Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Development of the Westside of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Including the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Action, Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ), Virginia, 44020-44021 [E6-12532]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Navy
• Navy Department

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 149 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44020-44021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12532]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Development of the Westside of Marine Corps Base Quantico, 
Including the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Action, Marine 
Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ), Virginia

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: 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), and 
applicable Marine Corps Order P5090.2A, guidelines for NEPA, the Marine 
Corps announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the development of the westside of MCBQ, including the 2005 
BRAC action at MCBQ, VA. The Marine Corps previously published a Notice 
of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (Vol. 67 FR 37405) for the development of the westside of 
MCBQ on May 29, 2002. This NOI cancels the previous NOI, and 
establishes the opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed 
action which now includes the BRAC 2005 actions at MCBQ.
    The Marine Corps will hold a public scoping meeting open house for 
the purpose of further identifying the scope of issues to be addressed 
in the EIS. Written and recorded comments will be accepted during this 
time. To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action will be addressed, representatives from MCBQ will be

[[Page 44021]]

available to answer questions and solicit public comments from all 
interested parties during the open house. Following future publication 
of the draft EIS, at a time to be determined, a second public meeting 
will be held to address comments on the draft document.

DATES: All written comments must be received by September 8, 2006. The 
public scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 22, 2006, at the 
Ramada Inn, 4316 Inn Street, Triangle, VA between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Agencies and the public are also encouraged to provide 
written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the 
scoping open house. Written comments and requests for inclusion on the 
EIS mailing list may be submitted to: Commander, NREA Branch (B 046), 
Attn: J. Gardner, 3250 Catlin Avenue, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA 
22134-0855.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeff Gardner, 703-432-6770. Please 
submit requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation 
for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids at the public meeting 
to Mr. Gardner by August 14, 2006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MCBQ is a 60,000-acre combat education and 
training base located approximately 30 miles south of Washington DC. 
The 2005 BRAC law has directed the relocation and collocation of 
Military Department Investigation Agencies and the Department of 
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency to MCBQ. This is 
expected to add approximately 3,000 personnel at MCBQ by 2011. Other 
Federal and Marine Corps initiatives are expected to continue to 
identify MCBQ as a possible site for relocation. As part of a long-
range planning effort to accommodate these anticipated requirements, 
the Quantico Land Use Plan, I-95 West, was developed for the Marine 
Corps which evaluated potential areas within the installation that are 
the most suitable/practical for locating new development, including the 
BRAC 2005 actions, without impacting its primary mission of military 
education and training. The age and deteriorating condition of many 
facilities on the Mainside of MCBQ dictate a need for their 
replacement. Space available for new development or redevelopment is 
limited due to many factors including acreage, current land use, 
topography, and environmental constraints. To eliminate existing 
incompatible land uses and better utilize land within the installation, 
MCBQ has identified two parcels within the westside of MCBQ (hereon 
referred to as the Westside Development Area) for potential future 
development. These areas were determined to have suitable acreage for 
the proposed development, reduced construction costs, and are not 
overly constrained by environmental or operational factors. These 
locations are: the Russell Road parcel and MCB-1 parcel. The proposed 
action for this EIS is to use the Westside Development Area of MCBQ for 
relocation of existing and future potential base functions and to 
accommodate the BRAC 2005 actions. The components of the proposed 
action include construction and operation of new facilities with a mix 
of uses to include administrative, warehouse, maintenance, and 
industrial facilities and the necessary infrastructure, road 
improvements, and security measures to support the proposed action.
    A range of alternatives was developed to assess the proposed action 
based on the Quantico Land Use Plan, I-95 West (MCBQ, 2006). This study 
identified potential development scenarios based on present and future 
mission needs and land use analysis. Alternatives to implement the 
proposed action include four intensities of development and two 
proposed alternative locations for implementing the BRAC action. For 
each development intensity alternative, sub-alternatives analyzing 
development at either Location A or Location B will be addressed. First 
alternative, high-intensity development would add up to 10,000 
personnel, including 3,000 under BRAC. The construction would include 
facilities designed primarily for administrative and operational 
functions, including warehousing, maintenance, and support facilities. 
Parking and road improvements would be included. Second alternative, 
medium-intensity development would add up to 7,000 personnel, including 
3,000 under BRAC. The construction under this alternative would remain 
mixed use with a lower intensity of administrative facilities and 
include parking and road improvements. Third alternative, low-intensity 
development would add 5,000 personnel, including 3,000 under BRAC. The 
majority of the construction under this alternative would include 
warehousing and maintenance facilities and to a lesser extent 
administrative and operational facilities. Road improvements would be 
limited to those necessary to accommodate the BRAC action. 
Additionally, a fourth alternative, the BRAC Action alternative, would 
add only the development required to accommodate those personnel 
(3,000) associated with the BRAC 2005 action. The construction 
footprint would include 70 to 100 acres of land, construction of 
approximately 735,000 square feet of new construction, and improvement 
of existing roads. The No Action Alternative will also be evaluated as 
required by NEPA. The EIS will address the following environmental 
areas: topography, geology, and soils; water and biological resources; 
air quality; noise; infrastructure and utilities; traffic; cultural 
resources; land use; socioeconomics; and hazardous waste and materials.

    Dated: July 27, 2006.
M.A. Harvison,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-12532 Filed 8-2-06; 8:45 am]
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