Animal Center Master Plan Record of Decision, 61373-61375 [2013-24205]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2013 / Notices
biological sketch of the nominee and a
copy of his/her curriculum vitae; and (3)
the name, address, daytime telephone
number, and email address at which the
nominator can be contacted.
HHS strives to ensure that the
membership of HHS federal advisory
committee is fairly balanced in terms of
points of view presented and the
committees function. Every effort is
made to ensure that the views of
women, all ethnic and racial groups,
and people with disabilities are
represented on HHS federal advisory
committees and, therefore, the
Department encourages nominations of
qualified candidates from these groups.
The Department also encourages
geographic diversity in the composition
of the Committee. Appointment to this
Committee shall be made without
discrimination on basis of age, race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
disability, and cultural, religious, or
socioeconomic status.
Dated: September 26, 2013.
Bahar Niakan,
Director, Division of Policy and Information
Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2013–24304 Filed 10–2–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Animal Center Master Plan Record of
Decision
The Department of Health and
Human Services, the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), has decided, after
completion of a Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) and a thorough
consideration of the public comments
on the Draft EIS, to implement the
Proposed Action, referred to as the
Proposed Action in the Final EIS. This
action is for a long-range physical
Master Plan for National Institutes of
Health Animal Center (NIHAC) located
in Dickerson, Maryland. This alternative
accounts for potential growth in NIHAC
personnel, new construction, additions,
renovations, demolitions, and upgrades
in site utilities.
Responsible Official: Daniel G.
Wheeland, Director, Office of Research
Facilities Development and Operations,
NIH.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Valerie Nottingham, Deputy Director,
DEP, ORF, NIH, Building 13, Room
2S11, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,
MD 20892, Phone 301–496–7775,
nihnepa@mail.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
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Decision
After careful review of the
environmental consequences in the
Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Master Plan, National Institutes
of Health Animal Center, and
consideration of public comment
throughout the NEPA process, the NIH
has decided to implement the Proposed
Action described below as the Selected
Alternative.
Selected Alternative
The Selected Alternative is intended
to be a strategic tool for the efficient
allocation of campus resources, the
orderly accommodation of future
growth, and the creation of an
environment, which is both functionally
and aesthetically conducive to
accomplishing the NIHAC mission. The
Selected Alternative will provide a
guide for the reasoned and orderly
development of the NIHAC campus, one
that values and builds on existing
resources, corrects current deficiencies
and meets changing needs through new
construction or renovation. The plan
sets forth implementation priorities and
a logical sequencing of planned
development.
The Selected Alternative is for a longrange physical Master Plan for NIHAC.
This alternative covers a 20-year
planning period, with reviews every 5
years to ensure that the plan continues
to address issues affecting the campus.
The alternative addresses the future
development of the NIHAC site,
including placement of future
construction; vehicular and pedestrian
circulation on and off-campus; parking
within the property boundaries; open
space in and around the campus;
required setbacks; historic properties;
natural and scenic resources; noise; and
lighting. This alternative accounts for
potential growth in NIHAC personnel,
and consequent construction of space
over the planning period. Future
construction on the site could include
such facilities as new animal holding,
research laboratories, and support
facilities.
NIH will continue to develop NIHAC
to accommodate NIH’s research needs
and required programmatic adjacencies
consistent with the commitment to
maintain the ‘‘campus’’ character of the
site. The alternative advances this
objective by programming and locating
future NIHAC growth so that new
development would tie into the existing
utility services and utilities are available
to support growth, and establishing
development guidelines for future
changes to the site that ensure that as
the campus grows new development
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61373
would be responsive to the context of
adjacent neighborhoods or
developments. Under the selected
alternative, NIHAC’s population is
anticipated to grow in the next twenty
years to a total campus population of
212. The primary growth at the campus
would be in intramural research
personnel and the administrative and
facility staff to support them.
Alternatives Considered
The Proposed Action Alternative and
No Action Alternative were the two
alternatives analyzed in the Final EIS.
The Master Plan covers a 20-year
planning period, but will be reviewed
every 5 years to ensure that the plan
continues to remain current and
relevant to the key issues affecting the
campus. The alternatives addressed the
future development of the NIHAC site,
including placement of future
construction; vehicular and pedestrian
circulation on and off-campus; parking
within the property boundaries; open
space in and around the campus;
required setbacks; historic properties;
natural and scenic resources; noise; and
lighting. They account for potential
growth in NIHAC personnel, and
consequent construction of space over
the planning period. Future
construction on the site could include
such facilities as new animal holding,
research laboratories, and support
facilities.
