[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 31 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4070-4072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01910]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2018-0057]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Public Meeting, and Request for Comments; Acquisition of Site for 
Development of a Replacement Underground Safety Research Program 
Facility for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH) in Mace, West 
Virginia

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

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

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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 General Services Administration (GSA), announces the availability 
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
acquisition of a site in Mace, West Virginia, and the development of 
this site into a replacement for the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Underground Safety Research 
Program facility (Proposed Action). The proposed acquisition and 
development would replace the former Lake Lynn Experimental Mine in 
Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and would support research programs 
focused on miner health and safety issues. The site being considered 
for acquisition and development includes 461.35 acres located off U.S. 
Route 219 in Randolph and Pocahontas Counties near Mace, West Virginia 
(Site).
    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 consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act to evaluate the potential effects, if any, of the 
Proposed Action on historic properties.
    A Notice of Intent for this Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on June 14, 2018 (83 FR 27781).

DATES: 
    Public Meeting: A public meeting in open house format will be held 
on March 6, 2019, in Slatyfork, West Virginia, to present the findings 
of the Draft EIS and to solicit comments. The meeting will begin at 
5:30 p.m. and end no later than 8:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, 
please send an email to [email protected] or call (770) 488-8170 
to check on the status of the meeting.
    Written comments: Written public comments must be submitted by 
11:59 p.m. on April 5, 2019.
    Deadline for Requests for Special Accommodations: Persons wishing 
to participate in the public meeting who need special accommodations 
should contact Sam Tarr at 770-488-8170 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 
February 27, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting will be held at the Linwood 
Community Library, 72 Snowshoe Drive, Slatyfork, West Virginia 26291.
    Copies of the Draft EIS can be obtained at:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
(reference Docket No. CDC-2018-0057).
     Linwood Community Library, 72 Snowshoe Drive, Slatyfork, 
West Virginia 26291.
     By written request (electronic copies only) to: [email protected].
    You may submit comments identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-0057 by 
either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
(Follow the instructions for submitting comments).
     U.S. Mail: Sam Tarr, 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 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 background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Sam Tarr, 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 ensure safe and healthful 
working conditions for every working person in the United States.
    In 1997, when the mine safety and health function was transferred 
from the Bureau of Mines (BOM) to NIOSH, NIOSH took over the lease for 
a facility referred to as the Lake Lynn Experimental Mine (LLEM). BOM 
had leased the LLEM facility since 1982. The LLEM is located 60 miles 
south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The LLEM and its aboveground fire 
testing facility were primarily used for studies and research on mine 
explosions, mine seals, mine rescue, ventilation, diesel exhaust, new 
health and safety technologies, ground control, and fire suppression. 
After December 2012, the property was no longer available for long-term 
leasing. CDC attempted to purchase the LLEM underlying property, but 
NIOSH vacated the LLEM after market-based purchase offers were rejected 
by the property owners.
    In 2013, CDC completed a Project Development Study to outline a 
design solution to replace the LLEM. The study presented the facility 
and site requirements and design concepts for the replacement 
facilities. In 2016, to identify potentially available locations that 
could accommodate the space requirements defined in the 2013 study, GSA 
issued (on behalf of CDC) two separate Requests for Expressions of 
Interest (REOI) for a site, developed or undeveloped, that could be 
used for the new underground safety research facility. The first REOI, 
advertised in June 2016, contained a limited delineated area within a 
200-mile radius of the LLEM. The REOI set forth criteria that would be 
used to evaluate the suitability of the submitted sites. One expression 
of interest that had the potential to meet the minimum criteria was 
received. After further evaluation, however, the site was found to be 
non-viable.
    The second REOI was issued in October 2016 and expanded the 
delineated area to the entire contiguous United States. Three 
expressions of interest were received for sites in Kentucky, Missouri, 
and West Virginia. The Kentucky site did not meet the minimum criteria, 
and the Missouri site expression of interest did not contain all 
necessary information to evaluate. The offeror of the Missouri site did 
not respond to subsequent GSA inquiries.
    The potential site in West Virginia met the minimum criteria and 
was determined to be a viable site. The site is located near Mace, West 
Virginia, and straddles the Randolph and Pocahontas County lines.
    In accordance with NEPA, as implemented by the CEQ regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508), with GSA as a cooperating agency, CDC prepared a 
Draft EIS for the proposed acquisition of the Site and construction of 
a new underground safety research facility 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

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before making a decision. The Draft EIS evaluates the following two 
alternatives: the Proposed Action Alternative (acquisition of the Site 
and construction of a new underground safety research facility) and the 
No Action Alternative. No other alternatives were considered because 
only one qualifying site was identified through the site selection 
process discussed above.
    Impacts on the following resources are considered in the Draft EIS: 
Noise and vibration; geology, topography, and soils; water resources; 
utilities and infrastructure; and biological resources--vegetation and 
threatened and endangered species. Cultural resources were dismissed 
because a phase I archaeological reconnaissance survey identified one 
isolated artifact and confirmed low potential for additional 
archaeological resources. Viewshed and vibration analyses indicated 
that the potential for affecting historic structures would be 
negligible. No observable direct impacts on cultural resources are 
anticipated. Section 106 consultation under the National Historic 
Preservation Act is ongoing and will be documented in the record of 
decision. The status of the Section 106 consultation process to date is 
documented in Chapter 1 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 6, 2019, at the Linwood Community Library, 72 Snowshoe Drive, 
Slatyfork, West Virginia 26291, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time. The public meeting will be an open house format. Copies 
of the draft EIS will be available at the meeting, and poster stations 
will provide a summary of the NEPA process and the findings of the EIS. 
Representatives of CDC and GSA will be available to answer one-on-one 
questions. There will be no formal presentation or formal testimonies. 
Participants may arrive at any time between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 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 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 6, 2019.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-01910 Filed 2-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P