Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal; and Reuse of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Santa Ana, California

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

the Disposal; and Reuse of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Santa Ana,

California

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act as

implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR

Parts 1500-1508), the U.S. Marine Corps intends to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental

effects of the disposal and reuse of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El

Toro. Located in Orange County, MCAS El Toro is north and east of the

City of Irvine and west of the City of Lake Forest.

As a result of the 1993 Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

process, MCAS El Toro was slated for closure by 1999. Orange County was

designated as the federally recognized Local Redevelopment Authority

for the development of the Community Reuse Plan at MCAS El Toro.

Accordingly, Orange County is preparing the Community Reuse Plan

simultaneously with an Environmental Impact Report required under the

California Environmental Quality Act. An EIS, which is required for the

disposal and reuse of MCAS El Toro, is being prepared by the Marine

Corps in accordance with NEPA. The Community Reuse Plan will be the

basis for the proposed action and the alternatives analyzed in the EIS.

The Federal Aviation Administration is a cooperating agency for this

EIS.

Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include: geological

resources, biological resources, water resources, noise, air quality,

land use compatibility, cultural resources, socioeconomics,

environmental justice, public health and safety, transportation/

circulation, aesthetics, utilities, hazardous materials, and solid

waste.

The Marine Corps will initiate a scoping process for the purpose of

determining the extent of issues to be addressed and identifying the

significant issues related to this action. The Marine Corps will hold

two public scoping meetings. The first will be on November 13, 1996,

beginning at 5:30 pm, at Mission Viejo High School, 25025 Chrisanta

Drive, Mission Viejo, California; and the second will be on November

14, 1996, beginning at 7:00 pm at Irvine City Hall, 1 Civic Center

Plaza, Irvine, California. These meetings will be advertised in area

newspapers.

A brief presentation will precede request for public comment.

Marine Corps representatives will be available at these meetings to

receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern to the

public. It is important that federal, state, and local agencies and

interested individuals take this opportunity to identify environmental

concerns that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. In

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

their oral comments to five minutes.

Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide

written comment on scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, oral

comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments

should clearly describe specific issues or topics which the commentor

believes the EIS should address. Written statements and or questions

regarding the scoping process should be mailed to: Commanding Officer,

Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific

Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190 (Attn: Mr. Dan Muslin, Code 232). All

comments must be received no later than December 6, 1996.

Date: October 24, 1996.

Lawrence L. Larson,

Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, Head, Land Use and Military Construction

Branch, Facilities and Services Division, Installations and Logistics

Department, By direction of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

[FR Doc. 96-27790 Filed 10-29-96; 8:45 am]

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