[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5774-5776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02327]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2017-0059]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Public Meeting, and Request for Comments; Site Acquisition and Campus 
Consolidation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH), 
Cincinnati, Ohio

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of Availability; announcement of public meeting; and 
request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with 
the General Services Administration (GSA), announces the availability 
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
acquisition of a site in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the development of this 
site into a new, consolidated CDC/National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health (NIOSH) campus (Proposed Action). The site being 
considered for acquisition and development is bounded by Martin Luther 
King Drive East to the south, Harvey Avenue to the west, Ridgeway 
Avenue to the north, and Reading Road to the east.
    The Draft EIS and this notice are published pursuant to the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as 
implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508). In parallel with the NEPA process, CDC is 
also conducting

[[Page 5775]]

consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act to evaluate the potential effects, if any, of the Proposed Action 
on historic properties.

DATES: 
    Public Meeting: A public meeting in open house format will be held 
on March 14, 2018, in Cincinnati, Ohio to present the findings of the 
Draft EIS and to solicit comments. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. 
and end no later than 9:00 p.m. In case of inclement weather, send an 
email to [email protected] or call (770) 488-8170 to check on 
the status of the meeting.
    Written comments: Written comments must be submitted by March 26, 
2018.
    Deadline for Requests for Special Accommodations: Persons wishing 
to attend the public meeting who need special accommodations should 
contact Harry Marsh at 770-488-8170 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, March 8, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Walnut Hills High 
School, 3250 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207. Attendees should 
use the Parking Lot D entrance, located off Jonathan Avenue.
    Copies of the Draft EIS can be obtained at:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
(reference Docket No. CDC-2017-0059)
     The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County--
Avondale Branch, 3566 Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
     The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County--
Corryville Branch, 2802 Short Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
     The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County--Main 
Library, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
     The University of Cincinnati Walter C. Langsam Library, 
2911 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati 45219.
     By written request (electronic copies only) to: [email protected].
    In addition to attending the public meeting, comments on the Draft 
EIS may be submitted by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
(Refer to Docket No. CDC-2017-0059; follow the instructions for 
submitting comments).
     U.S. Mail: Harry Marsh, Architect, Office of Safety, 
Security and Asset Management (OSSAM), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-K80, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4027.
    Instructions: All U.S. Mail submissions must include the agency 
name and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
to http://www.regulations.gov (personally identifiable information, 
except for first and last names, will be redacted). For access to the 
docket to review the comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Marsh, Architect, Office of 
Safety, Security and Asset Management (OSSAM), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-K80, Atlanta, Georgia 
30329-4027, phone: (770) 488-8170, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: CDC is dedicated to protecting health and promoting 
quality of life through the prevention and control of disease, injury, 
and disability. NIOSH, one of CDC's Centers, Institute, and Offices, 
was established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. 
NIOSH plans, directs, and coordinates a national program to develop and 
establish recommended occupational safety and health standards; conduct 
research and training; provide technical assistance; and perform 
related activities to assure safe and healthful working conditions for 
every working person in the United States.
    Currently, three NIOSH research facilities--the Robert A. Taft 
Campus, Taft North Campus, and the Alice Hamilton Laboratory Campus--
are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. These facilities no longer meet the 
research needs required to support occupational safety and health in 
the modern workplace. The facilities' deficiencies adversely affect 
NIOSH's ability to conduct occupational safety and health research in 
Cincinnati. The facilities' outdated designs create health and safety 
challenges for NIOSH laboratory employees and administrative staff. It 
is not possible to renovate the facilities located on the three 
campuses to meet current standards and requirements. Additionally, the 
current distribution of NIOSH activities across separate campuses in 
Cincinnati results in inefficiencies in scientific collaboration and 
the duplication of operational support activities. Therefore, CDC is 
proposing to relocate and consolidate its Cincinnati-based functions 
and personnel (approximately 550 employees) currently housed at the 
three existing campuses to a new, consolidated campus in Cincinnati.
    Potential locations for the proposed new campus were identified 
through a comprehensive site selection process conducted by GSA on 
behalf of CDC. In June 2016, GSA issued a Request for Expressions of 
Interest (REOI) seeking potential sites capable of accommodating the 
proposed new campus. In response to the REOI, GSA received seven 
expressions of interest. Following an assessment of each site, GSA 
found that only one site qualified for further consideration (The 
Site). The Site encompasses all land between Martin Luther King Drive 
East to the south, Harvey Avenue to the west, Ridgeway Avenue to the 
north, and Reading Road to the east in Cincinnati, Ohio.
    In accordance with NEPA, as implemented by the CEQ regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508), CDC, with GSA as a cooperating agency, has 
prepared a Draft EIS for the proposed acquisition of the Site and 
construction of a new, consolidated CDC/NIOSH campus on the Site. Under 
NEPA, Federal agencies are required to evaluate the environmental 
effects of their proposed actions and a range of reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action before making a decision. The Draft 
EIS evaluates the potential impacts of two alternatives: The Proposed 
Action Alternative (acquisition of the Site and construction of a new, 
consolidated CDC/NIOSH campus) and the No Action Alternative (continued 
use of the existing campuses for the foreseeable future). No other 
alternatives were considered because only one qualifying site was 
identified through the site selection process briefly described above.
    Impacts on the following resources are considered in the Draft EIS: 
Land use, zoning, and plans; community facilities; socioeconomics and 
environmental justice; utilities and infrastructure; visual quality; 
cultural resources; transportation; geology, topography, and soils; air 
quality; noise; and hazardous substances. The status of the Section 106 
consultation process to date is documented in the Cultural Resources 
section of the Draft EIS.
    The purpose of this Notice is to inform interested parties 
regarding the availability of the Draft EIS for review and to solicit 
comments. To facilitate public comments, a public meeting will be held 
on March 14, 2018 at the Walnut Hills High School, 3250 Victory 
Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time. Attendees should use the Parking Lot D entrance, located off 
Jonathan Avenue. In case of inclement weather, email [email protected] or call (770) 488-8170 to check on the status of the 
meeting. The public meeting will be in open house format. Copies of the 
Draft EIS will be available at the meeting.

[[Page 5776]]

Poster stations and fact sheets will provide a summary of the NEPA 
process and the findings of the Draft EIS. Representatives of CDC and 
GSA will be available to answer one-on-one questions. There will be no 
presentation or formal testimonies.
    Participants may arrive at any time between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. 
Eastern Time. Comment forms will be provided for written comments and a 
stenographer will be available to transcribe one-on-one oral comments.
    After the public comment period ends, CDC and GSA will consider all 
comments received, revise the Draft EIS to address these comments, 
select a preferred alternative, and issue a Final EIS. CDC will 
consider the Final EIS when deciding whether to proceed with the 
proposed site acquisition and campus development.

    Dated: February 1, 2018.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-02327 Filed 2-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P