[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 221 (Friday, November 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80390-80391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25416]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Scoping Notice for Preparation of a Programmatic Environmental
Assessment for the Build-to-Suit Lease Program
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is preparing a
programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) in accordance with the
regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as implemented by the Council
on Environmental Quality regulations, and VA's NEPA Implementing
Regulations.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 18, 2023. VA
anticipates releasing the draft PEA for a 30-day public review and
comment period in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024. VA will notify
stakeholders via email/mail, publish a notice of availability of the
draft PEA in the Federal Register and solicit comments at that time.
The draft PEA will be available for review via the VA website:
www.cfm.va.gov/environmental/.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted through www.regulations.gov.
Except as provided below, comments received before the close of the
comment period will be available at www.regulations.gov for public
viewing, inspection, or copying, including any personally identifiable
or confidential business information that is included in a comment. We
post the comments received before the close of the comment period on
the following website as soon as possible after they have been
received: http://www.regulations.gov. VA will not post on
Regulations.gov public comments that make threats to individuals or
institutions or suggest that the commenter will take actions to harm
the individual. VA encourages individuals not to submit duplicative
comments. We will post acceptable comments from multiple unique
commenters even if the content is identical or nearly identical to
other comments. Any public comment received after the comment
[[Page 80391]]
period's closing date is considered late and will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jason Sturm, Environmental
Engineer, Office of Construction & Facilities Management (003C2),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington DC
20420, (224) 628-1946 (this is not a toll-free number),
[email protected]. Reference ``Build-to-Suit Lease PEA'' in your
correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The VA Office of Construction and Facilities
Management, Office of Real Property supports VA's mission by, among
other functions, leasing space for the construction of medical and
medically related facilities to care for the Nation's Veterans.
The PEA will analyze the proposed construction, renovation, repair
and operation of community-based outpatient clinics, community living
centers and other similar leased medical facilities identified under
the VA Office of Construction & Facilities Management, Office of Real
Property build-to-suit program. The geographic scope of the PEA is all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, American Samoa and Tribal Lands. The PEA aims to
provide a streamlined NEPA compliance process for those recurring,
predictable, and low-impact construction, renovation or repair projects
that would result in less than significant impacts.
This notice initiates the scoping process for the PEA and invites
the public, government agencies and other interested persons and
organizations to provide comments on the scope of issues for analysis,
input on potential alternatives, or information/analyses relevant to
the proposed action.
Use of the PEA would decrease the time and cost associated with
having to prepare stand-alone NEPA documentation for those future
build-to-suit lease projects that would meet the conditions of the PEA.
VA would complete additional NEPA compliance as required on projects
outside the parameters of the PEA.
The purpose of the proposed action is to provide eligible Veterans
common medical services, assisted living care and related services. The
proposed action is needed to address current and future projected
health care gaps and operational inefficiencies, especially in rural
areas where access to common medical services offered by Veterans
Affairs Medical Centers is not an easily accessible option.
The PEA will evaluate the potential direct and indirect impacts on
the human environment from the proposed action and alternatives. VA
will make the Draft PEA available for a public comment period following
its completion.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and signed
this document on November 13, 2023, 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.
Jeffrey M. Martin,
Assistant Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-25416 Filed 11-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P