Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the New Job Corps Center Located off of Schoolland Woods Road in Exeter, RI

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

for the New Job Corps Center Located off of Schoolland Woods Road in

Exeter, RI

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the

New Job Corps Center to be located off of Schoolland Woods Road in

Exeter, Rhode Island.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulation

(40 CFR Part 1500-08) implementing procedural provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Department of Labor,

Employment and Training Administration, Office of Job Corps, in

accordance with 29 CFR 11.11(d), gives notice that an Environmental

Assessment (EA) has been prepared and the proposed plans for a new Job

Corps Center will have no significant environmental impact. This

Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be made

available for public review and comment for a period of 30 days.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by November 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Any comment(s) are to be submitted to Michael O'Malley,

Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, 200

Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4659, Washington, DC, 20210, (202) 219-

5468 ext. 115 (this is not a toll-free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the EA and additional

information are available to interested parties by contacting Marcus

Gray, Regional Director, Office of Job Corps--Region I, JFK Federal

Building, Room E-350, Boston, MA 02203, (617) 565-2179 (this is not a

toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses

the proposed re-use of a small portion of the former Ladd Center for

the proposed Exeter Job Corps Center. The EA identifies the subject

property for the proposed facility as an approximately 19.65-acre site

located on Schoolland Woods Road, west of South County Trail Route 2,

in Map ID 67, Block 4, Lot 1, in the City of Exeter, Washington County,

Rhode Island. The proposal is to refurbish selected buildings of the

former Ladd Center and construct additional buildings to create a

campus setting in a rural location. The remainder portion of the former

Ladd Center (approximately 270 acres) is targeted for commercial

property development by the Rhode Island Economic Development

Corporation (EDC).

The site of the proposed Exeter Job Corps Center is located in a

rural area in northern Washington County, which lies in the southern

portion of the State of Rhode Island. The site is currently developed

with facilities from the former Ladd Center, which served as an

institution for the care and rehabilitation of developmentally disabled

persons of the State of Rhode Island. The State of Rhode Island has

owned the site since at least 1907. The facilities were constructed

between the years of 1914 and 1965. All of the buildings have been

abandoned for the past eight to ten years. These buildings will require

extensive renovation but were built for specific uses that will mirror

the Job Corps' needs.

The proposed Exeter Job Corps Center will be a partially new and

partially refurbished facility utilizing a campus setting. The facility

will consist of several buildings which will support a proposed

capacity of 200 Resident Students. The buildings will include

dormitories, vocational shops, maintenance and warehouse facilities, a

cafeteria, a physical fitness center, administration and support

facilities, and classroom facilities. The gross area of the facility

will be approximately 111,110 square feet (This square footage does not

include the proposed outdoor recreation areas). The developed site will

be approximately 19.65-acres of land, which will be leased for a 50-

year term by the Department of Labor from the State of Rhode Island.

The construction/renovation of the Job Corps Center on this

abandoned, developed site would be a positive asset to the area in

terms of environmental and socioeconomic improvements, and long-term

productivity. The proposed Job Corps Center will be a new source of

employment opportunity for people in the Exeter, Rhode Island area. The

Job Corps program provides basic education, vocational skills training,

work experience, counseling, health care and related support services.

This program is designed to graduate students who are ready to

participate in the local economy.

The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact

on any natural system or resource. All construction or development

activities that will possibly impact jurisdictional wetland areas will

be in compliance with all federal and state requirements. No state or

federal, proposed or listed, threatened or endangered species have been

located on the subject property.

The site will require an archaeological assessment in order to

conform with the National Historic Preservation Act. According to the

Rhode Island Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, the site lies

in a very sensitive area concerning cultural resources. One (1) known

pre-colonial Indian site (RI-931) is located at the northwest corner of

the Former Ladd Center parcel. Another known site, (RI-962), lies

nearby. Neither of these known historic sites is located on or adjacent

to the proposed Job Corps Center. The environmental characteristics of

the location (well-drained soils, level topography and abundance of

freshwater wetlands) strongly suggest the presence of additional

archaeological sites. The EDC is currently conducting an archeological

assessment for the overall Ladd Center redevelopment. The construction

and operation of the proposed facility will be conducted to minimize

adverse impacts to historically significant or archeologically

sensitive areas. The Department of Labor will design and develop the

project in compliance with all State and Tribal Historic Preservation

requirements.

Air quality and noise levels should not be affected by the proposed

development project in this Special Zoning District in Exeter, Rhode

Island. Due to the nature of the proposed project, it would not be a

source of air pollutants or additional noise, except possibly during

construction of the facility. The proposed Job Corps Center will not

significantly increase the vehicle traffic in the vicinity. If air and

noise pollution permits are required, all pollution sources will be

permitted in compliance with applicable pollution control requirements.

