[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54873-54875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21713]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Multiple Projects in Support of the Marine Barracks Washington, 
District of Columbia

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and regulations implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 
1500-1508), Department of the Navy (DoN) NEPA regulations (32 CFR Part 
775), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA directives (Marine 
Corps Order P5090.2A, changes 1 and 2), the DoN intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for several proposed construction, 
repair, and renovation projects in support of the Marine Barracks 
Washington (MBW), District of Columbia (DC).
    Dates and Addresses: The DoN, USMC, is initiating a 30-day public 
scoping process to identify community interests and local concerns to 
be addressed in the EIS, which starts with the publication of this 
Notice of Intent and ends on October 7, 2013. A public scoping meeting, 
using an informal open house format, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 
8:30 p.m. on September 24, 2013 at Tyler Elementary School, 1001 G St 
SE., Washington, DC 20390.
    The public is invited to attend this meeting to view project-
related displays, speak with USMC representatives, and submit verbal or 
written comments. All comments regarding the scope of issues that the 
USMC should consider during EIS preparation must be received prior to 
October 7, 2013 to be fully considered. Additional information 
concerning the meeting and the proposed alternatives is available on 
the EIS Web site at www.mbweis.com and will be announced in local and 
regional newspapers. Please submit requests for special assistance, 
sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired, or other 
auxiliary aids needed at the scoping meeting to the MBW Public Affairs 
Officer, Captain Jack Norton, at 202-433-6682 by September 13, 2013.
    Concurrent with the NEPA process, the USMC is initiating National 
Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Consultation to determine the 
potential effects of the proposed action on historic properties. During 
the scoping meeting, one designated area of the room will focus on the 
Section 106 process and solicit public input on the identification of 
historic properties and potential effects of the proposed action on 
historic properties.
    Submitting Comments: Federal, state, and local agencies and members 
of the public are encouraged to provide oral and written comments 
regarding the scope of the EIS, reasonable alternatives, and specific 
issues or topics of interest. There are three ways comments can be 
submitted: (1) In person at the public scoping open house meeting, (2) 
using the project's public Web site comment form at www.mbweis.com, or 
(3) providing written comments through U.S. mail. All comments on the 
scope of the EIS or any specific concerns regarding potential impacts 
to the environment should be submitted or postmarked no later than 
October 1, 2013. Comments submitted by mail should be sent to: Mr. 
William Sadlon, MBW CIMP EIS Project Manager, 1314 Harwood St. SE., 
Bldg. 212, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5018.
    The USMC will consider all comments received during the scoping 
period. A mailing list has been assembled to facilitate preparation of 
the EIS. This list includes DC and federal agencies with jurisdiction 
or other interests in the alternatives. In addition, the mailing list 
includes adjacent property owners and other interested parties, such as 
historic preservation groups. Those on this list will receive notices 
and documents related to EIS preparation. Anyone wishing to be added to 
the mailing list may request to be added at the project Web site 
www.mbweis.com or by contacting the EIS project manager at the address 
provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Sadlon, MBW EIS Project 
Manager, 1314 Harwood St. SE., Bldg. 212, Washington Navy Yard, DC 
20374-5018.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USMC is preparing an EIS to analyze the 
potential effects resulting from implementation of several 
construction, repair, and renovation projects at or proximate to the 
Marine Barracks Washington scheduled for completion within the next 5 
years. The principal project to be analyzed is a land acquisition and 
construction project to replace a Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) 
Complex (including supporting facilities and parking) currently housed 
in Building 20. Renovation and improvement projects include interior 
renovations to Buildings 7 and 8 at the Main Post; improvements to the 
MBW

[[Page 54874]]

