[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6974-6975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4167]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 021596A]
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed
Consolidation of NOAA Facilities in Juneau, AK
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NOAA announces its intention to prepare an EIS in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for the proposed
consolidation of NOAA/NMFS facilities in Juneau, AK. The University of
Alaska may also develop facilities as part of the proposed
consolidation.
DATES: Written comments on the intent to prepare and EIS will be
accepted on or before March 25, 1996. Scoping meetings are scheduled as
follows:
1. March 29, 1996, 1 p.m., Federal Building, Juneau, AK.
2. May 24, 1996, 1 p.m., Federal Building, Juneau, AK.
3. May 24, 1996, 5 p.m., Centennial Hall, Juneau, AK.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on suggested alternatives and potential
impacts should be sent to John Gorman, Responsible Program Manager,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802-1668 or to Robb Gries, Contract Office Technical
Representative, NOAA, Facilities and Logistics Division, 7600 Sand
Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115.
Scoping meetings will be held as follows:
1. NOAA/NMFS personnel - Friday, March 29, 1996, 4th Floor
Conference Room, Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK, 1-4
p.m.
2. NOAA/NMFS personnel - Friday, May 24, 1996, 4th Floor Conference
Room, Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK, 1-4 p.m.
3. Open to the public - Friday, May 24, 1996, Centennial Hall, 101
Egan Drive, Juneau, AK, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The proposed action would involve consolidation of NOAA/NMFS
offices, laboratory, and enforcement facilities in Juneau, AK. NOAA
operations are currently in four space assignments in the Federal
Building and at an aging, overcrowded Commerce-owned laboratory
facility at Auke Bay. The NOAA/NMFS portion of the facility will be
about 91,628 net square ft (8,512.5 square meters) in size and
constructed on 28 acres (11.3 hectares (ha)) of Commerce-owned property
at Auke Cape. The 28 acre (11.3 ha) site is situated on saltwater (Auke
Bay) and will require access and utility improvements. Approximately
273 NOAA/NMFS related personnel would be housed in the consolidated
facilities. The University of Alaska School of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences is interested in collocating 22,000 net square ft (2,044
square meters) of laboratory, classroom, and office space with NOAA/
NMFS at Auke Cape. The University of Alaska space would house about 90
faculty, staff, and students. The EIS will examine three alternative
locations for the proposed consolidation and also evaluate the proposed
action with and without University of Alaska participation. The no
action alternative will also be evaluated. The agency's preferred
alternative is to locate on approximately 28 acres (11.3 ha) of agency-
owned land at Auke Cape/Indian Point on Auke Bay.
To identify the scope of issues that will be addressed in the EIS
and to identify potential impacts on the quality of the human
environment, public participation is invited by providing written
comments to NMFS and attending the scoping meeting.
Public Information Meetings:
Additional public information meetings and community workshops on
the proposed project will be held in Juneau beginning in March. These
meetings will be held in various locations and will be advertised in
local Juneau newspapers.
Special Accommodations
The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to John Gorman or Robb Gries (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
[[Page 6975]]
Dated: February 15, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-4167 Filed 2-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
