Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Activities To Implement 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Actions at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, 71126-71128 [E7-24214]

Download as PDF rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES 71126 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 240 / Friday, December 14, 2007 / Notices material will be used to nourish 6,880 linear feet of shoreline in the north part of the Central Section and part of the southern tip of the North Section. This construction will take place in the 2014–2015 dredging window. The final phase of nourishment will encompass the entire South Section, using the offshore borrow site, and will be conducted in the 2016–2017 dredging window. 2. Proposed Action. Within the Town’s preferred alternative, the relocation of the inlet channel is a main component in the protection of the North Section of the project area. The inlet management plan includes the repositioning the main ocean bar channel to a more southerly alignment along an approximate 150 degree azimuth and maintaining that position and alignment approximately every four years. Initial construction of the new channel and subsequent maintenance events will result in a channel width of 500 feet at ¥18 foot NAVD depth. The new channel will start within the inlet gorge and will extend approximately 3,500 linear feet southeast breaching through the ocean bar. The amount of material to be extracted during the realignment of the channel is approximately 635,800 cubic yards. The composite mean grain size of the dredged material is approximately 0.32mm, compared to the native beach material at 0.23mm. For the remaining phases, all the material used to nourish the beaches will be dredged from an offshore borrow area. The borrow area is located approximately 1.5 miles offshore within the Central Section, and just southwest of the NC 210 bridge. The site is approximately 482 acres in size and is divided into two sections: (1) A 459-acre area with finer grain size (composite mean grain size of 0.21mm) containing approximately 6.19 million cubic yards and (2) a 23-acre area with coarser material at a composite mean grain size of 0.33mm encompassing approximately 357,000 cubic yards. The division of the borrow site into coarser and finer materials resulted in the use of the Point of Intercept Concept or ‘‘perched beached’’ for the placement of material in areas where nearshore hard bottom communities were present. For nourishment in areas within close proximity to nearshore hard bottoms, the beach profiles were designed to use coarser material in order to reduce the fill toe of equilibrium. 3. Alternatives. Several alternatives have been identified and evaluated through the scoping process, and further detailed description of all alternatives is disclosed in Section 3.0 of the Draft EIS. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:31 Dec 13, 2007 Jkt 214001 The applicant’s preferred alternative is to relocate the main ocean bar channel to a southerly alignment, implement an inlet management plan, nourish approximately 11.1 miles of ocean shoreline, and to construct the work in a five phase approach. 4. Scoping Process. A public scoping meeting was held on June 5, 2005 and a Project Delivery Team (PDT) was developed to provide input in the preparation of the EIS. The PDT comprised of local, state, and federal government officials, local residents and nonprofit organizations. The COE has initiated consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and with the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the EIS assesses the potential water quality impacts pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, and is coordinated with the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) to insure the projects consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The COE is coordinating closely with DCM in the development of the EIS to ensure the process complies with State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requirements, as well as the NEPA requirements. The Draft EIS has been designed to consolidate both NEPA and SEPA processes to eliminate duplications. Dated: December 6, 2007. John E. Pulliam, Jr., Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander. [FR Doc. E7–24247 Filed 12–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710–GN–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Activities To Implement 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Actions at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD Department of the Navy, DoD. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), and the Department of the Navy (DON) NEPA regulation (32 CFR part 775), DON PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for potential environmental impacts associated with implementing actions directed by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Act of 1990, Public Law 101–510, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law), at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD. Under the BRAC law, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) will realign all tertiary and complex health care services to the NNMC campus in Bethesda. The transfer and integration of these services with existing functions at NNMC will result by law in creation of a new premier military health care center to be named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) at Bethesda, MD. The BRAC law calls for completion of the realignment, establishment of the WRNMMC, and closure of WRAMC to be accomplished by 15 September 2011. The realignment of tertiary and complex medical care will bring additional patients and visitors requiring additional staff and facilities to be provided at NNMC. The DEIS provides information on the proposed new construction and facility alterations, current estimates of the additional staff that will be needed, and an assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated with implementation of these realignment actions at NNMC in Bethesda, MD. DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. All comments on the DEIS must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed by midnight January 28, 2008. