Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and to Open Scoping for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three NIMITZ Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Navy, DoD

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and

to Open Scoping for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three NIMITZ

Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States

Pacific Fleet

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the

Department of the Navy announces its intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) and to open scoping to evaluate the

environmental effects associated with developing and operating home

port facilities for three nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) in

support of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The scope of the proposed action is to: (1) determine the

appropriate home port for two CVNs that will replace two

conventionally-powered aircraft carriers (CVs) that are currently

homeported at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the Naval Complex

San Diego, CA, and (2) reevaluate the current location of one CVN

homeport at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Everett in order to increase

efficiency of support infrastructure, maintenance, and repair

capabilities, to reduce costs, and to enhance crew quality of life.

Decisions for facilities development need to be made as soon as

possible to accommodate planned arrival schedules of the CVNs to the

Pacific Fleet (one as early as 2001) and to gain infrastructure

benefits prior to upcoming ship maintenance periods (commencing in

1999). These schedules are now sufficiently clarified to allow Navy to

proceed with the proposed actions at this time.

There are three major U.S. areas of Navy concentration in the

Pacific: San Diego, CA complex; Puget Sound, WA complex; and Pearl

Harbor, HI complex. Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the San

Diego Naval Complex and Puget

[[Page 64072]]

Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Bremerton and NAVSTA Everett in the Pacific

Northwest are currently designated as CVN home ports. All three

locations will be considered as alternative locations for the proposed

actions. Although not currently designated as a CVN home port, Pearl

Harbor is capable of accommodating deep-draft ships and will also be

evaluated as a potential home port.

The 1993 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission

recommended, and the President and Congress directed the closure of NAS

Alameda, CA (scheduled for 1997), and the relocation of two CVNs to

fleet concentrations in San Diego, CA, and in the Pacific Northwest.

Consequently, the Department of the Navy established homeporting

capabilities for one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at NAS North

Island in the San Diego Naval Complex, CA (scheduled for completion in

1998), and one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at PSNS Bremerton, WA

(which has now been implemented). The proposed actions do not involve a

reexamination of homeporting actions directed by the 1993 Defense Base

Closure and Realignment process.

As the proposed actions could result in the aggregation of CVNs at

PSNS Bremerton, consideration will be given to relocation of non-

nuclear powered deep-draft Navy support ships currently homeported at

PSNS Bremerton.

The EIS will analyze the potential environmental effects of the

proposed actions at the alternative locations discussed above,

including any associated facilities development and dredging, and other

reasonable alternatives identified during the public scoping process.

Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include: geology,

topography, and soils; dredging, hydrology, and water quality;

pollution prevention; biology and natural resources; noise; air

quality; land use; historic and archeological resources; socioeconomics

schools, and housing, transportation/circulation/parking; public

facilities and recreation; safety and environmental health; aesthetics;

utilities; and environmental justice. Issue analysis will include an

evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-term, and cumulative impacts

associated with the proposed actions. No decision to implement the

proposed actions will be made until the NEPA process is complete.

ADDRESSES: The Department of the Navy will initiate a scoping process

for the purpose of determining the scope of issues to be addressed and

for identifying significant issues relative to these proposed actions.

Public meetings to receive oral comments from the public will be held

in the four primary areas of consideration (San Diego, CA; Bremerton,

WA; Everett, WA; and Honolulu, HI) in January and February 1997. These

meetings will be announced in the Federal Register and in local area

newspapers. Navy representatives will be available at the scoping

meetings to receive comments from the public regarding issues of

concern. A brief presentation describing the proposed actions and the

NEPA process will precede a request for public comments. It is

important that federal, state, and local agencies, as well as

interested organizations and individuals, take this opportunity to

identify environmental concerns that they feel should be addressed

during the preparation of the EIS. Agencies and the public are invited

and encouraged to provide written comments in addition to, or in lieu

of, oral comments at the public meetings. To be most helpful, scoping

comments should clearly describe specific issues or topics that the

commenter believes the EIS should address. Written comments or

questions regarding the scoping process and/or the EIS should be

postmarked no later than 28 February 1997 and sent to the following

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Daniel Muslin (Code 03PL), Southwest Division, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190;

telephone (619) 532-3403.

Dated: November 27, 1996.

D.E. Koenig,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-30721 Filed 12-2-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M