Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Trenton, Ewing Township, NJ

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Proposed Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air Warfare

Center, Aircraft Division, Trenton, Ewing Township, NJ

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40

[[Page 12623]]

CFR Parts 1500-1508), implementing procedural provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Navy

announces its intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for the proposed disposal and reuse of Naval Air Warfare Center,

Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Trenton, Ewing Township, New Jersey.

In 1993, the Congressional Committee on Base Realignment and

Closure (BRAC) recommended the closure of NAWCAD Trenton and the

subsequent relocation of functions, personnel, equipment, and support

to the Arnold Engineering Center, Tullahoma, Tennessee and the Naval

Air Warfare Center Patuxent River, Maryland. This recommendation was

approved by President Clinton and accepted by the One Hundred Third

Congress in 1993. The BRAC legislation also identified the requirements

for compliance with NEPA stating that the provisions of NEPA shall

apply during the process of property disposal. Accordingly, with this

notice, the Navy has initiated the process to prepare a DEIS to

evaluate the environmental effects of the disposal and likely reuse of

this property.

The proposed action to be considered and evaluated in the DEIS is

the disposal and reuse of the NAWCAD property determined surplus to the

needs of the federal government. Other Department of Defense

activities, and other federal government activities including

consideration of the homeless have been screened in order to determine

possible reuse.

NAWCAD Trenton, located in Mercer County, New Jersey, consists of

about 66 acres with a total of 96 buildings and structures. As a result

of the federal land disposal screening process, a portion of the

property (about 25 acres) has been identified for possible transfer to

the Mercer County airport Authority under a Federal Aviation

Administration conveyance. The US Postal Service may also be a

recipient of about 3 acres of the 66 acre site for use as regional post

office. The remainder will be available for development through

acquisition by public auction. The NAWCAD Reuse Committee acting as the

Local Reuse Authority, has prepared a reuse plan for the NAWCAD

property. The plan represents a reasonable and likely redevelopment

scenario based on the proposed zoning of the site. The DEIS will

evaluate environmental impacts of the reuse plan as well as of other

reasonable possible redevelopment scenarios under current or other

zoning classifications. Navy will also evaluate the no action

alternative, defined as the retention of NAWCAD Trenton by the federal

government. According to the State Historic Preservation Officer, the

jet engine test cells complex, located in three buildings on the

southern portion of the site, are eligible for listing in the National

Register of Historic Places.

ADDRESSES: Navy will hold a public meeting to further identify the

scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. The NAWCAD Reuse Committee

will also solicit public input on its proposed reuse plan. The meeting

will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 1997, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at

the Ewing Township Municipal Building, 2 Municipal Drive, Ewing

Township, New Jersey. Navy representatives will make a brief

presentation, then members of the public will be asked to provide their

comments. Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written

comments in addition to, or, in lieu of, oral comments at the scoping

meeting. To be most helpful, comments should clearly describe specific

issues of topics which the EIS should address. Written comments must be

postmarked by April 15, 1997, and should be mailed to Commanding

Officer, Northern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Attn.

Mr. Bob Ostermueller (Code 202), 10 Industrial Highway, MSC 82, Lester,

PA 19113. All statements, both oral and written, will become part of

the public record on this action and will be given equal consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning this

notice may be obtained by contacting Mr. Bob Ostermueller at (610) 595-

0759, facsimile (610) 595-0788.

Dated: March 13, 1997.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-6623 Filed 3-14-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M