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Officer in Charge—BRAC, National Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, fax: 301– 295–5020 or e-mail: NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Officer in Charge—BRAC, National Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, Telephone: 301–295–2722 during normal business hours Monday through Friday, fax: 301–295–5020, or e-mail: NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil. This DEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects of construction and operation of new facilities at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), Bethesda, Maryland. Alternative One would add approximately 1,144,000 square feet SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\14DEN1.SGM 14DEN1 rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 240 / Friday, December 14, 2007 / Notices (SF) of new building construction, provide approximately 508,000 SF of renovation to existing building space at NNMC, and provide approximately 824,000 SF of new parking facilities. It would accommodate approximately 2,500 additional staff. The new construction or improvements to existing facilities would provide medical care and administration additions and alterations, a Traumatic Brain Injury/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Intrepid Center of Excellence, permanent and temporary lodging facilities (Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and Fisher HousesTM), a new physical fitness center, additional parking, and road and utility improvements on the installation as needed to support the new facilities. Under Alternative Two, the same facilities are proposed; some facility sites change and the choice of new construction versus renovation of some facilities differs from Alternative One. Alternative Two would add to NNMC approximately 1,230,000 SF feet of new building construction, approximately 423,000 SF of building renovation, and approximately 824,000 SF of new parking facilities. The estimated staffing increase would also be approximately 2,500 personnel under Alternative Two. The Notice of Intent (NOI), published in the Federal Register on November 21, 2006, identified the following alternatives to be under consideration in the EIS: (1) Implement the BRAC recommendation; (2) Implement the BRAC recommendation and provide for future anticipated growth, support activities, and changes to the installation; (3) No action, with NNMC continuing to maintain and repair existing facilities without additional growth. Since November 2006, a number of planning decisions have been made by Department of Defense (DoD) that have affected, but not substantially changed, the proposed NEPA analysis on the best way to ensure world-class care is provided for the Nation’s wounded veterans both today and in the postBRAC environment. Special housing, billeting, food service, medical support, and administrative support requirements were determined and then appropriately sited on the NNMC Bethesda campus. The decisions made by DoD resulted in a refocused effort in this DEIS to concentrate in the Proposed Action entirely on implementation of the BRAC mandate through Warrior Care. Any other non-BRAC related future growth, support activities, or changes to the installation are considered when reasonably foreseeable in the analysis of cumulative impacts. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:31 Dec 13, 2007 Jkt 214001 The DEIS finds that environmental impacts from Alternative One and Alternative Two would be similar. The DEIS analysis indicates an increase in off-base traffic volumes due to the increase in staff, patients, and visitors. The off-base traffic impact would be the same for either alternative. The DEIS finds that proposed new facilities would involve a small increase in impervious surface area and minimal impacts to biological resources because the new facilities would be constructed on either existing development such as parking lots or on landscaped areas. The increase in runoff resulting from the increase in impervious surface would be controlled with storm water management and erosion and sediment control measures. Emissions of air pollutants from the Proposed Action during construction and operations would not exceed de minimis levels or ambient standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the airshed and thus air quality impacts would not be significant. Short-term increases in noise levels would occur during construction that are typical of construction activities. No major issues are anticipated for utilities required to support the NNMC expansion. Formal consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act with appropriate agencies will be conducted by the DON to ensure that construction of new buildings in the NNMC Bethesda Historic District would be accomplished with minimal impacts to cultural resources. The DEIS finds that the Proposed Action is compatible with existing land use plans and land use planning underway within NNMC. Beneficial economic impacts to the surrounding economy are anticipated under each action alternative, resulting from the large investment in construction and renovation of facilities. Local residents could experience increased traffic on weekdays and weekends. Personnel relocating from their positions at WRAMC are not expected to change their off base residences; therefore, impacts to local housing, schools, or community services are expected to be minimal. Adherence to applicable regulations and guidance will avoid impacts to human health and safety. The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and interested parties. The DEIS is also available for public review at the following local libraries and public facilities: Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814; Chevy Chase Library, 8005 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71127 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20817; Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895; Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850; Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814; Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., 7700 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814; and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1204, Bethesda, MD 20814. The DEIS is also available at the following Web sites: https:// www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/ Professional/Public_Affairs/BRAC/; and https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ brac. The DON also invites the general public, local