3 November 2009

[Federal Register: November 3, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 211)]
[Notices]               
[Page 56837-56838]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03no09-59]                         

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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

 
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Nebraska Avenue Complex Master Plan To House Components of 
the Department of Homeland Security

AGENCY: General Services Administration (GSA), National Capital Region.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), GSA Order PBS P1095.1F 
(Environmental considerations in decisionmaking, dated October 19, 
1999), and the GSA Public Buildings Service NEPA Desk Guide, GSA plans 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Master Plan to guide future development of a campus for the Department 
of Homeland Security (DHS) at the Nebraska Avenue Complex (NAC). GSA 
will be initiating related consultation with the District of Columbia 
State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation under Sections 106 and 110 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470(f) and 470(h-2)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Hill, NEPA Lead, General 
Services Administration, National Capital Region, at (202) 205-5821. 
Please also call this number if special assistance is needed to attend 
and participate in the public scoping meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The notice of intent is as follows:

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

    The General Services Administration intends to prepare an EIS to 
analyze the potential impacts resulting from the proposed Master Plan 
for the NAC. The master plan will guide the future development of a 
campus for DHS at the NAC.

Background

    The purpose of the proposed action is to develop a Master Plan for 
the NAC Campus at the appropriate security level to house DHS. It is 
intended that the Master Plan will guide future renovation and 
development of the campus by establishing design and land-use planning 
principles for the construction of new buildings, roadways, open green

[[Page 56838]]

space, utility systems, and other infrastructure needs, while 
minimizing environmental, economic, and social impacts. The Master 
Plan's design and planning principles will encourage the preservation 
and rehabilitation of the NAC's historic landscape and buildings.
    The NAC Master Plan is needed to support the goals of the DHS 
National Capital Region Housing Master Plan which proposes to 
consolidate 28,000 DHS employees currently housed in approximately 48 
locations into approximately 8 locations. The extreme dispersion of DHS 
components imposes significant inefficiencies in daily operations which 
can be magnified at the most critical moments when the department must 
act as an integrated team responding to significant natural disasters 
or terrorist threats. In order to fulfill DHS' significant space needs, 
GSA continues to explore various locations for DHS facilities 
throughout the National Capital Region. The NAC is identified in the 
DHS NCR Housing Master Plan as a viable site for certain DHS 
components.
    In order to strengthen DHS operational management capabilities, the 
DHS NCR Housing Master Plan suggests that DHS employees continue to be 
housed at the NAC--one of the few locations in Washington, DC that can 
achieve the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) requirements for an 
ISC Level V secure campus. DHS' NCR-wide consolidation efforts could 
result in new or additional components to be housed at the NAC; 
therefore, a Master Plan is needed to guide any anticipated new 
facility, security, or infrastructure requirements.
    Further, a NAC Master Plan is needed to serve as a guide that will 
provide for functional flexibility in serving programmatic changes 
related to the evolving mission of DHS. The NAC Master Plan will steer 
long range campus construction, renovation, and maintenance to serve 
DHS mission needs. There is a need for a comprehensive plan at the NAC 
to guide federal investment to maintain, improve or construct new 
campus facilities, security, and infrastructure.
    In December 2008, GSA issued a Record of Decision for the DHS 
Consolidated Headquarters at St. Elizabeths in Washington, DC and an 
EIS is underway for the remaining DHS Headquarters Consolidation 
requirement at the St. Elizabeths East Campus.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    GSA will analyze a range of alternatives including the no action 
alternative for the proposed NAC Master Plan. As part of the EIS, GSA 
will study the impacts of each alternative on the human environment.

Scoping Process

    In accordance with NEPA, a scoping process will be conducted to aid 
in determining the alternatives to be considered and the scope of 
issues to be addressed, as well as for identifying the significant 
issues related to the proposed Master Plan to guide the future 
development of the campus. Scoping will be accomplished through a 
public scoping meeting, direct mail correspondence to potentially 
interested persons, agencies, and organizations, and meetings with 
agencies having an interest in the NAC. It is important that federal, 
regional, state, and local agencies, and interested individuals and 
groups take this opportunity to identify environmental concerns that 
should be addressed during the preparation of the Draft EIS.
    GSA is also using the NEPA scoping process to facilitate 
consultation with the public under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800). GSA welcomes comments from the 
public to ensure that it takes into account the effects of its action 
on historic and cultural resources.

Public Scoping Meeting

    The public scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 
2009 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Horace Mann Elementary School, 
Multipurpose Community Center Building, located at 4430 Newark Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20016. The meeting will be an informal open house, 
where visitors may come, receive information, and provide comments. GSA 
will publish notices in the Washington Post and local newspapers 
announcing this meeting approximately two weeks prior to the meeting 
and will prepare a scoping report, available to the public, that will 
summarize the comments received and facilitate their incorporation into 
the EIS and Section 106 processes.
    Written Comments: Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide 
written comments on the scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, 
providing comments at the public scoping meeting. Written comments 
regarding the environmental analysis for the proposed Master Plan must 
be postmarked no later than December 4, 2009, and sent to the General 
Services Administration, Attention: Suzanne Hill, NEPA Lead, 301 7th 
Street, SW., Room 7600, Washington, DC 20407, or via e-mail to 
Suzanne.Hill@gsa.gov.

    Dated: October 27, 2009.
Patricia T. Ralston,
Director, Portfolio Management, National Capital Region, Public 
Buildings Service.
[FR Doc. E9-26436 Filed 11-2-09; 8:45 am]

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