[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55754-55755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26760]
[[Page 55754]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
for the New Job Corps Center Located off of Schoolland Woods Road in
Exeter, RI
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the
New Job Corps Center to be located off of Schoolland Woods Road in
Exeter, Rhode Island.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulation
(40 CFR Part 1500-08) implementing procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration, Office of Job Corps, in
accordance with 29 CFR 11.11(d), gives notice that an Environmental
Assessment (EA) has been prepared and the proposed plans for a new Job
Corps Center will have no significant environmental impact. This
Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be made
available for public review and comment for a period of 30 days.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by November 15, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Any comment(s) are to be submitted to Michael O'Malley,
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4659, Washington, DC, 20210, (202) 219-
5468 ext. 115 (this is not a toll-free number).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the EA and additional
information are available to interested parties by contacting Marcus
Gray, Regional Director, Office of Job Corps--Region I, JFK Federal
Building, Room E-350, Boston, MA 02203, (617) 565-2179 (this is not a
toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses
the proposed re-use of a small portion of the former Ladd Center for
the proposed Exeter Job Corps Center. The EA identifies the subject
property for the proposed facility as an approximately 19.65-acre site
located on Schoolland Woods Road, west of South County Trail Route 2,
in Map ID 67, Block 4, Lot 1, in the City of Exeter, Washington County,
Rhode Island. The proposal is to refurbish selected buildings of the
former Ladd Center and construct additional buildings to create a
campus setting in a rural location. The remainder portion of the former
Ladd Center (approximately 270 acres) is targeted for commercial
property development by the Rhode Island Economic Development
Corporation (EDC).
The site of the proposed Exeter Job Corps Center is located in a
rural area in northern Washington County, which lies in the southern
portion of the State of Rhode Island. The site is currently developed
with facilities from the former Ladd Center, which served as an
institution for the care and rehabilitation of developmentally disabled
persons of the State of Rhode Island. The State of Rhode Island has
owned the site since at least 1907. The facilities were constructed
between the years of 1914 and 1965. All of the buildings have been
abandoned for the past eight to ten years. These buildings will require
extensive renovation but were built for specific uses that will mirror
the Job Corps' needs.
The proposed Exeter Job Corps Center will be a partially new and
partially refurbished facility utilizing a campus setting. The facility
will consist of several buildings which will support a proposed
capacity of 200 Resident Students. The buildings will include
dormitories, vocational shops, maintenance and warehouse facilities, a
cafeteria, a physical fitness center, administration and support
facilities, and classroom facilities. The gross area of the facility
will be approximately 111,110 square feet (This square footage does not
include the proposed outdoor recreation areas). The developed site will
be approximately 19.65-acres of land, which will be leased for a 50-
year term by the Department of Labor from the State of Rhode Island.
The construction/renovation of the Job Corps Center on this
abandoned, developed site would be a positive asset to the area in
terms of environmental and socioeconomic improvements, and long-term
productivity. The proposed Job Corps Center will be a new source of
employment opportunity for people in the Exeter, Rhode Island area. The
Job Corps program provides basic education, vocational skills training,
work experience, counseling, health care and related support services.
This program is designed to graduate students who are ready to
participate in the local economy.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact
on any natural system or resource. All construction or development
activities that will possibly impact jurisdictional wetland areas will
be in compliance with all federal and state requirements. No state or
federal, proposed or listed, threatened or endangered species have been
located on the subject property.
The site will require an archaeological assessment in order to
conform with the National Historic Preservation Act. According to the
Rhode Island Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, the site lies
in a very sensitive area concerning cultural resources. One (1) known
pre-colonial Indian site (RI-931) is located at the northwest corner of
the Former Ladd Center parcel. Another known site, (RI-962), lies
nearby. Neither of these known historic sites is located on or adjacent
to the proposed Job Corps Center. The environmental characteristics of
the location (well-drained soils, level topography and abundance of
freshwater wetlands) strongly suggest the presence of additional
archaeological sites. The EDC is currently conducting an archeological
assessment for the overall Ladd Center redevelopment. The construction
and operation of the proposed facility will be conducted to minimize
adverse impacts to historically significant or archeologically
sensitive areas. The Department of Labor will design and develop the
project in compliance with all State and Tribal Historic Preservation
requirements.
Air quality and noise levels should not be affected by the proposed
development project in this Special Zoning District in Exeter, Rhode
Island. Due to the nature of the proposed project, it would not be a
source of air pollutants or additional noise, except possibly during
construction of the facility. The proposed Job Corps Center will not
significantly increase the vehicle traffic in the vicinity. If air and
noise pollution permits are required, all pollution sources will be
permitted in compliance with applicable pollution control requirements.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact
on the surrounding water utility infrastructure, represented by water,
sewer, and storm water systems. Water will be provided by the existing
on-site wells and distribution system. The Rhode Island Department of
Health provides water quality testing of public drinking water. The
groundwater classification is GA/GAA groundwater, which is suitable for
direct human consumption. On-site systems include three (3) wells, two
(2) pumping stations and two (2) storage tanks. The site is currently
equipped with an eight (8) inch loop that is reportedly adequate for
the proposed usage. The condition of the distribution systems will
require testing and possible upgrading by the EDC as necessary.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM)
[[Page 55755]]
has indicated to the Department of Labor that an on-site sewage
treatment and disposal system will be required for the proposed Job
Corps Center. The sewage treatment and disposal system for the Job
Corps Center will be constructed in accordance with all applicable
RIDEM design, permitting, and modeling requirements. The sewage
treatment and disposal system will be designed and constructed to
minimize impacts to the local ground water overlay district. The EDC
has indicated that the abandoned off-site sewage digester will be de-
commissioned as necessary to comply with all applicable State and
Federal regulations.