governments, state and other federal agencies to participate in the public hearings where the DON will receive oral and written comments on the DEIS. Two hearings will be held: January 9 and 10, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Pooks Hill Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. The public hearings will be conducted in English. A court reporter will be available to record oral comments. The DON requests that people desiring to speak submit, in writing, their intention to participate and that they frame their statements to meet a three (3) minute limitation on the length of any oral statement. The limit is not intended to constrain an individual’s ability to make comments but rather to ensure that all persons requesting to make a comment are given that opportunity. The DON also requests that technical statements or statements of considerable length be submitted in writing. For requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary aids at the scheduled public hearings, please contact: Officer in Charge—BRAC, National Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, Telephone: 301–295–2722 during normal business hours Monday through Friday, fax: 301–295–5020, or e-mail: NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil. To allow time for the arrangements to be made, any request for special assistance at the public hearings must be made to the DEIS point of contact by January 04, 2008. E:\FR\FM\14DEN1.SGM 14DEN1 71128 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 240 / Friday, December 14, 2007 / Notices Dated: December 10, 2007. T.M. Cruz, Lieutenant, Judge Advocate Generals Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7–24214 Filed 12–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the U.S. Marine Corps Grow the Force Initiative (or GTF) at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC AGENCY: rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES ACTION: Department of the Navy; DoD. Notice. SUMMARY: Pursuant to section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500–1508) and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) NEPA implementing regulations in Marine Corps Order P5090.2A, the USMC announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental consequences that may result from the permanent assignment of approximately 9,900 additional Marines and support service personnel at three installations in North Carolina: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) and Marine Corps Air Station New River (MCASNR) in Jacksonville and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCASCP) in Havelock. The proposed action includes incremental permanent personnel increases at existing USMC installations. By Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 MCBCL, MCASNR, and MCASCP personnel (military and civilian) increases are expected to be approximately 7,700 (MCBCL), 1,400 (MCASNR), and 800 (MCASCP). Alternatives to be examined in the EIS may consist of alternative sitting locations on these installations for new facility construction, renovation and use of existing facilities, or a combination of both new and existing facilities. The noaction alternative, of not permanently basing these Marines and associated personnel, will also be examined. The USMC is initiating the scoping process with this notice of intent. Scoping assists the USMC in identifying community concerns and local issues related to the proposed action. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:31 Dec 13, 2007 Jkt 214001 Three open house scoping meetings will be held in the Jacksonville and Havelock regional area from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations: (1) Tuesday, January 29, 2008, Havelock Tourist and Event Center, 201 Tourist Center Drive, Havelock, NC. (2) Wednesday, January 30, 2008, Coastal Carolina Community College, 444 Western Boulevard, Jacksonville, NC. (3) Thursday, January 31, 2008, Dixon High School, 160 Dixon School Road, Holly Ridge, NC. ADDRESSES: Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested groups and persons are encouraged to attend the scoping open house meetings. All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action either at the scoping meetings or by mail, postmarked no later than February 3, 2008 to ensure proper consideration in the EIS to the following address: Mr. Michael H. Jones, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Code BMEV31 Building C, Room 3012, 6506 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23508–1278. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael H. Jones, 757–322–4942. Please submit requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired or other auxiliary aids at the public meeting to Mr. Jones by January 8, 2008. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2007, the President of the United States, on the recommendation of the Secretary of Defense, announced that the Marine Corps would increase its end strength from approximately 180,000 to 202,000 by 2011. This increase is needed to provide adequate time to recover between deployments, train to meet combat readiness, and prepare for redeployment. The purpose of the proposed action is to ensure that Marines are properly prepared and trained for existing combat and homeland protection missions and future conflicts. The Marine Corps uses the Total Force Structure Process (TFSP) to transform strategic guidance, policy constraints, and commander-generated recommendations into the integrated capabilities required to execute Marine Corps missions. The TFSP relies on a detailed, integrated examination of doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel, and facilities, ensuring that no aspect of the enterprise is ignored when new requirements for the Corps are identified. In order to meet the purpose and need, the proposed action of increasing the Marine Corps must be DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 expedited while not compromising the current Marine Corps missions. Existing force structure and organization would be maintained in order to not further complicate, retard, or jeopardize the Marine Corps mission. The proposed action accomplishes this by augmenting existing units with Marines possessing the appropriate skill sets. These existing units are already established at current Marine Corps bases. Consequently, alternative bed-down locations to the proposed action are not