6960 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 31 / Friday, February 14, 1997 / Notices

With respect to discharges near

sensitive ecosystems, the Navy will not

discharge pulped paper/cardboard

within 3 nm of land nor discharge

shredded metals/glass within 12 nm of

land. This naval operational restriction,

combined with the fact that smaller,

coastal vessels will store and retrograde

waste (the process and discharge

alternative applies to the larger

oceangoing vessels the size of frigates

and above) should offer ample

protection to sensitive ecosystems.

With respect to future waste

management systems, the Navy has

established the goal of having

environmentally sound ships of the 21st

century that will be able to minimize

waste generation and treat or destroy

unavoidable waste on board. The Navy

is investigating integrated waste

processing systems that would collect

and treat or destroy all shipboard

wastes, both liquid and solid. Although

the Navy is pursuing this research and

development (R&D), it foresees no

advanced waste destruction technology

being ready for shipboard use in the

next decade. In the interim, the Navy

will continue to monitor and evaluate

technology developments and initiate

R&D programs where candidate

technologies look promising for future

ships.

The special interest group comments,

from a representative of a shipboard

waste (compaction) processing machine

company, provided corrected

information on the output

characteristics of their processed wastes

and the use of such equipment on ships

of other world navies.

The Navy appreciates this revised

information. However, an analysis,

based on this new information, did not

alter the findings of the Final EIS.

Conclusion

After comprehensive evaluation of the

proposed impacts and review of all

comments, the Navy has concluded that

its preferred alternative provides for

protection of the environment, preserves

the Navy’s operational flexibility and

the quality of life of shipboard

personnel and can be implemented at a

reasonable cost.

Accordingly, the Navy will install

pulpers and shredders on all vessels the

size of frigates and larger, and use the

equipment worldwide, not just in

MARPOL special areas. For the Navy’s

smaller, coastal vessels that have

mission durations of only a few days,

the Navy will implement a store and

retrograde policy for solid waste

management (except food wastes) for

these ships will operating in MARPOL

special areas.

Questions regarding the Final EIS

prepared for this action may be directed

to Mr. Robert Ostermueller, Head,

Environmental Planning, Northern

Division, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, 10 Industrial Highway,

Lester, PA 19113, telephone (610) 595–

0759, fax (610) 595–0778.

Dated: January 31, 1997.

Elsie L. Munsell,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy

(Environment & Safety).

[FR Doc. 97–3783 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

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Notice of Public Hearing for the

Supplemental Draft Environmental

Impact Statement for Construction and

Operation of a Relocatable Over the

Horizon Radar, Puerto Rico

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as implemented by the

Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508),

and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Public Law Number Nine, Section 4(c),

the Department of the Navy, has

prepared a Supplemental Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(SDEIS) for the construction and

operation of a Relocatable Over the

Horizon Radar (ROTHR) system in

Puerto Rico.

The ROTHR, a wide area surveillance

high frequency (HF) radar system, is

proposed as an addition to the national

and local counter-narcotic strategy. The

ROTHR provides early detection of

illegal drug activity and would

complement existing ROTHR systems in

Virginia and Texas by providing

coverage of the northern portion of

South America.

A Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) addressing the impacts

of the proposed ROTHR system was

released to the public in July 1995.

Public comments received on the DEIS

included concerns over the loss of 100

acres of farmland at a candidate receiver

site in Lajas Valley. Based on these

concerns, the Department of the Navy

re-evaluated potential sites for the

ROTHR system, and determined that a

shortened receiver array could be

installed completely on federal property

at Fort Allen, a US Army installation

located about 4 miles south of the town

of Juana Diaz and 10 miles east of

Ponce. The SDEIA includes information

previously presented in the DEIS, as

well as new information on anticipated

impacts if the receiver were installed at

Fort Allen. The document has also been

expanded to address other issues raised

during the DEIS public review process.

The preferred receiver site is now

identified as Fort Allen. The

construction area would consist of a 100

acre site. The required buffer zone

would be completely contained within

the Fort boundary. The preferred

transmitter site continues to be the

Playa Grande site located on Navy

property on the Southwestern coast of

Vieques Island.

The Navy has forwarded copies of the

document to various federal and

Commonwealth agencies, local

municipalities and individuals.

Additionally, the SDEIS is available for

review at the following locations: (1)

Town Hall, Municipality of Vieques

Island; (2) Public Library, Municipality

of Lajas; (3) Mayor’s Office, Lajas; (4)

Environmental Quality Board, Hato Rey;

(5) Environmental Quality Board,

Regional Office at the Commercial

Center, Ponce; (6) Environmental

Quality Board, Mayaguez Regional

Office, Mayaguez; (7) City Hall,

Municipality of Juana Diaz; (8) Public

Library, City of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico;

(9) City Hall, Municipality of Ponce;

(10) City Hall, Municipality of Santa

Isabel; (11) City Hall, Municipality of

Salinas; (12) Carnegie Public Library,

San Juan.

ADDRESSES: The Department of the Navy

will be participating in a public hearing

held by the Puerto Rico Environmental

Quality Board on March 15, 1997 at

10:00 AM at Calle Braschi # 50 in Juana

Diaz, Puerto Rico. All comments

received at the public hearing, as well

as written comments will be considered

in a Final Environmental Impact

Statement prepared by the Navy. All

written comments must be postmarked

no later than March 31, 1997 to become

part of the official record. Written

comments should be mailed to the

address noted below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning this

notice may be obtained by contacting

Ms. Linda Blount, (Code 2032LB),

Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, 1510 Gilbert

Street, Norfolk, VA 23511–2699,

telephone (757) 322–4892.

Dated: February 11, 1997.

D.E. Koenig,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison

Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–3784 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

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