[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 115 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31529-31530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14695]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD 95-049]
Consolidation of U.S. Coast Guard Training Centers; Environmental
Assessment and Proposed Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has prepared a Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (PEA) for the proposed consolidation of U.S. Coast Guard
training centers. This may result in transfer of training activities
from one training center to other centers. One or more of the five
training centers may be closed or partially closed. Based on the
information presented in the PEA, the Coast Guard finds that no
significant impacts to the environment will result from the proposed
implementation of several alternatives consolidating the training
functions at the five facilities, and a proposed Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) has been prepared. The Coast Guard seeks
comments from the public on the PEA and proposed FONSI. It will also
hold a number of public meetings.
DATES: Written comments on the PEA and proposed FONSI should be
received not later than July 17, 1995. Public meetings will be held as
indicated below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the PEA and proposed FONSI are available for
public review at the following libraries: Petaluma Library, 100
Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA; Cape May Public Library, 110 Ocean
Street, Cape May, NJ; Pasquotank-Camden Library, 205 East Main Street,
Elizabeth City NC; Newport News Public Library, 2400 Washington Avenue,
Newport News VA; and the New London Public Library, 63 Huntington
Street, New London, CT. Written comments should be mailed to, and
copies of the PEA and proposed FONSI may be obtained from, Ms. Susan
Boyle, NEPA Branch Chief, U.S. Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics
Command Pacific, Coast Guard Island, Building #54D, Alameda, CA 94501-
5100, at (510) 437-3626. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to
Ms. Boyle at (510) 437-5753.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact LT Jan Proehl, Public Affairs Staff, at (202) 267-2304. Persons
requiring assistance for the public meetings described in Public
Meetings below should call Ms. Boyle, at (510) 437-3626, by June 19,
1995.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Coast Guard is proposing to consolidate training activities
throughout the United States to reduce operational expenditures and
achieve long-term savings. A PEA has been prepared which evaluates the
potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts from consolidation
alternatives.
Five Coast Guard training centers may be directly affected by the
proposed action: Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN
Cape May, New Jersey; Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC)
Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown,
Virginia; and the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Under
the consolidation proposals, some installations may be expanded, some
may be downsized, and some may be closed. [[Page 31530]]
Alternatives
Based on a detailed feasibility and streamlining study, the Coast
Guard developed and considered three consolidation alternatives, in
addition to a no action alternative. Under all consolidation
alternatives, the Coast Guard Academy would experience minor expansion,
receiving about 40 new staff members and 13000 square feet of new
construction. This expansion represents a small change in the
operational size of the academy that would be absorbed by refurbishing
existing structures in developed areas. The action is not expected to
result in any significant environmental impacts, therefore, the impact
on the Academy is not analyzed in detail in the PEA.
The four alternatives evaluated are summarized below. The Coast
Guard has not yet identified a preferred alternative.
1. Consolidate East Coast: TRACEN Petaluma would close and most of
its training functions would be relocated to RTC Yorktown. ATTC
Elizabeth City and TRACEN Cape May would not be significantly affected
by this alternative.
2. Consolidate Tidewater Area: TRACEN Petaluma and TRACEN Cape May
would close and their functions would be relocated to RTC Yorktown and
ATTC Elizabeth City.
3. Consolidate to a DOD Facility: TRACEN Petaluma, TRACEN Cape May,
and ATTC Elizabeth City would be closed and their functions relocated
to an undetermined closed Department of Defense (DOD) military base.
The impacts at TRACEN Petaluma and TRACEN Cape May for this alternative
are the same as those under Alternative 2.
4. No Action: The Coast Guard would continue to operate the
training centers as they currently exist. However, this alternative
would not achieve the Coast Guard's goal of long-term cost savings.
The PEA evaluates the environmental impacts of each alternative,
including: Land use; infrastructure/transportation; hazardous materials
and waste management; biological resources; cultural resources; air
quality; noise; water resources; and socioeconomics. Other
environmental impacts, including impacts on geology, soils, and
bathymetry, are not expected to be affected from the action and are not
evaluated in detail. Environmental impacts related to potential reuse
and disposal of facilities will be the subject of subsequent NEPA
analyses.
The PEA identifies no significant biophysical impacts under
alternatives 1, 2, and 4, because the proposed action is relatively
small in scale and is not expected to adversely affect sensitive
resources. If a DOD facility is identified and alternative 3 is
selected, an appropriate NEPA analysis will be conducted to address
environmental impacts at the DOD facility.
Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR Part 15); and the Coast Guard Implementing Procedures and
Policies (COMDTINST M16475.1B), and based on this analysis, the Coast
Guard finds that Alternatives 1, 2, and 4 will have no significant
environmental effects and concludes that an EIS is not required.
The Coast Guard recognizes that there may be potentially
significant socioeconomic impacts. For example, closure of TRACEN
Petaluma could have a significant socioeconomic impact on Two Rock
Elementary School because the closure would reduce federal and state
funding that is provided to the school on a per pupil basis. However,
because there are no significant environmental impacts, the presence of
a potential significant socioeconomic impact does not require the
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Public Meetings
Public meetings to discuss the proposed consolidation of training
facilities and alternatives considered, present findings of the PEA,
and to receive public comments have been scheduled for the following
times and locations:
June 22, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Petaluma Community Center, 320
North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA;
June 26, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the City Hall, 643 Washington Street,
Cape May, NJ;
June 27, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Base Auditorium, Coast Guard
Reserve Training Center, Yorktown, VA;
June 28, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Kerman E. White Grad Center,
Elizabeth City State University, 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth
City, NC; and
June 29, 1995 (6:30 to 9pm) at the New London Public Library, 63
Huntington Street, New London, CT.
All interested persons will be given opportunity to express their
views by making an oral statement or filing a written comment. The
meetings will be recorded to help ensure that all comments will be
considered.
Request for Comments
Copies of the PEA and proposed 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 a consolidation
proposal.
Dated: June 8, 1995.
Kent H. Williams,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 95-14695 Filed 6-12-95; 1:26 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M
