[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28642-28643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13412]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD 95-046]
Closure of Coast Guard Facilities on Governors Island, NY, and
Relocation of Coast Guard Facilities; Environmental Assessment and
Draft Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA)
and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the closure of
Coast Guard facilities on Governors Island and relocation of Coast
Guard operations and facilities to several receiving sites. The EA
concluded that there will be no significant impact on the environment
and that preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement will not be
necessary. This notice announces the availability of the EA and draft
FONSI and solicits comments.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 3, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast
Guard Civil Engineering Unit Providence, 300 Metro Center Blvd.,
Warwick, RI 02886, or may be delivered to the same address between 8
a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The
telephone number is (401) 736-1776.
Copies of the EA and draft FONSI may be obtained by contacting LCDR
Dan Takasugi at (401) 736-1776 or faxing a request to (401) 736-1704.
Several copies of the EA and draft FONSI are also available for
inspection at the Governors Island Library; the New Amsterdam Public
Library, 9 Murray [[Page 28643]] Street, New York, NY 10007; the St.
George Public Library, 5 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301; and
the Middletown Public Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, Middletown, NJ
07748.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LCDR Dan Takasugi, Executive Officer,
Civil Engineering Unit Providence, (401) 736-1776.
Request for Comments
Copies of the EA and draft FONSI are available as described under
ADDRESSES. The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to comment on
these documents. The Coast Guard will consider these comments prior to
making a decision to implement closure and relocation actions.
Background
Governors Island is located in New York Harbor, south of Manhattan
and west of Brooklyn. It houses a large U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
facility, Support Center New York, and a number of tenant commands. The
172-acre island is surrounded by a seawall and is accessed by ferry
from Manhattan.
The USCG is looking for a means to reduce its annual operating
costs and closure of the Governors Island facility is intended to
partially fulfill that goal. The USCG functions at Governors Island
would be relocated off the island.
This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and evaluates the
potential environmental impacts of closure of Coast Guard facilities at
Governors Island. It also evaluates the potential environmental impacts
of relocating these facilities to other sites in the New York Harbor
region including: land use; infrastructure (traffic and utilities);
public services; public health and safety; noise; air quality; geology
and soils; water resources; biological resources; cultural resources;
and socioeconomics.
Those facilities on Governors Island which provide service to the
New York Harbor region would be relocated to other facilities within
the New York Harbor region located at the Battery Park Building,
Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne, Rosebank, Wadsworth, and Sandy Hook.
The description of the relocation sites is as follows:
(a) The Battery Park Building: The proposed action would relocate
various local functions from Governors Island to the Battery Park
Building in Manhattan. This would include offices for the Coast Guard
Auxiliary, Recruiting, Law Enforcement, Licensing and Inspection, and
Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) programs. No
vessels would be relocated from Governors Island to the Battery Park
Building. The building would be renovated but no building demolition or
construction would be involved.
(b) Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne, NJ: The proposed action would
relocate the Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) and nine Coast Guard vessels
currently stationed at Governors Island to Bayonne, New Jersey. Cutters
that would be relocated at Bayonne include the U.S. Coast Guard (USCGC)
RED BEECH (a 157-foot buoy tender), USCGC PENOBSCOT BAY (a 140-foot
cutter), USCGC STURGEON BAY (a 140-foot cutter), two 65-foot tugboats,
two 46-foot buoy tenders, and two 21-foot vessels. Construction
activities would include wharf improvements, new floating docks, a new
fuel system, and new shore ties. A new building would be constructed
for the ANT team for new facilities, storage, and parking. Storage
areas would be used for hazardous materials (batteries, paints,
solvents, and lubricants) and storage for vehicles, trailer-mounted
vessels, and ANT supplies.
(c) Rosebank, Staten Island: The proposed action would relocate
Station New York from Governors Island to Rosebank on Staten Island.
Six search and rescue vessels and related equipment would be relocated
at Rosebank. New construction would include the replacement of existing
piers, the addition of wave screens, and the addition of a new fueling
system for these vessels. Two buildings would be demolished and
replaced, and existing housing in two other buildings would be
renovated.
(d) Wadsworth, Staten Island: The proposed action would relocate
Group New York administrative offices, the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)
control room, and the Marine Safety Office to Wadsworth on Staten
Island. No vessels would be relocated to this facility. Construction
activities would include the renovation of one building and a portion
of an existing building, and the demolition of three buildings for new
parking areas.
(e) Sandy Hook, NJ: The proposed action would relocate Group New
York engineering functions to Sandy Hook, in New Jersey. No vessels
would be relocated to this facility.
Construction activities would include the renovation of the
Administrative building and boathouse, demolition of the Maintenance
and Repair building, the construction of a new Group Engineering
building, and parking improvements.
Two alternatives for the closure of Coast Guard facilities at
Governors Island are discussed in the Environmental Assessment: closure
with standard maintenance, and closure with basic maintenance. Under
both alternatives, the relocation of tenant commands would be the same.
The standard maintenance alternative would provide utility maintenance,
full-time fire and security service, and full building maintenance,
consistent with the historic landmark maintenance plan. The basic
maintenance alternative would limit government maintenance expenditures
to the least amount feasible. A third alternative, the no action
alternative, assumes the continued operation of Support Center New York
on Governors Island.
The standard maintenance alternative is the preferred alternative.
This alternative was determined to have no significant environmental
impacts. Consequently, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement
is not required to implement this alternative.
Kent H. Williams,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 95-13412 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]
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