Record of Decision for the Lease of Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Property to the Port of Oakland for Development of Intermodal Rail Facilities and Maritime Cargo-Related Tenant Uses at Oakland, CA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Record of Decision for the Lease of Fleet and Industrial Supply

Center Property to the Port of Oakland for Development of Intermodal

Rail Facilities and Maritime Cargo-Related Tenant Uses at Oakland, CA

Pursuant to section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations on

Implementing NEPA Procedures (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Department of the

Navy announces its decision to implement the preferred alternative

presented in the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact

Statement (FEIR/EIS) for the Lease of Fleet and Industrial Supply

Center property to the Port of Oakland for development of intermodal

rail facilities and maritime-related tenant uses at Oakland,

California. This decision fulfills Navy responsibility in compliance

with NEPA process. The Port of Oakland will make its decision in

compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In response to 10 U.S.C. 2667 and Public Law 102-484 (Section

2834(b)) of the Fiscal Year 1993 Defense Authorization Act, as amended,

the Navy is authorized to lease to the Port of Oakland, real property,

together with improvements thereon, at the Fleet and Industrial Supply

Center, Oakland (FISCO), Alameda County, California.

The action is granting of a lease of up to 220 acres of the FISC

Oakland property to the Port of Oakland for expansion of their existing

intermodal rail facilities and maritime-related tenant activities. In

addition, the proposed development includes another 87 acres of the

Port of Oakland's and Union Pacific Railroad's properties directly

south of the Supply Center. The Port of Oakland proposes to establish

maritime and transportation activities and to redevelop the site for

port operations in support of the Oakland Harbor Area.

The 307 total acres have been divided into six areas for planning

purposes. Development of Area A (83 acres of the Center) would include

demolition of most of the existing facilities and construction of new

intermodal railtracks and associated appurtenances, such as straddle

carrier runways and container staging support areas. Development of

Area B (40 acres of the Center) would include demolition of existing

facilities and construction of new container transfer and storage areas

and a transloading facility. The transloading facility would be a

narrow, dock-high platform with rail tracks on one side and truck

spaces on the other side. Development of Area C (67 acres of the

Center) would include demolition of some existing facilities,

construction of an entrance for the intermodal rail facility (including

a gatehouse and maintenance and repair building) and maintenance of

existing warehouses for continued warehousing and/or distribution uses.

Development of Areas D and E (87 acres of Port and Union Pacific

Railroad properties) would include demolition of existing facilities

and construction of a new terminal expansion area to be used for

development of Area F (20 to 30 acres of the Center) may be included in

the lease, depending on the results of discussions between the Port of

Oakland and the Center. If the agreement is reached, the additional

area would be used for warehousing and/or distribution.

The alternatives, including the preferred alternative, may be

categorized as four development alternatives and the ``no action''

alternative. The development alternatives vary from extensive

[[Page 28589]] intermodal rail facilities to increased maritime

related/industrial tenant activities. The lease and development

alternatives would introduce major changes in scale and character of

the Historic District at FISCO. In compliance with Section 106 of the

National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. Section 470(f)), the Navy

has consulted the State Historic Preservation Officer, and a Memorandum

of Agreement has been reached regarding mitigation for adverse effects.

The action will result in net air pollution emissions that will be

below established threshold levels. A record of non-applicability for

the proposed action has been prepared pursuant to 40 CFR Parts 51 and

93 and no Clean Air Act Conformity determination is necessary. There

will not be any disproportionately high and adverse human health or

environmental effects from the action on minority and low-income

populations.

A Draft EIR/EIS was prepared by the Port and the Navy, and

distributed to agencies and officials of federal, state and local

governments, citizen groups and associates, public libraries, and other

interested parties for review and comment. A public hearing to inform

the public of the DEIR/EIS findings and to solicit comments was held on

September 19, 1994. Public comments concentrated on existing adverse

commercial truck traffic conditions in the West Oakland neighborhood.

The Port of Oakland has been working with community-based organizations

to arrive at appropriate and reasonable measures to ease these existing

conditions. Copies of all comments received were included in the Final

EIR/EIS. Six sets of written comments were received in response to the

FEIR/EIS during the 30-day public review period. Two sets of these

comments focused on technical questions pertaining to FISCO biological

resources, and the asbestos survey at the site. The organizations

making these comments will be directed to the appropriate sections of

the FEIR/EIS that addressed their concerns. The principal emphasis of

the remaining four sets of comments was regarding the action and its

relationship to the Port's broader long-term expansion plan, including

associated impacts--especially from increased commercial truck traffic.

As part of the Port's ``Vision 2000'' long-term conceptual plan, the

Port is investigating the feasibility of leasing an additional 200

acres of FISCO property for future expansion and development of

maritime and rail facilities beyond the action. The Port will prepare a

separate or supplemental NEPA/CEQA document that will suitably evaluate

the environmental impacts of such future expansion plan, as components

of the plan become reasonably foreseeable.

Questions regarding the Draft and Final Environmental Impact

Report/Environmental Impact Statement prepared for this action may be

directed to: (1) Mr. Raymond Chiang, Environmental Planning Branch,

Engineering Field Activity West, Naval Facilities Engineering Command,

P.O. Box 727, San Bruno, California 94066, FAX (415) 244-3737 for

questions pertaining to the Navy action; and (2) Mr. Charles Schwarz,

Environmental Department, Port of Oakland, 530 Water Street, Oakland,

California 94607, FAX (510) 465-3755 for questions pertaining to the

Port of Oakland action.

Dated: May 25, 1995

Robert B. Pirie, Jr.,

Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installation and Environment).

[FR Doc. 95-13429 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M