12748 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 8, 1995 / Notices

March 23, 1995, at 7:30 p.m., in the Port

Hueneme City Hall, located at 250 North

Ventura Road, Port Hueneme,

California. In addition, written

comments may be submitted within 30

days of the published date of this notice

to Ms. Mary Doyle, Environmental

Planning Branch (Code 09F2),

Engineering Field Activity West, Naval

Facilities Engineering Command, 900

Commodore Drive, San Bruno,

California 94066–5006, telephone (415)

244–3024, fax (415) 244–3737. For

further information regarding the Port

Hueneme NCEL Community Reuse Plan,

please contact Mr. Thomas Figg,

Director of Community Development,

250 North Ventura Road, Port Hueneme,

California 93041, telephone (805) 986–

6514.

Dated: March 3, 1995.

M.D. Schetzsle,

Lt, JAGC, USNR, Alternative Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–5648 filed 3–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–M

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Shock Testing of the Seawolf

Submarine

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 announces

its intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the

environmental effects of shock testing

the SEAWOLF Submarine at a site to be

located off the east coast of the United

States.

Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.6, the

National Marine Fisheries Service

(NMFS) will be a cooperating agency in

the preparation and development of the

EIS.

A ‘‘shock test’’ is the name given to

a series of underwater detonations that

are used to propagate a shock wave

through a ship’s hull (similar to those

encountered in combat). It is required to

test the hull, all ship systems, and crew

survivability of each new class of Navy

ships. This test provides important

information which will be used to

improve the initial design and enhance

the effectiveness and overall

survivability of the ship and crew. The

improvements are applied to follow-on

ships of that class. The shock test of the

lead ship of the class is an integral part

of the Live Fire Test (LFT) Program

mandated by Congress. Shock tests have

proven their value as recently as the

Persian Gulf War when ships were able

to survive battle damage and continue

their mission because of ship design,

crew survivability, and crew training

lessons learned during previous shock

tests.

The proposed action would subject

the SEAWOLF submarine to a total of

five explosive charges, 10,000 lbs. each,

while monitoring the results. The

decision to be addressed in the

Environmental Impact Statement is the

siting of shock test. Important logistical

considerations include: a Naval base

proximate to the test location, and water

depth of 500 feet, which, for the sites

being considered, range from 70 to 100

miles offshore. The shock test is

proposed to occur over a five week

period between April 1 and October 1,

of 1997.

Alternative sites that would be

considered include a number of

different sites off the eastern U.S. coast.

These areas are off the coast of Norfolk,

Virginia, and Jacksonville, Florida, due

to the existence of supporting Naval

Bases at those sites. The ‘‘no action’’

alternative of not conducting the shock

test will be addressed in the EIS.

Physical and biological issues that

will be addressed in the EIS include

impacts on air and water resources,

impacts to other uses of the area, and

impacts to marine life including marine

mammals and endangered and

threatened species.

The Navy will initiate a scoping

process for the purpose of determining

the scope of issues to be addressed and

for identifying the significant issues

related to this action. The Navy will

hold three public scoping hearings to

receive comments from the public on

the proposed action. The first hearing

will be held on March 23, 1995, at 10

a.m., in the auditorium of NMFS Office,

1335 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,

Maryland. The second meeting will be

on March 28, 1995, at 7 p.m., in the

auditorium of the Granby High School,

701 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia.

The last meeting will be on March 29,

1995, at 7 p.m., in the cafeteria of the

Mayport Middle School, 2600 Mayport

Road, Atlantic Beach, Florida. The

meeting will be advertised in area

newspapers.

A brief presentation will precede the

request for public comment. Navy

representatives will be available at this

meeting to receive comments from the

public regarding issues of concern to the

public. It is important that federal, state,

and local agencies and interested

individuals take this opportunity to

identify environmental concerns that

should be addressed during the

preparation of the EIS. In the interest of

available time, each speaker will be

asked to limit oral comments to five

minutes.

Agencies and the public are also

invited and encouraged to provide

written comments in addition to, or in

lieu of, oral comments at the public

meeting. To be most helpful, scoping

comments should clearly describe

specific issues or topics which the

commenter believes the EIS should

address. Written statements and/or

questions regarding the scoping process

should be mailed no later than May 1,

1995 to: Commanding Officer, Southern

Division, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, P.O. Box 190010, North

Charleston, SC 29419–9010 (Attention:

Mr. Will Sloger, Code 064WS),

telephone 803–743–0797, FAX 803–

743–0993.

Dated: March 3, 1995.

M.D. Schetzsle,

Lt, JAGC, USNR, Alternate Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–5647 Filed 3–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–M

Notice of Public Hearing for the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for

Seawolf Class Submarine Homeporting

on the East Coast of the United States

Pursuant to Council on

Environmental Quality regulations (40

CFR parts 1500–1508) implementing the

procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act, the

Department of the Navy has prepared

and filed with the US Environmental

Protection Agency, the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

for SEAWOLF Class Submarine

Homeporting on the East Coast of the

United States. The DEIS addresses the

need, alternatives, and environmental

consequences of homeporting three

SEAWOLF Class submarines at three

submarine facilities including the Naval

Submarine Base New London, Groton

CT; the Naval Submarine Base Kings

Bay GA, and the Naval Station Norfolk

VA. The Naval Submarine Base New

London has been identified as the

preferred alternative.

Dredging and the disposal of dredged

material are required for SEAWOLF

homeporting at each of the candidate

homeports and have been identified as

the significant issues of environmental

concern. The DEIS quantifies and

characterizes the dredge material and

disposal options at each homeport

alternative.

