[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]


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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.

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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