Factors Involved in the Decision
The Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) requires that NIH
facilities have a Master Plan; however,
the previous Master Plan for the NIHAC
campus was outdated. In addition,
factors such as the aging of facilities that
were designed only to accommodate
temporary use, animal housing facilities
that do not provide adequate space for
projected increases in animal
populations, and research support
facilities not being adequate to sustain
current and projected programs played
a key role. The Master Plan contains
information and recommendations to
guide development of individual
projects. It also serves as a means of
informing city and county officials and
utilities of future NIHAC development
plans so they can anticipate and plan for
the potential effects of NIHAC proposals
on their systems.
Resources Impacts
The Final EIS describes potential
environmental effects of the Selected
Alternative. These potential effects are
documented in Chapter 3 of the Final
EIS. Any potential adverse
environmental effects will be avoided or
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2013 / Notices
mitigated through design elements,
procedures, and compliance with
regulatory and NIH requirements.
Potential impacts on air quality are all
within government standards (federal,
state, and local). NIH does not expect
negative effects on the environment or
on the citizens of Dickerson from
construction and operations at NIHAC.
Summary of Impacts
The following is a summary of
potential impacts resulting from the
Selected Alternative that the NIH
considered when making its decision.
No adverse cumulative effects have been
identified during the NEPA process.
Likewise, no unavoidable or adverse
impacts from implementation of the
Selected Action have been identified.
The Selected Alternative will be
beneficial to the long-term productivity
of the national and world health
communities. Biomedical research
conducted at the NIHAC facility will
have the potential to advance
techniques in disease prevention,
develop disease immunizations, and
prepare defenses against naturally
emerging and re-emerging diseases and
against bioweapons. Additionally, the
local community will benefit from
increased employment, income and,
government and public finance.
Housing
NIHAC is located in a very rural area
of Dickerson. Temporary impacts during
construction are expected to have a
minimal effect on the existing rural
community.
Education
The current public school capacity in
nearby Poolesville would be adequate to
accommodate the expected minimal
growth caused by the Selected
Alternative.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Transportation
The potential increase in vehicular
traffic generated by the Master Plan
would only minimally contribute to the
slight decrease in the level of service on
the roadways in the vicinity of the
campus. Existing arterial, connector,
and local roads surrounding NIHAC are
underutilized and have the capacity to
support projected traffic increases
associated with the Master Plan and the
population growth. In addition, NIHAC
is relatively isolated from existing and
projected local centers of employment,
residences, or retail, limiting potential
effects on road infrastructure or traffic
levels. Therefore, the minor increase in
traffic volume associated with the
Master plan is not expected to
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contribute to significant traffic concerns
in the vicinity of NIHAC.
Security
The Master Plan would provide an
entrance security and screening center,
100-foot vehicle separation from
buildings, access control at loading
docks, perimeter fence repair, and an
emergency access for the campus to
meet recently enacted safety
requirements for government facilities.
Employment
If the Selected Alternative is fully
implemented, up to only 13 new
employees over the current 199
employees would be hired. Some of the
new staff members are likely to move to
Montgomery County, and possibly the
Poolesville area, from outside the
region.
Environmental Justice
As no minority or low-income
populations occur within the analysis,
Environmental Justice will not be
discussed.
Visual Quality
The Master Plan’s land use plan
provides a framework to help organize
future development at NIHAC so that
similar land use types are consolidated
while open space and natural features
are preserved. NIHAC would exhibit the
same basic types of land use as it does
currently, but in a slightly different
configuration. The Master Plan does not
propose any land use changes outside
NIHAC. Therefore, the NIHAC campus
is anticipated to remain consistent with
the county plan and zoning regulations.
Noise
To limit impacts to nearby residences,
NIH would limit construction activities
to normal daytime working hours.
Under the Master Plan, the ambient
noise levels at NIHAC would remain
within Maryland and Montgomery
County noise thresholds. Furthermore,
any minor change in noise levels is not
expected to affect the rural character of
the site.
Air Quality
Air monitoring data at the stations
closest to NIHAC demonstrate that
ozone and PM ambient air quality
pollutant concentrations have been
steadily declining over the past 10 to 20
years (USEPA, 2012a). Therefore, the
moderate increase in air emissions
under the Master Plan is not expected
to result in cumulative negative impacts
to regional air quality.
