Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Installation of Temporary Radio Direction Finding Equipment and Associated Property Use Acquisition At Five Non-Coast Guard Owned Facilities Within the First Coast Guard District
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: May 9, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 90)]
[Notices]
[Page 23752-23753]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09my01-140]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD01-01-020]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for
Installation of Temporary Radio Direction Finding Equipment and
Associated Property Use Acquisition At Five Non-Coast Guard Owned
Facilities Within the First Coast Guard District
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announces the availability of the
Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) and Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) that address the environmental impacts expected to
result from the use of five facilities, not owned by the Coast Guard,
for temporary installation of radio direction finding equipment. Use of
this temporary equipment is an interim measure designed to improve the
Coast Guard's ability to locate the source of emergency distress radio
signals until the long term improvements to the National Distress
System (NDS) are implemented. The five facilities are located within
the First Coast Guard District in coastal areas of the States of
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. This FEA evaluates the
environmental and socioeconomic impacts of utilizing the five
facilities for installation of the radio direction finding equipment.
Due to the minimal environmental impacts anticipated, a draft of this
Environmental Assessment was not circulated for comment. The FEA
evaluates the Preferred Alternative to install the temporary radio
direction finding equipment; the No Action Alternative in which the
equipment would never be deployed; and what could be considered the
``delayed action'' alternative in which no interim measures would be
taken until the permanent improvements to the NDS are in place. The
FONSI determined that the Preferred Alternative action will have no
significant effects on the human environment.
ADDRESSES: Written requests for copies of the Final Environmental
Assessment and FONSI, or requests for information, should be directed
to: Mr. Luke Dlhopolsky, U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit
Providence, 300 Metro Center Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886 or
by calling (401) 736-1743.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, the FEA
or FONSI, or for general information on the U.S. Coast Guard's National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please contact Mr. Luke
Dlhopolsky, U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit Providence, 300
Metro Center Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886 or by calling (401)
736-1743.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Temporary RDF equipment will be installed on
a number of waterfront sites throughout the First Coast Guard District
Area of Responsibility (AOR). This AOR includes all six New England
States, eastern New York State, and northern New Jersey (north of the
Shrewsbury River). Most of the RDF equipment will be installed on
facilities that are Coast Guard owned. However, to ensure effective
coverage of the coastal areas, the Coast Guard determined that some
equipment must be installed at locations where there is no Coast Guard
owned facility. The Coast Guard identified suitable sites where the RDF
equipment could be installed and will enter into lease agreements with
the property owners. These sites, owned by other government agencies or
private parties, are located in Buzzards Bay (Bourne) and New Bedford,
Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; and Mamaroneck and Great River,
New York.
Under the Coast Guard's Procedures for Implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the actions to install the RDF
equipment at Coast Guard owned facilities are Categorically Excluded
from further environmental analysis and documentation due to minimal
expected environmental impact. However, there is no established
Categorical Exclusion that addresses acquisition of property for such
uses. As a result, these NEPA implementing procedures require that an
environmental assessment be prepared. The FEA and FONSI are available
for public inspection at the following locations: USCG Civil
Engineering Unit Providence, 300 Metro Center Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode
Island 02886 (401) 736-1743
[[Page 23753]]
First Coast Guard District Operations Division, 408 Atlantic
Avenue, Boston Massachusetts 02110 (617) 223-8458 Commandant (G-SEC),
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 2nd Street, SW., Washington, DC
20593
Dated: March 9, 2001.
G.N. Naccara,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 01-11715 Filed 5-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P
![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif)