[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 114 (Thursday, June 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33387-33389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13007]


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ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION


Draft Standard Treatments To Address Rehabilitation of Historic 
Exterior Masonry

AGENCY: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Establish Standard Treatments for the 
Rehabilitation of Historic Exterior Masonry.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense has requested the Advisory Council 
on Historic Preservation to establish several standard treatments for 
the rehabilitation of historic exterior masonry. The Advisory Council 
on Historic Preservation has merged them into one standard treatment 
document and seeks public input on it.

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this proposed standard 
treatment to Hector Abreu Cintr[oacute]n, Office of Federal Agency 
Programs, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 1100 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Suite 803, Washington, DC 20004. Fax (202) 606-8647. You 
may submit electronic comments to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hector Abreu Cintr[oacute]n, (202) 
606-8517, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of 
their undertakings on historic properties and provide the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation (``ACHP'') a reasonable opportunity to 
comment with regard to such undertakings. The ACHP has issued the 
regulations that set forth the process through which Federal agencies 
comply with these duties. Those regulations are codified under 36 CFR 
part 800 (``Section 106 regulations'').
    Under Section 800.14(d) of those regulations, agencies can request 
the ACHP to establish ``standard treatments'' detailing standard 
methods for the treatment of a category of historic properties, a 
category of undertakings, or a category of effects on historic 
properties to assist Federal agencies in

[[Page 33388]]

satisfying their responsibilities under Section 106.
    Standard treatments carry the ACHP's explicit endorsement and can 
be applied by Section 106 users to assist them in complying with 
Section 106. Using standard treatments in the planning and design of 
agency undertakings as a best practice may allow an agency to make a 
finding of no adverse effects for the relevant aspects of the 
undertaking. In other cases, an agency may find its undertaking will 
have adverse effects on historic properties, and it can elect to use an 
approved standard treatment as a proposed stipulation of a memorandum 
of agreement or a programmatic agreement, as a way to resolve such 
adverse effects.
    Federal agencies are not obligated to follow approved standard 
treatments but may elect to do so when they feel standard treatments 
will be of benefit in meeting their Section 106 compliance 
requirements.
    The Department of Defense (``DOD'') has requested the ACHP to 
establish eighteen standard treatments, along with two implementation 
guidance documents, for the rehabilitation of historic exterior masonry 
on historic properties.
    The ACHP has decided to merge all eighteen standard treatments for 
historic exterior masonry, and the two implementation guidance 
documents, into one standard treatment document. The ACHP seeks public 
comment on that standard treatment.
    A copy of the standard treatment document, minus its appendices, 
can be found at the end of this notice. The appendices to that document 
comprise the true substance of each of the proposed, eighteen standard 
treatments and their two implementation guidance documents. Due to 
their volume, they will not be copied into this notice. However, they 
can be accessed in their entirety on the Internet at: http://www.achp.gov/masonryst.html. Those without access to the Internet can 
contact Hector Abreu Cintr[oacute]n at 202-606-8517, or by e-mail at 
[email protected], to arrange an alternate method of access to the 
appendices.
    Once the public input resulting from this notice is considered, and 
edits are incorporated as deemed appropriate, the ACHP will decide 
whether to establish the standard treatment. The ACHP expects to make 
that decision at its upcoming quarterly meeting scheduled on August 15, 
2008 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Background on the Proposed Standard Treatments on Historic Exterior 
Masonry

    The ACHP and DOD have been collaborating to develop standard 
treatments to address rehabilitation of exterior building elements that 
are character-defining features of historic properties.
    The goal is to encourage use of the Secretary of the Interior's 
Standards for Rehabilitation (``Secretary Standards''), 36 CFR part 67, 
by translating selected standards into detailed construction 
specifications for routine repair and maintenance undertakings that are 
expected to have no adverse effect on historic properties.
    These Standard Treatments are designed to codify the numerous 
``industry standard'' practices associated with routine repair and 
maintenance of historic properties. For instance, there are Standard 
Treatments for mortar analysis and repointing, and stone crack repair. 
The appendices to the standard treatment currently under consideration 
include the two implementation guidance documents (numbered 01060.01 
and 01091.01) and the following eighteen standard treatments:

04100 Historic Mortar

(1) 04100.01 Removal of Mortar Joints and Repointing.
(2) 04100.02 Preparation of Lime and Cement Amended Mortars.

