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Differential Global Positioning System; Youngstown, New York: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

 

Differential Global Positioning System; Youngstown, New York



[Federal Register: August 24, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 164)]
[Notices]               

[Page 44111-44112]

>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]









DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION



Coast Guard

[CGD 95-068]

 


Differential Global Positioning System; Youngstown, New York: 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact



AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.



ACTION: Notice of availability.






SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has prepared a Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for its 
activating of a broadcast site of the Differential Global Positioning 
System (DGPS) service at Youngstown, New York. The EA concludes that 
there will be no significant impact on the environment and that 
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement will not be necessary. 
This Notice announces the availability of the EA and FONSI and solicits 
comments on them.



DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 25, 1995.



ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the Executive Secretary, Marine 
Safety Council, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20593-0001, or may be delivered to room 3406 at the same 
address between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. The telephone number is (202) 267-1477.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

CWO Roger Hughes, United States Coast Guard Navigation Center, at (703) 
313-5889. Copies of the EA and FONSI may be obtained by calling Mr. 
Hughes, or by faxing him at (703) 313-5920. Copies of the EA--without 
enclosures--are also available on the Electronic Bulletin Board System 
(BBS) at the Navigation Information Service (NIS) in Alexandria, 
Virginia, at (703) 313-5910. For information on the BBS, call the 
watchstander of NIS at (703) 313-5900.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION



Request for Comments



    Copies of the EA and FONSI are available from the address given in 
ADDRESSES and from the numbers given in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit 
comments on these documents. It may revise these documents in view of 
the comments. If it does, it will announce their availability in 
revised form by a later notice in the Federal Register.



Background



    As required by Congress, the Coast Guard is preparing to install 
the equipment necessary to implement DGPS service in the northeastern 
United States. DGPS uses a new radionavigation technique that improves 
upon the 100-meter accuracy of the existing Global Positioning System 
to provide an accuracy of 8 to 20 meters. For vessels, this degree of 
accuracy is critical for precise electronic navigation in harbors and 
their approaches: It will reduce the number of groundings, collisions, 
personal injuries, fatalities, and spills of hazardous cargo resulting 
from such incidents.

    After extensive study, the Coast Guard has chosen a site at 
Youngstown, New York. Significant concerns had been raised about siting 
DGPS equipment at U.S. Coast Guard Group Buffalo; the fear was that 
birds from the wetland at Times Beach, nearby, might strike the tower 
and guy wires. DGPS will broadcast signals in the marine radiobeacon 
frequency band (283.5 to 325 KHz) using less than 35 watts' effective 
radiated power. Signals broadcast at these low frequencies and powers 
have not been found harmful to the surrounding environment.



Proposed Installation at Youngstown, New York



    (a) Site--The site at Youngstown occupies about 5.7 acres at the 
Youngstown Army National Guard Training Facility in the town of Porter, 
New York.

    (b) Radiobeacon Antenna--The Coast Guard will install a 90-foot 
guyed antenna with an accompanying ground plane. A ground plane for 
this antenna consists of approximately 120 copper radials, each of 6-
gauge copper wire and each installed 6 inches (or less) beneath the 
soil and projecting from the antenna base. The optimal length for a 
radial is 300 feet, but this length may be shortened to fit within 
property boundaries. Wherever possible, a cable plow-method will be 
used in the radial installation to minimize soil disturbance.
    (c) DGPS Antennas--Two 30-foot masts to support six small receiving 
antennas, each 4 inches by 18 inches in diameter, will be necessary. 
The masts will stand on concrete foundations. The antennas support the 
primary and backup reference receivers and the integrity monitors.
    (d) Equipment shelter--Transmitting equipment will be housed in a 
shelter 10 feet by 16 feet. This will be built on a concrete pad, which 
itself will be built in a site now in its natural state.
    (e) Utilities--The Coast Guard proposes to use available commercial 
power as the primary source for the electronic equipment. A telephone 
line 



[[Page 44112]]

will be necessary at each site for remote monitoring and operation.



Finding



    Implementation of DGPS service at Youngstown, New York, will 
neither have a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment nor require preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement.



    Dated: August 17, 1995.

Rudy K. Peschel,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Chief, Office of Navigation Safety and 
Waterway Service.

[FR Doc. 95-20944 Filed 8-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M

 
 

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