[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 72 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18204-18205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8976]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Notice of Public Meeting and Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment

    The General Services Administration (GSA) announces its intent to 
prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed development 
of a new Census Bureau building at the Suitland Federal Center (SFC), 
and to conduct a public meeting to discuss the project. The proposed 
Census Bureau building will consolidate and replace the Census Bureau's 
current office space located at its existing headquarters in Federal 
Office Building-3 (F.O.B-3) at the SFC, and at overflow facilities in 
F.O.B.-4 at the SFC and at other locations in Prince George's County. 
GSA plans to build the new Census Bureau facility because the space 
requirements of the Census Bureau exceed the current capacity at their 
existing headquarters building and because working conditions at the 
existing Census Bureau facilities are inadequate.
    GSA will prepare the EA pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, as 
implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 
as amended, and in accordance with GSA's environmental policies and 
procedures set forth in the NEPA Desk Guide (GSA Order ADM 1095.1F 
Environmental Considerations in Decisionmaking). The environmental 
assessment will determine whether GSA's decision to build a new Census 
Bureau Building at the SFC would significantly affect the quality of 
the human environment, and hence require an environmental impact 
statement (EIS), or a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) under 
NEPA.
    The Proposed Action is the development of new and improved space to 
house the Census Bureau. The project alternatives will include (A) a 
new building for the Census Bureau and demolition of FOB-3, (B) a new 
building for the Census Bureau that allows FOB-3 to remain for another 
use, and (C) a no action alternative that would not include a new 
building for the Census Bureau.
    The EA will evaluate the effects of the project alternatives on 
land use, socio-economic, transportation, cultural, and natural 
resources. The EA will consider the potential for short-term, long-
term, and cumulative impacts.
    The Census Bureau project represents Phase 2 of the SFC development 
plan. As such, the EA will be tiered from the

[[Page 18205]]

Final EIS for the Programmatic Development Plan and Phase I 
Implementation prepared by GSA in September 2001.
    A public meeting will be held to determine the significant issues 
related to development of the new Census Bureau building and the long-
term use of the Suitland Federal Center. The meeting will serve as part 
of the formal environmental review/scoping process for the preparation 
of the EA. It is important that Federal, regional, state, county and 
local agencies, and interested individuals and groups take this 
opportunity to identify environmental concerns that should be addressed 
during preparation of the EA. The public and review agencies are also 
encouraged to submit written comments on the potential impacts of the 
proposed Census Bureau development plan. Public comments received will 
be considered for determining the issues to be assessed in the 
environmental document. The public and review agencies are encouraged 
to provide additional comments once the EA is released.
    The public scoping meeting will be held: Wednesday, May 1st at 7 
p.m. at the Suitland Federal Center, Community Room, 4211 Suitland 
Road, Suitland, Maryland.
    Adequate signs will be posted on the building to direct meeting 
participants. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation of the 
project and the environmental impact assessment process. After the 
presentation, GSA representatives will be available to receive comments 
from the public regarding issues of concern and the scope of the EA. In 
the interest of available time, each speaker will be asked to limit 
oral comments to five minutes.
    Agencies and the general public are invited and encouraged to 
provide written comments on the scoping issues in addition to, or in 
lieu of, oral comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, 
environmental review/scoping comments should clearly describe specific 
issues or topics that the community believes the EA should address. All 
written comments regarding the proposed project must be postmarked no 
later than May 12, 2002 to: General Services Administration, Attn: Mr. 
Jag Bhargava, Project Executive, Capital Development Division, 7th and 
D Streets, SW., Room 2110, Washington, DC 20407.
    For further information please contact: Mr. Jag Bhargava, General 
Services Administration (202-708-6944) E-mail: [email protected]

    Dated: April 8, 2002.
Jag Bhargava,
Project Executive.
[FR Doc. 02-8976 Filed 4-12-02; 8:45 am]
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