[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71182-71183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20935]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2006-26298)


Homeporting of Four National Security Cutters at Alameda, CA; 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

[[Page 71183]]


ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard (USCG) announces the availability of the draft 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the homeporting of four National 
Security Cutters (NSCs) at Coast Guard Island (CGI), Alameda, 
California, and requests public comments. The draft EA tiers from the 
USCG's 2002 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 
for the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program. The purpose of the 
proposed action is to replace the four existing 378-foot High Endurance 
Cutters (WHECs) currently homeported at CGI with the NSCs. The USCG 
proposes to replace the WHECs on a one for one replacement schedule 
starting in 2007/2008 and continuing one per year until 2010/2011.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before January 8, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2006-26298 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one 
of the following methods:
    (1) Web site: http://dms.dot.gov.
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (4) Delivery: 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.
    Copies of the draft EA are also available at the Alameda Main 
Library, 2200-A Central Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501; and at the Oakland 
Public Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
the proposed action, or the associated draft EA, contact CDR Paul 
Boinay, Coast Guard, telephone 571-218-3382 or e-mail 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket 
Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the 
draft EA. All comments received will be posted, without change, to 
http://dms.dot.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation 
(DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy 
Act'' paragraph below.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your 
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2006-26298), and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your 
comments and material by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to 
the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but 
please submit your comments and material by only one means. If you 
submit them by mail or 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 that they 
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard 
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period.
    Viewing the comments and draft EA: To view the comments and draft 
EA, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time, click on ``Simple Search,'' 
enter the last five digits of the docket number for this notice, and 
click on ``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility 
in 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. Copies of the draft EA are also 
available at the Alameda Main Library, 2200-A Central Avenue, Alameda, 
CA 94501; and at the Oakland Public Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland, 
CA 94612.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the 
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

Proposed Action

    To continue to meet America's 21st century maritime threats and 
challenges, the Coast Guard initiated the Integrated Deepwater System 
program, the largest and most innovative acquisition in the Coast 
Guard's history. The IDS will contribute to the Coast Guard's maritime 
domain awareness, as well as the improved ability to intercept, engage, 
and deter those activities that pose a direct challenge/threat to U.S. 
sovereignty and security. IDS will provide the means to extend our 
layered maritime defenses from our ports and coastal areas to hundreds 
of miles out to sea.
    As part of the IDS program, the Coast Guard proposes a NSC 
homeporting plan that entails homeporting four NSCs, some pier 
improvements and a new administrative building at CGI in Alameda, 
California. The four NSCs would replace, on a one-for-one basis, the 
four aging 378-foot High-Endurance Cutters (WHECs) currently stationed 
in Alameda.
    To accommodate the vessels and crew, in addition to the proposed 
homeporting, improvements to the existing waterfront pier and 
construction of a new administration building would be required at the 
existing base to provide adequate shore-side support.

Draft Environmental Assessment

    We have prepared a draft EA. The draft EA identifies and examines 
the reasonable alternatives and assesses their potential environmental 
impact. The draft EA evaluates the potential direct, indirect and 
cumulative impacts associated with the NSC homeporting plan. The draft 
EA tiers from the USCG's Final PEIS for the IDS Program (see notice of 
availability, 67 FR 15275, Mar. 29, 2002).
    Our preferred alternative is to homeport the four NSCs into an area 
where the necessary shore side infrastructure and port environment 
already exists to support this class and number of vessels. The 
existing base on CGI provides the shore support necessary to meet the 
logistical requirements of the four NSCs. This existing support 
includes secure facilities, easy access for Coast Guard personnel, 
administrative and support buildings and services, and required shore 
ties to service in-port cutters.
    We are requesting your comments on the draft EA including 
environmental impacts and resources analyzed in the draft EA or 
possible sources of data or information not included in the draft EA. 
Your comments will be considered in preparing the final EA.

    Dated: December 5, 2006.
Joseph E. Mihelic,
Chief of Deepwater Transition Management.
[FR Doc. E6-20935 Filed 12-7-06; 8:45 am]
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