[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5169-5170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2010]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Record of Decision for Realignment of Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD
Pursuant to Section 102(2)C of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
for implementing NEPA procedures (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Department of
the Navy announces its decision to implement realignment of Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, Maryland.
In accordance with legislative requirements of the Base Closure and
Realignment Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-510), as implemented by the
1993 Base Closure and Realignment process (BRAC-93), the Navy was
directed to realign operations and personnel from the Naval Air Systems
Command (NAVAIR) in Arlington, Virginia and NAWCAD in Trenton, New
Jersey to NAWCAD Patuxent River, Maryland. The realignment involves
relocating approximately 2,670 administrative personnel from leased
space in Arlington and 116 research personnel from the existing NAWCAD
Trenton facility to NAWCAD Patuxent River. To meet the facility and
operational requirements of the realignment, Navy will construct
administrative, laboratory, and engine testing facilities at NAWCAD
Patuxent River. The realignment will also require minor modifications
to the existing child care facility, utilities improvements, and
improvements to Buse Road at the site of the administrative facility.
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was prepared for the
action and distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies and to
interested individuals and groups. The DEIS was made available to the
public on 25 August 1994 and evaluated alternative sites and
environmental impacts of the construction and operation of new
facilities. A Final EIS (FEIS), which was made available to the public
on 9 December 1994, primarily addressed public and agency comments to
the DEIS and provided further clarification of anticipated
environmental impacts. The EIS process evaluated the foreseeable
physical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts from facility
construction and operation on-base and to the Tri-County area from the
additional personnel associated with the realignment. The comment
period for the FEIS expired 9 January 1995 and only one agency response
has been received; and it was supportive in nature.
The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act waived certain aspects
of NEPA such that the environmental analysis need not consider the no-
action alternative (no realignment), nor other realignment locations.
However, alternative means of accommodating the mandated BRAC-93
realignment at NAWCAD Patuxent River were considered. Existing
facilities were evaluated, but were determined not suitable for the
NAVAIR and NAWCAD Trenton activities. An initial site selection study
was performed to identify potential alternative sites for the
construction of new facilities at NAWCAD Patuxent River. These
potential alternative sites were then evaluated against refined
evaluation criteria that addressed the site's suitability. The refined
evaluation criteria included land use issues, environmental issues,
operational requirements, and development costs. The alternatives
evaluation process resulted in the following projects to accommodate
the realignment.
The NAVAIR headquarters facility includes a five-story, 462,500
square feet (SF) administrative building, three-story parking garage,
and surface parking. Construction of the facilities will require
demolition of existing structures, removal of 16 acres of trees, and
construction and relocation of utilities infrastructure, including an
electrical substation adjacent to the existing utilities right-of-way.
A stormwater detention basin will be constructed to retain runoff from
impervious surfaces. Buse Road will be widened from Cuddihy Road to
south of the NAVAIR facility. The existing two-lane road will be
widened to four lanes plus a median.
Realignment of NAWCAD Trenton will require the construction of
engine testing facilities (cells) and related laboratories. The
Propulsion System Evaluation Facility (PSEF), which will be located
north of Building 106, offers access to the airfield, access to a fuel
supply, close proximity to supporting facilities, land use
compatibility and minimal environmental impacts. The test cells will be
composed of nine specific units designed to test engines, turbines,
alternative fuels, and engine starters. The PSEF includes a 100,000 SF
one-story building to accommodate the nine test cells and associated
laboratories and offices, a cooling tower, several small equipment
storage buildings, and a parking lot. Operation of the specialized
cells will require utility hook-ups and an underground fuel supply
pipeline system. A detention basin will control stormwater runoff from
the PSEF.
The on-base child-care facility (Building 2030) will be expanded by
adding 3,560 SF to accommodate dependents of military personnel.
All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental impacts at
NAWCAD Patuxent River will be adopted during the construction and
operation of the facilities. Navy will obtain all appropriate
construction and operation permits and approvals from jurisdictional
agencies prior to implementation. Construction of the facilities will
result in the loss of approximately 16 acres of woodlands. This
represents less than one percent of the woodlands on-base and no
reforestation measures are proposed. No jurisdictional wetlands, or
threatened or endangered species will be affected by the realignment
action. Regional air quality is not expected to be degraded as a result
of the proposed action. Although NAWCAD Patuxent River is located in an
attainment area and the 1993 Clean Air Act General Conformity Rule does
not apply, the EIS evaluated potential air quality impacts in
neighboring Calvert and Charles Counties (designated as non-attainment
for ozone). That analysis concluded that realignment-related commuter
traffic will result in de minimis air emissions, and therefore will
conform to the State Implementation Plan for air quality.
[[Page 5170]]
The EIS evaluated potential impacts to Maryland Coastal Resources
and concluded that the realignment of NAWCAD Patuxent River will be
consistent with Maryland Coastal Zone policies to the maximum extent
practicable.
Construction of a portion of the parking lot for the NAVAIR
Headquarters facility will adversely affect a known archeological site.
Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, a Memorandum of
Agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) will coordinate
further treatment of the site through a Phase III data recovery survey
prior to allowing construction of that portion of the parking lot to
ensure that adverse affects will be mitigated to the greatest extent
possible. Building 408, a World War II-era temporary structure, will be
demolished to accommodate the NAVAIR facility. Demolition of Building
408 will be conducted in accordance with the 1985 Programmatic
Agreement covering such structures.
Regional impacts associated with the relocation of approximately
2,800 personnel and their families were addressed in the EIS. Extensive
coordination with state and local agencies, economic development
groups, school boards, and community officials were conducted to assess
the potential economic and community impacts associated with the
realignment. Because some personnel may stay at their current
residences, it is conservatively estimated that 2,185 new households
could relocate to the Tri-County region of southern Maryland. Direct
and indirect employment income generated from the realignment is
expected to reach $300 million annually. Between 1,280 and 2,185 school
age children could accompany relocating personnel, most of whom are
expected to attend schools in St. Mary's County. The three school
boards of the Tri-County area have stated their willingness to accept
increases in student enrollment and have integrated the increase into
their schools' planning. In accordance with E.O. 12898 (Environmental
Justice), Navy considered potential impacts to minority and low-income
persons and concluded that no disproportionate adverse impacts are to
be expected.
There are adequate utilities in the region to support the
realignment. The realignment is expected to generate a regional
increase in groundwater withdrawal of approximately 2.5 percent over
current use, which is well within the capacity of the aquifer.
Additional wastewater inflows to area treatment facilities are not
expected to approach allocated capacities. Regional population growth
has been and continues to be expected by community and regional
planning organizations. The potential increase in population is within
the growth projected for southern Maryland. Some community services
such as police and fire protection may need to be expanded to
accommodate increases in community populations, however, the
realignment is not anticipated to result in a significant burden on
these communities.
Questions regarding the Draft and Final Environmental Impact
Statements prepared for this action may be directed to: Commanding
Officer, Engineering Field Activity Chesapeake, Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Washington Navy Yard, Building 212, 901 M Street
SE, Washington DC 20374-2121 (Attn: Mr. Mike Bryan, Code 20N),
telephone (202) 685-3061, fax (202) 685-3061.
Dated: January 23, 1995.
Elsie L. Munsell,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment and Safety).
[FR Doc. 95-2010 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
