improved housing and quality of life 
for sailors and their families. Specific objectives are to provide 
additional high-quality family housing and community support services 
in close proximity to the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex where sailors 
work, thereby reducing commuting distances and improving the quality of 
their lives, and reducing maintenance costs and congestion at Pearl 
Harbor main side by relocating certain activities to Ford Island and 
replacing obsolete facilities. Use of some portions of Ford Island is 
constrained by existing facilities, historic resources, and operational 
requirements.
    Alternatives for different levels of intensity of land use on Ford 
Island are considered in the Draft PEIS: High Intensity; Medium 
Intensity; Low Intensity; and No Action. Each development alternative 
represents a different designed balance between Navy and private 
development activities on Ford Island, and each alternative, except the 
No Action Alternative, includes the sale or lease of Navy properties to 
support Ford Island development. The High Intensity alternative assumes 
a level of development on Ford Island that meets all Navy facilities 
requirements, combined with private development that maximizes mixed-
use development. The Medium Intensity Alternative also meets Navy 
facilities requirements on Ford Island with private development 
representing a reasonably sized mixed-use development. The Low 
Intensity Alternative limits the development on Ford Island to Navy 
requirements only. The Draft PEIS also considers the No Action 
Alternative, which assumes no further development of Ford Island, no 
private development, and no sale or long-term lease of Navy properties.
    No decision on the proposed action will be made until the NEPA 
process is completed. The decision will be announced when the Secretary 
of the Navy releases the Record of Decision.
    The Draft PEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and 
local agencies, elected officials, and special interest groups. The 
Draft PEIS is available for public review at the following public 
libraries:

--Hawaii State Library, 478 South King Street, Honolulu, HI
--Salt Lake/Moanalua Public Library, 3225 Salt Lake Boulevard, 
Honolulu, HI
--Aiea Public Library, 99-143 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI
--Pearl City Public Library, 1138 Waimano Home Road, Pearl City, HI
--Waipahu Public Library, 94-275 Mokuola Street, Waipahu, HI
--Ewa Beach Public Library, 91-950 North Road, Ewa Beach, HI
    The Navy will conduct two public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments concerning the Draft PEIS. The public hearings will 
begin with a brief presentation followed by a request for comments on 
the Draft PEIS. Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested 
parties are invited to be

[[Page 37459]]

present or represented at the hearings. Those who intend to speak will 
be asked to submit a speaker card (available at the door). Oral 
comments will be transcribed by a stenographer. To assure accuracy of 
the record, all statements should be submitted in writing. All 
statements, both oral and written, will become part of the public 
record in the study, with equal weight given to each. 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 
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division, 258 Makalapa 
Drive, STE 100, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 96860-3134 (Attn: Mr. Stanley 
Uehara, Code PLN231). Written comments should be postmarked by August 
27, 2001.

    Dated: July 11, 2001.
T. J. Welsh,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Federal 
Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-17905 Filed 7-17-01; 8:45 am]
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