Record of Decision for Realignment of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Record of Decision for Realignment of Naval Air Warfare Center

Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD

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

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

for implementing NEPA procedures (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Department of

the Navy announces its decision to implement realignment of Naval Air

Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, Maryland.

In accordance with legislative requirements of the Base Closure and

Realignment Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-510), as implemented by the

1993 Base Closure and Realignment process (BRAC-93), the Navy was

directed to realign operations and personnel from the Naval Air Systems

Command (NAVAIR) in Arlington, Virginia and NAWCAD in Trenton, New

Jersey to NAWCAD Patuxent River, Maryland. The realignment involves

relocating approximately 2,670 administrative personnel from leased

space in Arlington and 116 research personnel from the existing NAWCAD

Trenton facility to NAWCAD Patuxent River. To meet the facility and

operational requirements of the realignment, Navy will construct

administrative, laboratory, and engine testing facilities at NAWCAD

Patuxent River. The realignment will also require minor modifications

to the existing child care facility, utilities improvements, and

improvements to Buse Road at the site of the administrative facility.

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was prepared for the

action and distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies and to

interested individuals and groups. The DEIS was made available to the

public on 25 August 1994 and evaluated alternative sites and

environmental impacts of the construction and operation of new

facilities. A Final EIS (FEIS), which was made available to the public

on 9 December 1994, primarily addressed public and agency comments to

the DEIS and provided further clarification of anticipated

environmental impacts. The EIS process evaluated the foreseeable

physical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts from facility

construction and operation on-base and to the Tri-County area from the

additional personnel associated with the realignment. The comment

period for the FEIS expired 9 January 1995 and only one agency response

has been received; and it was supportive in nature.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act waived certain aspects

of NEPA such that the environmental analysis need not consider the no-

action alternative (no realignment), nor other realignment locations.

However, alternative means of accommodating the mandated BRAC-93

realignment at NAWCAD Patuxent River were considered. Existing

facilities were evaluated, but were determined not suitable for the

NAVAIR and NAWCAD Trenton activities. An initial site selection study

was performed to identify potential alternative sites for the

construction of new facilities at NAWCAD Patuxent River. These

potential alternative sites were then evaluated against refined

evaluation criteria that addressed the site's suitability. The refined

evaluation criteria included land use issues, environmental issues,

operational requirements, and development costs. The alternatives

evaluation process resulted in the following projects to accommodate

the realignment.

The NAVAIR headquarters facility includes a five-story, 462,500

square feet (SF) administrative building, three-story parking garage,

and surface parking. Construction of the facilities will require

demolition of existing structures, removal of 16 acres of trees, and

construction and relocation of utilities infrastructure, including an

electrical substation adjacent to the existing utilities right-of-way.

A stormwater detention basin will be constructed to retain runoff from

impervious surfaces. Buse Road will be widened from Cuddihy Road to

south of the NAVAIR facility. The existing two-lane road will be

widened to four lanes plus a median.

Realignment of NAWCAD Trenton will require the construction of

engine testing facilities (cells) and related laboratories. The

Propulsion System Evaluation Facility (PSEF), which will be located

north of Building 106, offers access to the airfield, access to a fuel

supply, close proximity to supporting facilities, land use

compatibility and minimal environmental impacts. The test cells will be

composed of nine specific units designed to test engines, turbines,

alternative fuels, and engine starters. The PSEF includes a 100,000 SF

one-story building to accommodate the nine test cells and associated

laboratories and offices, a cooling tower, several small equipment

storage buildings, and a parking lot. Operation of the specialized

cells will require utility hook-ups and an underground fuel supply

pipeline system. A detention basin will control stormwater runoff from

the PSEF.

The on-base child-care facility (Building 2030) will be expanded by

adding 3,560 SF to accommodate dependents of military personnel.

All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental impacts at

NAWCAD Patuxent River will be adopted during the construction and

operation of the facilities. Navy will obtain all appropriate

construction and operation permits and approvals from jurisdictional

agencies prior to implementation. Construction of the facilities will

result in the loss of approximately 16 acres of woodlands. This

represents less than one percent of the woodlands on-base and no

reforestation measures are proposed. No jurisdictional wetlands, or

threatened or endangered species will be affected by the realignment

action. Regional air quality is not expected to be degraded as a result

of the proposed action. Although NAWCAD Patuxent River is located in an

attainment area and the 1993 Clean Air Act General Conformity Rule does

not apply, the EIS evaluated potential air quality impacts in

neighboring Calvert and Charles Counties (designated as non-attainment

for ozone). That analysis concluded that realignment-related commuter

traffic will result in de minimis air emissions, and therefore will

conform to the State Implementation Plan for air quality.

[[Page 5170]]

The EIS evaluated potential impacts to Maryland Coastal Resources

and concluded that the realignment of NAWCAD Patuxent River will be

consistent with Maryland Coastal Zone policies to the maximum extent

practicable.

Construction of a portion of the parking lot for the NAVAIR

Headquarters facility will adversely affect a known archeological site.

Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, a Memorandum of

Agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) will coordinate

further treatment of the site through a Phase III data recovery survey

prior to allowing construction of that portion of the parking lot to

ensure that adverse affects will be mitigated to the greatest extent

possible. Building 408, a World War II-era temporary structure, will be

demolished to accommodate the NAVAIR facility. Demolition of Building

408 will be conducted in accordance with the 1985 Programmatic

Agreement covering such structures.

Regional impacts associated with the relocation of approximately

2,800 personnel and their families were addressed in the EIS. Extensive

coordination with state and local agencies, economic development

groups, school boards, and community officials were conducted to assess

the potential economic and community impacts associated with the

realignment. Because some personnel may stay at their current

residences, it is conservatively estimated that 2,185 new households

could relocate to the Tri-County region of southern Maryland. Direct

and indirect employment income generated from the realignment is

expected to reach $300 million annually. Between 1,280 and 2,185 school

age children could accompany relocating personnel, most of whom are

expected to attend schools in St. Mary's County. The three school

boards of the Tri-County area have stated their willingness to accept

increases in student enrollment and have integrated the increase into

their schools' planning. In accordance with E.O. 12898 (Environmental

Justice), Navy considered potential impacts to minority and low-income

persons and concluded that no disproportionate adverse impacts are to

be expected.

There are adequate utilities in the region to support the

realignment. The realignment is expected to generate a regional

increase in groundwater withdrawal of approximately 2.5 percent over

current use, which is well within the capacity of the aquifer.

Additional wastewater inflows to area treatment facilities are not

expected to approach allocated capacities. Regional population growth

has been and continues to be expected by community and regional

planning organizations. The potential increase in population is within

the growth projected for southern Maryland. Some community services

such as police and fire protection may need to be expanded to

accommodate increases in community populations, however, the

realignment is not anticipated to result in a significant burden on

these communities.

Questions regarding the Draft and Final Environmental Impact

Statements prepared for this action may be directed to: Commanding

Officer, Engineering Field Activity Chesapeake, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, Washington Navy Yard, Building 212, 901 M Street

SE, Washington DC 20374-2121 (Attn: Mr. Mike Bryan, Code 20N),

telephone (202) 685-3061, fax (202) 685-3061.

Dated: January 23, 1995.

Elsie L. Munsell,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment and Safety).

[FR Doc. 95-2010 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]

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