[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66704-66705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26638]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, 
Initiate the Public Scoping Period and Host Public Scoping Meetings for 
West Facilities Modernization, St. Louis, Missouri, Metropolitan Area

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) 
announces its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
to analyze potential impacts to the quality of the human environment 
resulting from the proposed construction and operation of new, modern 
facilities in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE), Kansas City District, will be the project manager 
for this EIS. This notice informs the public of the proposed action, 
announces the public scoping process, and solicits public comments to 
identify issues related to the proposed project.

DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register and will continue until January 19, 
2015. All comments submitted or postmarked by January 19, 2015 will be 
considered in defining the scope of the EIS. Comments submitted or 
postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. For public scoping meetings, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To provide written comments on the 
EIS, request to be added to the project mailing list, or for further 
information or questions about the EIS process, please contact Ms. Amy 
Blair, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District by telephone 
at (816) 389-3393, by mail at Room 529, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas 
City, MO 64106, or by electronic mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 
delivers geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, that provides a decisive 
advantage to warfighters, policymakers, intelligence professionals and 
first responders. Both an intelligence agency and combat support 
agency, NGA fulfills the president's national security priorities in 
partnership with the intelligence community and the Department of 
Defense. NGA is headquartered in Springfield, Va., and has two major 
locations in St. Louis and Arnold, MO.
    NGA is pursuing construction and operation of a modern facility in 
the St. Louis metropolitan area to better support its mission to 
provide timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence in 
support of national security. The proposed new facility will support 
NGA's current mission, improve its resiliency, and address challenges 
associated with its current facility located on Second Street in the 
city of St. Louis, including physical constraints and security 
requirements. The EIS will evaluate and disclose the impacts of 
constructing a new replacement facility and relocating NGA operations 
at alternative sites, in addition to a No Action Alternative.
    No Action Alternative: The EIS will analyze the No Action 
Alternative, under which no new construction or relocation will occur.
    The Proposed Action will be to construct a new, modern West 
Facility in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
    Alternatives will be developed during and following the public 
scoping period, and will consist of alternative sites for the new 
facility. The following six proposed site locations were initially 
identified through a site location study:
     Fenton: 1050 Dodge Drive, Fenton, MO (southwest of St. 
Louis);
     Mehlville: 13045 Tesson Ferry Road, St. Louis, MO (south 
of St. Louis);
     NorthPark: 4800 N. Hanley Road, St. Louis (Ferguson), MO 
(northwest of St. Louis);
     North St. Louis City: Near the intersections of Cass and 
North Jefferson Avenues;
     St. Clair County: Along Interstate (I-64), adjacent to the 
northeast boundary of Scott Air Force Base (AFB), Illinois (east of St. 
Louis); and
     Weldon Spring: 4700 Technology Drive, Weldon Spring, MO 
(northwest of St. Louis).
    Two of the six sites have since been removed from consideration. A 
portion of the NorthPark location has been sold and the remaining land 
does not meet NGA's requirements. Additionally, the Weldon Spring 
location is no longer under consideration based on master planning 
review.
    Scoping: Public scoping is being conducted through January 19, 
2015, to provide the public with an opportunity to offer input on the 
scope of issues to be addressed and to identify issues related to the 
proposed action and alternative sites. As part of public scoping, NGA 
and the Corps of Engineers plan to hold three public scoping meetings 
in early December 2014. The dates and locations of the scoping meetings 
and other opportunities for public participation in the EIS process 
will be announced through news media in the St. Louis metropolitan 
area.
    In addition to complying with NEPA and DoD planning guidance, 
scoping will be used to partially fulfill the public participation 
requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(NHPA). Except where subject to the confidentiality provision of 
Section 304 of the NHPA, all comments received during scoping will 
become part of a project administrative record and may be included as 
an appendix to the EIS. A Draft EIS is

[[Page 66705]]

expected to be circulated for public comment in summer/fall 2015.

Jennifer L. Switzer,
Chief, Planning Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City 
District.
[FR Doc. 2014-26638 Filed 11-7-14; 8:45 am]
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