[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 197 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64134-64135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22369]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Clinton District Area 
Development, U.S. Army Garrison West Point, New York

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Army (Army) announces its intent to conduct public 
scoping to gather information to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for implementing the Clinton District Area Development 
Plan (Clinton District ADP) at U.S. Army Garrison West Point (USAG West 
Point), New York. USAG West Point is home to the U.S. Military Academy 
(USMA), the U.S. Army's preeminent leader development institution. The 
EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts from implementing the 
Clinton District ADP.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments about the scope of the EIS and 
questions concerning the proposed action to: Mr. Christopher Pray, U.S. 
Army Garrison, West Point, NEPA Coordinator, P.O. Box 102, West Point, 
NY 10996. Comments may also be provided via email to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher Pray, U.S. Army 
Garrison West Point, NEPA Coordinator, IMML-PWE, Building 667, Ruger 
Road, West Point, NY 10996, Christopher Pray at (845) 938-7122 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for the proposed action 
(implementation of the Clinton District ADP) is to provide improvements 
and effective long-term management of installation facilities and 
infrastructure within the Clinton District so that USMA can continue to 
improve its offerings to meet evolving educational standards concurrent 
with its goal of training its Corps of Cadets as future leaders in the 
defense of the nation and its core values. These improvements are 
necessary to satisfy these high standards while maintaining the visual 
character of the historic landscape in and around USAG West Point. The 
Clinton District comprises the main campus of USMA, and this ADP is one 
of seven separate ADPs in the USAG West Point Real Property Master Plan 
(RPMP), which addresses the effective long-term management of 
installation facilities and infrastructure through a comprehensive and 
collaborative planning process. The Clinton District is the most 
sensitive area at USAG West Point due to its location within the USMA 
National Historic Landmark District, and it encompasses historic 
buildings and structures, archeological sites, and historic landscapes. 
The Clinton District ADP is a critical component of the RPMP because it 
is home to USMA's academic core. It contains the majority of the 
academic, athletic, and waterfront areas, and includes such prominent 
sites as Trophy Point, West Point Cemetery, Eisenhower Hall, and The 
Plain.
    The implementation of the projects proposed in the ADP would allow 
improvements and effective long-term management of installation 
facilities and infrastructure within the Clinton District. USMA needs 
to continue improving its infrastructure while observing the 
constraints of its physical location and protecting its cultural and 
natural resources. The ADP analyses several projects that are to be 
built, renovated, or reorganized to meet the needs of providing modern 
structures for the training of its Corps of Cadets as future leaders.
    The Clinton District ADP includes the short-, mid-, and long-range 
components of development. It reflects ongoing projects previously 
considered under NEPA as well as potential future development 
opportunities at USAG West Point. These components are at different 
developmental stages with some under way and others at the conceptual 
level. One of the short-range components is the proposed construction 
and operation of the Humanities Center at Trophy Point. The EIS will 
consider the implementation of the Clinton District ADP relative to the 
various components, depending on their developmental stages. Components 
that are further along in development such as the Humanities Center 
will be evaluated in detail while components at conceptual stages will 
be evaluated at a programmatic level in the EIS. For those potential 
future development opportunities evaluated in the EIS at a programmatic 
level, the Army will ensure that appropriate NEPA review is completed 
at the time when the components reach the stage ripe for specific 
decision-making.
    The EIS will analyze the alternatives of full implementation of 
proposed projects in the Clinton District ADP, implementation of the 
Clinton District ADP without the revitalization of Trophy Point and the 
Humanities Center, and a No Action Alternative. The EIS will also 
evaluate the effects of the proposed action and past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable future actions. There may be significant impacts 
to historic properties, including the visual historic component. Other 
potential impacts may occur on land use, biological aspects, and water 
resources. Construction activities may cause traffic, noise, and air 
quality impacts. Consultation with the State Historic Preservation 
Office will be required. Permitting actions for construction, air 
emissions, and storm water pollution prevention may be required.
    A tentative schedule has been developed for this EIS. The scoping 
meeting is anticipated to be held in October of 2020. The Draft EIS and 
subsequent public meeting will occur in the summer of 2021. The Final 
EIS is anticipated to be solicited in October of 2022 with the Record 
of Decision to be issued in November of 2022. The EIS is estimated to 
be signed and completed in December of 2022.
    Native American Tribes; Federal, state, and local agencies; 
organizations; special interest groups; and individuals are invited to 
be involved in the scoping process for the preparation of this EIS by 
participating in the scoping meetings and/or submitting written 
comments to assist with identifying alternatives or providing 
information to inform the analysis. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and 
the need to maintain social distancing, all public meeting materials 
will be provided online, and the public meeting will be hosted by 
telephone. The meeting materials can be found at https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Environmental-Assessment/Clinton-Area-Development-Plan/. Interested parties will also be invited 
to attend two public telephone meetings scheduled for October 29, 2020. 
The phone number and passcode for both meetings is 1-877-229-8493 and 
119890. The first meeting will be from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the 
second meeting will be from 6:00 p.m.

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to 8:00 p.m. If you cannot access the scoping materials online, please 
submit a request for the scoping materials to: Mr. Chris Pray, U.S. 
Army Garrison West Point, NEPA Coordinator, by phone (845) 938-7122 or 
mail P.O. Box 102, West Point, NY 10996. Mail must be postmarked not 
later than October 26, 2020 so the meeting materials can be sent by 
United States Postal Service. Written comments must be received within 
45 days of publication in the Federal Register and can be mailed to see 
ADRESSES or emailed to: [email protected]. 
Notification of the public telephone meetings will be announced in the 
local news media and on the US Army Corps of Engineers New York 
District website at: https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Environmental-Assessment/Clinton-Area-Development-Plan/.

James W. Satterwhite Jr.,
Alternate Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-22369 Filed 10-8-20; 8:45 am]
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