[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30311-30312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13533]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


 Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 
Consultation for the West Los Angeles Medical Center Campus Draft 
Master Plan for Improvements and Reconfiguration

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: VA announces the availability of the Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and for the West Los Angeles 
Medical Center Campus Draft Master Plan for Improvements and 
Reconfiguration. The Final PEIS uses the substitution approach for 
integrating compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended (54 United States Code 
(U.S.C.) 300101 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (36 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part 800) into the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) process.
    Pursuant to NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the 
Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), VA's NEPA 
regulations titled ``Environmental Effects of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Actions'' (38 CFR part 26), and VA's ``NEPA Interim 
Guidance for Projects'' (VA 2010), VA has considered and responded to 
comments received on the Draft PEIS, which was issued on December 14, 
2018.

DATES: VA will publish a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 
days after publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
    Availability: Copies of the final PEIS and supporting technical 
documentation are available for public review at:
     VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLAHS), West Los 
Angeles (WLA) VA Medical Center: 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, 
CA 90073, Building 500/Room 6429K.
     On the website: www.losangeles.va.gov/masterplan/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: WLA PEIS team, VA Greater Los Angeles 
Healthcare System, at the address above, or by email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PEIS for the WLA Medical Center Campus 
Draft Master Plan for Improvements and Reconfiguration was developed 
pursuant to NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), CEQ 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508), and VA's NEPA regulations titled ``Environmental 
Effects of the Department of Veterans Affairs Actions'' (38 CFR part 
26).
    VA is substituting the implementation and review procedures of 
section 102 of NEPA for consultation under section 106 of the NHPA. 
This process meets the integration intent of the NEPA regulations (40 
CFR 1500.2(c) and 1502.25(a)) and the substitution intent of the NHPA 
regulations (36 CFR 800.8(c)). This process follows the joint CEQ-
Advisory Council for Historic Preservation guidance for integrating 
NEPA and section 106 compliance (NEPA and NHPA: A Handbook for 
Integrating NEPA and Section 106, 2013). The PEIS includes 
identification and evaluation of impacts to historic properties. Formal 
consultation and identification and resolution of effects to historic 
properties are documented throughout the Final PEIS.
    WLA is one of the largest medical center campuses in the VA system, 
providing a full range of medical services to eligible Veterans, 
including state-of-the-art hospital and outpatient care, 
rehabilitation, residential care, reintegration services, and long-term 
care. The draft Master Plan released on January 28, 2016, identified 
potential ways to reconfigure and redevelop the existing WLA Campus and 
provide additional housing to homeless Veterans to better serve the 
health care needs and

[[Page 30312]]

distribution of Veterans in the GLAHS service area.
    The PEIS identifies, analyzes, and documents the potential 
environmental, cultural, socioeconomic, and cumulative impacts of the 
proposed improvements and alternatives for redevelopment as set forth 
in the WLA draft Master Plan. VA has analyzed the environmental impacts 
of the Proposed Action/Preferred Alternative, a reasonable range of 
alternatives, and a No Action Alternative. This PEIS analyzes five 
alternatives for redevelopment of the WLA Campus, including a no action 
alternative as follows:
     Alternative A: Renovation of select existing buildings for 
same or new functions; up to 821 new units of supportive housing for 
homeless Veterans created;
     Alternative B: Demolition of select existing buildings and 
relocation of existing tenants and services to other remaining 
buildings; no new units of supportive housing for homeless Veterans 
created;
     Alternative C: Demolition and replacement of select 
existing buildings and additional construction of new buildings on open 
land; up to 1,622 new units of supportive housing for homeless Veterans 
created;
     Alternative D: Renovation or demolition/replacement of 
select existing buildings and additional construction of new buildings 
on open land; up to 1,622 new units of supportive housing for homeless 
Veterans created; or
     Alternative E: No action or the ``status quo'' 
alternative.
    VA has identified Alternative D as the preferred alternative, which 
fully addresses the purpose and need of the Proposed Action.
    The availability of the Draft PEIS was announced by the 
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register (FR) on 
December 7, 2018 (83 FR 63161), followed by a VA Notice of Availability 
on December 14, 2018 (83 FR 64431). To allow the public an opportunity 
to review and comment on the draft PEIS, VA conducted three public 
meetings on January 15, 16, and 17, 2019. The original comment period 
was scheduled until January 29, 2019. VA extended the comment period 
until February 13, 2019, in response to requests from stakeholders and 
due to a lapse in appropriation of funding for certain Federal agencies 
during the original comment period.
    VA responded to substantive comments received on the draft PEIS and 
such comments were incorporated into the Final PEIS. No significant new 
information was identified that necessitated a supplemental draft PEIS. 
After the final waiting period and based on the environmental analysis 
in the final PEIS, VA will prepare a ROD.
    Signing Authority: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, 
approved this document and authorized the undersigned to sign and 
submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for 
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, approved this document on June 20, 2019, for publication.

    Dated: June 20, 2019.
Jeffrey M. Martin,
Assistant Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of 
the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2019-13533 Filed 6-25-19; 8:45 am]
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