Rescheduling of Public Hearings and Extension of Comment Period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three NIMITZ-Class Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Rescheduling of Public Hearings and Extension of Comment Period

for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Developing Home

Port Facilities for Three NIMITZ-Class Aircraft Carriers in Support of

the United States Pacific Fleet

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Announcement of rescheduling of public hearings and extension

of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three Nimitz-

Class Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet.

Public hearings previously announced in the Federal Register, Volume

63, No. 169/Tuesday, September 1, 1998, pages 46420-46421, have been

rescheduled. This notice announces the new dates and locations for the

five public hearings and the extension of the public review period.

Public hearings will be held in order to receive oral and written

comments on the DEIS. Federal, state and local agencies, and interested

individuals are invited to be present or represented at the hearings.

DATES: See Supplementary Information section for dates.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Coon, telephone (888) 428-

6440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 has prepared and filed with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for Developing Home Port Facilities for Three Nimitz-Class

Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) for this EIS was published in the Federal

Register on December 3, 1996. Public Scoping meetings were held in

Bremerton, WA, on February 3, 1997; in Everett, WA, on February 4,

1997; in Pearl City, HI, on February 6, 1997; and in Coronado, CA, on

February 10, 1997.

The U.S. Navy has analyzed the environmental effects resulting from

construction and operation of facilities and infrastructure needed to

support the home-porting of three aircraft carriers. Four possible

alternative locations are being considered: Naval Air Station North

Island (NASNI) Coronado near San Diego, CA; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

(PSNS) Bremerton, WA; Naval Station (NAVSTA) Everett, WA; and Pearl

Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNS) Pearl Harbor, HI.

The Navy proposes to construct and operate facilities and

infrastructure needed to support the home-porting of three Nimitz-Class

aircraft carriers in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Two Nimitz-Class aircraft

carriers will join the U.S. Pacific Fleet, replacing two conventionally

powered aircraft carriers (CVs) currently home-ported at NASNI in the

Naval Port San Diego, CA. The current location of a third Nimitz-Class

aircraft carrier at NAVSTA Everett is being reevaluated in order to

increase efficiency of support infrastructure, maintenance, and repair

capabilities, and to enhance crew quality of life.

From the four alternative sites locations (NASNI, PSNS, NAVSTA

Everett and PHNS), six different alternative home-porting

configurations, including the no-action alternative were developed and

analyzed. The Navy currently prefers Alternative Two, which would home

port two additional Nimitz-Class aircraft carriers at NASNI (for a

total of three Nimitz-Class aircraft carriers), home port a total of

two Nimitz-Class aircraft carriers in the Pacific Northwest (one at

PSNS and one at NAVSTA Everett), and would not have any aircraft

carrier at PHNS. Alternative Two would result in significant but

mitigable impacts on marine biological resources at NASNI and PSNS. All

other environmental impacts associated with Alternative Two would be

less than significant.

Environmental resource areas addressed in the DEIS include geology,

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

pollution prevention; socioeconomic, environmental justice, schools,

and housing; transportation/ circulation/parking; public facilities and

recreation; safety and environmental health; aesthetics; and utilities.

Issue analysis includes an evaluation of the direct, indirect, short-

term, and cumulative impacts; and irreversible and irretrievable

commitment of resources associated with the proposed actions.

No decision on the proposed action will be made until the National

Environmental Policy Act process has been completed and the Secretary

of the Navy, or a designated representative, releases the Record of

Decision.

The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local

agencies, elected officials, and special interest groups and public

libraries. The DEIS is also available for public review at the

following libraries:

--Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA.

--San Diego Library (Science & Industry Section), 820 E Street, San

Diego, CA.

--Hawaii State Library, 478 South King Street, Honolulu, HI.

--Aiea Public Library, 99-143 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI.

--Pearl City Public Library, 1138 Waimano Home Road, Pearl City, HI.

--Ewa Beach Public and School Library, 91-950 North Road, Ewa Beach,

HI.

--Everett Library, 2702 Hoyt, Everett, WA.

--Kitsap Regional Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton, WA.

Sno-Isl Library System, 7312 35th Avenue, Marysville, WA.

The Navy will conduct five public hearings to receive oral and

written comments concerning the DEIS.

DATES: Public hearing dates are as follows:

1. October 19, 1998, at 7 p.m., Everett, WA

2. October 20, 1998, at 7 p.m., Silverdale, WA

3. October 22, 1998, at 7 p.m., Honolulu, HI

4. October 27, 1998, at 7 p.m., Coronado, CA

5. October 28, 1998, at 7 p.m., San Diego, CA

ADDRESSES: Hearing locations are as follows:

1. North Middle School, Cafeteria, 2514 Ranier, Everett, WA

2. Westcoast Silverdale Hotel, Marine Canal Room, 3073 NW Bucklin Hill

Road, Silverdale, WA

3. Makalapa Elementary School, Dining Room, 4435 Salt Lake Boulevard,

Honolulu, HI

4. Village Elementary School, Village Hall, 600 Block of H Avenue,

Coronado, CA

5. San Diego County Administration Center, South Entrance, Room 310,

1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA

A brief presentation will precede a request for public information

and comments. Navy representatives will be available at each hearing to

receive information and comments from agencies and the public regarding

issues of concern. Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested

parties are invited and urged to be present or represented at the

hearings. Those who intend to speak will be asked to submit a speaker

card (available at the door). Oral comments will be heard and

transcribed by a stenographer. To assure

[[Page 53026]]

accuracy of the record, all statements should be submitted in writing.

All statements, both oral and written, will become part of the public

record in the study. Equal weight will be given to both oral and

written comments. 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 hearings and submitted in writing

either at the hearing or mailed to Mr. John Coon (Code 05AL.JC),

Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific

Highway, San Diego, CA 92132, telephone (888) 428-6440, fax (619) 532-

4998, or e-mail address at CVN [email protected] navfac.navy.mil.

The public review period has been extended thirty-one days. Comments

should be postmarked on or before November 12, 1998.

Dated: September 29, 1998.

Ralph W. Corey,

Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,

Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-26405 Filed 10-1-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P