[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 154 (Friday, August 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37591-37592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16945]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2017-01; Docket No. 2017-0002; Sequence No. 4]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Master Plan for the Consolidation of the U.S. Food and 
Drug Administration Headquarters at the Federal Research Center at 
White Oak, Located in Silver Spring, MD

AGENCY: National Capital Region, General Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations, GSA Order, PBS P1095.1F, Environmental Considerations in 
Decision Making, dated October 19, 1999, and the GSA Public Buildings 
Service NEPA Desk Guide, GSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed Master Plan to support the 
consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
Headquarters at the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in 
Silver Spring, Maryland.

DATES: 
    Applicable: Friday, August 18, 2017.

[[Page 37592]]

    The public scoping meeting date is: Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

ADDRESSES: CHI Center, 10501 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Gyamfi, GSA, National Capital 
Region, Public Buildings Service, Office of Planning and Design 
Quality, at 202-440-3405. Please contact this number if special 
assistance is needed to attend and participate in the scoping meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts resulting from 
the proposed Master Plan to support the FDA Headquarters consolidation 
at the Federal Research Center (FRC) at White Oak, located in Silver 
Spring, Maryland.

Background

    In 1997, GSA completed an EIS that analyzed the impacts from the 
consolidation of 5,975 FDA employees at the FRC. In 2005, GSA completed 
a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) that analyzed the 
impacts of increasing the number of employees from 5,947 to 7,720 and 
the impacts of adding a new eastern access entrance point into the FRC. 
In 2009, GSA completed its second SEIS that analyzed the impacts of 
increasing the number of employees (from 7,720 to 8,889) needed to 
conduct the complex and comprehensive reviews mandated by new 
legislation. To accommodate future growth and further consolidate FDA 
operations, GSA is preparing an EIS to assess the impacts of an 
employee population increase, of up to an approximately 18,000 
employees, over a period of 15 years.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to provide a Master Plan for 
the FDA Campus at FRC to accommodate the projected growth. The need for 
the proposed action is to continue to support the FDA Headquarters 
consolidation at FRC, and provide the necessary office and laboratory 
space, in order to conduct the complex and comprehensive reviews 
mandated by Congress.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    GSA will analyze a range of alternatives (including the no action 
alternative) for the proposed Master Plan of the FDA Headquarters, to 
increase the campus population by up to an approximately 18,000 
employees over 15 years. As part of the EIS, GSA will study the impacts 
of each alternative on the human environment.

Scoping Process

    In accordance with NEPA, a scoping process will be conducted to aid 
in determining the alternatives to be considered and the scope of 
issues to be addressed, as well as for identifying the significant 
issues related to the proposed Master Plan. Scoping will be 
accomplished through a public scoping meeting, direct mail 
correspondence to potentially interested persons, agencies, and 
organizations, and meetings with agencies having an interest in the 
Master Plan. It is important that Federal, regional, State, and local 
agencies, and interested individuals take this opportunity to identify 
environmental concerns that should be addressed during the preparation 
of the Draft EIS.

Public Scoping Meeting

    A public scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 
2017, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., EDT. The meeting will be an informal 
open house along with a brief presentation, where visitors may come, 
receive information, and give comments. GSA is publishing notices in 
the Washington Post, Montgomery County Sentinel, and Prince George's 
Sentinel announcing the meeting.

Written Comments

    Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written comments 
on the scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, giving their 
comments at the public scoping meeting. Written comments regarding the 
environmental analysis for the proposed Master Plan must be postmarked 
between Monday, August 21, 2017, and Monday, September 25, 2017, and 
sent to the following address: General Services Administration, Public 
Buildings Service, Office of Planning and Design Quality, Attention: 
Paul Gyamfi, 301 7th Street SW., Room 4004, Washington, DC 20407. 
Email: [email protected] using the subject line: FDA White Oak Master 
Plan Comment.

    Dated: August 4, 2017.
Mina Wright,
Director, Office of Planning and Design Quality, Public Buildings 
Service, National Capital Region, General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-16945 Filed 8-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-Y1-P