feasible because they would not meet the purpose and need of the proposed action. Specifically, the EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed action at the three installations on the following resources: Land; water resources (e.g., wetlands and coastal zones); natural resources, including threatened and endangered species; air; earth resources (e.g., soils and geology); visual resources, and cultural resources. Issues and activities that will be addressed include: Hazardous materials and hazardous waste; noise; recreation; transportation; socioeconomics; and environmental justice. Other resources, activities, and issues as identified through the scoping process will be included in the EIS and the analysis will evaluate both direct and indirect impacts, and account for cumulative impacts from other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the Jacksonville and Havelock, NC regional area. The USMC values the good relationship between its three installations in eastern NC and the surrounding communities, and will work closely with community stakeholders to assess the potential impacts of the proposed action on traffic and other transportation issues; stormwater and other environmental concerns; population increases and the related concerns with respect to schools, child care, and other quality of life issues; and other potential impacts that may be identified. Dated: December 10, 2007. T.M. Cruz, Lieutenant, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Administrative Law Division, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7–24234 Filed 12–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Department of Education. SUMMARY: The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management E:\FR\FM\14DEN1.SGM 14DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 240 (Friday, December 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71126-71128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24214]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Activities To Implement 2005 
Base Realignment and Closure Actions at National Naval Medical Center, 
Bethesda, MD

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section (102)(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the regulations implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the Department 
of the Navy (DON) NEPA regulation (32 CFR part 775), DON announces the 
availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for 
potential environmental impacts associated with implementing actions 
directed by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Act of 
1990, Public Law 101-510, as amended in 2005 (BRAC Law), at the 
National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD.
    Under the BRAC law, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) 
will realign all tertiary and complex health care services to the NNMC 
campus in Bethesda. The transfer and integration of these services with 
existing functions at NNMC will result by law in creation of a new 
premier military health care center to be named the Walter Reed 
National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) at Bethesda, MD.
    The BRAC law calls for completion of the realignment, establishment 
of the WRNMMC, and closure of WRAMC to be accomplished by 15 September 
2011.
    The realignment of tertiary and complex medical care will bring 
additional patients and visitors requiring additional staff and 
facilities to be provided at NNMC. The DEIS provides information on the 
proposed new construction and facility alterations, current estimates 
of the additional staff that will be needed, and an assessment of the 
potential environmental impacts associated with implementation of these 
realignment actions at NNMC in Bethesda, MD.

DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after 
publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency. All comments on the DEIS must be 
postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed by midnight January 28, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Officer in Charge--BRAC, National Naval 
Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, fax: 301-
295-5020 or e-mail: NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Officer in Charge--BRAC, National 
Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, 
Telephone: 301-295-2722 during normal business hours Monday through 
Friday, fax: 301-295-5020, or e-mail: NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This DEIS evaluates the potential 
environmental effects of construction and operation of new facilities 
at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), Bethesda, Maryland. 
Alternative One would add approximately 1,144,000 square feet

[[Page 71127]]

(SF) of new building construction, provide approximately 508,000 SF of 
renovation to existing building space at NNMC, and provide 
approximately 824,000 SF of new parking facilities. It would 
accommodate approximately 2,500 additional staff. The new construction 
or improvements to existing facilities would provide medical care and 
administration additions and alterations, a Traumatic Brain Injury/Post 
Traumatic Stress Disorder Intrepid Center of Excellence, permanent and 
temporary lodging facilities (Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and Fisher 
HousesTM), a new physical fitness center, additional 
parking, and road and utility improvements on the installation as 
needed to support the new facilities. Under Alternative Two, the same 
facilities are proposed; some facility sites change and the choice of 
new construction versus renovation of some facilities differs from 
Alternative One. Alternative Two would add to NNMC approximately 
1,230,000 SF feet of new building construction, approximately 423,000 
SF of building renovation, and approximately 824,000 SF of new parking 
facilities. The estimated staffing increase would also be approximately 
2,500 personnel under Alternative Two.
    The Notice of Intent (NOI), published in the Federal Register on 
November 21, 2006, identified the following alternatives to be under 
consideration in the EIS: (1) Implement the BRAC recommendation; (2) 
Implement the BRAC recommendation and provide for future anticipated 
growth, support activities, and changes to the installation; (3) No 
action, with NNMC continuing to maintain and repair existing facilities 
without additional growth.
