[Federal Register: January 12, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 7)]
[Notices]               
[Page 1836-1837]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ja98-42]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

 
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Defense Logistics Agency 
Human Resources Operation Restructuring

AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: An environmental assessment on the restructuring of the DLA 
human resources operation was prepared pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 
the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR part 1500-
1508). The environmental assessment concluded that there will be no 
significant impact on the environment and that preparation of an 
Environmental Impact Statement will not be necessary. Interested 
parties may submit comments to the address listed below for a 30-day 
period from the date of this Notice.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 9, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Dan McGinty, Staff Director, Congressional and Public Affairs 
Office, Defense Logistics Agency, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Ft. 
Belvoir, VA 22060-6221, (703) 767-6222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Civilian workforce reductions, cost 
controls, economies of scale, and the Department of Defense (DoD) 
mandates to have a ratio of one human resource employee per 61 
employees have caused the DLA to develop a strategy to restructure its 
personnel service while still maintaining quality support to customers. 
Further, DoD has established a goal of improving its service ratio to 
1:100 by Fiscal Year 2003. The mandates and the goal can only be 
achieved by consolidating functions and installing modern personnel 
information systems to continue the current and projected levels of 
service.
    DLA has Offices of Civilian Personnel (OCP) at nine locations. 
Given the DoD directive, DLA decided to establish a Human Resources 
Operations Center (HROC) at the most favorable location. Determination 
of the most cost effective site for the HROC was the result of a DLA 
study completed in mid-1996. The study reviewed each of the existing 
field locations and facilities. Each site was considered on an equal 
basis and evaluated using the same criteria. The criteria included the 
availability of office space, parking, meeting space, 
telecommunications, and automated data processing (ADP); timing; and 
cost. The Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC), located near Columbus, 
Ohio, emerged as the facility having the most favorable space and 
support services available at a reasonable cost. In addition, the 
Columbus site offered the advantage of colocation with other DLA 
components that provide ADP system support to current personnel 
operations.
    Modernizing civilian personnel systems is an important aspect of 
increasing the efficiency of human resources specialists. The DoD 
personnel community has been working on this issue aggressively since 
1989. Most of the effort has capitalized on economies of scale while 
maintaining or improving the quality of service without impairing 
chain-of-command accountability. Further, DoD realizes that 
restructuring alone will not achieve DoD goals for personnel 
management. DoD must also engage in efforts to modernize its personnel 
system to a single DoD system using the latest technology. The Columbus 
location offers an excellent site for progressive system upgrading.
    For DLA, the regionalization of civilian personnel support 
functions would incorporate a division of personnel duties between the 
HROC at DSCC and the nine OCPs.
    There would be reductions in staff at each OCP associated with the 
loss of some of the personnel functions currently being provided at 
these locations, including losses from the OCP at the DSCC. At four 
OCPs, 50 or more staff could be lost:
    <bullet> DSCC--96 staff.
    <bullet> Defense Distribution Region West (DDRW near Stockton, 
California)--131 staff.
    <bullet> Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR near Richmond, 
Virginia)--87 staff.
    <bullet> Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania)--84 staff.
    The environmental effects of the gains and losses on these 
locations are analyzed in the environmental assessment. At the 
remaining five locations, less than 50 staff would be lost per site. 
The environmental effects of these losses are not analyzed because

[[Page 1837]]

they are covered by a categorical exclusion (DLA NEPA Regulation--
Categorical Exclusion #10).
    There would also be increases in staff associated with regional 
personnel functions to be transferred to the HROC at DSCC. 
Approximately 250 staff would be required for the HROC, so there could 
be a net increase of 154 people at DSCC. The additional staff would be 
housed in existing facilities at the DSCC. Only minor modifications to 
the facilities would be required. The level of modifications that would 
be undertaken would be covered by a categorical exclusion and would not 
require additional environmental analysis. Therefore, this 
environmental assessment does not analyze facility modifications that 
might be required by this action.
    The environmental assessment considered the environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts of the proposed action and the no action 
alternative. The conclusion of the assessment is that the restructuring 
of DLA's human resource operation placing a regional office at DSCC is 
not a major action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment or requiring the development of an Environmental Impact 
Statement.
    A public comment period regarding the environmental assessment will 
begin on the date of publication of this Notice and will conclude 30 
days later. Copies of the environmental assessment are available for 
inspection at the DLA Congressional and Public Affairs Office and from 
the contacts listed below. Interested parties may also contact the DLA 
Congressional and Public Affairs Office at telephone (703) 767-6222.

Jack Allen (DSCC-DEB), Defense Supply Center Columbus, 3990 E. Broad 
Street, Columbus, OH 43216-5000, Tel: (614) 692-2328
Donna Foore (DSCR-DB), Defense Supply Center Richomond, Richmond, VA 
23297-5000, Tel: (804) 279-3139/3209
Frank Johnson (DPSC-DB), Defense Personnel Support Center, 2800 South 
20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145-8419, Tel: (215) 737-2311/2312
Doug Imberi (ASCW-WP), Defense Distribution Region West, Office of 
Public Affairs, 700 East Roth Road, Bldg. S1, Stockton, CA 95296-0010, 
Tel: (209) 982-2839
Carol J. Simpson (DRMS-XB), Defense Reutilization and Marketing 
Service, Defense Logistics Service Center, Federal Center, Battle 
Creek, MI 49017-3092, Tel: (616) 961-7014/7015
Ann Jensis-Dale (DCMDE-DB), Defense Contract Management District East, 
Office of Public Affairs, 495 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210-2184, 
Tel: (617) 753-4298
Gay Maund (DCMDW-DB), Defense Contract Management District West, Office 
of Public Affairs, 222 North Sepulveda Blvd, El Segundo, CA 90245-4320, 
Tel: (310) 335-4440
Keith Beebe (DDC-DB), Defense Distribution Center, Office of Command 
Affairs, 14 Dedication Drive, Suite 2, New Cumberland, PA 17070-5001, 
Tel: (717) 770-7209/6223
Dennis J. Lillo,
Director, Environmental Quality, (Environmental and Safety Policy).
[FR Doc. 98-617 Filed 1-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3620-01-M