Record of Decision for Capital Improvements at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Acoustic Research Detachment, Bayview, ID

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Record of Decision for Capital Improvements at the Naval Surface

Warfare Center, Acoustic Research Detachment, Bayview, ID

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

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

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

Navy announces its decision to implement capital improvements at the

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock Division (CD), Acoustic

Research Detachment (ARD), Bayview, Idaho.

The Navy is selecting the preferred alternative suite of capital

improvements presented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) for this action. Major components of the capital improvements

include construction of: an extended pier Model Engineering Support

Facility (MESF) and related improvements; a Model Support Platform

(MSP) access pier; and Acoustical Testing and Analysis Center (ATAC)

and related improvements; realignment of the main entry gate; and

expansion of the main parking lot (without acquisition of the Bayview

Public Park).

The selected capital improvements will meet four programmatic

objectives of improving model operational support, program management

support, site circulation and security, and environmental protection.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS was published in the

Federal Register on January 25, 1996. A public scoping meeting was held

at the Bayview Community Center in Bayview, Idaho on February 27, 1996.

A Draft EIS (DEIS) was distributed in July 1996, followed by a public

hearing to receive oral and written comment held at the Bayview

Community Center on September 5, 1996. The public and agency comment

period ended on September 23, 1996. The Environmental Protection Agency

rated the DEIS ``LO'' (lack of objections). All comments were addressed

in the FEIS which was distributed to the public on January 31, 1997. No

comments were received from the public on the FEIS.

Major issues identified during public participation and review

related to potential impacts to aesthetics, land use and land

acquisition, and noise impacts on the surrounding community, as well as

potential impacts to aquatic resources (e.g., fish and water quality)

from construction and operation associated with the selected capital

improvements. Aesthetic concerns related primarily to the visibility

and appearance of proposed new facilities as viewed from residential

areas within Bayview.

Some commenters raised the issue of compliance with existing county

ordinances, including fire regulations and zoning requirements.

Specific issues raised regarding potential noise impacts to the

community included pile driving and hours per day of construction.

Concerns about water quality and impacts to fish spawning habitat

were related to dredging activities associated with construction of the

Model Engineering Support Facility (MESF), and in-lake acoustical

testing operations. Other issues such as parking, impacts to local

recreation, utilities, water craft safety, and hazardous materials were

also raised.

Background

The Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) at Bayview, Idaho comprises

22 acres on the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, Kootenai County, Idaho.

The mission of ARD is to provide: (1) Research, development, test and

evaluation, fleet support, and in-service engineering for surface and

undersea vehicle hull, mechanical, and electrical systems, and

propulsors; (2) logistics research and development; and (3) support to

the Maritime Administration and the maritime industry. To do this, ARD

maintains shore support facilities in Bayview, Idaho, two remote

support facilities on U.S. Forest Service property, and five test sites

in Lake Pend Oreille.

Three types of operations are provided at ARD: (1) Waterborne

Operations, (2) Project Operations, and (3) Base Administration.

Waterborne Operations encompass all in-water operations, which include

model testing, model storage and handling, boat and barge storage,

fueling, cranes, and piers. Project Operations include all shoreside

operations that directly support in-lake testing, such as industrial

shops, project engineering and management, material storage, an

computer system operations. Base Administration includes general

operations support such as security, administration, parking, and

recreation. Capital improvement projects for each type of operation are

described below.

Proposed improvements supporting Waterborne Operations include the

construction of a Model Engineering and Support Facility (MESF),

construction of a new access pier to the Model Support Platform (MSP),

re-

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establishment of the spill containment boom, and other related

improvements.

Two design options were identified in the EIS for construction of

the MESF: (1) A near-shore MESF, and (2) an extended pier MESF. The

near-shore MESF would be pile-supported and include dredging to provide

sufficient water depth to accommodate the movement of the models in and

out of the water. The selected design option is to locate the proposed

MESF away from the shoreline at a depth sufficient to move large scale

models to and from the water without the need for dredging. Access to

the MESF will be by an extended pile-supported pier.

