# 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 > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A96-30721 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** December 3, 1996 - **Citation:** 61 FR 64071 ## Text 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 --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A96-30721. Public record. Not legal advice.