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Wastewater/Water Supply
The Master Plan recommends system
upgrades and water conservation
measures to address the Waste Water
Treatment Plant (WWTP) capacity
concern. The Master Plan would install
an additional filter at the WWTP to
increase the treatment capacity.
Installation of the new filter, combined
with implementation of the potable
water conservation measures, should
provide sufficient capacity to
accommodate wastewater generated
under the Master Plan and would
accommodate a 20 percent factor of
safety. NIH would evaluate the water
demands and potential implementation
of system upgrades and water
conservation measures as they proceed
through planning and design for each
new facility.
If potable water conservation
measures are not fully implemented, or
the actual building designs result in
greater than anticipated flows, the
WWTP would likely require
replacement or a major component
upgrade. NIH would conduct a detailed
study during Phase 1 of the Master Plan
to evaluate the need for upgrades to the
WWTP. Following the Phase 1 study,
NIH would implement WWTP upgrades
during Phases 2 and/or 3 of the Master
Plan.
Expansion of the WWTP treatment
capacity under the Master Plan may
require a revised NPDES permit from
MDE with updated effluent limitations.
Prior to implementing upgrades, NIH
would consult with MDE to identify the
appropriate review and NPDES
permitting requirements, which may
involve opportunities for public
comment. NIH would continue to
operate the WWTP in accordance with
the applicable NPDES permit
limitations.
Historic Resources
NIH would comply with NHPA
Section 106 by consulting with
Maryland Historical Trust on the need
for particular archeological studies as
individual Master Plan project elements
are funded, designed, and executed. In
the event that eligible prehistoric
resources are identified and adverse
effects are anticipated, NIH would
continue Section 106 consultation with
the appropriate consulting parties
(which would include MHT and may
also include ACHP and Native
American tribes) to establish a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to
resolve adverse effects. Mitigation
measures identified through this
consultation could include in-place
preservation through site avoidance,
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2013 / Notices
protection, or easement acquisition;
development and implementation of a
data recovery plan to retrieve and
analyze the site’s resourcesimplementation of innovative,
alternative mitigation measures- or a
combination of these measures.
Practicable Means to Avoid or
Minimize Potential Environmental
Harm From the Selected Alternative
Air quality permit standards will be
met, as will all federal, state, and local
requirements to protect the environment
and public health.
Conclusion
Based upon review and careful
consideration, the NIH has decided to
implement the Selected Alternative for
a long-range physical Master Plan for
NIH Animal Center located in
Dickerson, Maryland. The decision
accounts for potential growth at NIHAC
personnel, and consequent construction
of space over the planning period.
The decision was based upon review
and careful consideration of the impacts
identified in the Final EIS and public
comments received throughout the
NEPA process.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
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Prospective Grant of Exclusive
License: Use of Quaking-Induced
Conversion (QUIC) for Detection of
Prions
National Institutes of Health,
HHS.
Pollution Prevention
[FR Doc. 2013–24205 Filed 10–2–13; 8:45 am]
National Institutes of Health
AGENCY:
All practicable means to avoid or
minimize adverse environmental effects
from the Selected Action have been
identified and incorporated into the
action. The proposed Master Plan
construction will be subject to the
existing NIHAC pollution prevention,
waste management, and safety, security,
and emergency response procedures as
well as existing environmental permits.
Best management practices, spill
prevention and control, and stormwater
management plans will be followed to
appropriately address the construction
and operation of the new Master Plan
and comply with applicable regulatory
and NIH requirements. No additional
mitigation measures have been
identified.
Dated: September 27, 2013.
Daniel G. Wheeland,
Director, Office of Research Facilities
Development and Operations, National
Institutes of Health.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
ACTION:
Notice.
This is notice, in accordance
with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404,
that the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), Department of Health and Human
Services, is contemplating the grant of
an exclusive license to practice the
inventions embodied in U.S. provisional
Application 60/961,364 filed July 20,
2007 [E–109–2007/0–US–01], PCT/
US2008/070656, filed July 21, 2008; [E–
109–2007/1–PCT–01], EPC application
No 08796382.3 filed July 21, 2008 [E–
109–2007/1–EP–03], US Application
No. 12/177,012, filed July 21, 2008 and
issued as US patent 8,216,788 on July
10, 2012 [E–109–2007/1–US–02], and
US Application No. 13/489,321, filed
June 5, 2012 [E–109–2007/1–US–04];
Each entitled ‘‘Detection of Infectious
Prion Protein by Seeded Conversion of
Recombinant Prion Protein’’ By Byron
Caughey et al. to Prionics AG having a
place of business at Wagistrasse 27a
CH–8952 Schlieren-Zurich,
Switzerland. The patent rights in this
invention have been assigned to the
United States of America.
