[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 93 (Friday, May 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29837-29838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11370]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket Number: 160429380-6380-01]
RIN 0660-XC025


First Responder Network Authority; Notice of Availability of a 
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the East Region 
of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network and Notice of Public 
Meetings; Correction

AGENCY: First Responder Network Authority, National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice announcing availability of a draft programmatic 
environmental impact statement and of public meetings; correction.

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SUMMARY: The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') published 
a notice in the Federal Register of May 6, 2016 announcing the 
availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
for the East Region (``Draft PEIS''). FirstNet also announced a series 
of public meetings to be held throughout the East Region to receive 
comments on the Draft PEIS. The Draft PEIS evaluates the potential 
environmental impacts of the proposed nationwide public safety 
broadband network in the East Region, composed of Connecticut, 
Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, 
Virginia, and West Virginia. The May 6, 2016 notice contained an 
incorrect location for the public meeting to be held in New York and is 
corrected by this notice.

DATES: Submit comments on the Draft PEIS for the East Region on or 
before July 6, 2016. FirstNet will also hold public meetings in each of 
the 13 states and the District of Columbia. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: At any time during the public comment period, members of the 
public, public agencies, and other interested parties are encouraged to 
submit written comments, questions, and concerns about the project for 
FirstNet's consideration or to attend any of the public meetings. 
Written comments may be submitted electronically via 
www.regulations.gov, FIRSTNET-2016-0002, or by mail to Amanda Goebel 
Pereira, NEPA Coordinator, First Responder Network Authority, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, M/S 243, Reston, VA 20192. 
Comments received will be made a part of the public record and may be 
posted to FirstNet's Web site (www.firstnet.gov) without change. 
Comments should be machine readable and should not be copy-protected. 
All personally identifiable information (e.g., name, address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. The Draft PEIS is available for download from 
www.regulations.gov FIRSTNET-2016-0002. A CD of this document is also 
available for viewing at public libraries (see Chapter 22 of the Draft 
PEIS for the complete distribution list). See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for public meeting addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the Draft 
PEIS, contact Amanda Goebel Pereira, NEPA Coordinator, First Responder 
Network Authority, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 12201 Sunrise Valley 
Drive, M/S 243, Reston, VA 20192.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Correction

    In the Federal Register of May 6, 2016, in FR Doc. 81-27409, on 
page 27410, in the first column, correct the fourth bullet point under 
the ``Public Meetings'' section of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section to read:
     New York City, NY, May 24, 2016, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 
New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

[[Page 29838]]

Background

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 
112-96, Title VI, 126 Stat. 156 (codified at 47 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.)) 
(the ``Act'') created and authorized FirstNet to take all actions 
necessary to ensure the deployment, operation, and maintenance of an 
interoperable, nationwide public safety broadband network (``NPSBN'') 
based on a single, national network architecture. The Act meets a 
longstanding and critical national infrastructure need, to create a 
single, nationwide network that will, for the first time, allow police 
officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service professionals, and 
other public safety entities to effectively communicate with each other 
across agencies and jurisdictions. The NPSBN is intended to enhance the 
ability of the public safety community to perform more reliably, 
effectively, and safely; increase situational awareness during an 
emergency; and improve the ability of the public safety community to 
effectively engage in those critical activities.
    The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347) 
(``NEPA'') requires federal agencies to undertake an assessment of 
environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making a final 
decision and implementing the action. NEPA requirements apply to any 
federal project, decision, or action that may have a significant impact 
on the quality of the human environment. NEPA also establishes the 
Council on Environmental Quality (``CEQ''), which issued regulations 
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (see 40 CFR parts 1500-
1508). Among other considerations, CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1508.28 
recommend the use of tiering from a ``broader environmental impact 
statement (such as a national program or policy statements) with 
subsequent narrower statements or environmental analysis (such as 
regional or basin wide statements or ultimately site-specific 
statements) incorporating by reference the general discussions and 
concentrating solely on the issues specific to the statement 
subsequently prepared.''
    Due to the geographic scope of FirstNet (all 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, and five territories) and the diversity of 
ecosystems potentially traversed by the project, FirstNet has elected 
to prepare five regional PEISs. The five PEISs will be divided into the 
East, Central, West, South, and Non-Contiguous Regions. The East Region 
consists of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, 
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. The 
Draft PEIS analyzes potential impacts of the deployment and operation 
of the NPSBN on the natural and human environment in the East Region, 
in accordance with FirstNet's responsibilities under NEPA.

    Dated: May 10, 2016.
Amanda Goebel Pereira,
NEPA Coordinator, First Responder Network Authority.
[FR Doc. 2016-11370 Filed 5-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-TL-P