04110 Historic Stucco

(3) 04110.01 Preparation of Lime or Portland Based Stucco.
(4) 04110.02 Repair and Replacement of Historic Stucco 04211 
Historic Brick.
(5) 04211.01 Historic Brick Properties and In Kind Replacement.
(6) 04211.02 Repair through Patching, Consolidating or Injection 
Grout.

04214 Terra Cotta and Ceramics

(7) 04214.01 Historic Terra Cotta and Ceramics Properties and In 
Kind Replacement.
(8) 04214.02 Terracotta Patching and Glaze Repair.
(9) 04214.03 Replacement anchoring.

04290 Historic Adobe Masonry Units

(10) 04290.01 Adobe Properties and In Kind Replacement.
(11) 04290.02 Repair through Patching, Surface Coatings and 
Structural Supports.

04400 Stone

(12) 04400.01 Identifying Masonry Types and Failures 04500 Masonry 
Restoration.
(13) 04500.01 Repair by Mechanical Pinning or Structural 
Reinforcement.
(14) 04500.02 Repair through Patching, Consolidating, and Grouting.
(15) 04500.03 Replacement In-Kind of Deteriorated Elements.

04510 Masonry Cleaning

(16) 04510.01 Cleaning and Testing of Atmospheric Soiling, Graffiti, 
Stains and Biogrowth.
(17) 04510.02 Appropriate Use of Wet and Dry Abrasive Cleaning 
Systems.
(18) 04510.03 Poulticing and Salt Removal.

    DOD has consulted with the ACHP, the National Conference of State 
Historic Preservation Officers, the National Trust for Historic 
Preservation and the DOD Historic Preservation Working group. The 
National Park Service has been a vital partner in reviewing the draft 
standard treatments to verify that they are consistent with the 
Secretary Standards.

Development of the Standard Treatments

    In formulating the draft standard treatments, and with the goal of 
encouraging use of the Secretary Standards, developers chose a detail 
construction specification format with the intent that preservation 
related rehabilitation practices could be incorporated easily into a 
project's scope.
    The specification format was chosen since it is a template that 
project designers and engineers readily recognize. Also, developers 
chose to develop standard treatments that focused on undertakings 
instead of effects or classes of properties, as outlined in 36 CFR 
800.14(d)(1).
    A focus on undertakings was selected since that approach had the 
broadest applicability regarding military installations that have many 
buildings with disparate functions, but also employ the consistent use 
of building materials and aesthetics typical of military master 
planning principles.
    The project started with a broad scope that addressed 
rehabilitation of the most common exterior elements of historically 
significant military properties. The initial study areas addressed 
rehabilitation of exterior masonry, roofing, wooden elements, and 
windows.
    A total of seventy-three (73) draft specifications covering those 
disciplines were developed. However, the ACHP is only considering the 
issuance of the merged, initial group of eighteen (plus the two 
implementing guidance documents) addressed by this notice, as listed 
above. They are focused on exterior masonry rehabilitation.
    The ACHP may consider and adopt the remaining draft standard 
treatments at a later date in accordance with the process defined in 36 
CFR 800.14(d).

