[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 117 (Friday, June 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26414-26417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11349]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Relocation of the Ioannis A. Lougaris VA
Medical Center Services and Facilities in Reno, Nevada
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement, open a public scoping period, and hold public scoping
meetings.
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SUMMARY: This Notice provides information to Federal, state, and local
agencies; Native American tribes; and other interested persons
regarding VA's intent to prepare a Programmatic EIS (PEIS) to evaluate
the potential environmental impacts for the proposed relocation of the
VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) Ioannis A. Lougaris VA
Medical Center (Reno VAMC) services and facilities in Reno, Nevada.
Programmatic National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents are
used to assess the environmental impacts of proposed policies, plans,
programs, or projects for which subsequent actions will be implemented
based on the programmatic analyses, providing the foundation for
subsequent additional analysis of specific actions that ``tier'' from
the programmatic document. Tiering allows an agency to eliminate
repetitive discussions of the same issues, focus on the actual issues
ripe for decision, and exclude from consideration issues already
decided or not yet ripe for environmental review. Programmatic NEPA
analysis is appropriate in cases where an agency is
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adopting a large multi-phased program, plans or suite of projects,
allowing an agency to make informed decisions timed to coincide with
meaningful points in agency planning and decision making. Such is the
case with the proposed relocation of the VASNHCS Reno VAMC services and
facilities in Reno, Nevada (i.e., project specific siting/construction/
operation of necessary services and supporting facilities, leasing
needs, and site opportunities). The analyses for these actions will be
broadly discussed in the programmatic document (PEIS) and the specific
analyses deferred to the subsequent tiered NEPA document(s) when ripe
for environmental review.
DATES: VA invites interested agencies, organizations, Native American
tribes, and members of the public to submit comments to inform VA on
the significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the PEIS (e.g., range
of actions, alternatives, environmental impacts). The public scoping
period starts with the publication of this Notice in the Federal
Register. To ensure sufficient time to consider issues identified
during the public scoping period, comments should be submitted by one
of the methods listed under ADDRESSES no later than August 4, 2025. VA
plans to hold public scoping meetings at the City of Reno McKinley Arts
& Cultural Center, located at 925 Riverside Dr, Reno, Nevada 89503 on
Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, July 16, 2025,
at 9:00 a.m. VA anticipates releasing the Draft PEIS for a 45-day
public review and comment period in late summer 2026. VA will notify
stakeholders via email/mail, publish a notice of availability of the
Draft PEIS in the Federal Register and the Reno Gazette-Journal, and
solicit comments at that time. Following the close of the Draft PEIS
public comment period, VA will prepare the Final PEIS and Record of
Decision (ROD). VA anticipates issuing the Final PEIS for public review
in late winter of 2026 within 2 years of the publication of this Notice
and signing the ROD in early spring 2027.
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. All
comments received before the close of the comment period will be posted
on the following website as soon as possible after they have been
received: www.regulations.gov. VA will not post on www.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 period's closing date is considered late and
will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Patrick Read, Environmental
Engineer, Office of Construction and Facilities Management (003C2), VA,
[email protected]. Reference ``Reno Programmatic EIS VA PEIS-029-
15-VHA-1737045243'' in your correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331
et seq.); VA NEPA Implementing Guidance (38 CFR part 26); Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (54 U.S.C.
Part 306108); and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
Procedures for the Protection of Historic Properties (36 CFR part 800
et seq.), VA intends to prepare a PEIS for the proposed relocation of
Reno VAMC services and facilities in Reno, Nevada.
In addition, VA intends to use the NEPA analysis process to
consider impacts to historic properties traditionally addressed through
54 U.S.C. 306108 of the NHPA and its implementing regulations codified
in 36 CFR part 800 (collectively ``Section 106''). This process,
referred to as substitution, is described in 36 CFR 800.8(c) and the
NEPA and NHPA: A Handbook for Integrating NEPA and Section 106
published by the ACHP and Council on Environmental Quality. A copy of
NEPA and NHPA: A Handbook for Integrating NEPA and Section 106 Synopsis
is typically posted online at the ACHP domain, but is currently under
revision and unavailable for reference here.
The VASNHCS serves Veterans within 20 counties in Northern Nevada
and Northeastern California with the largest population centered around
Reno, Nevada. Over 47,000 enrolled Veterans reside within the Reno
area. The Reno VAMC, which opened in 1939 and is located at 975 Kirman
Avenue in Reno, Nevada, currently provides all inpatient VA care within
VASNHCS and a large portion of the outpatient care due to its proximity
to the region's Veteran population center. The demand for VA outpatient
services, mental health services, and Community Living Center (nursing
home) beds in the region is projected to grow significantly over the
next 20 years.
The existing Reno VAMC campus lacks the necessary infrastructure,
acreage, as well as modern and seismically safe facilities to meet the
demands of the VASNHCS Veteran population. As such, VA Office of
Construction and Facility Management (CFM) completed a feasibility
study in 2020 to develop options for the relocation of VASNHCS services
and facilities and potential replacement of the existing Reno VAMC.
