[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17371-17372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08205]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Environmental Impact Statement for Area Development Plan, Davison 
Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, VA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces its intent to 
conduct public scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and solicit public comments to gather information to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed Area Development 
Plan (ADP) for Davison Army Airfield (DAAF), U.S. Army Garrison Fort 
Belvoir (Fort Belvoir), Virginia. The EIS will analyze the potential 
environmental impacts that would result from implementing the projects 
identified in the ADP (Proposed Action). The Proposed Action consists 
of multiple new construction, replacement, demolition, and renovation 
projects at DAAF. The Proposed Action does not include, nor would it 
require, substantial changes in missions, air operations, or the number 
of aircraft or personnel. The scoping process will help identify 
reasonable alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key 
issues of concern to be analyzed in the EIS. The Army intends to comply 
with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act in parallel with this NEPA process, and invites 
federally recognized tribes and the State Historic Preservation Office 
to participate in the consultation process.

DATES: Comments must be sent by May 21, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to: U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN. Heather Cisar, Planning Division, 2 Hopkins Plaza, 
10th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Cisar at: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DAAF is located on Fort Belvoir's North Post 
in Fairfax County, VA. DAAF is home to The Army Aviation Brigade's 
(TAAB)

[[Page 17372]]

12th Aviation Battalion (AVN BN) and several other tenants, including 
the Night Vision and Electronic Sensor Directorate (NVESD); District of 
Columbia Army National Guard (DCARNG); Operational Support Airlift 
Activity/Operational Support Airlift Command (OSA-A/OSACOM); Civil Air 
Patrol; and TAAB's Airfield Division. DAAF's existing physical 
infrastructure consists of buildings and pavements. Buildings include 
several fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft (helicopter) maintenance 
hangars, operations/administrative facilities, an air control tower, 
and a fire station. A number of buildings are old and inefficient 
(dating from the 1950's to 1970's) and are too small. DAAF's buildings 
are also located in an inefficient way, resulting in spread-out 
operations; interaction of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that 
reduces operational safety; and the need for multiple runway crossings. 
Finally, a number of facilities are in violation of airfield design 
requirements and operate under temporary waivers.
    Fort Belvoir has a current Real Property Master Plan (RPMP) for the 
Main Post and Fort Belvoir North Area. Within that plan, DAAF is a 
district requiring an ADP. Therefore, the Army is preparing an ADP to 
support and complement the RPMP and guide future development actions at 
DAAF.
    The proposed ADP identifies multiple projects that will address the 
airfield's deficiencies and accommodate the space and functional needs 
of DAAF's tenants, consistent with applicable regulations and the 
airfield's vision to create a safe, secure, sustainable, consolidated 
aviation complex that allows for mission growth and provides multiple 
services in a compact campus. The ADP projects include the construction 
of a consolidated complex for the 12th AVN BN comprising one new 
aircraft maintenance hangar and two new aircraft storage hangars, along 
with supporting facilities (including wash rack and paint booth), 
associated aircraft parking aprons, and privately owned vehicle (POV) 
parking; consolidation of NVESD to new facilities; renovation and 
extension of the existing DCARNG facilities; construction of a new 
aircraft maintenance hangar and a new administrative facility for OSA-
A/OSACOM; and renovation and extension of the Airfield Division's 
building. Up to 25 existing facilities would be demolished, including 
the buildings currently under temporary waivers. Infrastructure 
improvements would include construction of a 200-foot runway extension; 
realignment and extension of existing roadways; construction of an 
entry gate meeting applicable antiterrorism/force protection (AT/FP) 
standards; and excavation and grading of a wooded knoll to eliminate 
airfield clearance violations.
    At a minimum, the EIS will analyze the potential impacts of three 
alternatives: No Action Alternative, Full Implementation Alternative, 
and Partial Implementation Alternative. Any other reasonable 
alternatives identified during the scoping process will be considered 
for evaluation in the EIS. The EIS will assess the impacts of the 
alternatives on resources and identify mitigation measures. The 
proposed action could result in significant adverse effects on the 100-
year floodplain associated with Accotink Creek, which covers a 
substantial part of DAAF, and on wetlands. One of the proposed projects 
would require using part of Anderson Park, a Fort Belvoir recreational 
resource adjacent to DAAF, to construct a new POV parking lot.
    Governmental agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes, 
interested organizations, and individuals are invited to participate in 
the scoping process for the preparation of this EIS by attending 
meetings and/or submitting written comments.
    Written comments must be sent within 30 days of publication of this 
NOI in the Federal Register. A public scoping meeting will be held near 
Fort Belvoir during this period. Notification of the meeting's time and 
location will be published locally.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-08205 Filed 4-18-18; 8:45 am]
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