[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 46636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22425]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
to Open Scoping for the Disposal and Reuse of Long Beach Naval
Shipyard, Long Beach, California
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2) 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 announces its intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) and to open scoping to evaluate the
environmental effects associated with the disposal and reuse of Long
Beach Naval Shipyard (NSY), Long Beach, California. Long Beach NSY is
located in Long Island Beach Harbor, immediately east of Long Beach
Naval Station, and includes approximately 259 acres of real estate. On
this, approximately 4 acres will be retained as a government-owned,
contractor-operated parcel, and 85 acres will revert automatically to
the City of Long Beach in conformance with the original deed which
transferred land from the City to the Navy. These parcels are not
included as part of the disposal and reuse of the Long Beach NSY. The
proposed action involves the disposal of land, buildings, and
infrastructure for subsequent reuse of the remaining 170 acres.
As a result of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (DBCRA)
of 1990 (Public Law 101-510), and in accordance with the Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process of 1995, Long Beach NSY is
slated for operational closure on September 30, 1997. The DBCRA, as
amended by the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996,
established procedures to minimize hardships on local communities
adversely affected by base closures and to facilitate economic recovery
of such communities. In this regard, job creation and economic
development are given the highest priority in the reuse of closed
military bases, in accordance with objectives for disposal of federal
property.
The Secretary of the Navy must consider the community's
redevelopment plan proposed for the base slated for closure. The
development plan is a plan approved by the Local Redevelopment
Authority (LRA) which provides for the reuse or redevelopment of the
closed military installation. The City of Long Beach was designated as
the LRA by the Secretary of Defense. The City of Long Beach has
prepared a reuse plan (July 1996) with recommendations for the reuse of
surplus Long Beach Naval Shipyard property.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared by the
Department of the Navy in accordance with NEPA and DBCRA requirements.
The EIS will analyze the environmental effect of the disposal and reuse
of the Long Beach NSY. The environmental studies will be based on the
reasonably foreseeable reuse of the existing buildings and
redevelopment of the site. The EIS will analyze three reuse
alternatives in an equal level of detail and a ``no action''
alternative. The proposed action is the disposal of the base for reuse.
Alternative 1 is consistent with the reuse plan proposed by the LRA and
would involve demolition of three piers, two dry-docks (one large dry-
dock would remain), and most buildings. These would be replaced by a
152-acre container terminal; an intermodal railyard; an 18-acre (one
pier) shipyard facility surrounding the remaining dry-dock, with a
100,000 square-foot support building (possibly an existing building);
and six 500,000-barrel tanks in a 36-acre liquid bulk facility.
Alternative 2, Two-pier Shipyard, would be identical to the proposed
action except that the shipyard area would be expanded to 32 acres and
contain 2 piers and some additional buildings. Alternative 3,
Commercial Shipyard, would involve the conversion of the existing
shipyard for commercial use. Under this alternative, all the piers and
dry-docks would remain and most of the buildings could be reused. The
EIS will also address any alternatives that are raised during the
public scoping process. Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS
include: geology, topography, and soils; hydrology; biology; noise; air
quality; land use; historic and archaeological resources; socio-
economic; transportation/circulation; public facilities/recreation;
safety and environmental health; aesthetics; and utilities. Issue
analysis will include an evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-
term, and cumulative impacts associated with the proposed action. The
decision to implement the proposed action will not be made until the
NEPA process is complete.
ADDRESSES: The Department of the Navy will initiate a scoping process
for the purpose of determining the scope of issues to be addressed and
for identifying significant issues relative to this action. A public
meeting to allow oral comments from the public will be held at the Long
Beach Public Library, Main Branch, 101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach,
California on September 18, 1996 at 7:00 P.M. This meeting will be
advertised in area newspapers. Navy representatives will be available
at the scoping meeting to receive comments from the public regarding
issues of concern. A brief presentation describing the disposal and
NEPA processes will precede request for public comments. It is
important that federal, state, and local agencies, as well as
interested organizations and individuals, take this opportunity to
identify environmental concerns that they feel should be addressed
during the preparation of the EIS.
Agencies and the public are invited and encouraged to provide
written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the
public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly
describe specific issues or topics that the commenter believes the EIS
should address. Written comments or questions regarding the scoping
process and/or EIS should be postmarked no later than October 4, 1996
and sent to the following address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melanie Ault (Code 232MA), BRAC
Program Office, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, 1420 Kettner Boulevard, Suite 507, San Diego, CA 92101-2404;
telephone (619) 556-0250 Ext. 226.
Dated: August 28, 1996.
D.E. Koenig,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-22425 Filed 9-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M
