[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59321-59322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20436]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for an Annex to the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Marine 
Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c)), as 
implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Air Station 
Miramar (MCAS Miramar) and Department of Veterans Affairs intend to 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and conduct a public 
scoping meeting for the proposed development and operation of a 
national veteran's cemetery at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California. 
The cemetery will be an annex to the Department of Veterans Affairs 
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

DATES: All written scoping comments must be received by Friday, 
November 18, 2005. A public meeting to receive comments on the scope of 
the EIS will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2005, from 6 p.m. to 8 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to: Ms. Hiphil S. 
Clemente (Code OPCE.HC), Southwest Division, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, California, 
92132. The public scoping meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn 
Select Miramar, 9335 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Hiphil S. Clemente, Southwest 
Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command at telephone 619-532-
3781, fax 619-532-4160, or E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Veterans Affairs operates 
the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, located on the Point Loma 
Submarine Base. It is the only national cemetery in San Diego County 
and has been closed to casketed burials since 1966. It will be closed 
to cremated remains burials by 2008. About 7 acres of additional land 
was acquired from the Point Loma Submarine Base in 2002. The National 
Cemetery Administration constructed columbarium niches to provide a 
limited number of cremation burial options to the San Diego veteran 
population. Demand for these columbarium niches as a burial option has 
been high, resulting in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery being ranked 
the tenth busiest national cemetery, according to interment workload 
within the National Cemetery Administration. Accordingly, with this 
high demand, these columbarium niches are rapidly being depleted at 
this cemetery and will only provide space until 2008. No additional 
land is available for expansion at Fort Rosecrans or Point Loma 
Submarine Base.
    The Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration 
has identified a need for additional burial space for the 253,000 San 
Diego area military veterans. The Department of the Navy offered four 
potential sites at MCAS Miramar for consideration.
    A Siting Study was prepared by the Department of the Navy and 
Department of Veterans Affairs to evaluate the suitability of the four 
potential MCAS Miramar cemetery sites. Based on the Siting Study, two 
sites were determined feasible for use and will be evaluated in detail 
in the EIS.
    The proposed action is development and operation of a national 
veterans cemetery at MCAS Miramar as part of an annex to the Department 
of Veterans Affairs Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. The proposal 
includes a land use agreement between the Department of the Navy and 
Department of Veterans Affairs for development and operation of the 
cemetery. The proposed site, identified as Site 2, is a 327-acre site 
located in the northwestern corner of MCAS Miramar across Miramar Road. 
The site is bounded by Miramar Road to the north, the commuter railway 
to the south and east, and the western boundary of MCAS Miramar to the 
west.
    An alternative site, identified as Site 4, is a 279-acre site 
located in the south-central portion of MCAS Miramar in the former Camp 
Elliott area. The site is completely surrounded by freeways with State 
Route 163 to the west, State Route 52 to the south, and Interstate 15 
to the east. Kearny Villa Road traverses the site in a north-south 
direction.
    The EIS will evaluate potential environmental effects associated 
with action alternatives and the no action alternative. Potential 
issues include, but are not limited to, biological resources, historic 
and archaeological resources, geology and soils, hydrology, air 
quality, explosive safety and traffic. Relevant and reasonable measures 
that could alleviate environmental effects will be considered.
    The Department of the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs 
will jointly undertake necessary consultations with regulatory entities 
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National 
Historic Preservation Act, and any other applicable law or regulation. 
Consultation will include but is not limited to the following Federal, 
state, and local agencies: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; State 
Historic Preservation Officer; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; San Diego Regional Water Quality 
Control Board; California Department of Transportation; San Diego Air 
Pollution Control District; California Department of Toxic Substance 
Control; and the County of San Diego, Department of Environmental 
Health.
    The public scoping period begins with the publication of this 
Notice of Intent and ends November 18, 2005. All scoping comments must 
be received by November 18, 2005. A public scoping meeting will be held 
on Wednesday, November 2, 2005, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Holiday 
Inn Select Miramar, 9335 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, California. The 
public scoping meeting will follow an informal open house format. The 
public is invited to attend the meeting at their convenience during the 
meeting hours and can view project-related displays and speak with 
Department of the Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs 
representatives. A

[[Page 59322]]

court reporter will be available at the meeting to accept oral 
comments.

    Dated: October 4, 2005.
I.C. Le Moyne Jr.,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Alternate 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-20436 Filed 10-11-05; 8:45 am]
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