[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 213 (Friday, November 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55645-55646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27617]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Record of Decision for Transfer and Reuse of the Naval Weapons 
Industrial Reserve Plant, Bethpage, NY

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy announces its decision to transfer 
the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, at Bethpage, New York, to 
Nassau County, New York.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 1998, section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for implementing NEPA procedures (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
the Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its decision to transfer 
the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Bethpage (NWIRP) to Nassau 
County, New York. The conveyance and subsequent reuse of this property 
will be in accordance with the preferred alternative as described in 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

Background

    NWIRP Bethpage is located in the hamlet of Bethpage, town of Oyster 
Bay, and consists of two land parcels encompassing about 109.5 acres. 
The larger parcel (105 acres) contains Plant 3; Plant 10; Buildings 4-9 
(north warehouses); Buildings 11-20 (south warehouses); and 30 Navy-
owned ancillary buildings. The smaller parcel (4.5 acres) contains 
Plant 20 and one out-building. In addition to these land holdings, the 
transfer of NWIRP Bethpage includes Plant 5, a Navy-owned research and 
development building, and six other Navy-owned buildings located on 
land owned by the Northrop Grumman Corporation.
    The Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1998 authorized the 
Secretary of the Navy to convey the property to Nassau County, NY, 
provided the property is used for economic redevelopment or other 
public uses.
    Alternatives Considered--The Federal action is the conveyance of 
the NWIRP property outside of federal control. The EIS considered reuse 
of the NWIRP property an indirect effect of conveyance. The EIS 
analyzed the indirect effects of Nassau County's Preferred Reuse Plan, 
as well as the indirect effects of two other reuse plans, one that 
proposed a lesser intensity use and the other a greater intensity use 
of the site.
    Nassau County's Preferred Reuse Plan proposes a mix of light 
industrial, warehousing, and office uses for the 105-acre parcel, and 
commercial uses on the 4.5-acre parcel. A total of about 1.97 million 
square feet of new and existing buildings would provide employment 
opportunities for about 5,400 workers. Full build-out of the NWIRP 
Bethpage property under the Preferred Reuse Plan was estimated to occur 
in 2010.
    The EIS evaluated the development of NWIRP Bethpage under a second 
mixed reuse plan that proposed a less intense use than that in the 
Preferred Reuse Plan. Under the less intense reuse plan, about 1.7 
million square feet in existing buildings and new construction would 
provide employment opportunities for 2,200 workers.
    The EIS evaluated a third use plan that proposed a more intense use 
than the Preferred Reuse Plan. Under the more intense reuse plan, the 
NWIRP property would be redeveloped entirely for administrative use. 
This alternative would result in about 2.2 million square feet of 
office space and create job opportunities for approximately 9,900 
employees.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the NWIRP property would not be 
conveyed and would remain in U.S. Government ownership. The property 
would be placed in federal caretaker status with Navy maintaining the 
physical condition of the property, providing a security force, and 
making repairs essential to safety.
    Environmental Impact of the Preferred Alternative--The EIS analyzes 
direct, indirect and cumulative environmental impacts. There are no 
direct environmental impacts associated with Navy conveyance of the 
property to Nassau County because conveyance simply results in a change 
in ownership. There are indirect and cumulative impacts that would 
result from Nassau County implementing its Preferred Reuse Plan after 
conveyance of the property.
    Redevelopment of the property will generate an estimated 5,400 new 
jobs, resulting in beneficial socioeconomic impacts. Annual estimated 
earnings of these new jobs would be about $220 million. Other 
employment occurring in the region as a result of the new development 
on the NWIRP property is estimated at 7,250 new jobs providing an 
additional $203 million in earnings. As the property is transitioned 
from county ownership to private ownership, and thereby subject to 
local real estate taxes, the estimated tax generated would be about $13 
million.
    The Reuse Plan does not provide for any new housing units on the 
NWIRP

[[Page 55646]]

