28568 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Notices

For more information regarding the

particular property identified in this

Notice (i.e., acreage, floor plans, existing

sanitary facilities, exact location),

contact Mr. Gerry Bresee, Real Estate

Division, Army Corps of Engineers, P.O.

Box 1715, Baltimore, MD 21203

(telephone 410–962–5173, fax 410–962–

0866).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

surplus is available under the

provisions of the Federal Property and

Administrative Services Act of 1945 and

the Base Closure Community

Redevelopment and Homeless

Assistance Act of 1994. Notices of

interest should be forwarded to Mr.

David G. Sciamanna, Executive Director,

Franklin County Reuse Committee, 75

South Second Street, Chambersburg, PA

17201, telephone (717) 264–7101, fax

(717) 267–0399.

The surplus real property totals

approximately 1980 acres and contains

339 buildings totaling 4,374,717 square

feet of space. Current range of uses

include administrative, residential,

storage, open recreation and special

purpose space. Future uses may include

generally the same type of uses.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–14078 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–41–M

Availability of Surplus Land and

Buildings Located at Red River Army

Depot, Texas

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: This notice identifies the

surplus real property located at Red

River Army Depot, Texas (RRAD).

RRAD is located on U.S. Highway 82, in

sight of Interstate 30, and U.S. 59, 71,

and 67 intersect at Texarkana as will the

new I–49. Internal rail networks connect

with three trunk lines at Texarkana. A

heliport is located on the installation. A

commercial airport is within 30 miles of

the installation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For more information regarding

particular properties identified in this

notice (i.e., acreage floor plans, existing

sanitary facilities, exact street address),

contact Ms. June Ahrens, U.S. Army

Engineer District, Fort Worth, Attn:

CESWF–RE–MD, P.O. Box 17300, Fort

Worth, TX 76102–0300, (telephone

(817) 334–4051); or Judge Carlow at the

below address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

surplus property is available under the

provisions of the Federal Property and

Administrative Services Act of 1949 and

the Base Closure Community

Redevelopment and Homeless

Assistance Act of 1994. Notices of

interest should be forwarded to Local

Redevelopment Authority, Judge James

M. Carlow, Bowie County Courthouse,

P.O. Box 248, New Boston, TX 75570–

0248, (telephone (903) 628–2571). The

surplus real property totals 578.8 acres

and includes 8 office buildings, 13

storage buildings, and 57 other

buildings. The current range of uses

include industrial, storage,

administration, housing and recreation.

Future uses may be limited to those

described above.

Hyla J. Head,

Chief, Real Estate Division.

[FR Doc. 96–14079 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–FR–M

Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Green Brook Flood Control Project

Located in the Green Brook Sub-Basin

of the Raritan River Basin, Middlesex,

Somerset and Union Counties, NJ

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, New

York District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: A final impact statement was

completed for this project and filed in

1981. This supplemental is being

prepared to update environmental

information and present new potentially

significant impacts for review and

comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

William Richardson, New York District,

Army Corps of Engineers, Att: CENAN–

PL–ES, 26 Federal Plaza, New York,

N.Y. 10278–0090 (212) 264–1275.

SUMMARY INFORMATION: The Green Brook

Flood Control Project was created in

response to resolutions of the United

States Senate Public Works Committee

resolutions adopted September 14, 1955

and July 10, 1972 published as H.D. No.

53, 71st Congress. The original notice of

intent to prepare an environmental

impact statement was published on

April 6, 1979 and notice of the final

statement was published on June 12,

1981.

The project will provide flood

protection to the Green Brook sub-basin

to the Raritan River basin. The project

area is located in the Counties of

Middlesex, Somerset and Union, New

Jersey. The protection will consist of a

combination of levees, flood walls,

channel modification, ponding areas

(both excavated and natural) dry

detention basins and non-structural

flood proofing measures.

The supplemental impact statement

will assess potential impacts from the

implementation of the New York

District Corps of Engineers

recommended flood control plan. The

District will develop a Draft General Reevaluation Report for the project that

will be available in June 1996.

This notice initiates scoping for this

final study stage of this project.

Information is requested for

environmental concerns which may

now exist in the project area and were

not discussed in the original NEPA

documentation. It is anticipated that

public meetings will be on going

throughout the re-evaluation process.

There will be additional information

presented to the public through the

Green Brook Flood Control Commission.

Agencies and the public are invited to

present their environmental concerns to

the New York District, Army Corps of

Engineers directly.