[[Page 33389]]

Expected Benefits

    Though this project was conceived to promote best preservation 
practices within the military, its broad undertaking-based approach may 
benefit any federal agency that possesses historic properties needing 
rehabilitation.
    As explained above, standard treatments were established as a way 
to assist federal agencies in their completion of Section 106 
consultations. Standard treatments are to be used when an agency gets 
to the point of assessing adverse effects under 36 CFR 800.5, or when 
negotiating a Section 106 agreement under 36 CFR 800.6 or 800.14(b). 
This quicker path to ``no adverse effect'' or a Section 106 agreement 
can greatly reduce the consultation workload of federal agencies that 
intend to rehabilitate their historic properties in accordance with the 
Secretary Standards.
    DOD has been working with ACHP to define a program alternative 
whereby a federal agency may use a standard treatment in order to 
exempt the consideration of the effects of that specific treatment from 
Section 106 review. However, the use of such a program alternative is 
not the subject of this notice and public comment.

Text of the Proposed Standard Treatment on Historic Masonry

    As stated above, the appendices to the proposed standard treatment 
document comprise the actual substance of each of the eighteen standard 
treatments and the two implementation guidance documents. Due to their 
volume, they will not be copied into this notice. However, they can be 
accessed on the Internet at http://www.achp.gov/masonryst.html. Those 
without access to the Internet can contact Hector Abreu Cintr[oacute]n 
at 202-606-8517, or by e-mail at [email protected] to arrange an 
alternate method of access to the documents.
    The following is the text of the standard treatment document, minus 
the appendices:

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Standard Treatment for 
Historic Exterior Masonry

I. Establishment and Authority: This Standard Treatment for Historic 
Masonry was established by the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation on (date of establishment) pursuant to 36 CFR 
800.14(d).
    A standard treatment is a program alternative that assists 
Federal agencies in meeting their obligations to comply with Section 
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470f, and 
its implementing regulations, 36 CFR part 800 (Section 106)
II. Applicability to All Federal Agencies: This Standard Treatment 
may be used by any Federal agency.
III. Date of Effect: The Standard Treatment will go into effect on 
(date of establishment)
IV. Standard Treatment:
    (A) As Basis for No Adverse Effect Determination: Work that 
follows the relevant standard treatments appended to this document, 
in conformance with the implementation guidance documents numbered 
01060.01 and 01091.01 in those appendices, does not constitute an 
adverse effect under 36 CFR 800.5(a).
    Accordingly, a Federal agency that will follow the standard 
treatments in such a manner may find ``no adverse effects'' for 
those aspects of its undertaking that deal with the specific works 
covered by the standard treatments. Except under circumstances where 
quantifiable scientific or qualitative historic data indicates that 
an alternate treatment procedure is merited, the ACHP will not 
object to that aspect of such a finding of ``no adverse effects.''
    However, the agency must still examine whether other aspects of 
its undertaking may adversely affect historic properties and, if so, 
continue the Section 106 process accordingly.
    (B) As Basis for Section 106 Agreement: A Federal agency may 
also utilize the standard treatments and implementing guidance 
appended to this document as a starting point for negotiating that 
part of a Section 106 agreement (e.g., Memoranda of Agreement or 
Programmatic Agreements) that deals with the works covered by those 
standard treatments.
    Except under unusual circumstances, the ACHP will not object to 
provisions on a Section 106 agreement that are consistent with the 
appended standard treatments.
V. Amendment: The ACHP may amend this Standard Treatment after 
following the same consultative process required for its initial 
establishment under 36 CFR 800.14(d). Such an amendment will go into 
effect once published in the Federal Register.
VI. Termination: The ACHP may terminate this Standard Treatment by 
publication of a notice in the Federal Register 30 days before the 
termination takes effect.
VII. Historic Properties in Tribal Lands and Historic Properties of 
Significance to Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations: 
This Standard Treatment does not apply in connection with effects to 
historic properties that are located on tribal lands and/or that are 
of religious and cultural significance to Indian tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations.
VIII. Definitions: The definitions found at 36 CFR part 800 apply to 
the terms used in this Standard Treatment.
IX. Appendices: [Appendices will be attached. Their full text can be 
accessed as explained in the notice above.]

    Authority: 36 OFR 800.14(d).

    Dated: June 4, 2008.
John N. Fowler,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. E8-13007 Filed 6-11-08; 8:45 am]
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