[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 61 (Friday, March 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16654-16655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6446]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Homeporting of Additional Surface Ships at 
Naval Station Mayport, Florida

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 
1500-1508 the U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed 
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on March 28, 2008, which 
evaluates the potential environmental consequences of homeporting 
additional surface ships at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Mayport, Florida. A 
Notice of Intent for this DEIS was published in the Federal Register on 
November 14, 2006 (FR14NO06-25).
    A public hearing will be held to provide information and receive 
oral and written comments on the DEIS. A preferred alternative has not 
been selected or identified in the DEIS. The Navy seeks comments from 
the public or interested parties regarding the sufficiency of the DEIS 
and the choice of a preferred alternative. Federal, state, and local 
agencies and interested individuals are invited to be present or 
represented at the hearing.
    Date and Address: One public hearing will be held. The hearing will 
be preceded by an open house session to allow interested individuals to 
review information presented in the DEIS DON representatives will be 
available during the open house session to provide clarification as 
necessary related to the DEIS. The open house session will occur from 
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

[[Page 16655]]

followed by the formal public hearing from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The 
public hearing is scheduled for the following date and location: 
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at the Florida Community College, Deerwood 
Center, B1204 9911 Old Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Will Sloger, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command Southeast, P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston, South 
Carolina 29419-9010; telephone: 843-820-5797.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DON has prepared and filed with the EPA 
the DEIS for homeporting additional surface ships at Naval Station 
(NAVSTA) Mayport, Florida, in accordance with requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. sections 
4321-4345) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508). A 
Notice of Intent for this DEIS was published in the Federal Register on 
November 14, 2006 (FR14NO06-25). The DON is lead agency for the 
proposed action with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency serving as cooperating agencies.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to ensure effective support 
of Fleet operational requirements through efficient use of waterfront 
and shore side facilities at NAVSTA Mayport. The Navy needs to utilize 
the available facilities at NAVSTA Mayport, both pierside and 
shoreside, in an effective and efficient manner, thereby minimizing new 
construction.
    This DEIS reviews and assesses 12 action alternatives and the No 
Action alternative. The 12 action alternatives incorporate various 
types and numbers of ships including those types currently homeported 
at NAVSTA Mayport: Cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, as well as 
additional types of ships, including amphibious assault ships, 
amphibious transport dock ships, dock landing ships, and a nuclear 
powered aircraft carrier.
    Depending on the action alternative, the proposed action may 
include dredging and disposal of dredged material, maintenance 
facilities improvements, utilities upgrades, wharf improvements, 
personnel support improvements, parking facilities and traffic 
improvements, or construction of nuclear propulsion plant maintenance 
facilities.
    The EIS addresses any potential environmental impacts associated 
with: Earth resources, land use, water resources, air quality, noise, 
biological resources, cultural resources, traffic, socioeconomics, 
general services, utilities, and environmental health and safety. The 
analyses include direct and indirect impacts, and account for 
cumulative impacts from other foreseen Federal activities.
    The proposed action includes only required activities necessary to 
prepare and operate NAVSTA Mayport for the proposed homeporting and 
does not include actions at other Navy bases. Several alternatives 
could be implemented as early as 2009; others would not be fully 
implemented until 2014. A preferred alternative has not been selected 
or identified in the DEIS. The Navy seeks comments from the public or 
interested parties regarding the sufficiency of the DEIS and the choice 
of a preferred alternative.
    The Navy conducted the scoping process to identify community 
concerns and local issues that should be addressed in the EIS. Federal, 
state, and local agencies and interested parties provided written 
comments to the Navy and identified specific issues or topics of 
environmental concern that should be addressed in the EIS. The Navy 
considered these comments in determining the scope of the EIS.
    The Draft EIS has been distributed to various Federal, State, and 
local agencies, as well as other interested individuals and 
organizations. In addition, copies of the Draft EIS have been 
distributed to the following libraries for public review:
    1. Beaches Library, 600 3rd Street, Neptune Beach, FL 32266;
    2. Pablo Creek Library, 13295 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32246;
    3. Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd, Jacksonville, 
FL 32225;
    4. Main Library, 303 N. Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202;
    5. Public Library 25 N. 4th Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034.
    An electronic copy of the Draft EIS is also available for public 
viewing at: http://www.MayportHomeportingEIS.com. Requests for single 
copies of the DEIS (printed or on CD-ROM) or its Executive Summary may 
be made online at: http://www.MayportHomeportingEIS.com or by writing 
to the address at the end of this notice.
    Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as interested parties 
are invited and encouraged to be present or represented at the 
hearings. Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a 
stenographer; however, to ensure the accuracy of the record, all 
statements should be submitted in writing. All statements, both oral 
and written, will become part of the public record on the Draft EIS and 
will be responded to in the Final EIS. Equal weight will be given to 
both oral and written statements.
    In the interest of available time, and to ensure all who wish to 
give an oral statement have the opportunity to do so, each speaker's 
comments will be limited to three (3) minutes. If a longer statement is 
to be presented, it should be summarized at the public hearing and the 
full text submitted in writing either at the hearing, or mailed to 
Commander, Southern Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
Attn: Mr. Will Sloger (Code ES12), P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston, 
South Carolina 29419-9010, telephone: 843-820-5797.
    All written comments postmarked by May 12, 2008, will become a part 
of the official public record and will be responded to in the Final 
EIS.

    Dated: March 25, 2008.
T.M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-6446 Filed 3-27-08; 8:45 am]
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