    Since November 2006, a number of planning decisions have been made 
by Department of Defense (DoD) that have affected, but not 
substantially changed, the proposed NEPA analysis on the best way to 
ensure world-class care is provided for the Nation's wounded veterans 
both today and in the post-BRAC environment. Special housing, 
billeting, food service, medical support, and administrative support 
requirements were determined and then appropriately sited on the NNMC 
Bethesda campus. The decisions made by DoD resulted in a refocused 
effort in this DEIS to concentrate in the Proposed Action entirely on 
implementation of the BRAC mandate through Warrior Care. Any other non-
BRAC related future growth, support activities, or changes to the 
installation are considered when reasonably foreseeable in the analysis 
of cumulative impacts.
    The DEIS finds that environmental impacts from Alternative One and 
Alternative Two would be similar. The DEIS analysis indicates an 
increase in off-base traffic volumes due to the increase in staff, 
patients, and visitors. The off-base traffic impact would be the same 
for either alternative. The DEIS finds that proposed new facilities 
would involve a small increase in impervious surface area and minimal 
impacts to biological resources because the new facilities would be 
constructed on either existing development such as parking lots or on 
landscaped areas. The increase in runoff resulting from the increase in 
impervious surface would be controlled with storm water management and 
erosion and sediment control measures.
    Emissions of air pollutants from the Proposed Action during 
construction and operations would not exceed de minimis levels or 
ambient standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency for protection of the airshed and thus air quality impacts would 
not be significant. Short-term increases in noise levels would occur 
during construction that are typical of construction activities. No 
major issues are anticipated for utilities required to support the NNMC 
expansion.
    Formal consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act 
with appropriate agencies will be conducted by the DON to ensure that 
construction of new buildings in the NNMC Bethesda Historic District 
would be accomplished with minimal impacts to cultural resources.
    The DEIS finds that the Proposed Action is compatible with existing 
land use plans and land use planning underway within NNMC. Beneficial 
economic impacts to the surrounding economy are anticipated under each 
action alternative, resulting from the large investment in construction 
and renovation of facilities. Local residents could experience 
increased traffic on weekdays and weekends. Personnel relocating from 
their positions at WRAMC are not expected to change their off base 
residences; therefore, impacts to local housing, schools, or community 
services are expected to be minimal. Adherence to applicable 
regulations and guidance will avoid impacts to human health and safety.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various federal, state, and local 
agencies, elected officials, special interest groups, and interested 
parties. The DEIS is also available for public review at the following 
local libraries and public facilities: Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington 
Road, Bethesda, MD 20814; Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Avenue, 
Chevy Chase, MD 20815; Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Boulevard, 
Bethesda, MD 20817; Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Avenue, 
Kensington, MD 20895; Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, 
MD 20850; Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor 
Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814; Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., 7700 Old 
Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814; and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber 
of Commerce, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1204, Bethesda, MD 20814.
    The DEIS is also available at the following Web sites: https://
www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/Professional/Public_Affairs/BRAC/; and 
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/brac.
    The DON also invites the general public, local governments, state 
and other federal agencies to participate in the public hearings where 
the DON will receive oral and written comments on the DEIS. Two 
hearings will be held: January 9 and 10, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 
Pooks Hill Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
    The public hearings will be conducted in English. A court reporter 
will be available to record oral comments. The DON requests that people 
desiring to speak submit, in writing, their intention to participate 
and that they frame their statements to meet a three (3) minute 
limitation on the length of any oral statement. The limit is not 
intended to constrain an individual's ability to make comments but 
rather to ensure that all persons requesting to make a comment are 
given that opportunity. The DON also requests that technical statements 
or statements of considerable length be submitted in writing.
    For requests for special assistance, sign language interpretation 
for the hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary 
aids at the scheduled public hearings, please contact: Officer in 
Charge--BRAC, National Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, 
Bethesda, MD 20889, Telephone: 301-295-2722 during normal business 
hours Monday through Friday, fax: 301-295-5020, or e-mail: 
NNMCEIS@med.navy.mil.
    To allow time for the arrangements to be made, any request for 
special assistance at the public hearings must be made to the DEIS 
point of contact by January 04, 2008.


[[Page 71128]]


    Dated: December 10, 2007.
T.M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate Generals Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-24214 Filed 12-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
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