Other improvements supporting waterborne operations include

construction of an access pier from the shoreline to the MSP, allowing

direct transfer of heavy equipment and machinery between the MSP and

shore; attachment pilings to allow for permanent deployment of floating

spill containment booms; and bank and shoreline stabilization above the

Lake Pend Oreille high water level to halt erosion.

Adequate access to the proposed MESF will require removal of the

existing hazardous materials storage facility to be replaced with a new

building of approximately 800 square feet. Upon completion of the MESF,

an existing barge (Green Barge, PSP-4) will be removed.

Project Operations facilities provide support for in-lake testing.

Typical activities include machine fabrication, project engineering and

management, computer testing, and analysis. Currently, these operations

are dispersed throughout ARD and there is a need to consolidate these

operations. The EIS evaluated two options: the selected option of

constructing an Acoustical Testing and Analysis Center (ATAC), and a

second option of constructing a Research and Development Support

Facility (RDSF) in combination with a new Shops Facility replacing

Building 1.

Construction of the proposed ATAC, as selected, will consolidate

all project operations facilities into one building. The ATAC will

serve as the principal facility for fabrication, test data collection

and analysis, and project management and engineering. Buildings 1 and 4

will be demolished along with construction of the proposed ATAC to

allow vehicle maneuverability. A new storage facility will be

constructed in the Remote Storage Area to make up for lost storage

space. No longer needed for project operations, Buildings 1, 101, 102,

and 103 will be demolished after construction of the ATAC. Concrete

pads will be constructed in place of Buildings 101, 102, and 103 to

accommodate existing trailers pads that will be displaced as a result

of the ATAC.

In association with the construction of the ATAC, a pedestrian path

will be constructed around the rear (west) of the building to provide a

more efficient pedestrian linkage between the upland and lower portions

of the base. All significant vegetation, including a stand of Douglas-

fir trees, will remain where feasible. A new stairway will be

constructed just east of Building 60, between the main parking lot and

Shore Road. This will replace the existing walkway west of Building 60,

which is narrow and unsafe , especially during inclement weather.

Base Administration includes general operations support such as

administration, security, and parking. The selected capital

improvements will include realignment of the main entry gate and

expansion of the main parking lot. The Navy proposes to expand the

existing main parking lot by acquiring, as appropriate funding becomes

available, only the privately-owned single-family residence adjacent to

ARD. Because this will result in a smaller main parking lot that

originally proposed, the existing overflow gravel parking lot will be

paved and used for permanent parking. In response to several public

comments on this matter, the Navy does not propose to acquire the

Bayview Public Park parcel.

The selected road alignment will shift the entry gate north,

providing enhanced visitor control, more efficient truck and heavy

equipment access, and space for short-term visitor parking. The

realignment will also provide a space for large trucks to park on ARD

property rather than on State Route (SR) 54, as currently occurs during

check-in. The existing security building (Building 100) will be either

retained and remodeled or demolished and replaced to accommodate access

from the new main gate control point.

Implementation of the selected capital improvements will occur over

the next 10 to 15 years. The MESF is planned for construction beginning

in Summer 1997. In addition, both the re-established spill containment

boom and the shoreline stabilization project are planned to begin in

1997. The MSP access pier is planned for 1998. Both the ATAC and the

new covered storage building in the Remote Storage Area are planned for

execution in 2000. No other proposed projects are currently scheduled

for execution in a specific year.

A No Action Alternative was also evaluated and would have resulted

in continued operations at ARD using the existing facilities without

any of the changes discussed in this decision. Movement of large scale

models and other equipment to and from the water would have continued

to occur from the three existing model support barges (LSV, MSP, and

Green Barge), as well as from the shoreline. The administrative,

office, and computer functions would have continued to operate from the

existing facilities dispersed throughout ARD. Neither the MESF and

ATAC, nor the RDSF would have been constructed.

