[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35413-35414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15078]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement

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 a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the 
proposed campus expansion and new eastern access road to support the 
consolidation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the Federal 
Research Center at White Oak in Silver Spring, Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Debes, Project Executive, 
General Services Administration, National Capital Region, at (202) 260-
9583. Please also call this number if special assistance is needed to 
attend and participate in the scoping meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The notice of intent is as follows:

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Campus Expansion and New Eastern Access Road 
to Support the Consolidation of the Food and Drug Administration at the 
Federal Research Center at White Oak in Silver Spring, Maryland

    The General Services Administration intends to prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to analyze the 
potential impacts resulting from the proposed campus expansion and new 
eastern access road to support the FDA consolidation at the Federal 
Research Center (FRC) at White Oak in Silver Spring, Maryland.
    This SEIS is an update and supplement to the analyses presented in 
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Consolidation, Montgomery County, 
Final Environmental Impact Statement, April 1997 (1997 Final EIS).

Proposed Campus Expansion

    In 1997, GSA completed an environmental impact statement that 
analyzed the impacts from the consolidation of 5,974 FDA employees at 
the FRC. In July 2002, new legislation was enacted that expanded FDA's 
mandate to support the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) and the 
Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act (MDUFMA). The new 
legislation and the growth of other programs will likely result in an 
increase of employees at the FRC from 5,947 (studied in the 1997 Final 
EIS) to 7,720.

Eastern Access Road

    In the environmental analysis performed in 1996-1997 for the 1997 
Final EIS, GSA considered traffic impacts and patterns into the FDA 
facility. It was determined in the Draft EIS, that a new access point 
was needed from Cherry Hill Road through the eastern portion of the FRC 
to relieve traffic on New Hampshire Avenue. In order to maintain this 
access and provide a secure site for the Air Force (located on the 
northern edge of the FRC), two optional road alignments were studied 
for the crossing of Paint Branch Creek within the FRC. The road 
alignment within the FRC was to be selected based on the structural 
integrity of the existing bridge on Dahlgren Road and on the costs 
associated with each of the alternatives.
    After the release of the Draft EIS, the security requirements of 
the Air Force changed, and an initial structural investigation found 
the existing bridge to be sound pending some repair work. Therefore, 
the two alternative alignments were dropped from the 1997 Final EIS. 
The 1997 Final EIS still proposed a new entrance at Cherry Hill Road 
because the existing entrance at Dahlgren Road is too close to the 
Cherry Hill Road/Powder Mill Road intersection to operate safely and 
efficiently.
    In February 2001, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA--
Virginia office), as GSA's agent, prepared a bridge inspection report 
on Dahlgren Road crossing Paint Branch Creek. In its report, FHWA 
concluded that ``this structure is in poor condition overall, and 
should be replaced in the near future.''
    Due to the deteriorating conditions of the existing bridge on 
Dahlgren Road and the increased traffic demands anticipated from the 
FDA consolidation, GSA has decided to reevaluate the construction of a 
new access point to and through the eastern portion of the FRC.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    GSA will analyze the proposed action and no action alternatives for 
the proposed expansion of the FDA headquarters to include PDUFA and

[[Page 35414]]

MDUFMA and other expanded programs. GSA will also analyze a range of 
alternatives for the eastern road access to and through the site 
including the no action alternative.
    As part of the SEIS, 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 expansion and new road construction to 
and through the FRC. 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 FRC. 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 SEIS.

Public Scoping Meeting

    The public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, June 26, 2003, 
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the CHI Center (Multipurpose Room) 
located at 10501 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. The 
meeting will be an informal open house, where visitors may come, 
receive information, and give comments. GSA will publish notices in the 
Washington Post and local newspapers announcing this meeting 
approximately two weeks prior to the meeting. GSA will prepare a 
scoping report, available to the public, that will summarize the 
comments received and facilitate their incorporation into the SEIS 
process.
    Written Comments: Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide 
written comments on the scoping issues in addition to or in lieu of 
giving their comments at the public scoping meeting. Written comments 
regarding the environmental analysis for the proposed expansion and 
construction of a new eastern access road to and through the FRC must 
be postmarked no later than July 28, 2003, and sent to the following 
address: General Services Administration, Attention: Harry Debes, 
Project Executive, 7th and D Streets, SW., Room 2120, Washington, DC 
20407. (202) 708-4730 Fax. [email protected].

    Dated: June 6, 2003.
Thomas E. James,
Director, Portfolio Management Division.
[FR Doc. 03-15078 Filed 6-12-03; 8:45 am]
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