Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Disposal and Reuse of the Manhattan Beach Stand Alone Housing Complex, New York City, New York

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for

the Disposal and Reuse of the Manhattan Beach Stand Alone Housing

Complex, New York City, New York

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and

its implementing regulations promulgated by the President's Council on

Environmental Quality, the Army has prepared a Finding of No

Significant Impact (FNSI) pertaining to the Environmental Assessment

(EA) for disposal and reuse of the Manhattan Beach Stand Alone Housing

Complex, New York City, New York. In the FNSI, the Army states its

intention to dispose of excess property resulting from the closure of

the Manhattan Beach Stand Along Housing Complex.

In accordance with the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base

Closure and Realignment Act of October 1988, Pub. L. 100-526, as

amended, the Secretary of Defense's Commission on Base Realignment and

Closure required the closure of 53 stand alone family housing

installations, including the Manhattan Beach Stand Alone Housing

Complex.

[[Page 5789]]

A 1990 EA identified, documented, and evaluated the environmental

and socioeconomic effects of closure of the 53 stand alone housing

installations.

This EA supplements the 1990 EA and analyzes the disposal and reuse

of the Manhattan Beach Housing Complex.

The EA examines potential impacts of the proposed action, the

disposal and reuse of the property, on 13 resource areas and areas of

environmental concern: land use, air quality, noise, water resources,

geology, infrastructure, hazardous and toxic materials, biological

resources and ecosystems, cultural resources, the socioeconomic

environment, environment justice, economic development, and quality of

life. Additionally, the EA analyzed the potential impacts of the no

action alternative--retaining the property in caretaker status.

Based on the analysis found in the EA it has been determined that

no significant or cumulatively significant impacts on the quality of

the natural or human environment are anticipated from the disposal of

the Manhattan Beach Stand Alone Housing Complex.

Consistent with the President's Five-Point Initiative to Revitalize

Base Closure Communities, which is intended to foster economic

development and job creation, the Army intents to transfer the excess

property to Kingsborough Community Collge via a public benefit

conveyance for use as an educational center.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EA and FNSI can be obtained by contacting the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, ATTN: CESAM-PD-ED (Mr.

Doug Nester), P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, Alabama 36628-0001 or by telephone

at (334) 694-3854.

Dated: January 28, 1998.

Denzel L. Fisher,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and

Occupational Health), OASA(I,L&E).

[FR Doc. 98-2685 Filed 2-3-98; 8:45 am]

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