[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34582-34583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15410]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2017-0059]


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement; 
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.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with 
the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), announces the 
availability of the Final 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 Final 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.

DATES: CDC will issue a final decision on the proposed action after 
August 20, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS can be obtained at:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
(reference Docket No. CDC-2017-0059).
     By Written Request (Electronic Copies Only) to: [email protected] or 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.
    All U.S. Mail communications must include the agency name and 
Docket Number.

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, Institutes, 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. 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

[[Page 34583]]

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.
    Under NEPA, as implemented by CEQ Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), 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. On 
February 9, 2018, in accordance with NEPA, CDC published a Notice of 
Availability announcing that a Draft EIS for the proposed acquisition 
and campus consolidation had been prepared (83 FR 5774). The Draft EIS 
evaluated 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). Impacts on 
the following resources were considered: 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.
    Publication of the Draft EIS notice initiated a 45-day review 
period, which ended on March 26, 2018. During this period, CDC received 
comments from government agencies, a Native American tribe, and the 
public. These comments pertained to the proposed action in general; the 
accessibility of the proposed campus site for bicyclists; historic 
buildings; traffic and air quality impacts; sustainability; and the 
potential displacement of neighborhood residents.
    All comments were considered when preparing the Final EIS and 
responses to the comments are provided in the Final EIS. No comment 
required substantive revisions to the analyses presented in the Draft 
EIS or to the alternatives considered. The Final EIS identifies the 
Proposed Action Alternative as CDC's Preferred Alternative.
    CDC will make a decision on whether to proceed with the proposed 
action after August 20, 2018. At that time, CDC will issue a Record of 
Decision documenting and explaining its decision based on the Final 
EIS.
    Questions on the Final EIS and the proposed action may be directed 
to: 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].

    Dated: July 16, 2018.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-15410 Filed 7-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P