This supplemental impact statement

will discuss the impacts of the

recommended plan on wildlife habitat,

aquatic resources and wetlands,

mitigation for wetland impacts, cultural

resource information, the impact of

HTRW studies on the project, as well as

any new issues which may arise as a

result of this process.

The need for scoping meetings

specifically related to this process will

be evaluated based on agency/public

response to this notice and follow-up

mailings.

Estimated date of statement

availability: June 1996.

Dated: May 9, 1996.

Stuart Piken,

Chief, Planning Division.

[FR Doc. 96–14080 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–06–M

Department of the Navy

Notice of Record of Decision (ROD) for

Land Use and Development Plan Final

Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) for Bellows Air Force Station

(AFS), Waimanalo, Hawaii

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2) of

the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) of 1969 and Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),

the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM)

announces its decision to implement the

Land Use and Development Plan FEIS

for Bellows AFS, Waimanalo, Hawaii.

1.0 Introduction

In the National Defense Authorization

Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (Pub. L. 102–

484, section 2853), Congress directed
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Notices 28569

the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary

of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the

Navy to prepare a report on the

continued military need for Bellows

AFS. Specifically, the report was to

cover Air Force communications

operations and Marine Corps training.

The communications operations have

since been relocated from Bellows AFS,

but the Marine Corps mission remains.

The report was submitted to Congress

by the Secretary of Defense on April 19,

1993; however, the Congress

appropriated $1,000,000 for the

‘‘conduct of an Environmental Impact

Study at Bellows Air Force Base’’ in the

Department of Defense Appropriations

Act, 1993 (Pub. L. 102–396, Title 2).

The National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 and its implementing

regulations were used as the framework

for preparing the study.

The Department of Navy, on behalf of

the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific

Command (USCINCPAC), prepared a

Final Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) for proposed actions at Bellows

AFS. The FEIS has been prepared in

accordance with CEQ regulations

referred to above, Department of

Defense (DOD) Directive 6050.1 entitled,

Environmental Effects in the United

States of Department of Defense

Actions, and NEPA. This ROD identifies

my decisions on this proposal. These

decisions have been made in

consideration of the information

contained in the FEIS which was filed

with the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and made available to the

public by the Federal Register

announcement on December 15, 1995,

and in consideration of the public

comments made on the Draft and Final

Environmental Impact Statements.

1.1 Proposed Actions: The action

evaluated in the FEIS was a proposed

Land Use and Development Plan for

Bellows AFS that consisted of the

following:

• Land use change to provide

contiguous land, beach, and water areas

of sufficient size and configuration to

meet Marine Corps and other military

training requirements

• Development of up to 500 units of

military family housing units

• Construction of improvements to

existing recreational resources

• Excessing of land not essential for

military purposes

The FEIS analyzed reasonable

alternatives to meet these objectives and

assessed their separate and cumulative

impacts.

1.2 Alternatives Considered:

Alternative Land Use Changes in the

Communications Area

• Expansion of military training

• Expansion of military training and

additional helicopter and landing craft,

air-cushioned vehicle areas

• Expansion of military training as

well as construction of permanent

Hawaii Army National Guard Facilities

• Siting of up to 500 military family

housing units

• No action

Alternative Recreation and Support

Area Improvements

• Completion of proposed

recreational area improvements as noted

in the long-range recreation facilities

development plan for Bellows AFS:

Motor pool enclosure, recreation courts,

recreational facilities upgrade, water

distribution system upgrade, power

distribution system upgrade,

replacement of three beach cabins,

sentry gate area upgrade, campground

and restroom improvements, pavilion,

and paved road/parking at picnic area 6

• Reduction in the scale of

improvements in the long-range

development plan; or postponement;

Changes in land use

• No action

Preferred Alternative

The FEIS identifies a subset of all the

possible alternatives which appear to

best achieve the stated purpose and

need with due respect for the

environmental consequences. This

subset is referred to as the Preferred

Alternative for the purpose of analysis.

However, it is Section 3.0 of this ROD,

and not the preferred alternative

outlined in the FEIS, that determines

which actions are selected for

implementation.

The preferred alternative was selected

after consideration of the combined

effect of all alternatives on achievement

of the stated purpose and need.

Purposes and needs include land of

sufficient size and configuration to meet

military training requirements, and

improvement of existing recreational

resources. Consideration of

environmental and socio-economic

effects of the alternatives was a key

component in the selection process.

• The preferred alternative converts

387 acres of former communications

area to training use to help alleviate the

critical state-wide shortage of training

lands, provides an inland maneuver

area for Marine Corps amphibious

exercises, and provides adequate land in

proximity to Marine Corps Base Hawaii

(MCBH), Kaneohe Bay, to meet day-today small unit tactical training needs.

