[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