The DEIS has been distributed to

various federal, state and local agencies,

elected officials, special interest groups,

the media, and concerned citizens.

Copies of the DEIS have also been
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 8, 1995 / Notices 12749

placed in local libraries in Connecticut,

Virginia, and Georgia. A limited number

of single copies are available at the

address at the end of this

announcement.

The Department of the Navy will hold

four public hearings to inform the

public of the DEIS findings and to

solicit comments. The first meeting will

be held on Monday, March 27, 1995

beginning at 1:00 PM in the Groton

Municipal Building, Groton,

Connecticut. The Groton Municipal

Building is located at 295 Meridian

Street. The second meeting will be held

on Tuesday, March 28, 1995 beginning

at 7 pm at the same location, the Groton

Municipal Building. These meetings

will be co-chaired by the New England

Division, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

The third meeting will be held on

Wednesday, March 29, 1995 beginning

at 7 pm at the Airport Hilton, Norfolk,

Virginia. The Hilton is located at 1500

North Military Highway and

Northhampton Avenue. The fourth

meeting will be held on Thursday,

March 30, 1995 beginning at 7 pm at

Crooked River Elementary School, St

Marys, Georgia. The school is located at

1820 Spur 40.

The public hearings will be

conducted by the Navy. Federal, state,

and local agencies and interested parties

are invited and urged to be present or

represented at the hearings. Oral

statements will be heard and transcribed

by a stenographer; however, to assure

the accuracy of the record, all

statements should be submitted in

writing. All statements, both oral and

written, will become part of the public

record on this action and will be given

equal consideration.

In the interest of available time, each

speaker will be asked to limit their oral

comments to five minutes. If longer

statements are to be presented, they

should be summarized at the public

hearing(s) and submitted in writing

either at the hearing(s) or mailed to the

address listed at the end of this notice.

Written comments on the DEIS should

be mailed to the address noted below

and must be postmarked not later than

April 10, 1995 to be part of the official

record.

Additional information may be

obtained by contacting Mr. Robert

Ostermueller (Code 202) Northern

Division, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, 10 Industrial Highway, MSC

82, Lester, PA 19113, telephone 610–

595–0759.

Dated: March 3, 1995.

M.D. Schetzsle,

Lt, JAGC, USNR, Alternate Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–5646 Filed 3–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Urban Community Service Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priority.

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a

competitive funding priority to focus

funds for new urban community service

projects on communities designated as

Empowerment Zones (EZs) or Enterprise

Communities (ECs) by the Department

of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD). Under the competitive funding

priority, the Secretary awards five (5)

additional points to an application that

meets the priority.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect

April 7, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sarah Babson, U. S. Department of

Education, 600 Independence Avenue,

SW (Portals C–80), Washington, DC

20202–5329. Telephone: (202) 260–

3472. Persons who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.,

Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background on the Empowerment Zone

and Enterprise Community Initiative

The Empowerment Zone and

Enterprise Community program is a

critical element of the Administration’s

community revitalization strategy. It

promotes comprehensive economic and

community development through

strategic planning. On December 21,

1994, the President announced the

designation of six urban Empowerment

Zones, two urban Supplemental EZs, 65

urban Enterprise Communities, and four

Enhanced urban ECs. These areas will

benefit from flexible social service block

grants and tax breaks in accordance

with Internal Revenue Code section

1392, as amended by Title XIII of the

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of

1993 (Pub. L. 103–66). Urban

Empowerment Zones and Enterprise

Communities were nominated by one or

more local governments and their States

and have been designated by HUD on

the basis of the quality of their strategic

plans. Interested individuals may

contact HUD at 1–800–998–9999 for

additional information on the

Empowerment Zone and Enterprise

Community program, including which

communities have been selected for

designation.

The Department of Education is

supporting the Empowerment Zone and

Enterprise Community initiative

through the Urban Community Service

Program by giving preference to

proposed projects which are located in

urban Empowerment Zones and

Enterprise Communities. A list of the

designated Empowerment Zones and

Enterprise Communities will be

included in the application package.

The program’s emphasis on coordinated

planning to meet pressing urban needs

makes it ideally suited to play a key role

in the Empowerment Zone and

Enterprise Community program.

Background on the Urban Community

Service Program

The Urban Community Service

Program is authorized under Title XI of

the Higher Education Act of 1965, as

amended. It uses the skills, experience

and resources of institutions of higher

education to help public and private

organizations devise and carry out

solutions to pressing and severe

problems in their urban communities.

The program makes discretionary grants

of up to five years in duration to support

collaborative projects that address

problems confronting urban

communities, ranging from work force

preparation, economic development,

urban poverty, crime, lack of health care

services and access, underperforming

school systems and students to urban

housing and infrastructure deficits.

Recipients may use program funds to

carry out a variety of activities, such as

planning, applied research, training,

resource exchanges or technology

transfers, delivery of services and other

activities that the urban institution and

its community partners agree have high

priority.

Only institutions of higher education

which have been designated as urban

grant institutions are eligible to apply

for funding. A designated urban grant

institution has demonstrated to the

Secretary that (a) it is a nonprofit

municipal university established by the

governing body of the city in which it

is located and operating as of July 23,

1992, or that (b) it is an institution of

higher education which meets all of the

following criteria (a consortium of

institutions is also eligible if at least one

of its members meets all of the criteria).

The institution—(1) is located in an

urban area; (2) draws a substantial

portion of its undergraduate student

body from the urban area in which it is