[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6568-6569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2921]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Notice of Scoping Meeting

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human 
Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, 42

[[Page 6569]]

U.S.C. 4321-4347, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is issuing 
this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement 
will be prepared for the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Campus 
Master Plan, Bethesda, Maryland.

DATES: The Scoping Meeting is planned for 6 p.m. on February 28th, 
2012. Scoping comments must be postmarked no later than March 26, 2012 
to ensure they are considered.

ADDRESSES: The Scoping Meeting will be held at 6001 Executive Plaza, 
Conference Room D, Bethesda, Maryland. All comments and questions on 
the Scoping Meeting and Environmental Impact Statement should be 
directed to Valerie Nottingham, Chief, Environmental Quality Branch, 
Division of Environmental Protection, Office of Research Facilities, 
NIH, B13/2S11, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, telephone 
(301) 496-7775; fax (301) 480-8056; or email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Nottingham, Chief, 
Environmental Quality Branch, Division of Environmental Protection, 
Office of Research Facilities, NIH, B13/2S11, 9000 Rockville Pike, 
Bethesda, Maryland 20892, telephone (301) 496-7775; fax (301) 480-8056; 
or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIH is the focal point of the federal 
government for health research and is one of the world's foremost 
biomedical research institutions. The NIH mission is to discover new 
knowledge that will lead to better health for all. To achieve that 
mission, nearly eighty percent of the total NIH budget is expended in 
the form of peer-reviewed, competitively awarded research grants, 
cooperative agreements, and contracts to nearly 50,000 principal 
investigators at more than 1,700 institutions across the country 
including universities, medical schools, and hospitals. In addition, 
some 2,000 research projects are conducted in the NIH intramural 
laboratories and at the NIH Clinical Center. Research is conducted at 
both the basic and clinical levels, encompassing studies related to the 
prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of the many diseases that 
afflict the men, women and children of the world. In addition, the 
basic research supported by NIH provides the foundation for the 
nation's pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. As one measure of 
the agency's excellence in research, it should be noted that NIH-
supported investigators won over 107 Nobel Prizes from 1939 to 2002.
    A Master Plan is an integrated series of documents that present in 
graphic, narrative, and tabular form the current composition of NIH 
campuses and the plan for their orderly and comprehensive development 
over a 20-year period. The plan provides guidance in coordinating the 
physical development of NIH campuses, including building locations, 
utility capacities, road alignments, parking facilities, and the 
treatment of open spaces. General design guidelines are also used to 
provide detailed guidance for the placement and design of physical 
improvements.
    The proposed action is to develop a long-range physical master plan 
for NIH. The plan will cover a 20-year planning period and address the 
future development of the NIH site, including placement of future 
construction; vehicular and pedestrian circulation; parking within the 
property boundaries; open space in and around the campus; required 
setbacks; historic properties; natural and scenic resources; noise; and 
lighting. The plan will examine potential growth in NIH personnel and 
consequent construction of space over the planning period. Future 
construction on the site could include such facilities as new animal 
holding, research laboratories, and support facilities.
    In accordance with 40 CFR 1500-1508 and DHHS environmental 
procedures, NIH will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the proposed master plan. The EIS will evaluate the impacts of the 
master plan should development occur as proposed. Among the items the 
EIS will examine are the implications of the master plan on community 
infrastructure, including, but not limited to, utilities, storm water 
management, traffic and transportation, and other public services. To 
ensure that the public is afforded the greatest opportunity to 
participate in the planning and environmental review process, NIH is 
inviting oral and written comments on the master plan and related 
environmental issues.
    The NIH will be sponsoring a public Scoping Meeting to provide 
individuals an opportunity to share their ideas on the master planning 
effort, including recommended alternatives and environmental issues the 
EIS should consider. All interested parties are encouraged to attend. 
NIH has established a 45-day public comment period for the scoping 
process.

    Dated: February 2, 2012.
Daniel G. Wheeland,
Director, Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations, 
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-2921 Filed 2-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P