DATES: Only written comments and/or
application for a license that are
received by the NIH Office of
Technology Transfer on or before
November 4, 2013 will be considered.
ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of the
patent application, inquiries, comments
and other materials relating to the
contemplated license should be directed
to: Tedd Fenn, Office of Technology
Transfer, National Institutes of Health,
6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325,
Rockville, MD 20852–3804; Email:
Tedd.Fenn@mail.nih.gov; Telephone:
301–435–5031; Facsimile: 301–402–
0220.
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The prospective worldwide exclusive
license will be royalty bearing and will
comply with the terms and conditions
of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.
The prospective exclusive license may
be granted unless, within thirty (30)
days from the date of this published
Notice, NIH receives written evidence
and argument that establishes that the
grant of the license would not be
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61375
consistent with the requirements of 35
U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.
The invention relates to methods and
compositions for the detection of
infectious proteins or prions and
diagnosis of prion related diseases.
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative
diseases of great public concern because
humans may be infected from hoofed
animals used as food, food products
such as milk, or blood products.
Currently available tests for diseasecausing prions are either incapable of
detecting low concentrations of prions
and must be used post-mortem or are
incapable of detecting low
concentrations of prions economically
or accurately. This technology enables
rapid and economical detection of sublethal concentrations of prions by using
recombinant, normal, prion protein
(rPrP-sen) as a marker or indicator of
infectious prions in a sample.
Specifically, prions (contained in a
sample) seed the polymerization of
rPrP-sen, and polymerized rPrP-sen is
detected as an amplified indicator of
prions in the sample. This assay differs
from the protein-misfolding cyclic
amplification assay (PMCA) because it
enables the effective use of rPrP-sen and
does not require multiple amplification
cycles unless a higher degree of
sensitivity is required. It is anticipated
that this technology can be combined
with additional prion-detection
technologies to further improve the
sensitivity of the assay. In its current
embodiment, this assay has been used to
detect prions in brain tissue or cerebral
spinal fluid (CSF) from humans (variant
CJD), sheep (scrapie), and hamsters
(scrapie).
The proposed field of exclusivity may
be limited to diagnostics requiring
premarket approval by a U.S. or a
foreign regulatory agency.
Properly filed competing applications
for a license filed in response to this
notice will be treated as objections to
the contemplated license. Comments
and objections submitted in response to
this notice will not be made available
for public inspection, and, to the extent
permitted by law, will not be released
under the Freedom of Information Act,
5 U.S.C. 552.
Dated: September 27, 2013.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development
& Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2013–24141 Filed 10–2–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61373-61375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24205]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Animal Center Master Plan Record of Decision
SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), has decided, after completion of a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and a thorough consideration of
the public comments on the Draft EIS, to implement the Proposed Action,
referred to as the Proposed Action in the Final EIS. This action is for
a long-range physical Master Plan for National Institutes of Health
Animal Center (NIHAC) located in Dickerson, Maryland. This alternative
accounts for potential growth in NIHAC personnel, new construction,
additions, renovations, demolitions, and upgrades in site utilities.
Responsible Official: Daniel G. Wheeland, Director, Office of
Research Facilities Development and Operations, NIH.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Nottingham, Deputy Director,
DEP, ORF, NIH, Building 13, Room 2S11, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,
MD 20892, Phone 301-496-7775, nihnepa@mail.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Decision
After careful review of the environmental consequences in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for the Master Plan, National Institutes
of Health Animal Center, and consideration of public comment throughout
the NEPA process, the NIH has decided to implement the Proposed Action
described below as the Selected Alternative.
Selected Alternative
The Selected Alternative is intended to be a strategic tool for the
efficient allocation of campus resources, the orderly accommodation of
future growth, and the creation of an environment, which is both
functionally and aesthetically conducive to accomplishing the NIHAC
mission. The Selected Alternative will provide a guide for the reasoned
and orderly development of the NIHAC campus, one that values and builds
on existing resources, corrects current deficiencies and meets changing
needs through new construction or renovation. The plan sets forth
implementation priorities and a logical sequencing of planned
development.