site. The new workers at the NWIRP site are expected to commute from 
elsewhere in the region and therefore the local school system will not 
be significantly impacted. Even if there is worker migration into the 
area, local school systems have sufficient capacity to accommodate any 
corresponding increase in student enrollment. There will be additional 
demands on community support services such as police, fire, and 
emergency care. It is expected that this need would increase gradually 
over several years. The Reuse Plan provides for additional property tax 
revenue to support increased service costs.
    Traffic generated by implementation of the Reuse Plan is expected 
to cause degraded levels of service at several intersections in the 
vicinity of the NWIRP site. State and Local governments will need to 
make intersection and roadway improvements to mitigate the impacts of 
increased traffic. With such improvements, there will be no significant 
traffic-related impacts.
    The Clean Air Act General Conformity rule is not applicable to the 
transfer of the NWIRP Bethpage property, as stated in 40 CFR part 
153(c), exemptions (XIV) and (XIX). While there will be an increase in 
carbon monoxide emissions due to the increase in traffic, the increase 
in CO will not be significant since the levels will remain below the 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
    Noise levels will increase approximately three decibels due to 
additional traffic. These higher noise levels will exceed Federal 
Highway Administration and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development standards for residential property located in the 
surrounding area. However, existing noise levels in the area already 
exceed established residential noise standards, and the three-decibel 
increase will be barely perceptible to the general population.
    Implementation of the Reuse Plan will result in the demolition of 
18 of the 19 historic buildings comprising the Bethpage Naval Aircraft 
Production Historic District. Demolition of the historic buildings will 
alter the historic setting, feeling, and character of the historic 
district and will result in an adverse effect. The Final EIS discussed 
the possible use of protective covenants as mitigation for adverse 
impacts on the historic district in the event Nassau County and the New 
York State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) could not agree on how 
to mitigate those impacts. After the Final EIS was published, Nassau 
County and the SHPO agreed that recordation of the historic buildings 
as mitigation. Nassau County completed the recordation process and the 
SHPO accepted this recordation process as adequate mitigation for 
demolition of the historic structures.
    There will be no significant impacts to biological resources. 
Nearly all of the NWIRP Bethpage property is fully developed. There is 
insufficient habitat at the site to support most wildlife species and 
there are no federally listed threatened or endangered species at NWIRP 
Bethpage.
    There will be no significant impacts associated with existing 
hazardous waste sites. Transfer of Navy property must include a 
determination of the environmental suitability of the land for transfer 
to a nonfederal agency or to the public. Most areas on NWIRP Bethpage 
meet the requirements for transfer set out in the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act without further 
environmental action. The Navy is working with Nassau County and the 
Grumman Master Planning Council to coordinate transfer of the parcels 
scheduled for reuse. The Navy intends to clean up the NWIRP site to 
levels approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New 
York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Nassau 
County Department of Health Bureau of Environmental Exposure 
Investigations.
    In accordance with Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to 
Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations, Navy analyzed the direct and indirect effects of the 
proposed conveyance and reuse on low income and minority populations. 
The conveyance and reuse will not cause adverse and disproportionately 
high environmental or economic impacts to minority or low-income 
populations residing in the region.
    Mitigation--No mitigation is required for direct impacts associated 
with conveyance of the property. Reuse will result in indirect impacts 
that can be mitigated through measures taken directly by state and 
local governments or imposed on private developers through state and 
local permitting processes. For example, Nassau County could change 
traffic signal timing, realign roadways, and institute traffic 
regulatory measures, thereby reducing intersection delays and overall 
congestion. Nassau County could impose limitations on air emissions or 
water discharges as conditions in building permits.
    Comments Received on the FEIS--The Navy received one comment letter 
on the FEIS. EPA requested that the Navy incorporate measures to reduce 
reliance on automobile travel into the deed or other conveyance 
documents. The Navy has no authority to impose such restrictions in a 
deed or other conveyance document. Measures relating to limitations on 
parking or traffic control measures are a function of local zoning and 
permitting authorities that are purely functions of state and local 
government police powers.
    EPA also requested that Navy determine whether airborne volatile 
organic compounds emanating from contaminated groundwater affected 
indoor air. Navy gathered and analyzed indoor air samples and provided 
the results of the analysis to EPA and the New York Department of 
Environmental Conservation. The results of this indoor air analysis 
will be incorporated into the Navy's Finding of Suitability to Transfer 
(FOST).
    Conclusion--Nassau County identified the Preferred Reuse Plan as 
the plan that best responds to local and regional economic conditions 
and promotes economic recovery from the closure of the NWIRP Bethpage. 
The Preferred Reuse Plan complies with the conditions imposed by 
Congress on the conveyance of the NWIRP property. Potentially 
significant environmental impacts associated with implementation of the 
Preferred Reuse Plan can be mitigated either directly by the State and 
Nassau County or indirectly through the regulatory authorities 
exercised by the State and Nassau County over private landowners and 
developers.
    Although the ``no action'' alternative has less potential for 
adverse environmental impacts and is the environmentally preferred 
alternative, it would not promote local economic redevelopment and 
create jobs. Keeping the property in caretaker status would not be the 
highest and best use of the property because it would not take 
advantage of the property's physical characteristics and 
infrastructure.
    Based on the analysis contained in the FEIS and associated 
administrative record, I have decided to convey the Naval Weapons 
Industrial Reserve Plant Bethpage, New York, to the County of Nassau as 
provided for in the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1998.

    Dated: October 23, 2001.
Duncan Holaday,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Facilities).
[FR Doc. 01-27617 Filed 11-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P