Notice of Intent to Clarify Public Scoping for an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Development of Facilities to Accommodate Realignment of One Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier to San Diego, CA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent to Clarify Public Scoping for an Environmental

Impact Statement for Proposed Development of Facilities to Accommodate

Realignment of One Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier to San Diego, CA

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-508) and the Defense Base Closure and

Realignment Act (DBCRA, 1990), the Department of the Navy announces its

intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the

development of facilities and infrastructure to accommodate the

realignment of one Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (CVN) from Naval Air

Station Alameda, CA to San Diego, CA.

This Notice of Intent (NOI) supercedes all previous notices and is

intended to provide clarification of the action the Navy is proposing

to implement, i.e., the mandated realignment of one CVN pursuant to the

1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. A decision to

establish the capability to support one CVN in San Diego makes it

reasonably foreseeable that future decisions on where to homeport new

CVNs beyond the year 2000 could result in their being proposed for

homeporting in San Diego. Therefore, this EIS will consider the

potential cumulative environmental impacts of homeporting three CVNs in

San Diego. The Navy is not, however, considering a proposal where to

homeport new CVNs beyond the year 2000 at this time. When the Navy does

make such a proposal, it will prepare the appropriate NEPA analysis.

The EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts associated

with construction and operation of those facilities and infrastructure

necessary to support one CVN in addition to those existing assets that

currently support two conventionally- powered carriers (CVs) and one

transient CVN. The additional requirements will include (1) dredging of

berthing areas, turning basin, and access channel to accommodate the

deeper-draft ship, (2) dredge material disposal in a bay fill site,

ocean disposal, and/or various beach disposal sites, (3) construction

of berthing to accommodate the larger class ship and its greater

utility requirements, and (4) construction of repair facilities

equipped and designed to support a homeported CVN.

A Draft EIS is planned to be available for public review and

comment in mid to late 1995. The Navy would appreciate any public

comments pertaining to the scope of the project as presented in this

NOI and to specific environmental issues requiring particular

attention. Please provide written comments no later than January 27,

1995, to: Commanding Officer, NAS North Island (ATTN: Code 00B), PO Box

357033, San Diego, CA, 92135-033.

Dated: December 22, 1994.

L.R. McNees,

Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 94-31902 Filed 12-27-94; 8:45 am]

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