Press Releases

By NSA Monterey Public Affairs

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MONTEREY, Calif. – The U.S. Navy is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed construction and operation of a Naval Innovation Center at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) located at Naval Support Activity Monterey, California.

The Navy is requesting public input to ensure community concerns are considered and appropriately addressed. The purpose of the proposed Naval Innovation Center at NPS is to enhance its graduate education and research mission to include collaborative innovation for the development of defense-focused, naval-relevant solutions.

U.S. seapower enables safe access to the world's oceans for American and global trade, 90% of which travels by ship – the lifeblood that links every country. America's maritime advantage is technology-driven, and the vast majority of technology innovation comes from industry.

To leverage industry innovation more effectively, the Navy needs a Naval Innovation Center designed to facilitate collaboration for applied research solutions with new technologies, while simultaneously developing leaders educated to employ them.

"Education is the key connector for this work," said Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy. "Our educational institutions hold great promise and opportunity."

The Secretary of the Navy identified NPS as the ideal location for this Naval Innovation Center. NPS is centrally located to U.S. Pacific Fleet concentration areas and to our nation's leading hub of technological innovation. Additionally, as a 100% defense-focused graduate institution, NPS offers expert faculty and operationally experienced students to focus and inform research solutions.

Established in 1909 at the U.S. Naval Academy, NPS moved to Monterey, California in 1951. While modernization efforts are ongoing at NPS to upgrade facilities built in the 1950s, these efforts are focused on existing classrooms and laboratories. The Proposed Action is for a Naval Innovation Center with purposefully-designed features that fully leverage the attributes of NPS for rapidly developing research concepts into capabilities that meet naval-unique mission requirements.

Proposed Action and Purpose and Need

The Naval Innovation Center at NPS would provide a home for a range of discovery, rapid prototyping, and advanced demonstrations within a flexible and reconfigurable space.

To meet service requirements, the Naval Innovation Center would be designed to promote collaboration with industry partners, providing a facility for hands-on experimentation with emerging technologies for the development of defense-focused, naval-relevant solutions.

In accordance with Navy policy, the design of the Naval Innovation Center would incorporate sustainable design elements and processes to meet or exceed the goals and strategies of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, as well as federal energy efficiency and sustainable design practices. Design goals include:

• Reducing the contribution to global climate change
• Enhancing individual human health
• Protecting and restoring water resources
• Protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Promoting sustainable and regenerative material cycles

The purpose of the EA is to help inform decisions that are based on an understanding of the human and physical environmental consequences of the proposed Naval Innovation Center and take actions in the location and design of the project to mitigate potential impacts. The initial public comment period helps to identify local concerns and address them in the Draft EA.

Alternatives

After reviewing several proposed sites at Naval Support Activity Monterey, the Navy will analyze at least two sites as potential locations for the Naval Innovation Center. The two sites selected for analysis were identified as the lead cases based on 12 environmental screening factors and the ability to meet the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action.

In addition, a No Action Alternative will be analyzed, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Under the No Action Alternative, a Naval Innovation Center facility would not be constructed. Potential impacts on air quality, cultural resources, visual resources, infrastructure, transportation, and other resource areas will be assessed. The EA will also include an analysis of cumulative environmental impacts that have the potential to occur as a result of the Proposed Action and alternatives.

Public Comments

Comments for the scoping phase must be postmarked or received online by the close of the public comment period on May 31, 2023. All timely and substantive comments will be considered in preparation of the Draft EA. The public can submit comments in the following ways:

• Submit written comments online:www.NICMontereyEA.com
• Mail written comments to:

Naval Support Activity Monterey

ATTN: Public Affairs Officer

271 Stone Road

Monterey, CA 93943

There will be another public comment opportunity when the Draft EA is available, which is expected to take one year to complete.

The Navy is committed to a transparent and thorough Environmental Assessment review process. The public's input helps to ensure all relevant issues are appropriately addressed. Please help the Navy inform the community about this comment opportunity by sharing this information.

For more information, visit www.NICMontereyEA.com.