[Federal Register: December 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 236)]
[Notices]
[Page 71182-71183]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08de06-111]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2006-26298)
Homeporting of Four National Security Cutters at Alameda, CA;
Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
[[Page 71183]]
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard (USCG) announces the availability of the draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the homeporting of four National
Security Cutters (NSCs) at Coast Guard Island (CGI), Alameda,
California, and requests public comments. The draft EA tiers from the
USCG's 2002 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)
for the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program. The purpose of the
proposed action is to replace the four existing 378-foot High Endurance
Cutters (WHECs) currently homeported at CGI with the NSCs. The USCG
proposes to replace the WHECs on a one for one replacement schedule
starting in 2007/2008 and continuing one per year until 2010/2011.
DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management
Facility on or before January 8, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG-2006-26298 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one
of the following methods:
(1) Web site: http://dms.dot.gov.
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(4) Delivery: Room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
Copies of the draft EA are also available at the Alameda Main
Library, 2200-A Central Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501; and at the Oakland
Public Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
the proposed action, or the associated draft EA, contact CDR Paul
Boinay, Coast Guard, telephone 571-218-3382 or e-mail
Paul.Boinay@dwicgs.com. If you have questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the
draft EA. All comments received will be posted, without change, to
http://dms.dot.gov and will include any personal information you have
provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation
(DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy
Act'' paragraph below.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2006-26298), and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your
comments and material by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to
the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but
please submit your comments and material by only one means. If you
submit them by mail or delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic
filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know that they
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during
the comment period.
Viewing the comments and draft EA: To view the comments and draft
EA, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time, click on ``Simple Search,''
enter the last five digits of the docket number for this notice, and
click on ``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility
in room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. Copies of the draft EA are also
available at the Alameda Main Library, 2200-A Central Avenue, Alameda,
CA 94501; and at the Oakland Public Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland,
CA 94612.
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit
http://dms.dot.gov.
Proposed Action
To continue to meet America's 21st century maritime threats and
challenges, the Coast Guard initiated the Integrated Deepwater System
program, the largest and most innovative acquisition in the Coast
Guard's history. The IDS will contribute to the Coast Guard's maritime
domain awareness, as well as the improved ability to intercept, engage,
and deter those activities that pose a direct challenge/threat to U.S.
sovereignty and security. IDS will provide the means to extend our
layered maritime defenses from our ports and coastal areas to hundreds
of miles out to sea.
As part of the IDS program, the Coast Guard proposes a NSC
homeporting plan that entails homeporting four NSCs, some pier
improvements and a new administrative building at CGI in Alameda,
California. The four NSCs would replace, on a one-for-one basis, the
four aging 378-foot High-Endurance Cutters (WHECs) currently stationed
in Alameda.
To accommodate the vessels and crew, in addition to the proposed
homeporting, improvements to the existing waterfront pier and
construction of a new administration building would be required at the
existing base to provide adequate shore-side support.
Draft Environmental Assessment
We have prepared a draft EA. The draft EA identifies and examines
the reasonable alternatives and assesses their potential environmental
impact. The draft EA evaluates the potential direct, indirect and
cumulative impacts associated with the NSC homeporting plan. The draft
EA tiers from the USCG's Final PEIS for the IDS Program (see notice of
availability, 67 FR 15275, Mar. 29, 2002).
Our preferred alternative is to homeport the four NSCs into an area
where the necessary shore side infrastructure and port environment
already exists to support this class and number of vessels. The
existing base on CGI provides the shore support necessary to meet the
logistical requirements of the four NSCs. This existing support
includes secure facilities, easy access for Coast Guard personnel,
administrative and support buildings and services, and required shore
ties to service in-port cutters.
We are requesting your comments on the draft EA including
environmental impacts and resources analyzed in the draft EA or
possible sources of data or information not included in the draft EA.
Your comments will be considered in preparing the final EA.
Dated: December 5, 2006.
Joseph E. Mihelic,
Chief of Deepwater Transition Management.
[FR Doc. E6-20935 Filed 12-7-06; 8:45 am]
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