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Department of the Navy



[Federal Register: May 12, 1995]









DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE



Department of the Navy

 


Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Establishment of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of 
Excellence in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas



    Pursuant to 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 Department of the 
Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for establishment 
of the United States Navy Mine Warfare Center of Excellence (the 
``Center'') in the Corpus Christi Bay Area, Texas.
    The Navy proposes to collocate the majority of its mine warfare and 
mine counter measures assets in proximity to each other at the 
Ingleside/Corpus Christi Naval Complex. This will allow for 
comprehensive air and surface mine warfare training and joint 
operations. Congress directed the Navy to establish the ``Center'' at 
Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, in the FY 1994 Defense Appropriations 
Act. The DEIS evaluates the reasonable alternatives to implementing the 
proposed action in the Corpus Christi Bay area. In addition to the 
various facility location alternatives, a ``no action'' alternative was 
evaluated which the ``Center'' would not be established.
    The proposed action includes new construction and/or modification 
of existing facilities at Naval Station Ingleside and Naval Air Station 
Corpus Christi, and proposes the establishment of training and 
operating areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Construction would consist of a 
magnetic silencing facility, an aviation mine counter measures sled 
facility, a small craft pier, and the construction and/or modification 
of facilities needed to support two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter 
squadrons and one explosive ordnance disposal mobil unit. The training 
and operating areas would be located off North Padre Island and within 
Mineral Management Service Lease Blocks 732, 733, 734, 793, 799, and 
816. This would include an ordnance detonation area required for the 
detonation of practice mines using a maximum of 10 pounds of C-4 
explosive. Surface restrictions in these areas would be established to 
allow for both daily training and quarterly integrated training. The 
establishment of the ``Center'' involves the transfer of approximately 
4,820 military personnel and their families (approximately 4,877 
dependents) to the Corpus Christi Bay Area.
    Dredging activities associated with the project involve new work 
dredging and subsequent maintenance dredging of the magnetic silencing 
facility. Dredging for the magnetic silencing facility would require 
removal of between 250,000 and 410,000 cubic yards of material to 
obtain the depth of water required for facility and turning basin 
operations. The total 50-year dredging maintenance requirement could 
range between 400,000 to 650,000 cubic yards, depending upon the 
initial area dredged. The existing Navy disposal area near Ingleside 
would be used for dredge material disposal.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local 
agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and interest 
individuals. It is also on file and available for review at the Corpus 
Christi Public Library (Main branch and Flour Bluff branch) and at the 
Ingleside Public Library. A limited number of single copies are 
available at the address listed at the end of this notice.
    The Navy will conduct two public hearings to inform the public of 
the DEIS findings and to solicit comments: The first hearing will be on 
Tuesday, June 6, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Flour Bluff ISD 
Auditorium, 2505 Waldron Road, Flour Bluff, Texas; and the second 
hearing will be on Wednesday, June 7, 1995, beginning at 7 p.m. at the 
Ingleside High School Cafeteria, 640 Mustang Drive, Ingleside, Texas. 
Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested parties are invited 
to be present or represented at the hearing. Oral comments will be 
heard and transcribed by a stenographer. To assure accuracy of the 
record, all comments should be submitted in writing. All comments, both 
oral and written, will become part of the public record in the study. 
In the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit 
oral [[Page 25696]] comments to five (5) minutes. Longer comments 
should be summarized at the public hearing and submitted in writing 
either at the hearing or mailed to the address listed at the end of 
this announcement. All written comments must be postmarked by June 19, 
1995, to become part of the official record. The public hearing will be 
conducted in English, but the Navy will make every reasonable effort to 
accommodate requests for language interpreters or other special 
communication needs. Such requests must be made to the person listed 
below at least two days prior to the public hearings.
    Additional information concerning this notice may be obtained by 
contacting: Mr. Will Sloger (Code 064WS), Southern Division, Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command, P.O. Box 190010, North Charleston, 
South Carolina 29419-9010, telephone (803) 743-0797.



    Dated: May 9, 1995.

M.D. Schetzsle,

LT, JAGC, USNR, Alternative Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-11757 Filed 5-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M

 
 

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