Storm water runoff from parking lots, sidewalks, and other
structures will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the
RIDEM Office of Water Resources/Permitting and the EPA program, and is
not anticipated to adversely impact area surface-water quality.
Currently, the proposed site is minimally equipped with storm sewers
and catch basins. The majority of the site is composed of a natural
surface (unpaved) which does not contribute significant run-off to the
nearby jurisdictional wetlands. Additional storm sewers will be built
as necessary to manage storm water flow from the Job Corps Center.
The State of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Resource Recovery
Inc. jointly operate the State Central Landfill. The State of Rhode
Island is in the process of closing the smaller local landfills and
centralizing all solid waste to the Central Landfill location.
Representatives of the RIDEM Solid Waste Program reported that the
Central Landfill has no specific estimated remaining life due to phased
expansions of the landfill. Each city, such as the City of Exeter, has
transfer stations where private citizens must bring all solid waste.
Private transporters can be hired to transport waste to these stations
or the Central Landfill. The majority of commercial operations hire
private transporters and this will be the case for the proposed Job
Corps facility.
The State of Rhode Island has a current recycling program called
the ``OSCAR'' or ``Blue-Basket `` Program. Statewide participation in
the recycling program is mandatory. The above-mentioned private
transporters will also transport recyclable materials. The Job Corps
Center will participate in all mandated recycling programs.
Narragansett Electric provides electric service to the project
area. Providence Gas Company provides natural gas to the area, and
Diamond State Telephone Company provides telephone service. All of
these utilities have facilities in the vicinity, which are adequate to
provide the required service. The proposed demands on the building
utilities are not expected to have a significant adverse affect on the
environment.
This portion of Washington County has a variety of transportation
resources. Three interstate highways, U.S. Interstate-95, U.S.
Interstate-4, and U.S. Interstate-1, and a system of state highways
serve the subject property area. The West Kingston Amtrak Station is
located approximately three (3) miles from the subject property.
Commercial air service is found at the T. F. Green Airport in Warwick,
Rhode Island, which is approximately twelve (12) miles from the subject
property. The Rhode Island Public Transit (RIPT) which operates a bus
system statewide provides public transportation. Seven days a week
service is provided on one of the routes running along Route 2, which
is a state route with a boarding point approximately 0.7-miles from the
proposed center.
The proposed project will have no significant adverse affects on
the local medical, emergency, fire and police services. The primary
medical provider located closest to the subject property is South
County Hospital. This facility is located approximately ten (10) miles
from the subject property. Security services at the Exeter Job Corps
will be provided by the center's staff with two (2) personnel on the
day shift, three (3) on evening shift, and two (2) on the night shift.
The proposed Center will be between the cities of Exeter and
Fisherville, Rhode Island. The police department providing police
services to the proposed subject property is the Rhode Island State
Police, which is located approximately five (5) miles from the subject
property.
The closest fire station to the project site is Station #1, located
approximately one (1) mile south of the subject property on State Route
2. The Exeter Fire Department is a full time emergency response agency
providing 24-hour service. The Exeter area utilizes the 911 emergency
call system for all emergencies including fire and police. All
emergency services are adequate for the project.
The alternatives considered in the preparation of the EA were as
follows: (1) No Action; (2) Construction at an Alternate Site; and (3)
Continue Construction as Proposed. The ``No Action'' alternative was
not selected. The ``Alternate Site'' alternative was not selected. The
U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOL/
ETA) solicited proposals for alternative properties on March 10, 1998,
and received five proposals. Of the five proposed sites evaluated by
the Department of Labor, the subject property off of Schoolland Woods
Road was the only site within the state of Rhode Island. Due to the
adaptability of the existing structures on the site, the lack of
alternative construction sites, and the absence of any identified
adverse environmental impacts from locating a Job Corps Center at the
subject property, the ``Continue Construction as Proposed'' alternative
was selected.
Based on the information gathered during the preparation of the EA,
no environmental liabilities, current or historical, were found to
exist on the proposed Job Corps Center site. The construction of a Job
Corps Center on the undeveloped parcel located off of Schoolland Woods
Road in Exeter, Rhode Island will not create any significant adverse
impacts on the environment.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 6th day of October, 1999.
Mary Silva,
Director of Job Corps.
[FR Doc. 99-26760 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P