Consolidation of U.S. Coast Guard Training Centers; Environmental Assessment and Proposed Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[CGD 95-049]

Consolidation of U.S. Coast Guard Training Centers; Environmental

Assessment and Proposed Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has prepared a Programmatic Environmental

Assessment (PEA) for the proposed consolidation of U.S. Coast Guard

training centers. This may result in transfer of training activities

from one training center to other centers. One or more of the five

training centers may be closed or partially closed. Based on the

information presented in the PEA, the Coast Guard finds that no

significant impacts to the environment will result from the proposed

implementation of several alternatives consolidating the training

functions at the five facilities, and a proposed Finding of No

Significant Impact (FONSI) has been prepared. The Coast Guard seeks

comments from the public on the PEA and proposed FONSI. It will also

hold a number of public meetings.

DATES: Written comments on the PEA and proposed FONSI should be

received not later than July 17, 1995. Public meetings will be held as

indicated below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the PEA and proposed FONSI are available for

public review at the following libraries: Petaluma Library, 100

Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA; Cape May Public Library, 110 Ocean

Street, Cape May, NJ; Pasquotank-Camden Library, 205 East Main Street,

Elizabeth City NC; Newport News Public Library, 2400 Washington Avenue,

Newport News VA; and the New London Public Library, 63 Huntington

Street, New London, CT. Written comments should be mailed to, and

copies of the PEA and proposed FONSI may be obtained from, Ms. Susan

Boyle, NEPA Branch Chief, U.S. Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics

Command Pacific, Coast Guard Island, Building #54D, Alameda, CA 94501-

5100, at (510) 437-3626. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to

Ms. Boyle at (510) 437-5753.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact LT Jan Proehl, Public Affairs Staff, at (202) 267-2304. Persons

requiring assistance for the public meetings described in Public

Meetings below should call Ms. Boyle, at (510) 437-3626, by June 19,

1995.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Coast Guard is proposing to consolidate training activities

throughout the United States to reduce operational expenditures and

achieve long-term savings. A PEA has been prepared which evaluates the

potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts from consolidation

alternatives.

Five Coast Guard training centers may be directly affected by the

proposed action: Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN

Cape May, New Jersey; Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC)

Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown,

Virginia; and the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Under

the consolidation proposals, some installations may be expanded, some

may be downsized, and some may be closed. [[Page 31530]]

Alternatives

Based on a detailed feasibility and streamlining study, the Coast

Guard developed and considered three consolidation alternatives, in

addition to a no action alternative. Under all consolidation

alternatives, the Coast Guard Academy would experience minor expansion,

receiving about 40 new staff members and 13000 square feet of new

construction. This expansion represents a small change in the

operational size of the academy that would be absorbed by refurbishing

existing structures in developed areas. The action is not expected to

result in any significant environmental impacts, therefore, the impact

on the Academy is not analyzed in detail in the PEA.

The four alternatives evaluated are summarized below. The Coast

Guard has not yet identified a preferred alternative.

1. Consolidate East Coast: TRACEN Petaluma would close and most of

its training functions would be relocated to RTC Yorktown. ATTC

Elizabeth City and TRACEN Cape May would not be significantly affected

by this alternative.

2. Consolidate Tidewater Area: TRACEN Petaluma and TRACEN Cape May

would close and their functions would be relocated to RTC Yorktown and

ATTC Elizabeth City.

3. Consolidate to a DOD Facility: TRACEN Petaluma, TRACEN Cape May,

and ATTC Elizabeth City would be closed and their functions relocated

to an undetermined closed Department of Defense (DOD) military base.

The impacts at TRACEN Petaluma and TRACEN Cape May for this alternative

are the same as those under Alternative 2.

4. No Action: The Coast Guard would continue to operate the

training centers as they currently exist. However, this alternative

would not achieve the Coast Guard's goal of long-term cost savings.

The PEA evaluates the environmental impacts of each alternative,

including: Land use; infrastructure/transportation; hazardous materials

and waste management; biological resources; cultural resources; air

quality; noise; water resources; and socioeconomics. Other

environmental impacts, including impacts on geology, soils, and

bathymetry, are not expected to be affected from the action and are not

evaluated in detail. Environmental impacts related to potential reuse

and disposal of facilities will be the subject of subsequent NEPA

analyses.

The PEA identifies no significant biophysical impacts under

alternatives 1, 2, and 4, because the proposed action is relatively

small in scale and is not expected to adversely affect sensitive

resources. If a DOD facility is identified and alternative 3 is

selected, an appropriate NEPA analysis will be conducted to address

environmental impacts at the DOD facility.

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

Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations

(40 CFR Part 15); and the Coast Guard Implementing Procedures and

Policies (COMDTINST M16475.1B), and based on this analysis, the Coast

Guard finds that Alternatives 1, 2, and 4 will have no significant

environmental effects and concludes that an EIS is not required.

The Coast Guard recognizes that there may be potentially

significant socioeconomic impacts. For example, closure of TRACEN

Petaluma could have a significant socioeconomic impact on Two Rock

Elementary School because the closure would reduce federal and state

funding that is provided to the school on a per pupil basis. However,

because there are no significant environmental impacts, the presence of

a potential significant socioeconomic impact does not require the

preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Public Meetings

Public meetings to discuss the proposed consolidation of training

facilities and alternatives considered, present findings of the PEA,

and to receive public comments have been scheduled for the following

times and locations:

June 22, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Petaluma Community Center, 320

North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA;

June 26, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the City Hall, 643 Washington Street,

Cape May, NJ;

June 27, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Base Auditorium, Coast Guard

Reserve Training Center, Yorktown, VA;

June 28, 1995 (7 to 10pm) at the Kerman E. White Grad Center,

Elizabeth City State University, 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth

City, NC; and

June 29, 1995 (6:30 to 9pm) at the New London Public Library, 63

Huntington Street, New London, CT.

All interested persons will be given opportunity to express their

views by making an oral statement or filing a written comment. The

meetings will be recorded to help ensure that all comments will be

considered.

Request for Comments

Copies of the PEA and proposed FONSI are available as described

under ADDRESSES. The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to

comment on these documents. The Coast Guard will consider these

comments prior to making a decision to implement a consolidation

proposal.

Dated: June 8, 1995.

Kent H. Williams,

Chief of Staff.

[FR Doc. 95-14695 Filed 6-12-95; 1:26 pm]

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