Annex gate at 7th and K Streets; and improvements to building facades, 
fencing, infrastructure, pedestrian amenities, and landscaping 
throughout the installation. The EIS is also intended to provide a 
programmatic analysis of the potential effects of several additional 
projects scheduled to occur in 2018 or later for which information 
sufficient to conduct detailed NEPA analysis is not yet available. 
Principal among these projects is the potential reuse of the Building 
20 site. Other projects include renovation of Building 9 to accommodate 
relocation of units currently housed in temporary facilities aboard 
Washington Navy Yard, as well as some additional landscaping and 
maintenance projects. Once these actions become sufficiently ripe for 
detailed analysis, additional NEPA analysis will be completed.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to address existing and 
anticipated facility deficiencies at MBW. The proposed action is needed 
to better support the functions of the USMC units assigned to the MBW 
and, in the case of the BEQ Complex replacement project, to meet 
current requirements for adequate space and mission support functions, 
space configurations, DoD Quality of Life standards, life safety, 
sustainability, and energy efficiency, and Anti-Terrorism and Force 
Protection (AT/FP) requirements. Building 20 cannot be renovated or 
redesigned within its existing footprint to meet those standards. The 
renovations for Buildings 7 and 8 are to upgrade the buildings to meet 
certain AT/FP and life safety standards, improve space utilization, and 
meet sustainability goals. The improvements to the MBW Annex gate at 
7th and K Streets and improvements to building facades, fencing, 
infrastructure, and pedestrian amenities throughout the installation 
would blend MBW facilities with the neighborhood.
    Alternatives Development: The action alternatives analyzed in the 
EIS regard implementation of specific projects. Sufficient detail is 
available to fully analyze some proposed projects in the EIS; other 
proposed projects are analyzed programmatically, with the expectation 
that additional NEPA analyses will be conducted when more detail is 
available.
    The primary project to be analyzed in the EIS is the BEQ Complex 
replacement project, which includes the acquisition of land on which to 
construct the replacement facilities. The pre-NEPA agency and public 
engagement effort referred to as the Community Integrated Master Plan 
process that preceded this EIS effort provided a foundation for the 
required rigorous exploration of a reasonable range of alternative 
sites to meet the purpose and need with respect to the BEQ Complex 
replacement project. The following screening criteria were used to 
further refine and narrow the range of alternative sites for the BEQ 
Complex project.
    The location must be within a 10-minute ``reasonable walking 
distance'' of the MBW Main Post Main Gate Entrance (defined as an 
approximately 2,000-foot radius of the Main Post Main Gate Entrance). 
The site must meet the minimum developable area requirements, including 
setback distances to meet AT/FP standards, while also complying with 
applicable laws governing height restrictions. The space requirement 
for the BEQ Complex is 191,405 square feet (SF), which includes 
supporting facilities and parking. Any site chosen must not be a site 
that currently provides or is planned to provide public services for DC 
residents, to include public housing, education, or public recreation 
services.
    Based on the siting criteria, four potential sites have been 
identified for possible acquisition and development of facilities to 
meet the BEQ Complex replacement requirements. The four sites are 
defined in terms of squares and adjacent streets, as applicable. A 
``square'' is the unit of land defined by the DC Surveyor that normally 
consists of a single city block and contains recorded tax lots.
    Site A is a privately-owned 3.0-acre site composed of Square 929, 
Square 930, and L Street between 8th and 9th Streets. Site B is a 
privately-owned 1.8-acre site that encompasses Square 976 and a segment 
of L Street between 10th and 11th Streets. Site C comprises a portion 
of Square 853 just west of Washington Navy Yard in the Southeast 
Federal Center. The federally-owned 2.1-acre site is bound by M Street 
SE to the north and Tingey Street to the south. Site D, owned by the 
U.S. Navy, is approximately 2.2 acres and located on the northeast 
corner of Washington Navy Yard. It is bound by 11th Street SE to the 
east and M Street SE to the north and comprises portions of Squares 977 
and 953 within the Washington Navy Yard boundary.
    Implementation of the Site A alternative would require acquisition 
of both squares and closure of and construction on L Street between 8th 
and 9th Streets. Implementation of the 191,405 SF BEQ Complex at Site B 
would require the vehicular closure of L Street between 10th and 11th 
Streets and utilize the closed road right-of-way and a portion of 
existing Virginia Avenue Park open space buffer to satisfy vehicular 
AT/FP standoff requirements (while also not affecting use of the park). 
Implementation of Site C would allow for reduced AT/FP setbacks, given 
its adjacency to the Washington Navy Yard. If the Site D alternative 
was implemented, the BEQ Complex would be constructed entirely within 
the Washington Navy Yard boundary.
    The No-Action Alternative for the BEQ Complex project is to 
continue to utilize and maintain the existing inadequate Building 20 
BEQ Complex. The No-Action Alternative does not meet the purpose and 
need for the action, but must be analyzed as the baseline against which 
the impacts associated with action alternatives will be evaluated.
    Alternatives for the renovation and improvement projects to be 
analyzed in detail in the EIS consist of alternative space layouts and 
functional space assignments for MBW units. In some cases, the 
alternatives may be limited to implementing the project or taking no 
action. The No Action Alternative for the renovation and improvement 
projects would be to not implement interior renovations, which would 
result in continued inefficient space utilization functional layouts 
and energy systems, life safety issues, and hindering MBW's ability to 
meet sustainability goals.
    Environmental Compliance: The EIS would evaluate potential 
environmental effects associated with each of the alternatives for each 
of the analyzed projects on the following: safety, land use, 
recreation, air quality, socioeconomics and environmental justice, 
water resources, noise, cultural resources, natural resources, traffic/
transportation, hazardous materials and waste, and utilities. Relevant 
and reasonable measures that could avoid or mitigate adverse 
environmental effects will also be analyzed. Additionally, the USMC 
will undertake consultations required by the National Historic 
Preservation Act and any other applicable laws or regulations.
    Schedule: This Notice of Intent is the first phase of the EIS 
process and announces the 30-day public comment period to identify 
community concerns and local issues that should be addressed in the 
EIS. The next phase occurs when a Notice of Availability (NOA) is 
published in the Federal Register and local media to publicly announce 
the release of the Draft EIS in Summer 2014. A 45-day public comment 
period for the Draft EIS will commence upon publication of the NOA in 
the Federal Register. The USMC will consider and respond to all 
comments

[[Page 54875]]

received on the Draft EIS when preparing the Final EIS. The USMC 
intends to issue the Final EIS in Winter 2014/2015, at which time an 
NOA would be published in the Federal Register and local media.
    A Record of Decision is anticipated in early 2015.

    Dated: August 29, 2013.
P.A. Richelmi,
Lieutenant, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Alternate 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-21713 Filed 9-5-13; 8:45 am]
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