[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 28 (Monday, February 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7713-7714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2457]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact 
Statement / Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Relocation of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center located in La Jolla, California

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a joint National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Environmental Impact Report (EIR); 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NOAA announces its intent to prepare a joint EIS/EIR to 
analyze the environmental impacts of relocating its Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center (SWFSC) near the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 
(SIO) within the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) campus in 
La Jolla, California.
    Publication of this notice is to request public participation 
during preparation of the EIS/EIR to help determine the scope of 
environmental issues and range of alternatives to be addressed, and to 
provide information as to how to participate.

DATES: A public scoping meeting will held on the following 
date:Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - 5 p.m. tour of SWFSC and 6 p.m. 
meeting start time, SWFSC Lab, Building A, Large Conference Room, 8604 
La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Elston, Environmental Research 
Analyst, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, G 234, Menlo Park, 
CA 94025-3493; e-mai [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
is responsible for the management, conservation, and protection of 
living marine resources within the U.S. Exclusive Economic

[[Page 7714]]

Zone. The SWFSC in La Jolla, California, manages and conducts research 
involving Pacific fisheries and marine mammal research for the 
protection and management of these resources throughout the Western 
Pacific and the Antarctic. The existing SWFSC facility, built in 1964, 
is currently adjacent to a coastal bluff that is undergoing severe 
erosion and retreat. NOAA proposes to construct a new SWFSC building to 
replace its existing NMFS administrative and marine research facilities 
currently located in La Jolla, California. A minimum of two existing at 
risk SWFSC structures would be removed and the property currently used 
by NOAA would be returned to the UCSD for other appropriate uses.
    NOAA is the lead Federal agency for implementation of the NEPA. The 
University of California is the lead agency under the CEQA. The 
existing and preferred sites for the SWFSC headquarters are at the UCSD 
campus. The NMFS, SIO and other marine research organizations conduct 
independent and joint research at the SWFSC and its salt water 
laboratory facilities.

    The proposed project will require construction of a new facility to 
support SWFSC administrative and marine research operations. The 
preferred site will enable NMFS, SIO, and others to continue 
collaboration within a wide range of programmatic marine research 
disciplines. NOAA, in cooperation with UCSD, has decided to prepare a 
joint EIS/EIR to analyze the environmental impacts of relocating the 
SWFSC facilities at UCSD.
    Other alternative actions considered are:
    Use of other NOAA facility locations in California and other 
Pacific Coast states;
    Use of alternative sites at or adjacent to SIO for collaborative 
research; and
    Use of existing alternative NOAA facilities and properties away 
from UCSD.
    This joint EIS/EIR will analyze environmental impacts that may 
result from construction and/or operation of the proposed facilities. 
These potential environmental issues to be addressed include: land use 
and coastal zone management; aesthetics; geology; hydrology and water 
resources; biological resources and protected species; utilities and 
public services; transportation and traffic circulation, recreational 
resources; air quality; noise and vibration; visual effects and 
aesthetics; cultural resources; and socioeconomics and land use; and 
cumulative effects.
    The most salient and foreseeable environmental topics of greatest 
interest are expected to be aesthetics, transportation and traffic, 
hydrology, and short term noise effects.
    Interested parties who wish to submit suggestions or comments 
regarding the scope or content on the proposed EIS/EIR are invited to 
attend the public scoping meeting.

    Dated: February 6, 2008.
William F. Broglie,
Chief Administrative Officer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-2457 Filed 2-8-08; 8:45 am]
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