[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61002-61003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21858]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Record of Decision Regarding Implementation of Area Development 
Plan at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

AGENCY: Department of the Army, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces the availability 
of a Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the proposed implementation of 
an Area Development Plan (ADP) for Davison Army Airfield (DAAF). DAAF 
is located at U.S. Army Garrison--Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the ROD identifies 
the Army's selected alternative, the basis for its selection, the 
environmentally preferred alternative, and the mitigation and 
protective measures the Army commits to implement with the selected 
alternative. The ROD is based on the results of the Army's Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which analyzed the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed construction, 
modernization, infrastructure, and demolition projects at DAAF. The 
Proposed Action (i.e., ADP implementation) consists of all these 
projects. The Proposed Action will improve the airfield's functional 
layout, demolish and replace aging facilities and infrastructure, and 
address multiple operational safety concerns along the runway. The ADP 
is specific to DAAF and all projects will occur entirely within its 
boundaries. The Proposed Action does not involve substantial changes in 
missions, air operations, the number of aircraft, or the workforce 
population at DAAF. The Army will implement the Proposed Action over 
approximately 30 years to provide the facilities and infrastructure 
necessary to support the ongoing and future missions of DAAF tenants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the Fort Belvoir 
Directorate of Public Works--Environmental Division (DPW-ED), Ms. 
Wilamena Harback, via phone at (703) 806-3193 or (703) 806-0020, from 
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Further information may also be 
requested via email: [email protected]. The ROD, Final EIS, 
and associated materials are available at the following website: 
https://home.army.mil/belvoir/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-public-works/environmental-division.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DAAF has operated since 1951. It is a 
logistically and operationally valuable location for Department of 
Defense (DoD) units providing aviation support for federal activities 
in the national capital region. Many facilities at DAAF date to the 
1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. More than 40 percent of buildings at the 
airfield are at least 50 years old, and an additional 25 percent are 
between 30 and 49 years old. As a result, multiple DAAF facilities are 
past their intended life cycle and are obsolete, undersized, and/or 
inefficient. Their age results in unnecessarily high maintenance costs. 
Several facilities at DAAF are located within safety zones associated 
with the airfield's runway and require temporary safety waivers to 
operate. Thus, they represent a danger to personnel that must be 
eliminated. Given the above factors, the Army proposed to implement the 
DAAF ADP over the next 30 years.
    The Final EIS--published on 6 August 2021 and prepared in parallel 
with federal consultation processes (e.g., section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act and section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act)--analyzed the potential environmental impacts associated with the 
Proposed Action, including direct, indirect, and cumulative effects. 
The Final EIS addressed comments received regarding the Draft EIS. The 
Final EIS also identified mitigation measures the Army and Fort Belvoir 
will implement to reduce potential adverse impacts.
    The Army evaluated two alternatives that would meet the Proposed 
Action's purpose and need:
    1. Full Implementation Alternative (Preferred Alternative): This 
alternative would implement the complete suite of 24 projects 
recommended in the DAAF ADP. The Full Implementation Alternative would 
accommodate the spatial and functional needs of all DAAF tenants 
consistent with applicable DoD requirements. It would also fulfill 
DAAF's vision to create a safe, secure, sustainable, and consolidated 
aviation complex.
    2. Partial Implementation Alternative: This alternative would 
implement a modified, reduced set of 15 ADP projects at DAAF. The 
Partial Implementation Alternative would not address DAAF tenants' 
requirements in full, but would substantially improve conditions.
    Under the No-Action Alternative, the DAAF ADP would not be 
implemented. While the No-Action Alternative would not satisfy the 
Proposed Action's purpose and need, in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations, the No-Action Alternative 
provides a comparative baseline for gauging the Action Alternatives' 
potential effects.
    The Final EIS determined the Full Implementation Alternative and 
Partial Implementation Alternative would have potentially significant 
adverse impacts on wetlands. The Army prepared a Finding of No 
Practicable Alternative (FONPA) addressing potential impacts on 
wetlands and floodplains. The approved FONPA is included as an appendix 
to the Final EIS. The Final EIS concluded the adverse impacts on all 
analyzed resources other than wetlands would be less than significant 
under either action alternative.
    Based on the analysis presented in the Final EIS, the No-Action 
Alternative is the environmentally preferred alternative. The Full 
Implementation Alternative is the Army's selected alternative because 
it provides the facility and infrastructure upgrades necessary to 
support DoD requirements and DAAF tenant missions.
    The ROD adopts multiple mitigation and protective measures to 
prevent or minimize the potential adverse environmental impacts of the 
Full Implementation Alternative. The Army is using all practicable 
means to avoid or minimize environmental harm caused by the selected 
alternative. Fort Belvoir DPW-ED will review the planning documents for 
each of the proposed ADP projects prior to initiation to ensure 
compatibility with applicable regulatory requirements, best management 
practices, and minimization measures. Additional

[[Page 61003]]

surveys, sampling, or testing may be required.
    An electronic copy of the ROD is available for review and download 
at: https://home.army.mil/belvoir/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-public-works/environmental-division. A printed copy may be requested 
from Fort Belvoir DPW-ED at the phone number or email address listed 
above.
    Publication of the ROD formally concludes the NEPA process for this 
Proposed Action. The Army will proceed with the Full Implementation 
Alternative described in the Final EIS and will execute the mitigation 
and protective measures identified in the ROD.

James W. Satterwhite Jr.,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-21858 Filed 10-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3711-02-P