98-30991. Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the Coast Guard ``Optimize Training Infrastructure'' Initiative

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 223 (Thursday, November 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64309-64310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30991]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard
[USCG-1998-4765]


Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the 
Coast Guard ``Optimize Training Infrastructure'' Initiative

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of meetings and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (PEA) on its ``Optimize Training 
Infrastructure'' (OTI) Initiative. The PEA will be prepared in 
accordance with Coast Guard procedures and policies (COMDTINST 
M16475.1C) and section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). The OTI Initiative will 
provide answers to questions about how the Coast Guard training 
infrastructure (instruction methods, training personnel, and 
facilities) can best meet current and future performance needs in a 
financially constrained environment. In 1997, the Coast Guard evaluated 
their training programs and infrastructure in the preliminary phases of 
OTI Initiative and recommended that several options for realigning 
training facilities be considered. This may result in transfer of 
training activities from one training center to other centers. Four 
training centers may be directly affected by the action: Training 
Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN Cape May, New Jersey; 
Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown, Virginia; and Aviation 
Technical Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Under 
the different alternatives, some installations would be expanded, some 
would be downsized, and one or two could be closed. The PEA will 
analyze the potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of the 
OTI Initiative, any alternatives developed during the scoping process, 
and a ``no action'' alternative. A preferred alternative will be 
identified in the PEA. This notice begins the public scoping process to 
gather public input on issues and concerns to be analyzed and addressed 
in the PEA. To assist in gathering public comments, three public 
scoping meetings will be held.

DATES: The meeting dates are--

    1. December 7, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Cape May, NJ.
    2. December 8, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Yorktown, VA.
    3. December 10, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Petaluma, CA.
    A public open house will be held before each scoping meeting from 
3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    Written comments must reach the Docket Management Facility on or 
before December 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are--

    1. Cape May--Grand Hotel, Ocean Front and Philadelphia, Cape May, 
NJ;
    2. Yorktown--County Library, 8500 George Washigton Highway, 
Yorktown, VA; and
    3. Petaluma--Petaluma Community Center, 320 North McDowell Blvd, 
Petaluma, CA.
    You may mail your comments to the Docket Management Facility, 
(USCG-1998-4765), U.S. Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 
Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or deliver them to room 
PL-401, on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building at the same address 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments and documents referred to in this notice, will become 
part of this docket and will be available for inspection or copying at 
room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building at the same 
address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. You may also access this docket on the Internet at 
http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, the NEPA 
process, and NEPA documents, contact Ms. Susan Boyle, Environmental 
Branch Chief of the Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command 
Pacific; telephone: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]. For 
questions on the OTI Initiative, Contact LCDR Keith Curran, Reserve and 
Training Directorate, Coast Guard Headquarters; telephone: 202-267-
2429; e-mail: [e-mail]. For questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, contact Ms. Dorothy Walker, Chief, 
Dockets, Department of Transportation; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate by 
submitting written data, views, or arguments. Persons submitting 
comments should include their names and addresses, identify this notice 
(USCG-1998-4765) and give the reason for each comment. Please submit 
all comments and attachments in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/
2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing to the 
Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES. Persons 
wanting acknowledgment of receipt of comments should enclose stamped, 
self-addressed postcards or envelopes.

Discussion

    The purpose of this notice is twofold: (1) to announce the Coast 
Guard's intent to prepare a PEA and (2) to begin the process of 
gathering the public's comments on this action to assist the Coast 
Guard in developing the PEA.
    In 1997, preliminary phases of the OTI Initiative sought to 
validate training infrastructure requirements and identify alternative 
actions. Phase 1 validated existing training courses, determined likely 
future needs, and identified alternative ways to deliver instruction. 
Phase 2 measured infrastructure use, determined infrastructure needs 
for training requirements, and identified ways to gain savings or 
spread the cost of overhead. Emphasis was on right sizing the capital 
plant while preserving necessary flexibility.
    A number of options are being considered to accomplish this. 
Depending upon the option selected, training functions would be 
transferred from one facility to another, functions of a facility 
increased or decreased, or one or more facilities closed. The following 
alternatives were recommended for more in depth analysis:
    1. Close either Training Center Cape May or Training Center 
Petaluma and consolidate training functions at the remaining training 
centers.
    2. Close both Training Center Cape May and Training Center Petaluma 
and

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consolidate training functions at RTC Yorktown and Aviation Technical 
Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
    3. Fill the unused classroom and dormitory spaces at all the 
training centers with non-training functions.
    4. Maintain the status quo.
    Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN Cape May, New 
Jersey; Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown, Virginia; and Aviation 
Technical Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina, would 
be directly affected by the ``action'' alternatives. Minor components 
of other Coast Guard facilities currently in leased spaces in Wildwood, 
NJ, Oklahoma City, OK, and Chesapeake, VA, may also be involved in the 
actions resulting from the OTI Initiative. The number of people 
affected at these facilities would be small in comparison to the total 
facility population; therefore, environmental and socioeconomic impacts 
to these facilities and host communities are expected to be minimal.
    At the end of the 30-day public comment period announced in this 
notice and after considering input from the public, the Coast Guard 
will prepare the PEA. The PEA will evaluate a full range of resources 
for each alternative, including socio-economics, land use, 
infrastructure/transportation, hazardous materials and waste 
management, biological resources, cultural resources, air quality, 
noise, and water resources and will also identify a preferred 
alternative. Other resources, including geology, soils, and bathymetry, 
are not expected to be affected from the action and may not be 
evaluated in detail.
    Once the PEA is approved for public review by the Commandant of the 
Coast Guard, it will be widely distributed. The PEA is anticipated to 
be available for public review in March 1999. This will once again be 
announced in the Federal Register and a second 30-day public comment 
period will follow to provide the public with the opportunity to 
comment on the environmental assessment. Formal hearings will be held 
at all communities in which there is substantial public interest. At 
the conclusion of this public comment period, the Commandant will weigh 
appropriate information and make a final decision. The NEPA process 
will conclude with the publication of this decision in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: November 16, 1998.
T.J. Barrett,
Director of Reserve and Training Directorate.
[FR Doc. 98-30991 Filed 11-18-98; 8:45 am]
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