[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55755-55757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26761]
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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 Overlook Terrace within the
Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, CT
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 Overlook Terrace within the
Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, Connecticut.
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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
[[Page 55756]]
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, Region I (One) Office of Job Corps, JFK
Federal Building, Room E-350, Boston, MA 02203, (617) 565-2179 (this is
not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject property is within the Charter
Oak Business Park in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut. The
subject property can be accessed via Overlook Terrace, a paved roadway.
The EA indicates the subject property consists of an approximately 12-
acre parcel of land, identified by the Hartford County Property
Identification Number 0299, located in Map 105, Block 002, Lot 001. The
subject property is undeveloped, recently cleared land (former public
housing). The vicinity (one eight mile) around the subject property has
undeveloped parcels (demolished public housing) of land as well as land
developed with commercial, industrial, and residential properties.
The proposed site of the Hartford Job Corps Center is located in an
area characterized by a suburban setting southwest of downtown
Hartford. The site lies on the former location of the Charter Oak
Terrace public housing project, which was built in 1941-1942. The
public housing project has recently been demolished. The site is
currently undeveloped and consists of sparsely scattered evergreen and
deciduous clusters.
The proposed Hartford Job Corps Center will be a totally new
facility utilizing a campus setting. The facility will consist of
several buildings which will support 200 Non-resident Students.
Classroom space will be provided in an education building. There will
also be a vocational education building, a cafeteria/culinary arts
building, a recreation building, an administration and medical/dental
building, and a maintenance/warehouse building. The gross area of the
facility will be 60,160 square feet (This square footage does not
include the proposed outdoor recreation areas). The developed site will
be approximately twelve (12) acres of land purchased by the Department
of Labor from the State of Connecticut.
The construction of the Job Corps Center on this undeveloped parcel
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 source of employment opportunity for people
in the Hartford, Connecticut 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. Construction and development
activities will not impact jurisdictional wetlands. There are no
``historically significant'' buildings on the site and no areas of
archaeological significance. No state or federal, proposed or listed,
threatened or endangered species have been located on the subject
property.
Air quality and noise levels should not be affected by the proposed
development project in Hartford, Connecticut., except possibly
temporarily during construction of the facility. If air and noise
pollution permits are required, all pollution sources will be permitted
in compliance with applicable pollution control requirements. The
proposed Job Corps Center will not significantly increase vehicle
traffic in the vicinity.
The proposed project will not have any significant adverse impact
on the surrounding water infrastructure, represented by water, sanitary
sewer, and storm water systems. The Metropolitan District Committee
will provide a new eight-inch water main. The new water main will have
a flow/pressure of 100 pounds per square inch (psi). The new water main
and distribution systems will be designed to meet the needs of the Job
Corps Facility and future developments that may arise in the vicinity.
The new southwest sanitary sewer interceptor (57-inch gravity sewer
line) lies east of the site and will provide sewer service for the
proposed Job Corps Center. This line continues approximately two miles
north until it reaches the Pope Park Highway #4 siphon structure. At
this point, the line merges with the Jefferson Street interceptor (54-
inch gravity sewer line). This line merges with the Connecticut River
interceptor (78-inch gravity sewer line) and continues to the Hartford
Water Pollution Control Plant. The Hartford Water Pollution Control
Plant has sufficient excess capacity to handle the wastewater flow from
the proposed center.
The capacity of the existing storm drainage distribution system at
the site is considered adequate for the proposed use. There are no
retention/detention requirements for this property, and there are
adequate storm water outfalls. No impact to downstream properties or
surface waters is expected from storm water run-off from this site.
Storm water runoff from parking lots, sidewalks, and other structures
on the proposed Job Corps Center will be managed in accordance with the
requirements of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
(CDEP), Bureau of Water Management.
The City of Hartford Resource Recovery Authority operates the
Hartford Landfill. The estimated life remaining at the landfill is 3-5
years for by-pass waste, and 10-12 years for ash from the waste energy
plant. The Resource Recovery Authority operates the waste energy plant
to reduce solid waste entering the landfill. The City of Hartford
collects residential solid waste, and private transporters collect
commercial solid waste. All solid waste generated during construction
and operation of the center will be disposed of in accordance with
applicable waste management regulations.
Connecticut Light and Power provides electric service services to
the project area. Natural gas is provided to the area by Connecticut
Natural Gas, and telephone service is provided by Southern New England
Telephone. All of the utilities have facilities and infrastructure
which are adequate to provide the required service. The proposed
increased demand on the building utilities is not expected to have a
significant adverse affect on the environment.
The Hartford area has a variety of transportation resources. Five
interstate highways, U.S. Interstate-84, U.S. Interstate-91, U.S.
Interstate-2, I-3 and U.S. Interstate-5; several major federal routes;
and a system of state highways serve the Hartford area. Passenger rail
service is provided by Amtrak, which has a station located
approximately 3-miles from the subject property at Church Street and
Union Street. Commercial air service is found at Rentschler Airport,
which is approximately 4.5 miles from the subject property. The
Connecticut Transit Authority (CTA) operates a bus system providing
public transportation in Hartford. Daily service is provided on one of
the routes running along Flatbush
[[Page 55757]]
Avenue and Newfield Avenue to downtown Hartford. The nearest boarding
point is on Flatbush Avenue approximately 800 feet from the subject
property. The proposed project will have no significant adverse impacts
on transportation services in the community.
There will be no significant increase in demand for local medical,
emergency, fire and police services from the proposed project. The
primary care facility located closest to the subject property is the
St. Francis Memorial Hospital. There are also private medical
facilities located throughout the Hartford area. Security services at
the Hartford Job Corps will be provided by the center's staff, with two
personnel on the day shift, three on evening shift, and two on the
night shift. Police services to the proposed subject property will be
provided by the Hartford Police Department, which is located
approximately six (6) miles from the subject property. The state police
assist the city police and county sheriff as necessary.
The City of Hartford will provide fire protection. The closest fire
station to the project site is the Hartford Fire Department Station
located at Pearl Street, which is approximately 0.25 miles from the
project site. Backup assistance will be provided by the fire station at
611 Liberty Street. The Hartford Fire Department is a full time
emergency response agency providing 24-hour service. The Hartford area
utilizes the 911 emergency call system for all emergencies including
fire and police. All emergency services in the area are adequate to
meet the needs of the proposed Job Corps Center.
The proposed project will not have a significant adverse
sociological effect on the City of Hartford community. The area is
characterized by a fairly diverse ethnicity, and offers numerous
educational and recreational opportunities. Similarly, the proposed
project will not have a significant adverse affect on demographic and
socioeconomic characteristics of the area.
The alternatives considered in the preparation of this 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 solicited proposals for new Job Corps Center
sites on March 10, 1998, and received five proposals. Of the five site
proposals, the only site within the State of Connecticut was the
subject property on Overlook Terrace. Due to the suburban location, 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 Overlook Terrace
within the Charter Oak Business Park in Hartford, Connecticut, 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. 99-26761 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P