Under the selected improvement program, some soils will be removed

from ARD and some vegetation will be lost. However, the removed

vegetation will be replaced with new vegetation once each capital

improvement is completed. Depending on the disposal method of removed

soils and excess materials from demolition and construction of

buildings, additional landfill space will be consumed and unavailable

for other uses. Additional truck traffic associated with construction

of the selected improvements will increase the risk of vehicle and

pedestrian conflicts on adjacent roadways in the short term. The

natural visual character of Scenic Bay will be diminished slightly as a

result of the improvements. However, given the amount of development

that has already occurred, and the fact that the proposed improvements

will occur in an area already characterized by industrial development,

such visual impacts will not be significant.

Proposed construction, including pile driving, demolition, and

material transport, will cause a short-term, localized increase in air

pollutant emissions at the project site and along area roadways.

However, implementation of individual projects will occur over a 10- to

15-year period, limiting the environmental effects at any one time.

Noise from pile driving, demolition, and material transport and

handling will be audible on site and in the vicinity, but will be

short-term and occur only during daylight hours. The selected capital

improvement program will cause fewer water quality and habitat impacts

than other alternatives because no dredging will be required for the

extended pier MESF design and related improvements.

In accordance with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899

and section 404 of the Clean Water Act, all required permits from the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform work in navigable waters of the

United States will be obtained prior to construction

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and operation of the proposed improvements. In compliance with the

National Historic Preservation Act, potential impacts to cultural

resources have been evaluated at ARD. No sites listed in, or eligible

for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places have been

identified within the area of potential effects from the selected

capital improvements. The Idaho State Historic Preservation Officer has

concurred with this finding. To ensure compliance with the Endangered

Species Act, a Biological Assessment was completed and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service has confirmed that the selected capital

improvements will have no effect on any species under the jurisdiction

of the Endangered Species Act.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12898, Environmental Justice, potential

environmental and economic impacts on minority and low income

populations and communities were assessed. No disproportionate

concentrations of minority or low income populations were identified in

the areas of potential impacts of the selected capital improvements.

Additionally, the Navy has ensured that opportunities for community

involvement (including minority and low income individuals and

populations) in the NEPA process has been provided.

Cumulative impacts are caused by the incremental impact of the

selected capital improvements when added to other past, present, and

foreseeable future actions in the area. Navy operations have been

occurring in the ARD vicinity over the past 50 years. The tempo of

operations and maintenance has increased over time as a result of

testing demands. While there have been some limited environmental

impacts to the lake, they have been infrequent and minor, causing no

significant environmental impact overall. Acoustic testing has not

caused a significant impact to recreation and boating activity on Lake

Pend Oreille, nor to aquatic resources. No additional plans, in

addition to the selected capital improvements, are currently envisioned

by ARD. Should additional future plans develop, these will be addressed

in subsequent documentation in compliance with NEPA.

The Navy selection of capital improvements results in a balancing

of impacts and achieves the needed improvements in operations at ARD,

while still responding to the primary concerns of agencies and the

public who commented on the DEIS: Minimize or eliminate dredging,

minimize visual impacts and the height of structures, and avoid the

acquisition of the Bayview Public Park parcel. There are no significant

impacts associated with the proposed capital improvements that cannot

be mitigated through use of best management practices, proper

scheduling, and continued coordination with the community. The selected

improvements fulfill the purpose and need and represent the

environmentally preferred alternative.

Questions regarding the Environmental Impact Statement prepared for

this action may be directed to: Officer in Charge, Naval Surface

Warfare Center, Acoustic Research Detachment, PO Box 129, Bayview,

Idaho, 83803-0129 (Attention: Mr. Dave Gerzina), telephone (208) 683-

2321, extension 4200.

Dated: April 11, 1997.

Duncan Holaday,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Facilities).

[FR Doc. 97-10069 Filed 4-17-97; 8:45 am]

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