Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Establishment of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of Excellence in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for

Establishment of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of

Excellence in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) 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 has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for establishment

of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of Excellence (the

``Center'') in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas.

The Navy proposes to collocate the majority of its mine warfare and

mine counter measures assets in proximity to each other at the

Ingleside/Corpus Christi Naval Complex. This will allow for

comprehensive air and surface mine warfare training and joint

operations. Congress directed the Navy to establish the ``Center'' at

Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, in the FY 1994 Defense Appropriations

Act. The DEIS evaluates the reasonable alternatives to implementing the

proposed action in the Corpus Christi Bay area. In addition to the

various facility location alternatives, a ``no action'' alternative was

evaluated which the ``Center'' would not be established.

The proposed action includes new construction and/or modification

of existing facilities at Naval Station Ingleside and Naval Air Station

Corpus Christi, and proposes the establishment of training and

operating areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Construction would consist of a

magnetic silencing facility, an aviation mine counter measures sled

facility, a small craft pier, and the construction and/or modification

of facilities needed to support two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter

squadrons and one explosive ordnance disposal mobil unit. The training

and operating areas would be located off North Padre Island and within

Mineral Management Service Lease Blocks 732, 733, 734, 793, 799, and

816. This would include an ordnance detonation area required for the

detonation of practice mines using a maximum of 10 pounds of C-4

explosive. Surface restrictions in these areas would be established to

allow for both daily training and quarterly integrated training. The

establishment of the ``Center'' involves the transfer of approximately

4,820 military personnel and their families (approximately 4,877

dependents) to the Corpus Christi Bay Area.

Dredging activities associated with the project involve new work

dredging and subsequent maintenance dredging of the magnetic silencing

facility. Dredging for the magnetic silencing facility would require

removal of between 250,000 and 410,000 cubic yards of material to

obtain the depth of water required for facility and turning basin

operations. The total 50-year dredging maintenance requirement could

range between 400,000 to 650,000 cubic yards, depending upon the

initial area dredged. The existing Navy disposal area near Ingleside

would be used for dredge material disposal.

The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local

agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and interest

individuals. It is also on file and available for review at the Corpus

Christi Public Library (Main branch and Flour Bluff branch) and at the

Ingleside Public Library. A limited number of single copies are

available at the address listed at the end of this notice.

The Navy will conduct two public hearings to inform the public of

the DEIS findings and to solicit comments: The first hearing will be on

Tuesday, June 6, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Flour Bluff ISD

Auditorium, 2505 Waldron Road, Flour Bluff, Texas; and the second

hearing will be on Wednesday, June 7, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the

Ingleside High School Cafeteria, 640 Mustang Drive, Ingleside, Texas.

Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties are invited

to be present or represented at the hearing. Oral comments will be

heard and transcribed by a stenographer. To assure accuracy of the

record, all comments should be submitted in writing. All comments, both

oral and written, will become part of the public record in the study.

In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit

oral [[Page 25696]] comments to five (5) minutes. Longer comments

should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing

either at the hearing or mailed to the address listed at the end of

this announcement. All written comments must be postmarked by June 19,

1995, to become part of the official record. The public hearing will be

conducted in English, but the Navy will make every reasonable effort to

accommodate requests for language interpreters or other special

communication needs. Such requests must be made to the person listed

below at least two days prior to the public hearings.

Additional information concerning this notice may be obtained by

contacting: Mr. Will Sloger (Code 064WS), Southern Division, Naval

Facilities Engineering Command, P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston,

South Carolina 29419-9010, telephone (803) 743-0797.

Dated: May 9, 1995.

M.D. Schetzsle,

LT, JAGC, USNR, Alternative Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-11757 Filed 5-11-95; 8:45 am]

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