[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 92 (Friday, May 12, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25695-25696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11757]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
Establishment of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of
Excellence in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas
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 has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for establishment
of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of Excellence (the
``Center'') in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas.
The Navy proposes to collocate the majority of its mine warfare and
mine counter measures assets in proximity to each other at the
Ingleside/Corpus Christi Naval Complex. This will allow for
comprehensive air and surface mine warfare training and joint
operations. Congress directed the Navy to establish the ``Center'' at
Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, in the FY 1994 Defense Appropriations
Act. The DEIS evaluates the reasonable alternatives to implementing the
proposed action in the Corpus Christi Bay area. In addition to the
various facility location alternatives, a ``no action'' alternative was
evaluated which the ``Center'' would not be established.
The proposed action includes new construction and/or modification
of existing facilities at Naval Station Ingleside and Naval Air Station
Corpus Christi, and proposes the establishment of training and
operating areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Construction would consist of a
magnetic silencing facility, an aviation mine counter measures sled
facility, a small craft pier, and the construction and/or modification
of facilities needed to support two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter
squadrons and one explosive ordnance disposal mobil unit. The training
and operating areas would be located off North Padre Island and within
Mineral Management Service Lease Blocks 732, 733, 734, 793, 799, and
816. This would include an ordnance detonation area required for the
detonation of practice mines using a maximum of 10 pounds of C-4
explosive. Surface restrictions in these areas would be established to
allow for both daily training and quarterly integrated training. The
establishment of the ``Center'' involves the transfer of approximately
4,820 military personnel and their families (approximately 4,877
dependents) to the Corpus Christi Bay Area.
Dredging activities associated with the project involve new work
dredging and subsequent maintenance dredging of the magnetic silencing
facility. Dredging for the magnetic silencing facility would require
removal of between 250,000 and 410,000 cubic yards of material to
obtain the depth of water required for facility and turning basin
operations. The total 50-year dredging maintenance requirement could
range between 400,000 to 650,000 cubic yards, depending upon the
initial area dredged. The existing Navy disposal area near Ingleside
would be used for dredge material disposal.
The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local
agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and interest
individuals. It is also on file and available for review at the Corpus
Christi Public Library (Main branch and Flour Bluff branch) and at the
Ingleside Public Library. A limited number of single copies are
available at the address listed at the end of this notice.
The Navy will conduct two public hearings to inform the public of
the DEIS findings and to solicit comments: The first hearing will be on
Tuesday, June 6, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Flour Bluff ISD
Auditorium, 2505 Waldron Road, Flour Bluff, Texas; and the second
hearing will be on Wednesday, June 7, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the
Ingleside High School Cafeteria, 640 Mustang Drive, Ingleside, Texas.
Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties are invited
to be present or represented at the hearing. Oral comments will be
heard and transcribed by a stenographer. To assure accuracy of the
record, all comments should be submitted in writing. All comments, both
oral and written, will become part of the public record in the study.
In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit
oral [[Page 25696]] comments to five (5) minutes. Longer comments
should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing
either at the hearing or mailed to the address listed at the end of
this announcement. All written comments must be postmarked by June 19,
1995, to become part of the official record. The public hearing will be
conducted in English, but the Navy will make every reasonable effort to
accommodate requests for language interpreters or other special
communication needs. Such requests must be made to the person listed
below at least two days prior to the public hearings.
Additional information concerning this notice may be obtained by
contacting: Mr. Will Sloger (Code 064WS), Southern Division, Naval
Facilities Engineering Command, P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston,
South Carolina 29419-9010, telephone (803) 743-0797.
Dated: May 9, 1995.
M.D. Schetzsle,
LT, JAGC, USNR, Alternative Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-11757 Filed 5-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M