• The preferred alternative is not to

construct additional military family

housing units at Bellows AFS.

• The preferred alternative

implements the Bellows AFS long-range

development plan for repair and

improvement of the Air Force recreation

and support facilities. These valuable

facilities serve not only Oahu military

residents, but DOD identification card

holders worldwide. Bellows AFS

recreation facilities improvements

address an important ‘‘quality of life

infrastructure’’ requirement for military

personnel and their families.

• The preferred alternative identifies

approximately 170 acres as excess to

DOD needs conditional upon

construction of replacement facilities,

relocation of activities necessary to

vacate the land, clean-up of potential

environmental impairments, and

imposition of use restrictions on the

excess parcels.

The preferred alternative is also the

environmentally preferred alternative.

1.3 Public Involvement: During the

EIS process, the Department of the Navy

solicited input from the local

community on several occasions.

Copies of the Draft EIS, and copies of

the FEIS were sent to federal, state and

local government representatives,

individuals, and community groups.

Notices of Intent (NOI) and Notices of

Availability (NOA) were published in

local newspapers as well as the Federal

Register. A chronology follows:

A NOI to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) for actions at

Bellows AFS was published and sent

out during the second week of March

1994. Public scoping meetings were

held at the Waimanalo Elementary and

Intermediate School on March 30, 1994

and again at Washington Intermediate

School on March 31, 1994. The NOA

and announcement of public hearings

for the Draft EIS (DEIS) were published

and distributed on March 13, 1995, and

public comments were accepted through

May 31, 1995. A public hearing to

present the DEIS was conducted at

Waimanalo Elementary and

Intermediate School on May 9, 1995.

NOA of the FEIS was published on

December 15, 1995, and public

comments were accepted through

January 15, 1996.

A synopsis of issues raised during the

DEIS public review process, and efforts

made to address these issues in the

FEIS, follow:

• Comment: The U.S. Government’s

ownership of and right to use Bellows

AFS were questioned on the basis of

claims that nearly all of the land now

comprising Bellows AFS consists of socalled ceded lands (govrnment lands of
28570 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Notices

the former Hawaiian kingdom and lands

reserved during the monarchy for the

support of the Crown) and that the

ceded lands were all wrongfully taken

from, and should be returned to, Native

Hawaiians, generally referring to all

persons of Hawaiian ancestry.

Response: The FEIS included a review

of the title of the United States to

Bellows AFS and a legal analysis of the

claims asserted against it. These showed

that the United States has clear title to

all the lands, including the ceded lands

at Bellows AFS, and that the claims

made on behalf of Native Hawaiians, as

a group, to the ceded lands have no

legal or historical validity. Although

approximately 170 acres of land have

been found to be excess to DOD needs,

these will be disposed of according to

the laws and regulations generally

applicable to these excess lands.

• Comment: DEIS was inadequate.

Cultural and archaeological impacts are

inadequately examined.

Response: The FEIS included a

literature review of the cultural

resources of Bellows AFS conducted by

H. David Tuggle, Ph.D., of the

International Archaeological Research

Institute. The report summarized

archaeological work conducted to date

at Bellows AFS, including identification

of known human burial sites. Based on

the literature search and consultation

with the State Historic Preservation

Officer, a plan was developed to avoid

adverse impacts on cultural resources of

significance. Each known site at Bellows

AFS is described in the FEIS.

• Comment: Bellows AFS is not

necessary to support military training or

recreation.

Response: Bellows AFS is required to

help alleviate the critical statewide

shortage of training lands, to provide an

inland maneuver area for Marine Corps

amphibious exercises, and to provide

adequate land in proximity to MCBH,

Kaneohe Bay, to meet day-to-day small

unit tactical training needs. Military

recreation facilities are necessary to

provide quality of life for military

personnel and their families. Affordable

facilities are a key consideration for

military personnel who are typically

paid less than their civilian

counterparts. For junior enlisted

personnel, the military recreational

facilities represent an essential and

affordable resource.

1.4 Summary of Environmental

Impacts: Below is a summary of the

significant impacts and proposed

actions to minimize impacts:

• The most significant impacts of the

proposed actions and alternatives that

cannot be acceptably mitigated would

result from the housing land use

alternative. Foremost among off-station

impacts is the effect on peak hour traffic

in Waimanalo from the addition of up

to 500 military family housing units.

Kalanianaole Highway would be

saturated during peak hours with the

additional growth. A four-lane road

would be required through Waimanalo

Town. Apart from impacts to traffic,

existing wastewater treatment facilities

do not have sufficient capacity to treat

sewage flows from the proposed

development. Population growth in

Waimanalo would increase by up to 18

percent and could not be mitigated

directly.

