Notice of Availability and Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air Station, Barbers Point (NASBP), HI

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Availability and Public Hearings for the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Naval

Air Station, Barbers Point (NASBP), HI

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Announcement of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) and its cooperating agency,

the Federal Aviation Administration, has prepared and filed with the

Environmental Protection Agency the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) for Disposal and Reuse of Naval Air Station, Barbers

Point, HI (NASBP). Two public hearings will be held for the purpose of

receiving oral and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, state and

local agencies, and interested individuals are invited to be present or

represented at the meetings.

DATES: Hearing dates are:

1. October 5, 1998, 7:00 p.m., Kapolei, HI

2. October 7, 1998, 7:00 p.m., Honolulu, HI

ADDRESSES: Hearing locations are:

1. Kapolei--James Campbell Building, Laulima Room, 1001 Kamokila

Boulevard, Kapolei, HI

2. Honolulu--Washington Intermediate School, 1663 South King Street,

Honolulu, HI

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Fred Minato (Code 231PM), (808)

471-9338.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental

Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) that implement the

procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

the Department of the Navy (Navy) and its cooperating agency, the

Federal Aviation Administration, has prepared and filed with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency the DEIS for Disposal and Reuse of

NASBP. This notice announces the availability of the DEIS and the dates

and locations of the public hearings.

The proposed action is the disposal of surplus Navy property for

subsequent reuse and redevelopment, in accordance with the 1990 Defense

Base Closure and Realignment Act, and the 1993 Base Closure and

Realignment Commission recommendations. NASBP will be closed on July 2,

1999. Of the 3,722 acres (1,507 hectares) of land at NASBP, Navy is

retaining about 1,130 acres (457.7 hectares) and approximately 492

acres (199 hectares) are being transferred to other federal agencies.

The remaining 2,100 acres (850 hectares) of base closure property have

been declared surplus and are the focus of this DEIS.

The DEIS evaluates four reuse alternatives, each emphasizing

various types of development, e.g., residential, light industrial,

recreational, and commercial. Three of the alternatives include a

general aviation reliever airport. A fifth alternative, No Action,

assumes the existing airport would not be used and, along with other

surplus land (land not being retained by Navy or other federal

agencies), would be retained by Navy in caretaker status. The plan

approved by the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment

Commission, the State and Navy's preferred alternative, includes the

following major elements: general aviation reliever airport for

Honolulu International Airport, large areas for park and recreational

uses, and areas for commercial/private recreation, light industrial,

residential, and homeless providers. No decision on the proposed action

will be made until the NEPA process has been completed.

The DEIS analyzes potential environmental impacts to land use and

airspace, visual resources, socioeconomics, cultural resources, traffic

and circulation, air quality, noise, biological resources, water

resources, utilities and services, public health and safety, and

hazardous materials and waste. No significant environmental impacts are

anticipated from the proposed action with the exception of infrequent

and severe traffic conditions resulting from major events at special

attractions (e.g., motor sports raceway complex) which may occur

several times a year. Other potentially significant, but mitigable,

environmental impacts include impacts to biological resources, cultural

resources, and public safety.

A Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS was published in the Federal

Register on March 26, 1997 and two public scoping meetings were held on

April 16 and April 17, 1997. A Notice of Availability of the DEIS was

published in the Federal Register on August 28, 1998.

The DEIS has been distributed to affected Federal, state, and local

agencies, and interested parties. In addition, copies of the DEIS are

available for review at Ewa Beach Public and School Library, and Hawaii

State Main Library.

Two public hearings will be held to inform the public of the DEIS

findings and to solicit and receive oral and written comments. The

first hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on October 5, 1998, at the

James Campbell Building, Laulima Room, 1001 Kamokila Boulevard,

Kapolei. The second hearing will be held in the cafeteria of Washington

Intermediate School, 1663 South King Street, Honolulu, at 7:00 p.m. on

October 7, 1998. Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested

individuals are invited to be present at the hearings. Oral comments

will be heard and transcribed by a court recorder; written comments are

also requested to ensure accuracy of the record. All comments, both

oral and written, will become part of the official record. In the

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

comments to three minutes. Longer comments should be summarized at the

public hearing and submitted in writing either at the hearing or mailed

to Mr. Fred Minato (Code 231FM), Pacific Division, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 96860-7300, facsimile (808)

474-5909. Written

[[Page 48717]]

comments are requested not later than October 12, 1998.

Dated: September 8, 1998.

Ralph W. Corey,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-24424 Filed 9-10-98; 8:45 am]

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