95-11757. 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  

  • [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
    
    

Document Information

Published:
05/12/1995
Department:
Navy Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
95-11757
Pages:
25695-25696 (2 pages)
PDF File:
95-11757.pdf