Notice of Intent To Reopen Scoping for a Joint Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Long Beach Naval Hospital, Long Beach, CA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Reopen Scoping for a Joint Environmental

Impact Statement for Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Long Beach Naval

Hospital, Long Beach, CA

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as

implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations

(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy announces its

intent to reopen scoping for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to

evaluate the environmental effects of the disposal and reuse of Naval

Hospital (NAVHOSP) Long Beach, Long Beach, California.

In accordance with requirements of the 1991 Base Closure and

Realignment Commission, the Navy plans to disestablish NAVHOSP Long

Beach on 31 March 1994. Operations conducted at NAVHOSP Long Beach are

currently relocating to other naval hospitals located in the

continental United States. The proposed action involves the disposal of

land, buildings, and infrastructure of NAVHOP Long Beach for subsequent

reuse. The property currently occupied by the hospital totals 65.2

acres located at 7500 E. Carson Street and generally bounded by Carson

Street, Dovey Drive, El Dorado Regional Park, and the 605 Freeway.

However, a parcel of approximately 35 acres will revert to ownership by

the City of Long Beach in accordance with the deed conveying that

parcel to the Navy. The disposal and reuse of the remaining

approximately 30 acres will comprise the focus of the NEPA

documentation.

The Navy intends to analyze the environmental effects of the

disposal of NAVHOSP Long Beach based on the reasonably foreseeable

reuse of the property, taking into account uses identified by the City

of Long Beach and as determined during the scoping process. Potential

reuses of NAVHOSP Long Beach that have been identified include (1)

demolition of the existing hospital complex and accessory structures

and construction of approximately one million square feet of retail,

restaurant, and entertainment commerical space, (2) continued use of

the existing hospital complex for medical use, and (3) use of the

existing facilities for educational, office, and administrative spaces.

The City of Long Beach owns the adjacent property to the west of

the hospital site and plans to develop it, along with the property that

will revert to City control as soon as possible.

Major environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS

include, but are not limited to, air quality, water quality, wetlands,

endangered species, cultural resources, transportation, and

socioeconomic impacts.

In May 1993, the Navy initiated a scoping process for the purpose

of determining the scope of significant issues to be addressed related

to this action. A scoping meeting was held in the City of Long Beach on

27 May 1993 and the process of preparing the EIS was begun. More

recently, however, the Navy has become aware that additional potential

reuses of the hospital site may have been identified that need to be

evaluated through the NEPA process. Therefore, the scoping process is

being reopened for a period of 90 days from the date of this notice to

allow communities, organizations, and the public to submit to the Navy

additional reuse alternatives or substantive environmental issues of

concern. The Navy will then fully evaluate potential reuse

recommendations that have a reasonable basis for implementation and

which would generate jobs and/or revenues for the local economy.

Public scoping meetings will be conducted in late March 1994 to

allow oral public scoping comments. A notice of time and place for

these meetings will be advertised in local newspapers and mailed to

local city officials. It is important that federal, state, and local

agencies and interested individuals take this opportunity to identify

environmental concerns that should be addressed during the preparation

of the EIS. Agencies and the public are invited and encouraged to

provide written comment in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at

the public meetings. To be most helpful, scoping comments should

clearly describe specific issues or topics which the commentor believes

the EIS should address. Written comments regarding this proposed action

should be mailed no later than April 28, 1994, to Commanding Officer,

Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific

Highway, San Diego, California 92132-5190 (Attn: Mr. Dan Muslin, Code

232), telephone (619) 532-3403.

Dated: January 25, 1994.

Michael P. Rummel,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 94-1887 Filed 1-27-94; 8:45 am]

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