# Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Naval Base Philadelphia, PA > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-31556 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Uncategorized Document - **Published:** December 23, 1994 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Naval Base Philadelphia, PA 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 prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the disposal and reuse of Naval Base Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Naval Base, as defined here, includes the Naval Station, those portions of the Naval Shipyard on League Island that are not being retained by Navy, and the Capehart Family Housing complex located a half-mile to the north of League Island. League Island is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers in the southern portion of the City of Philadelphia. As directed by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act (DBCRA) (PL 101-510), as implemented by the 1991 BRAC process, the Navy plans to close and dispose of portions of the Naval Base. The Naval Station and portions of the Naval Shipyard will be closed in late 1995. The proposed action to be analyzed in the EIS involves the disposal of land, buildings, and infrastructure for subsequent reuse. The Navy will retain ownership of a portion of the Shipyard for possible future use by the Navy. The Navy will continue to operate the Naval Surface Warfare Center, the Propeller Shop and Foundry, and the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility. This retained land on the Shipyard totals approximately 300 acres. Other elements of the Shipyard, including five dry docks and over 2.5 million square feet of building space may be made available to lease for other purposes, but Navy will retain ownership. The remainder of the Naval Base, approximately 800 acres, would be disposed of by the Navy. A Naval Base redevelopment/reuse plan developed by the Mayor of Philadelphia's Commission on Defense Conversion will be the preferred alternative presented in the EIS. The proposed reuse plan comprises over 3.2 million square feet of heavy industrial functions; 2.2 million square feet of light industrial, warehousing, and distribution facilities; 1.4 million square feet of administrative and research/ development space; approximately 650,000 square feet of commercial services; a 35-acre institutional campus; a 330-acre future development site; and over 70 acres of common access open space. The ``no action'' alternative (Navy retention of Naval Base Philadelphia land and infrastructure in caretaker status) will be addressed in the EIS. However, because of the process mandated by the DBCRA, selection of the ``no action'' alternative would be considered impracticable for the Navy to implement. The EIS to be prepared by the Navy will address the following known areas of concern: effects of new development at the Base on the regional socioeconomic environment, potential effects on infrastructure and transportation systems, and the effects of reuse on any historic properties on-site. Preliminary studies indicate that areas within the Naval Base are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as historic districts, with several other potentially significant archaeological resources also present. Additionally, potential impacts to the natural environment that will be addressed in the EIS include, but are not limited to, air quality, water quality, hazardous materials, wetlands, and endangered species. The Navy will initiate a scoping process for the purposes of determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying significant issues related to proposed reuse. Navy will hold a public scoping meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 1995, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the South Philadelphia Community Center, 2600 South Broad Street (corner of South Broad Street and Oregon Avenue), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Should inclement weather preclude holding the public scoping meeting on this date, the alternate date for the meeting will be Thursday, January 12, 1995 (meeting to be held at the same location). If there is any question of meeting date in the event of inclement weather, contact the person listed at the end of this notice for confirmation. This notice will also appear in local papers. A brief presentation will precede a request for public comment and will include a presentation on the proposed reuse plan. Navy representatives will be available at this meeting to receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern to the public. 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. In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit oral comments to five minutes. Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide written comment 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 which the commenter believes the EIS should address. Written statements and/or questions regarding the scoping process should be mailed no later than January 27, 1995, to: Commanding Officer, Northern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 10 Industrial Highway, Lester, Pennsylvania 19113 (Attn: Mrs. Tina Deininger, Code 202), telephone (610) 595-0759. Dated: December 20, 1994. L.R. McNees, LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 94-31556 Filed 12-22-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-31556. Public record. Not legal advice.