Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the Coast Guard ``Optimize Training Infrastructure'' Initiative

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-1998-4765]

Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the

Coast Guard ``Optimize Training Infrastructure'' Initiative

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of meetings and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic

Environmental Assessment (PEA) on its ``Optimize Training

Infrastructure'' (OTI) Initiative. The PEA will be prepared in

accordance with Coast Guard procedures and policies (COMDTINST

M16475.1C) and 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 OTI Initiative will

provide answers to questions about how the Coast Guard training

infrastructure (instruction methods, training personnel, and

facilities) can best meet current and future performance needs in a

financially constrained environment. In 1997, the Coast Guard evaluated

their training programs and infrastructure in the preliminary phases of

OTI Initiative and recommended that several options for realigning

training facilities be considered. This may result in transfer of

training activities from one training center to other centers. Four

training centers may be directly affected by the action: Training

Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN Cape May, New Jersey;

Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown, Virginia; and Aviation

Technical Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Under

the different alternatives, some installations would be expanded, some

would be downsized, and one or two could be closed. The PEA will

analyze the potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of the

OTI Initiative, any alternatives developed during the scoping process,

and a ``no action'' alternative. A preferred alternative will be

identified in the PEA. This notice begins the public scoping process to

gather public input on issues and concerns to be analyzed and addressed

in the PEA. To assist in gathering public comments, three public

scoping meetings will be held.

DATES: The meeting dates are--

1. December 7, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Cape May, NJ.

2. December 8, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Yorktown, VA.

3. December 10, 1998, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Petaluma, CA.

A public open house will be held before each scoping meeting from

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Written comments must reach the Docket Management Facility on or

before December 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are--

1. Cape May--Grand Hotel, Ocean Front and Philadelphia, Cape May,

NJ;

2. Yorktown--County Library, 8500 George Washigton Highway,

Yorktown, VA; and

3. Petaluma--Petaluma Community Center, 320 North McDowell Blvd,

Petaluma, CA.

You may mail your comments to the Docket Management Facility,

(USCG-1998-4765), U.S. Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or deliver them to room

PL-401, on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building at the same address

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.

The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this

notice. Comments and documents referred to in this notice, will become

part of this docket and will be available for inspection or copying at

room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building at the same

address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays. You may also access this docket on the Internet at

http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, the NEPA

process, and NEPA documents, contact Ms. Susan Boyle, Environmental

Branch Chief of the Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command

Pacific; telephone: 510-437-3973; e-mail: CoastG[email protected]. For

questions on the OTI Initiative, Contact LCDR Keith Curran, Reserve and

Training Directorate, Coast Guard Headquarters; telephone: 202-267-

2429; e-mail: CoastG[email protected]. For questions on viewing or

submitting material to the docket, contact Ms. Dorothy Walker, Chief,

Dockets, Department of Transportation; telephone: 202-366-9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate by

submitting written data, views, or arguments. Persons submitting

comments should include their names and addresses, identify this notice

(USCG-1998-4765) and give the reason for each comment. Please submit

all comments and attachments in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/

2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing to the

Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES. Persons

wanting acknowledgment of receipt of comments should enclose stamped,

self-addressed postcards or envelopes.

Discussion

The purpose of this notice is twofold: (1) to announce the Coast

Guard's intent to prepare a PEA and (2) to begin the process of

gathering the public's comments on this action to assist the Coast

Guard in developing the PEA.

In 1997, preliminary phases of the OTI Initiative sought to

validate training infrastructure requirements and identify alternative

actions. Phase 1 validated existing training courses, determined likely

future needs, and identified alternative ways to deliver instruction.

Phase 2 measured infrastructure use, determined infrastructure needs

for training requirements, and identified ways to gain savings or

spread the cost of overhead. Emphasis was on right sizing the capital

plant while preserving necessary flexibility.

A number of options are being considered to accomplish this.

Depending upon the option selected, training functions would be

transferred from one facility to another, functions of a facility

increased or decreased, or one or more facilities closed. The following

alternatives were recommended for more in depth analysis:

1. Close either Training Center Cape May or Training Center

Petaluma and consolidate training functions at the remaining training

centers.

2. Close both Training Center Cape May and Training Center Petaluma

and

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consolidate training functions at RTC Yorktown and Aviation Technical

Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

3. Fill the unused classroom and dormitory spaces at all the

training centers with non-training functions.

4. Maintain the status quo.

Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma, California; TRACEN Cape May, New

Jersey; Reserve Training Center (RTC) Yorktown, Virginia; and Aviation

Technical Training Center (ATTC) Elizabeth City, North Carolina, would

be directly affected by the ``action'' alternatives. Minor components

of other Coast Guard facilities currently in leased spaces in Wildwood,

NJ, Oklahoma City, OK, and Chesapeake, VA, may also be involved in the

actions resulting from the OTI Initiative. The number of people

affected at these facilities would be small in comparison to the total

facility population; therefore, environmental and socioeconomic impacts

to these facilities and host communities are expected to be minimal.

At the end of the 30-day public comment period announced in this

notice and after considering input from the public, the Coast Guard

will prepare the PEA. The PEA will evaluate a full range of resources

for each alternative, including socio-economics, land use,

infrastructure/transportation, hazardous materials and waste

management, biological resources, cultural resources, air quality,

noise, and water resources and will also identify a preferred

alternative. Other resources, including geology, soils, and bathymetry,

are not expected to be affected from the action and may not be

evaluated in detail.

Once the PEA is approved for public review by the Commandant of the

Coast Guard, it will be widely distributed. The PEA is anticipated to

be available for public review in March 1999. This will once again be

announced in the Federal Register and a second 30-day public comment

period will follow to provide the public with the opportunity to

comment on the environmental assessment. Formal hearings will be held

at all communities in which there is substantial public interest. At

the conclusion of this public comment period, the Commandant will weigh

appropriate information and make a final decision. The NEPA process

will conclude with the publication of this decision in the Federal

Register.

Dated: November 16, 1998.

T.J. Barrett,

Director of Reserve and Training Directorate.

[FR Doc. 98-30991 Filed 11-18-98; 8:45 am]

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