The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact

on the surrounding water utility infrastructure, represented by water,

sewer, and storm water systems. Water will be provided by the existing

on-site wells and distribution system. The Rhode Island Department of

Health provides water quality testing of public drinking water. The

groundwater classification is GA/GAA groundwater, which is suitable for

direct human consumption. On-site systems include three (3) wells, two

(2) pumping stations and two (2) storage tanks. The site is currently

equipped with an eight (8) inch loop that is reportedly adequate for

the proposed usage. The condition of the distribution systems will

require testing and possible upgrading by the EDC as necessary.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM)

[[Page 55755]]

has indicated to the Department of Labor that an on-site sewage

treatment and disposal system will be required for the proposed Job

Corps Center. The sewage treatment and disposal system for the Job

Corps Center will be constructed in accordance with all applicable

RIDEM design, permitting, and modeling requirements. The sewage

treatment and disposal system will be designed and constructed to

minimize impacts to the local ground water overlay district. The EDC

has indicated that the abandoned off-site sewage digester will be de-

commissioned as necessary to comply with all applicable State and

Federal regulations.

Storm water runoff from parking lots, sidewalks, and other

structures will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the

RIDEM Office of Water Resources/Permitting and the EPA program, and is

not anticipated to adversely impact area surface-water quality.

Currently, the proposed site is minimally equipped with storm sewers

and catch basins. The majority of the site is composed of a natural

surface (unpaved) which does not contribute significant run-off to the

nearby jurisdictional wetlands. Additional storm sewers will be built

as necessary to manage storm water flow from the Job Corps Center.

The State of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Resource Recovery

Inc. jointly operate the State Central Landfill. The State of Rhode

Island is in the process of closing the smaller local landfills and

centralizing all solid waste to the Central Landfill location.

Representatives of the RIDEM Solid Waste Program reported that the

Central Landfill has no specific estimated remaining life due to phased

expansions of the landfill. Each city, such as the City of Exeter, has

transfer stations where private citizens must bring all solid waste.

Private transporters can be hired to transport waste to these stations

or the Central Landfill. The majority of commercial operations hire

private transporters and this will be the case for the proposed Job

Corps facility.

The State of Rhode Island has a current recycling program called

the ``OSCAR'' or ``Blue-Basket `` Program. Statewide participation in

the recycling program is mandatory. The above-mentioned private

transporters will also transport recyclable materials. The Job Corps

Center will participate in all mandated recycling programs.

Narragansett Electric provides electric service to the project

area. Providence Gas Company provides natural gas to the area, and

Diamond State Telephone Company provides telephone service. All of

these utilities have facilities in the vicinity, which are adequate to

provide the required service. The proposed demands on the building

utilities are not expected to have a significant adverse affect on the

environment.

This portion of Washington County has a variety of transportation

resources. Three interstate highways, U.S. Interstate-95, U.S.

Interstate-4, and U.S. Interstate-1, and a system of state highways

serve the subject property area. The West Kingston Amtrak Station is

located approximately three (3) miles from the subject property.

Commercial air service is found at the T. F. Green Airport in Warwick,

Rhode Island, which is approximately twelve (12) miles from the subject

property. The Rhode Island Public Transit (RIPT) which operates a bus

system statewide provides public transportation. Seven days a week

service is provided on one of the routes running along Route 2, which

is a state route with a boarding point approximately 0.7-miles from the

proposed center.

The proposed project will have no significant adverse affects on

the local medical, emergency, fire and police services. The primary

medical provider located closest to the subject property is South

County Hospital. This facility is located approximately ten (10) miles

from the subject property. Security services at the Exeter Job Corps

will be provided by the center's staff with two (2) personnel on the

day shift, three (3) on evening shift, and two (2) on the night shift.

The proposed Center will be between the cities of Exeter and

Fisherville, Rhode Island. The police department providing police

services to the proposed subject property is the Rhode Island State

Police, which is located approximately five (5) miles from the subject

property.

The closest fire station to the project site is Station #1, located

approximately one (1) mile south of the subject property on State Route

2. The Exeter Fire Department is a full time emergency response agency

providing 24-hour service. The Exeter area utilizes the 911 emergency

call system for all emergencies including fire and police. All

emergency services are adequate for the project.

The alternatives considered in the preparation of the EA were as

follows: (1) No Action; (2) Construction at an Alternate Site; and (3)

Continue Construction as Proposed. The ``No Action'' alternative was

not selected. The ``Alternate Site'' alternative was not selected. The

U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOL/

ETA) solicited proposals for alternative properties on March 10, 1998,

and received five proposals. Of the five proposed sites evaluated by

the Department of Labor, the subject property off of Schoolland Woods

Road was the only site within the state of Rhode Island. Due to the

adaptability of the existing structures on the site, the lack of

alternative construction sites, and the absence of any identified

adverse environmental impacts from locating a Job Corps Center at the

subject property, the ``Continue Construction as Proposed'' alternative

was selected.

Based on the information gathered during the preparation of the EA,

no environmental liabilities, current or historical, were found to

exist on the proposed Job Corps Center site. The construction of a Job

Corps Center on the undeveloped parcel located off of Schoolland Woods

Road in Exeter, Rhode Island will not create any significant adverse

impacts on the environment.

Dated at Washington, DC, this 6th day of October, 1999.

Mary Silva,

Director of Job Corps.

[FR Doc. 99-26760 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-30-P