• Potential impacts of training

activities include stream bank erosion

from vehicle stream crossings, wildlife

disturbance, noise, exposure of training

participants to hazardous substances,

and damage to cultural resources.

Marine Forces Pacific, along with any

other Service components who conduct

training at Bellows AFS, will develop a

constraints map identifying training

area restrictions and adhere to these

constraints.

• Recreational facilities upgrades and

release of excess land may impact

cultural resources. The Air Force will

conduct surveys on excess land before

release, and on recreational land before

the start of long-range development plan

improvements. These surveys will

determine the extent and nature of the

subsurface archaeological deposits in

the areas of potential effect. Should

these surveys reveal the presence of

cultural resources, appropriate action

will be taken to comply with pertinent

law.

• No cultural resources would be

adversely affected by the permanent

relocation of the Hawaii National Guard

facilities to the southwest corner of the

station.

• Training has the potential to affect

wetlands and stream banks, where

training operations require crossing

Waimanalo Stream. All practicable

means will be taken to avoid or mitigate

any such impacts; these include, but are

not limited to, provisions that crossing

will be permitted only at designated

locations, and vehicles will be required

to use existing or tactical bridges or

fords placed at these designated

locations.

• Noise from future training

operations will not extend off-station at

levels exceeding community noise

standards. Nevertheless, to avoid future

conflicts between community

expectations and operational

requirements, noise easements will be

imposed as appropriate on lands

declared excess to prevent incompatible

civilian land use of these lands.

2.0 Consideration for Decision

The Land Use and Development Plan

FEIS for Bellows AFS takes place in the

broader context of military land use on

Oahu. Sufficient land is required for the

military to carry out its defense

obligations in Hawaii and, specifically,

to meet the need for adequate training

areas. The FEIS supports USCINCPAC’s

Hawaii Military Land Use Master Plan

(HMLUMP). The HMLUMP includes

land requirements to meet mission

tasks.

The FEIS identifies environmental

impacts associated with the choice of

alternatives. It further identifies some of

the actions possible to mitigate the

impacts and provides a more reasonable

approach to land use. In addition, the

scoping meetings, public hearings, and

the comments received from the local

community and agencies helped

formulate a comprehensive approach to

addressing important issues for decision

making.

In addition to environmental

considerations identified in the FEIS,

there are other factors considered in the

ROD. Strong public support for

returning excess military land resulted

in the proposal to construct new

facilities in order to relocate activities

out of approximately 170 acres of

proposed excess land.

3.0 Decision

The FEIS analyzed possible

alternatives, considered public

comments made during open meetings

and submitted by correspondence,

potential environmental impacts,

mitigative requirements and military

need for training lands. In consideration

of the FEIS, and comments received on

the FEIS (January 1996), the following

land use and development actions will

take place at Bellows AFS:

• Convert 387 acres of land in the

former communications area to training

use.

• Implement Bellows AFS long-range

recreation facilities development plan.

• Do not construct new military

family housing units on Bellows AFS.

• Declare approximately 170 acres of

land along the southern boundary of

Bellows AFS excess to military

requirements after construction of

replacement facilities, relocation of

activities necessary to vacate the land

(to include relocation of the Hawaii

National Guard) and cleanup of

potential environmental impairments

subject to appropriate use limitations to

avoid incompatibility between future

civilian uses and military activities on

the retained areas.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Notices 28571

4.0 Record of Decision

The military will continue to be a

good steward of the environment on

Bellows AFS. All practicable means to

avoid or minimize environmental harm

have been adopted. Efforts will be made

to preserve sensitive cultural resources.

Further subsurface investigations will

be done prior to any new excavations or

significant soil disturbance. Mitigative

actions will be accomplished prior to,

during, and after training activities.

Signed May 7, 1996 by J.W. Prueher,

Admiral, U.S. Navy

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions

regarding the FEIS and this Record of

Decision may be directed to Major

Matthew Gogan (J446), U.S. Pacific

Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI

96851–4020, phone (808) 477–6401,

facsimile (808) 477–0876.

Dated: May 22, 1996.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison

Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–14067 Filed 5–31–96; 2:17 pm]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. EA–114]

Application to Export Electricity

MidCon Power Services Corp.

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

SUMMARY: MidCon Power Services Corp.

(MPS) has requested authorization to

export electric energy to Canada. MPS is

a marketer of electric energy. It does not

own or control any electric generation

or transmission facilities.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests

to intervene must be submitted on or

before July 5, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or

requests to intervene should be

addressed as follows: Office of Coal &

Electricity (FE–52), Office of Fuels

Programs, Fossil Energy, U.S.

Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20585–0350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William H. Freeman (Program Office)

202–586- 5883 or Michael T. Skinker

(Program Attorney) 202–586–6667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Exports of

electricity from the United States to a

foreign country are regulated and

require authorization under section

202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA)

(16 U.S.C. 824a(e)).

On May 21, 1996, MPS filed an

application with the Office of Fossil

Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy

(DOE) for authorization to export

electric energy to Canada pursuant to

section 202(e) of the FPA. MPS neither

owns nor controls any facilities for the

transmission or distribution of

electricity, nor does it have a franchised

retail service area. Rather, MPS is a

power marketer authorized by the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC) to engage in the wholesale sale

of electricity in interstate commerce at

negotiated rates pursuant to its filed rate

schedules.

In its application, MPS proposes to

sell electric energy to Canada. The

electric energy MPS proposes to

transmit to Canada would be purchased

from electric utilities and other

generators. MPS asserts that such energy

would be surplus to the requirements of

the selling utility or generator. MPS

would arrange for the exported energy

to be wheeled from the selling entities,

over existing domestic transmission

facilities, and delivered to the foreign

purchaser over one or more of the

following international transmission

lines for which Presidential permits (PP)

have been previously issued: New York

Power Authority’s (NYPA) 230-kilovolt

(kV), lines at Massena, New York (PP–

25), and Devil’s Hole, New York (PP–

30); NYPA 765 kV line at Fort

Covington, New York (PP–56); the

NYPA 345-kV lines at Niagara Falls,

New York (PP–74); Niagara Mohawk

Power Corporation’s (NIMO) 4.8-kV

Hogansburg, New York line (PP–13);

and NIMO’s 13.2-kV line at Covington,

New York, 230-kV(3 Phase) and 2–69-

kV lines at Devil’s Hole, New York, 38-

kV Buffalo, New York lines, 69-kV lines

at Queenstown, New York, and 12-kV(3/

cables) Rainbow Br., New York lines

(PP–31).

Any determination by the DOE to

grant the request by MPS for export

authorization will be conditioned to

require MPS to comply with all

reliability criteria, standards, and

guidelines of the North American

Electric Reliability Council and

Regional Councils.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS: Any persons

desiring to be heard or to protest this

application should file a petition to

intervene or protest at the address

provided above in accordance with

§§ 385.211 or 385.214 of the rules of

practice and procedure (18 CFR

385.211, 385.214). Fifteen copies of

such petitions and protests should be

filed with the DOE on or before the date

listed above. Additional copies are to be

filed directly with: Mr. Dennis Lawler,

Vice President, MidCon Power Services

Corp., 701 East 22nd Street, Lombard,

Illinois 60148 AND Mr. Peter Y. Connor,

Esq., 801 15th Street, Wilmette, Illinois

60091.

A final decision will be made on this

application after the environmental

impacts have been evaluated pursuant

to the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 (NEPA), and a

determination is made by the DOE that

the proposed action will not adversely

impact on the reliability of the U.S.

electric power supply system.

Copies of this application will be

made available, upon request, for public

inspection and copying at the address

provided above.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 31,

1996.

Anthony J. Como.

Director, Office of Coal & Electricity, Office

of Fuels Programs, Office of Fossil Energy.

[FR Doc. 96–14054 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP94–294–007]

Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line

Company; Notice of Compliance Filing

May 30, 1996.

Take notice that on May 22, 1996,

Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company

(Panhandle) tendered for filing as part of

its FERC Gas Tariff, First Revised

Volume No. 1, the tariff sheets listed on

Appendix A to its filing, to become

effective on the dates shown on

Appendix A. Panhandle asserts that the

purpose of this filing is to comply with

the Commission’s order issued April 1,

1996 in Docket No. RP94–294–000.

Panhandle states that in accordance

with the Commission’s April 1, 1996

Order, it is reflecting the attribution

methodology that was utilized to

allocate revenues from its discounted

firm and interruptible transportation

contracts prior to the effective date of

the Natural attribution policy.

Accordingly, Panhandle is submitting

revised tariff sheets to reflect

Panhandle’s prior attribution

methodology from July 1, 1994, the date

the tariffs sheets herein originally

became effective, and the prospective

application of the Natural attribution

policy.

Panhandle states that a copy of this

filing are being served on all affected

customers, applicable state regulatory

agencies, and parties to this proceeding.

Any person desiring to protest this

filing should file a protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC