[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 249 (Thursday, December 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 68014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32778]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability and Public Hearings for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Base Realignment Action for
the Naval Sea System Command Relocation to the Washington Navy Yard,
Washington, DC
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 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the
Department of the Navy (DoN) prepared and filed with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency a DEIS evaluating the environmental
effects of relocating the Naval Sea System Command Headquarters
(NAVSEA) from leased space in Arlington, Virginia to the Washington
Navy Yard or other government-owned property in the metropolitan
Washington, DC area.
In response to the recommendations of the 1995 Department of
Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC-95) and
legislative requirements of the 1990 Base Realignment and Closure Act
(Pub. L. 101-510), the Navy will relocate approximately 4,100 NAVSEA
personnel to the Washington Navy Yard (WNY) in Washington, DC. The
Navy's DEIS addresses the environmental impacts associated with an
increase of personnel at the WNY, as well as, renovation, demolition
and new construction of facilities at the installation necessary to
accommodate relocated personnel.
The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) occupies 68 acres along the
Anacostia River in southeast Washington, DC. Development at the
installation began in the early 1800's and continued in response to
National defense efforts. Little if any undeveloped land is currently
available for new construction at the WNY. The four alternatives
considered in the DEIS center around a small group of existing
structures and involve variations of renovation and/or demolition and
new construction. The BRAC-95 relocation of NAVSEA corresponds to the
current use of the WNY as an administrative center and long range plans
to convert underutilized facilities at the installation into office
space.
The DEIS has been distributed to various Federal, state, and local
agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and three local
libraries. A limited number of single copies are available, and may be
obtained by contacting the Navy representative listed at the end of
this notice. A public hearing to inform the public of the DEIS findings
and to solicit comments will be held on January 23, 1997, in Building
101 at the WNY. The meeting facilities will be open at 6:30 PM with the
Navy's formal presentation beginning at 7:00 PM.
Interested parties are invited to attend and participate in the
Public Hearing. Oral statements will be heard and transcribed by a
stenographer; however, to ensure accuracy of the record, all statements
should be submitted in writing. In the interest of available time, each
speaker will be asked to limit his/her comments to five minutes. If
longer statements are to be presented, they should be summarized for
the public hearing and submitted in long-form at the hearing or mailed
to the address listed at the end of this announcement. All statements,
both oral and written, will become part of the public record.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DEIS should be mailed to: Department
of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Engineering Field
Activity--Chesapeake, Mr. Hank Riek (Code 20E), 901 M Street SE,
Building 212, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-5018. Comments
must be received no later than February 10, 1997. Additional
information concerning this notice may be obtained by contacting the
Navy at (202) 685-3064, facsimile (202) 685-3350.
Dated: December 20, 1996.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-32778 Filed 12-24-96; 8:45 am]
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