Proposed Closure of Coast Guard Facilities on Governors Island, New York, and Relocation of Coast Guard Facilities; Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[CGD 95-046]

Proposed Closure of Coast Guard Facilities on Governors Island,

New York, and Relocation of Coast Guard Facilities; Finding of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has prepared a Finding of No

Significant Impact (FONSI) to guide its decision-maker on the proposed

closure of Coast Guard facilities on Governors Island and relocation of

Coast Guard operations and facilities to several receiving sites within

the New York Harbor region (``proposal''). No decision has been made.

There would be no significant impact on the environment, and

preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement would not be

necessary. This notice announces the availability of the FONSI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

CDR Takasugi, Executive Officer, Civil Engineering Unit Providence,

(401) 736-1776, [FAX] (401) 736-1704. Copies of the FONSI,

Environmental Assessment, and Public Comment Report are available from

him.

Background

Governors Island is located in New York Harbor, south of Manhattan

and west of Brooklyn. It houses Support Center New York and a number of

tenant commands. The 172-acre island is surrounded by a seawall and is

accessible by ferry from Manhattan.

The USCG is looking for a means to reduce its annual operating

costs by $400 million, and closure of the Governors Island facilities

is intended to partially fulfill that goal. The USCG functions at

Governors Island would be relocated off the island.

The USCG prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to the

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and implementing regulations

and procedures. The EA evaluated the potential environmental impacts--

on land use, infrastructure (traffic and utilities), public services,

public health and safety, noise, air quality, geology and soils, water

resources, biological resources, socioeconomics, and cultural

resources--of closure of USCG facilities at Governors Island. The EA

also evaluated the potential environmental impacts of relocating these

facilities to other sites within the New York Harbor region.

On June 1, 1995, the USCG published [60 FR 28642] a notice

announcing the availability of an EA and of a draft FONSI, comments on

which documents would be due on or before July 3, 1995. The USCG

received 24 comments. These comments are addressed in the Public

Comment Report and will be provided to the decision-maker with the EA

and FONSI before deciding on the proposal.

Those facilities on Governors Island that serve the New York Harbor

region would be relocated to the Battery Building, the Military Ocean

Terminal Bayonne, Rosebank, Wadsworth, and Sandy Hook.

(a) The Battery Building: The proposal would relocate various local

functions including offices for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Recruiting,

Marine Safety, Law Enforcement, Licensing and

[[Page 53823]]

Inspection, and the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System to

the Battery Building in Manhattan. It would not relocate any vessels to

this site. The Battery Building would be renovated, but no building

demolition or construction would be involved.

(b) The Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne: The proposal would

relocate the Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) and several USCG vessels to

Bayonne, New Jersey. The vessels are the USCG Cutter (USCGC) RED BEECH,

a 157-foot buoy tender; the USCGC PENOBSCOT BAY, a 140-foot cutter; the

USCGC STURGEON BAY, also a 140-foot cutter; two 65-foot tugboats; two

46-foot buoy tenders; and tow 21-foot boats. Construction would involve

wharf improvements, new floating docks, a new fuel system, and new

shore ties. A new building for the ANT would contain modern facilities,

parking, and storage. The storage would accommodate hazardous materials

(batteries, paints, solvents, and lubricants), vehicles, trailer-

mounted vessels (in addition to the USCG vessels discussed above), and

ANT supplies.

(c) Rosebank: The proposal would relocate Station New York to

Rosebank on Staten Island. Six search-and-rescue vessels and related

equipment would be relocated to this site. Construction would include

the replacement of existing piers, the addition of wave screens, and

the addition of a new fueling system for these vessels. The buildings

would be demolished and replaced, and housing in two other buildings

would be renovated.

(f) Wadsworth: The proposal would relocate administrative offices

for Group New York, the control room for Vessel Traffic Service, and

the Marine Safety Office to Wadsworth on Staten Island. It would not

relocate any vessels to this site. Construction would include the

renovation of one building and of part of another, and the demolition

of three buildings for parking.

(e) Sandy Hook: The proposal would relocate engineering functions

of Group New York to Sandy Hook, in New Jersey. It would not relocate

any vessels to this site. Construction would include the renovation of

the administrative building and boathouse, the demolition of the

maintenance-and-repair building, the erection of an engineering

building for the Group, and improvements to parking.

The EA on which the final FONSI rests discusses two alternatives to

no closure of USCG facilities at Governors Island: closure with

standard maintenance, and closure with basic maintenance. (The

relocation of tenant commands would be the same under the one

alternative as under the other.) The standard-maintenance alternative

would provide utility maintenance, full-time fire and security service,

and full building maintenance, consistent with the historic-maintenance

plan. The basic-maintenance alternative would limit governmental

maintenance expenditures to the least amount feasible. (No closure, or

no action, assumes the continued operation of Support Center New York

with tenant commands on Governors Island; it does not meet the purpose

and need for the proposal: to reduce costs given straitened budgets.)

Closure with standard maintenance is the preferred alternative.

This alternative would have no significant environmental impacts.

Consequently, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not

required.

Dated: October 12, 1995.

T. W. Josiah,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Resources.

[FR Doc. 95-25712 Filed 10-16-95; 8:45 am]

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