[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9315-9316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04667]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Docket ID DOD-2018-OS-0041]
Notice of Availability for Finding of No Significant Impact for
the Environmental Assessment Addressing Hazardous Materials Warehouses
and Gas Cylinder Sheds at Naval Station Norfolk and Norfolk Naval
Shipyard, Virginia
AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA).
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SUMMARY: This NOA documents DLA's decision to proceed with the proposed
action to construct and operate hazardous materials warehouses and gas
cylinder sheds at Naval Station Norfolk and Norfolk Naval Shipyard,
Virginia following the completion of an Environmental Assessment (EA).
The EA was prepared as required under the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira Silverberg at 571-767-0705 during
normal business hours Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. (EDT) or by email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DLA completed an EA to address the potential
environmental consequences associated with the Proposed Action. This
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) incorporates the EA by
reference, summarizes the results of the analyses in the EA, and
documents DLA's decision to construct and operate HAZMAT warehouses and
gas cylinder sheds at NAVSTA Norfolk and NNSY, Virginia. The EA
considered two alternatives for the Proposed Action: Alternative 1
(relocation and construction of new HAZMAT facilities) and Alternative
2 (renovation and new construction at the existing HAZMAT facilities).
DLA selected Alternative 1 as the Preferred Alternative. DLA has
determined that the Proposed Action is not a major federal action that
significantly affects the quality of the human environment within the
context of NEPA and that no significant impacts on the human
environment are associated with this decision.
Navy consulted with the Virginia State Historic Preservation
Officer (SHPO) at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The
SHPO concurred that the proposed undertaking (Alternative 1) would have
no adverse effect on historic resources, on the condition that the
Virginia Department of Historic Resources has the opportunity to review
the proposed design of the facilities once the 35 percent drawings are
available. Navy also submitted a Federal Coastal Consistency
Determination to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality,
which concurred that the proposed project (Alternative 1) would be
consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the Virginia Coastal
Zone Management Program provided all applicable permits and approvals
are obtained. Correspondence with the SHPO and Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality is in Appendices B and C of the revised EA,
respectively.
On July 12, 2018, DLA published a NOA in the Federal Register
announcing the publication of the Environmental Assessment (EA)
Addressing Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Warehouses and Gas Cylinder
Sheds at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk and Norfolk Naval Shipyard
(NNSY), Virginia. The EA was available for a 30-day public comment
period that ended August 13, 2018. No public comments were received
during the 30-day public comment period. The revised EA is available
electronically at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov within Docket ID: DOD-2018-OS-0041.
Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the Proposed Action is
to ensure HAZMAT at DLA Distribution Norfolk, Virginia, which actively
supports HAZMAT missions for NAVSTA Norfolk and NNSY from a warehouse
and a gas cylinder shed at each location, is stored in a fire-and life-
safe, regulation-compliant, and organized manner for improved
efficiency and safety during operations. The Proposed Action is needed
because the existing HAZMAT facilities are antiquated (i.e., HAZMAT
warehouses are 1940s-era) and not properly sized for their current or
future mission demands; have extensive fire- and life-safety hazards,
poor utility conditions, inadequate spill containment, and inefficient
storage area configurations; and will soon be in conflict with the
NAVSTA Norfolk Master Plan and NNSY Installation Development Plan. The
existing HAZMAT warehouses have insufficient egress, noncompliant
firewalls, inadequate fire suppression and alarm systems, and poor
ventilation. The existing gas cylinder sheds are not fire suppression
compliant, and the gas cylinder shed at NAVSTA Norfolk is near
condemnation due to structural degradation and loose siding.
Proposed Action and Alternatives: Under Alternative 1 (i.e., the
Preferred Alternative), the DLA-occupied portions of the HAZMAT
warehouses would be vacated and returned to the Navy for reuse. Also,
the gas cylinder sheds would be demolished and the properties would be
returned to the Navy for reuse. The functions served by these vacated
and demolished facilities would be replaced through construction of new
HAZMAT warehouses, gas cylinder sheds, and associated infrastructure.
At NAVSTA Norfolk, the western portion of CEP-156, Gate House CEP-180,
and pavement would be demolished and replaced by a new HAZMAT
warehouse, gas cylinder shed, Gate House, and pavement. At NNSY, a
portion of the Dean Harwood Parking Lot would be demolished to make way
for a new HAZMAT warehouse, gas cylinder shed, and pavement.
[[Page 9316]]
Approximately 479 parking spaces would be displaced at the Dean Harwood
Parking Lot; however, vehicle parking would be compensated by
reorganization of existing parking lots and improvement and
construction of some combination of several nearby lots (i.e., Shed
1567 lot, Lot 33, the Wedge, and the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters lot)
that would be covered with compacted gravel and reorganized to provide
replacement parking spaces. Although the final configuration and
dimensions of the proposed replacement parking lots would not be known
until the time of final design, the replacement lots would be expected
to provide up to approximately 479 parking spaces.
Under Alternative 2, DLA would resize the DLA-occupied portion of
the NAVSTA Norfolk HAZMAT warehouse to meet square footage
requirements, renovate the DLA-occupied portions of the NAVSTA Norfolk
and NNSY HAZMAT warehouses, and demolish and replace both gas cylinder
sheds and pavement areas. The HAZMAT warehouses would be properly
configured for optimized storage capacity and upgraded in accordance
with fire- and life-safety requirements and per the facility condition
assessment upgrade recommendations for each site.
Description of the No Action Alternative: Under the No Action
Alternative, DLA would continue to store HAZMAT in the existing HAZMAT
warehouses and gas cylinder sheds on NAVSTA Norfolk and NNSY. Shed X-
380 (gas cylinder shed at NAVSTA Norfolk) would continue to degrade and
HAZMAT storage would reach overcapacity at the NNSY HAZMAT facilities
due to projected future workload increases. The HAZMAT facilities would
continue to be improperly sized for their current and future mission
demands; have extensive fire- and life-safety hazards, poor utility
conditions, insufficient ventilation, and inefficient storage area
configurations; and soon be in conflict with the NAVSTA Norfolk Master
Plan and NNSY Installation Development Plan. The No Action Alternative
would not meet the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action.
Potential Environmental Impacts: No significant effects on
environmental resources would be expected from the Proposed Action.
Insignificant, adverse effects on air quality, water resources,
geological resources, cultural resources, biological resources, land
use and visual resources, noise, infrastructure, transportation, public
health and safety, and hazardous materials and wastes would be
expected. Insignificant, beneficial effects on water resources,
geological resources, land use and visual resources, noise,
infrastructure, public health and safety, hazardous materials and
wastes, and socioeconomics would be expected. No impacts on airspace
management/safety and environmental justice would be expected. Details
of the environmental consequences are discussed in the EA, which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
Determination: DLA has determined that implementation of the
Proposed Action will not have a significant effect on the human
environment. Human environment was interpreted comprehensively to
include the natural and physical environment and the relationship of
people with that environment. Specifically, no highly uncertain or
controversial impacts, unique or unknown risks, or cumulatively
significant effects were identified. Implementation of the Proposed
Action will not violate any federal, state, or local laws. Based on the
results of the analyses performed during preparation of the EA and lack
of comments received during the public comment period, Mr. Gordon B.
Hackett III, Director, DLA Installation Management, concludes that
implementation of the Proposed Action at NAVSTA Norfolk and NNSY does
not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the
quality of the human environment within the context of NEPA. Therefore,
an environmental impact statement for the Proposed Action is not
required.
Dated: March 8, 2019.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2019-04667 Filed 3-13-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P