The Selected Alternative is for a long-range physical Master Plan
for NIHAC. This alternative covers a 20-year planning period, with
reviews every 5 years to ensure that the plan continues to address
issues affecting the campus. The alternative addresses the future
development of the NIHAC site, including placement of future
construction; vehicular and pedestrian circulation on and off-campus;
parking within the property boundaries; open space in and around the
campus; required setbacks; historic properties; natural and scenic
resources; noise; and lighting. This alternative accounts for potential
growth in NIHAC personnel, and consequent construction of space over
the planning period. Future construction on the site could include such
facilities as new animal holding, research laboratories, and support
facilities.
NIH will continue to develop NIHAC to accommodate NIH's research
needs and required programmatic adjacencies consistent with the
commitment to maintain the ``campus'' character of the site. The
alternative advances this objective by programming and locating future
NIHAC growth so that new development would tie into the existing
utility services and utilities are available to support growth, and
establishing development guidelines for future changes to the site that
ensure that as the campus grows new development would be responsive to
the context of adjacent neighborhoods or developments. Under the
selected alternative, NIHAC's population is anticipated to grow in the
next twenty years to a total campus population of 212. The primary
growth at the campus would be in intramural research personnel and the
administrative and facility staff to support them.
Alternatives Considered
The Proposed Action Alternative and No Action Alternative were the
two alternatives analyzed in the Final EIS. The Master Plan covers a
20-year planning period, but will be reviewed every 5 years to ensure
that the plan continues to remain current and relevant to the key
issues affecting the campus. The alternatives addressed the future
development of the NIHAC site, including placement of future
construction; vehicular and pedestrian circulation on and off-campus;
parking within the property boundaries; open space in and around the
campus; required setbacks; historic properties; natural and scenic
resources; noise; and lighting. They account for potential growth in
NIHAC personnel, and consequent construction of space over the planning
period. Future construction on the site could include such facilities
as new animal holding, research laboratories, and support facilities.
Factors Involved in the Decision
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires that NIH
facilities have a Master Plan; however, the previous Master Plan for
the NIHAC campus was outdated. In addition, factors such as the aging
of facilities that were designed only to accommodate temporary use,
animal housing facilities that do not provide adequate space for
projected increases in animal populations, and research support
facilities not being adequate to sustain current and projected programs
played a key role. The Master Plan contains information and
recommendations to guide development of individual projects. It also
serves as a means of informing city and county officials and utilities
of future NIHAC development plans so they can anticipate and plan for
the potential effects of NIHAC proposals on their systems.
Resources Impacts
The Final EIS describes potential environmental effects of the
Selected Alternative. These potential effects are documented in Chapter
3 of the Final EIS. Any potential adverse environmental effects will be
avoided or
[[Page 61374]]
mitigated through design elements, procedures, and compliance with
regulatory and NIH requirements. Potential impacts on air quality are
all within government standards (federal, state, and local). NIH does
not expect negative effects on the environment or on the citizens of
Dickerson from construction and operations at NIHAC.
Summary of Impacts
The following is a summary of potential impacts resulting from the
Selected Alternative that the NIH considered when making its decision.
No adverse cumulative effects have been identified during the NEPA
process. Likewise, no unavoidable or adverse impacts from
implementation of the Selected Action have been identified. The
Selected Alternative will be beneficial to the long-term productivity
of the national and world health communities. Biomedical research
conducted at the NIHAC facility will have the potential to advance
techniques in disease prevention, develop disease immunizations, and
prepare defenses against naturally emerging and re-emerging diseases
and against bioweapons. Additionally, the local community will benefit
from increased employment, income and, government and public finance.
Housing
NIHAC is located in a very rural area of Dickerson. Temporary
impacts during construction are expected to have a minimal effect on
the existing rural community.
Education
The current public school capacity in nearby Poolesville would be
adequate to accommodate the expected minimal growth caused by the
Selected Alternative.
Transportation
The potential increase in vehicular traffic generated by the Master
Plan would only minimally contribute to the slight decrease in the
level of service on the roadways in the vicinity of the campus.
Existing arterial, connector, and local roads surrounding NIHAC are
underutilized and have the capacity to support projected traffic
increases associated with the Master Plan and the population growth. In
addition, NIHAC is relatively isolated from existing and projected
local centers of employment, residences, or retail, limiting potential
effects on road infrastructure or traffic levels. Therefore, the minor
increase in traffic volume associated with the Master plan is not
expected to contribute to significant traffic concerns in the vicinity
of NIHAC.
Security
The Master Plan would provide an entrance security and screening
center, 100-foot vehicle separation from buildings, access control at
loading docks, perimeter fence repair, and an emergency access for the
campus to meet recently enacted safety requirements for government
facilities.
