81 FR 17688 - Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Property at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 61 (March 30, 2016)

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (Public Law [Pub. L.] 91-190, 42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321- 4347), as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy (DoN) has prepared and filed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential human and natural environmental consequences of the disposal of surplus property at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, Rhode Island, by the Navy and its subsequent redevelopment by the respective municipalities in which the surplus property is geographically located. Public Law 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law), has directed the Navy to realign NAVSTA Newport. As a result of this action, the Navy has declared approximately 158 acres of land area at NAVSTA Newport to be surplus to the needs of the federal government. With the filing of the Draft EIS, the DoN is initiating a 45-day public comment period and has scheduled two public open house meetings to provide information and receive written comments on the Draft EIS. Federal, state, and local elected officials and agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written comments.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17688-17689]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07141]



[[Page 17688]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Disposal and Reuse of Surplus Property at Naval 
Station Newport, Rhode Island

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (Public Law [Pub. L.] 91-190, 42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321-
4347), as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
Parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy (DoN) has prepared and 
filed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the 
potential human and natural environmental consequences of the disposal 
of surplus property at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, Rhode Island, by 
the Navy and its subsequent redevelopment by the respective 
municipalities in which the surplus property is geographically located. 
Public Law 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 
1990, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law), has directed the Navy to realign 
NAVSTA Newport. As a result of this action, the Navy has declared 
approximately 158 acres of land area at NAVSTA Newport to be surplus to 
the needs of the federal government.
    With the filing of the Draft EIS, the DoN is initiating a 45-day 
public comment period and has scheduled two public open house meetings 
to provide information and receive written comments on the Draft EIS. 
Federal, state, and local elected officials and agencies and the public 
are encouraged to provide written comments.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The Navy will hold two open house public meetings 
at the locations listed below and will allow individuals to review and 
comment on the information presented in the Draft EIS. DoN 
representatives will be available during the open house to clarify 
information presented in the Draft EIS, as necessary. There will not be 
a formal presentation.

Thursday, April 14, 2016; 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Joseph H. Gaudet 
Middle School Cafeteria; 1113 Aquidneck Ave. (Turner Rd entrance); 
Middletown, Rhode Island 02842.
Friday, April 15, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; Newport Police 
Department Assembly Room; 120 Broadway; Newport, Rhode Island 02840.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, BRAC Program Management 
Office (PMO) East, Attn: Newport EIS, 4911 South Broad Street, Building 
679, Philadelphia, PA 19112-1303, telephone 215-897-4900, fax: 215-897-
4902; email: [email protected]. For more information on 
the NAVSTA Newport BRAC Draft EIS, visit the Navy BRAC PMO Web site 
(http://www.bracpmo.navy.mil) or the project Web site http://www.newporteis.com/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance 
with the requirements of the BRAC Law; NEPA; the CEQ regulations 
implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508); Navy procedures for implementing 
NEPA (32 CFR 775), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) 
Manual M-5090.1; and other applicable Department of Defense (DoD) and 
Navy policies and guidance. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare this 
Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2012 
(Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 211/Wednesday, October 31, 2012/
Notices). The Navy is the lead agency for the proposed action.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to comply with the BRAC Law 
and provide for the disposal and reuse of surplus property at NAVSTA 
Newport in a manner consistent with the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning 
Authority's (AIRPA) Redevelopment Plan for Surplus Properties at NAVSTA 
Newport (Redevelopment Plan). The proposed action is needed to provide 
the local community an opportunity for economic development and job 
creation.
    The Draft EIS has considered two redevelopment alternatives. 
Alternative 1, the preferred alternative, is the disposal of the 
surplus property and reuse in accordance with the Redevelopment Plan, 
which has been prepared and approved by the AIRPA. Alternative 1 
includes mixed land use types and densities for each of four non-
contiguous surplus properties as well as open space and natural areas. 
Alternative 2 provides for the disposal of the surplus property at 
NAVSTA Newport and redevelopment at a higher density and with a 
different mix of uses than Alternative 1. A No Action alternative was 
also considered, as required by NEPA and to provide a point of 
comparison for assessing impacts of the redevelopment alternatives.
    The four surplus properties to be redeveloped are located in three 
separate municipalities on Aquidneck Island: Former Navy Lodge 
(approximately 3 acres located in the Town of Middletown), Former Naval 
Hospital (approximately 15.2 acres, consisting of 8.3 acres of land and 
6.9 acres of offshore riparian rights, located in the City of Newport), 
Tank Farms 1 and 2 (approximately 136 acres located in the Town of 
Portsmouth), and Midway Pier/Greene Lane (approximately 10.7 acres 
located in the Town of Middletown).
    Federal, state, and local agencies, as well as interested members 
of the public, are invited and encouraged to review and comment on the 
Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is available for viewing at the following 
locations: Newport Public Library (300 Spring Street, Newport, RI 
02840), Town of Portsmouth Town Hall (2200 East Main Road, Portsmouth, 
RI 02871), City of Newport, City Hall (43 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840), 
and Town of Middletown Planning Department (350 East Main Road, 
Middletown, RI 02842).
    An electronic version of the Draft EIS can be viewed or downloaded 
at the following Web sites--http://www.bracpmo.navy.mil and http://www.newporteis.com/. A limited number of hard copies are available by 
contacting BRAC PMO East at the address in this notice.
    Comments can be made in the following ways: (1) Written statements 
can be submitted to a DoN representative at the public meeting; (2) 
written comments can be mailed to Director, BRAC PMO East, Attn: 
Newport EIS, 4911 South Broad Street, Building 679, Philadelphia, PA 
19112-1303; (3) written comments can be emailed to 
[email protected]; or (4) comments can be faxed to 215-
897-4902, Attn: Mr. James Anderson. Comments may be submitted without 
attending the public meeting. All comments postmarked or emailed no 
later than midnight, May 2, 2016, will become part of the public record 
and will be responded to in the Final EIS.
    Requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation for 
the hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary aids 
for the scheduled public meetings must be sent by mail or email to Mr. 
Matthew Butwin, Ecology and Environment, Inc., 368 Pleasant View Drive, 
Lancaster, NY 14086, telephone: 716-684-8060, email: [email protected] no 
later than April 1, 2016.


[[Page 17689]]


    Dated: March 24, 2016.
C. Pan,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Alternate 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-07141 Filed 3-29-16; 8:45 am]
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