Earlier VA studies recognized that the existing VAMC infrastructure is
inadequate, aging, and unable to expand as necessary to serve the needs
of the Northern Nevada Veteran population and corresponding health care
services growth in the region. The feasibility study assessed a range
of potential courses of action related to the viability of retaining
the VAMC at its current location, disposing of the existing VAMC, and
development of a new VAMC on yet-to-be-determined parcel(s) within a
10-mile radius of the existing Reno VAMC, and other options including
potential development on adjacent property and/or a partial relocation
of services and leasing considerations. The feasibility study
identified potential options for relocation of health care services and
the renovation and/or replacement of the existing VAMC facilities to
meet the needs of existing and projected future Veteran population in
the greater Northern Nevada area.
In November of 2023, VA's Office of Real Property (ORP) conducted a
Market Survey to identify the viability of sites for the potential
relocation of the existing Reno VAMC facilities and VASNHCS health care
services. During VA's market research, six properties within a 10-mile
radius of the existing Reno VAMC were identified, evaluated, and
prioritized by the Market Survey Team (MST). Site visits were conducted
including voting and non-voting members of the MST as well as VA
technical support staff. A consensus meeting was held to discuss the
sites, taking into consideration catchment area, distance to VASNHCS,
access to public transportation, access to food and beverage retail
services, availability of utilities, environmental, historic, flood
zone, wetlands, planned development, adjacent properties, and any other
relevant market conditions in the public records. As a result of the
market survey efforts, three potentially viable sites were identified
by the MST; however, of
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the three sites, VA received only a single expression of interest from
one interested party. That expression of interest was for the site
located on the northern portion of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
campus. VA is in the process of additional site exploration and
validation as part of the NEPA scoping process, valid sites identified
and offered to VA through this additional effort will be included for
analysis in the PEIS, if applicable.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the proposed relocation of VASNHCS Reno VAMC
services and facilities is to provide exceptional health care planning,
facilities, and services to the current and future Veteran population
in the Northern Nevada (Reno) region. The region is undergoing
substantial growth in the health care needs of the Veteran population,
which is placing additional demands on the already stressed health care
infrastructure.
The Proposed Action is needed to provide necessary services and
address critical space, functional, and infrastructure limitations of
existing facilities at the current Reno VAMC. Originally built in
the1930's, the existing VAMC campus has aging, seismically deficient
facilities and infrastructure and site space limitations, which impact
its ability to meet modern health care requirements. The current VAMC
campus buildings total approximately 540,000 square feet (SF) and are
situated on approximately 13 acres of land within a fully developed
residential area of Reno. VA estimates that over 300,000 SF of
additional building space and over 500 additional parking spaces are
needed to right-size the campus to meet the projected health care
service requirements. In addition, a seismic study of the Reno VAMC
campus found that five of the campus buildings, or nearly 75% of the
campus square footage, do not meet current seismic building code
standards and are at risk of significant damage or failure from a major
seismic event. These limitations hamper the ability for the current
VAMC campus to meet the needs of the current and future Veteran
population in the Northern Nevada region.
The PEIS will analyze the potential direct and indirect effects of
the proposed action and alternatives. Environmental resources and
topics that will be analyzed include those identified in 40 CFR 1508.8;
i.e., Aesthetics, Air Quality, Historic, and Cultural Resources;
Geology and Soils; Hydrology and Water Quality; Noise; Land Use;
Socioeconomics; Community Services; Solid and Hazardous Materials;
Transportation; Utilities; and Reasonably Foreseeable Impacts. Both
beneficial and adverse impacts of the proposed action and alternatives
will be identified. Best management practices and reasonable measures
that could minimize or mitigate adverse impacts of the proposed action
and alternatives will be included in the PEIS where relevant.
As part of the scoping process, VA seeks public input on the
relative importance of these and other areas of environmental concern,
mitigation measures, and suggestions regarding additional environmental
impacts that should be evaluated. With the publication of this notice,
VA is initiating the scoping process to identify issues and concerns to
be addressed in the PEIS. Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies;
environmental, historic preservation organizations; businesses;
interested parties; and the general public are encouraged to submit
written comments identifying specific issues or topics of environmental
concern that should be addressed.
VA will undertake necessary consultations with other government
agencies and consulting parties pursuant to the NHPA, Endangered
Species Act, Clean Water Act, and other applicable environmental laws.
Consultation will include, but will not be limited to Federal, state,
and local agencies; the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office; and
federally recognized tribes with a geographical and/or cultural
connection to the area.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
VA has identified the proposed action, an action alternative, and
the no action alternative to be analyzed in detail in the PEIS.
Proposed Action
VA proposes to relocate VASNHCS Reno VAMC services and facilities
in Reno, Nevada through the acquisition of an offered site within the
Reno catchment area. As a result of the proposed phased relocation,
some or all the existing Reno VAMC facilities and operations would be
transferred to the new site. Additionally, other new VA facilities
could be developed on the new site to facilitate future health care
service needs of Northern Nevada Veterans. Potential supplemental
leasing and use of off-site facilities and potential renovation and
partial reuse of the existing Reno VAMC will also be considered as part
of the proposed action.