Employment
If the Selected Alternative is fully implemented, up to only 13 new
employees over the current 199 employees would be hired. Some of the
new staff members are likely to move to Montgomery County, and possibly
the Poolesville area, from outside the region.
Environmental Justice
As no minority or low-income populations occur within the analysis,
Environmental Justice will not be discussed.
Visual Quality
The Master Plan's land use plan provides a framework to help
organize future development at NIHAC so that similar land use types are
consolidated while open space and natural features are preserved. NIHAC
would exhibit the same basic types of land use as it does currently,
but in a slightly different configuration. The Master Plan does not
propose any land use changes outside NIHAC. Therefore, the NIHAC campus
is anticipated to remain consistent with the county plan and zoning
regulations.
Noise
To limit impacts to nearby residences, NIH would limit construction
activities to normal daytime working hours. Under the Master Plan, the
ambient noise levels at NIHAC would remain within Maryland and
Montgomery County noise thresholds. Furthermore, any minor change in
noise levels is not expected to affect the rural character of the site.
Air Quality
Air monitoring data at the stations closest to NIHAC demonstrate
that ozone and PM ambient air quality pollutant concentrations have
been steadily declining over the past 10 to 20 years (USEPA, 2012a).
Therefore, the moderate increase in air emissions under the Master Plan
is not expected to result in cumulative negative impacts to regional
air quality.
Wastewater/Water Supply
The Master Plan recommends system upgrades and water conservation
measures to address the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) capacity
concern. The Master Plan would install an additional filter at the WWTP
to increase the treatment capacity. Installation of the new filter,
combined with implementation of the potable water conservation
measures, should provide sufficient capacity to accommodate wastewater
generated under the Master Plan and would accommodate a 20 percent
factor of safety. NIH would evaluate the water demands and potential
implementation of system upgrades and water conservation measures as
they proceed through planning and design for each new facility.
If potable water conservation measures are not fully implemented,
or the actual building designs result in greater than anticipated
flows, the WWTP would likely require replacement or a major component
upgrade. NIH would conduct a detailed study during Phase 1 of the
Master Plan to evaluate the need for upgrades to the WWTP. Following
the Phase 1 study, NIH would implement WWTP upgrades during Phases 2
and/or 3 of the Master Plan.
Expansion of the WWTP treatment capacity under the Master Plan may
require a revised NPDES permit from MDE with updated effluent
limitations. Prior to implementing upgrades, NIH would consult with MDE
to identify the appropriate review and NPDES permitting requirements,
which may involve opportunities for public comment. NIH would continue
to operate the WWTP in accordance with the applicable NPDES permit
limitations.
Historic Resources
NIH would comply with NHPA Section 106 by consulting with Maryland
Historical Trust on the need for particular archeological studies as
individual Master Plan project elements are funded, designed, and
executed. In the event that eligible prehistoric resources are
identified and adverse effects are anticipated, NIH would continue
Section 106 consultation with the appropriate consulting parties (which
would include MHT and may also include ACHP and Native American tribes)
to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to resolve adverse
effects. Mitigation measures identified through this consultation could
include in-place preservation through site avoidance,
[[Page 61375]]
protection, or easement acquisition; development and implementation of
a data recovery plan to retrieve and analyze the site's resources-
implementation of innovative, alternative mitigation measures- or a
combination of these measures.
Practicable Means to Avoid or Minimize Potential Environmental Harm
From the Selected Alternative
All practicable means to avoid or minimize adverse environmental
effects from the Selected Action have been identified and incorporated
into the action. The proposed Master Plan construction will be subject
to the existing NIHAC pollution prevention, waste management, and
safety, security, and emergency response procedures as well as existing
environmental permits. Best management practices, spill prevention and
control, and stormwater management plans will be followed to
appropriately address the construction and operation of the new Master
Plan and comply with applicable regulatory and NIH requirements. No
additional mitigation measures have been identified.
Pollution Prevention
Air quality permit standards will be met, as will all federal,
state, and local requirements to protect the environment and public
health.
Conclusion
Based upon review and careful consideration, the NIH has decided to
implement the Selected Alternative for a long-range physical Master
Plan for NIH Animal Center located in Dickerson, Maryland. The decision
accounts for potential growth at NIHAC personnel, and consequent
construction of space over the planning period.
The decision was based upon review and careful consideration of the
impacts identified in the Final EIS and public comments received
throughout the NEPA process.
Dated: September 27, 2013.
Daniel G. Wheeland,
Director, Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2013-24205 Filed 10-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