Under the proposed action, VA would acquire, design, and conduct
initial site work on up to approximately 60 acres of contiguous land
for the relocation of VASNHCS Reno VAMC health care services and
facilities, as authorized by H.R. 6324--Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans
Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act. Programmatic options
under the proposed action will include: Full relocation of existing
Reno VAMC services and facilities to the proposed property over a
multi-year phased approach, the closure of the existing Reno VAMC, and
the future disposal of the existing Reno VAMC site; Hybrid Option I:
Partial relocation of existing Reno VAMC services and facilities to the
new site and continued use of the existing Reno VAMC site; and Hybrid
Option II: Partial relocation of existing Reno VAMC services and
facilities to the new site, partial relocation to off-site leased
location(s), closure of the existing Reno VAMC, and the future disposal
of the existing Reno VAMC site. Relocation decisions, design, phasing,
construction, and operations of the facilities at the new site as well
as transfer of operations would occur in a phased staged approach over
a multi-year effort as VA receives future congressional authorization
for design and execution of the suite of projects needed for relocation
of the existing Reno VAMC health care services and facilities. All
proposed action options will include some off-site services and
facility lease agreements; however, no specific off-site lease
agreement locations have been identified nor will site-specific
analysis of those be included in the PEIS.
The VA market survey process identified a single contiguous site on
the northern portion of the UNR campus, located southeast of the
intersection of North Virginia Street and North McCarran Boulevard,
that was offered to VA to relocate, design, construct, and operate the
necessary health care services and facilities for Northern Nevada
Veterans. The above programmatic methodology would also be utilized on
any additional validated and offered sites identified during the NEPA
scoping process.
Action Alternative: Renovation of the Existing VAMC Site
Under this alternative, VA would perform the necessary seismic
upgrades and renovations at the existing Reno VAMC campus and would
design, construct, and operate a new clinical services addition at the
site. No new land acquisition for relocation of health care services
would occur. Under this alternative, modifications of Reno VAMC
operations and services would primarily remain at the existing campus
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with partial expansion and relocation accomplished via off-site lease
agreement location(s). Seismic upgrades, renovation, and new
construction activities would occur in stages over a period of many
years to maintain medical center operations on the small, landlocked
campus.
No Action Alternative
Under the no action alternative, VA would not implement the
relocation of VASNHCS health care services and facilities in the Reno
area, nor complete the necessary seismic upgrades at the existing Reno
VAMC. The no action alternative or ``status quo'' as required by NEPA
and its implementing regulations serves as a basis for comparison of
the proposed action and action alternative. The no action alternative
would not meet VA's purpose and need.
The PEIS will evaluate the potential impacts and effects of the
proposed action, action alternative, and no action alternative for the
relocation, planning, design, and future development of replacement
facilities under the various options to meet the purpose and need. The
PEIS will not evaluate site-specific project components or design
details, as this information is not ripe for analysis and will be
phased over multiple years, and execution of the projects will be
dependent on future congressional authorization. VA will conduct
subsequent, tiered NEPA analyses for project specific impacts and
effects of the future phased construction projects and operation of
health care services and facilities, as well as closure and disposal of
the existing Reno VAMC (as applicable). Additionally, the PEIS will
broadly analyze indirect effects associated with the future potential
relocation of the offered site's current facilities and infrastructure
(UNR facilities), however tiered site-specific analysis would occur
once project plans, design options, and project specific implementation
funding are better defined. VA would incorporate the management,
avoidance, and mitigation measures identified in the PEIS into those
future design processes and tiered NEPA analyses to minimize potential
environmental impacts and effects.
Expected Effects
It is anticipated that the proposed health care facilities
development would generate considerable construction and operational
traffic on local roads in the UNR site area, as well as localized
associated vehicle air emissions.
It is anticipated that over the phased approach, full site
development would result in the loss of approximately 1,500 existing
UNR student and staff parking spaces (21% of campus parking), including
stadium parking, and the loss of UNR support facilities and
infrastructure (facility maintenance services and shops, receiving
warehouse, motor pool, childcare center, and storage areas). These
needed UNR facilities would eventually be required to relocate to other
land; however, no specific relocation properties or timelines have been
identified and would be dependent on subsequent VA actions and tiered
NEPA analysis.
Portions of the existing Reno VAMC were determined eligible for
listing in the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic
District in 2015. The Hospital District includes Building 1, Building
1A, the campus entry, and the original flagpole. Proposed action
options that include closure and disposal of the existing Reno VAMC
have the potential to adversely affect the historic resources of the
Reno VAMC campus. Seismic upgrade, renovation, and new construction at
the campus also have the potential to adversely affect the historic
resources.
As part of the PEIS analysis, VA will evaluate these potential
adverse effects and impacts, and other potential impacts associated
with the proposed action, action alternative, and no action. Technical
studies, such as a traffic impact analysis, will be conducted to
support the evaluation.
Signing Authority
Douglas A. Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and
signed this document on June 12, 2025, 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.
Taylor N. Mattson,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2025-11349 Filed 6-18-25; 8:45 am]
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