Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the East Campus Integration Program, Fort Meade, Maryland, 44598-44599 [2016-16175]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 131 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44598-44599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16175]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the East Campus 
Integration Program, Fort Meade, Maryland

AGENCY: Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability; notice of public meeting; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the availability of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as part of the 
environmental planning process for the East Campus Integration Program 
at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland (hereafter referred to as Fort 
Meade). The DoD proposes to continue to develop operational complex and 
headquarters space at the National Security Agency's (NSA) East Campus 
on Fort Meade for use by NSA and the Intelligence Community. The 
purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide facilities that are fully 
supportive of the Intelligence Community's function and to continue to 
integrate the East Campus with the NSA Main Campus. The need for the 
action is to meet mission requirements, both internally at the NSA and 
within the Intelligence Community.
    This notice announces a 45-day comment period and provides 
information on how to participate in the public review process. The 
public comment period for the Draft EIS will officially end 45 days 
after publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register.

DATES: There will be an open house at 4:30 p.m. followed by a public 
meeting from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on August 3, 2016. The public 
meeting may end earlier or later than the stated time depending on the 
number of persons wishing to speak. All materials that are submitted in 
response to the Draft EIS should be received by August 22, 2016 to 
provide sufficient time to be considered in preparation of the Final 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft EIS are available for your review at the 
Medal of Honor Memorial Library, 4418 Llewellyn Avenue, Fort Meade, MD 
20755; the Glen Burnie Regional Library, 1010 Eastway, Glen Burnie, MD 
21060; the Odenton Regional Library, 1325 Annapolis Road, Odenton, MD 
21113; and the Severn Library, 2624 Annapolis Road, Severn, Maryland 
21144. You may also call 301-688-2970 or send an email to 
ECIPEIS@hdrinc.com to request a copy of the Draft EIS.
    The open house and public meeting will be held at the Severn 
Library, 2624 Annapolis Road, Severn, Maryland 21144. Verbal and 
written comments will be accepted at the public meeting. You can also 
submit written comments to ``East Campus Integration Program EIS'' c/o 
HDR, 2600 Park Tower Drive, Suite 100, Vienna, VA 22180 or submit by 
email to ECIPEIS@hdrinc.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeffrey Williams at 301-688-2970, 
or email jdwill2@nsa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The NSA is a tenant DoD agency on Fort Meade. NSA is a 
high-technology communications and data processing organization. In 
order to meet mission requirements, both at the NSA and within the 
Intelligence Community, continued integration of the East Campus with 
the NSA Main Campus on Fort Meade through development of office, 
operational, and headquarters space is needed. In 2010, NSA completed 
an EIS that addressed development of facilities on the East Campus. The 
Record of Decision for the 2010 EIS allowed for initiation of 
construction currently occurring in the southern portion of the East 
Campus. This East Campus Integration Program Draft EIS addresses build-
out of the northern portion of the East Campus and the adjacent 9800 
Troop Support Area, and integration of the East Campus with the NSA 
Main Campus.
    Proposed Action and Alternatives: The East Campus Integration 
Program was initiated to provide a modern office, operational, and 
headquarters complex to meet the growth requirements of the NSA and 
Intelligence Community. Development is proposed along the East Campus 
central core extending through the NSA Main Campus at Fort Meade. The 
Proposed Action consists of the construction of approximately 2,880,000 
square feet of office, operational, and headquarters space supporting 
an increase of 7,200 people with the majority from local leases and 
government-owned buildings to the NSA Main Campus. The program also 
includes the demolition of approximately 1,900,000 square feet of 
buildings and infrastructure. Development would include associated 
infrastructure (e.g., electrical substation, emergency generator 
capacity providing 121 megawatts of electricity, life-safety 
generators, building heating systems, utilities, roads, sidewalks, 
stormwater management facilities, and parking facilities).
    Alternatives identified include four options for emergency power 
generation and various pollution control systems, two options for 
building heating systems, four options for locations of parking 
facilities, and acquisition of additional space at two existing, 
offsite leased locations. Emergency power generation alternatives are 
generators and combined generators and combustion turbines. Building 
heating system alternatives are packaged boilers and a hybrid building 
heating system consisting of packaged boilers and ground source heat 
pumps. Parking facility alternatives consist of at least three of the 
following locations: East Campus Parking Structure 2, Bravo parking 
lot, N8/N9 parking lot, and Building 9817. Use of multi-level parking 
facilities were considered in lieu of surface parking. In conjunction 
with some construction and demolition on the East Campus, lease of 
space outside of Fort Meade at National Business Park and Annapolis 
Junction Business Park (Alternatives 1 and 2, respectively) were 
considered. The No Action Alternative (not undertaking the East Campus 
Integration Program) is also analyzed in detail.
    Summary of Environmental Impacts: The level of environmental 
impacts potentially resulting from the Proposed Action and alternatives 
would primarily be dependent on the alternative ultimately selected. 
Environmental impacts would generally be slightly more adverse for the 
Proposed Action than for Alternatives 1 and 2 due to the larger 
building footprints and number of additional personnel associated with 
the Proposed Action, although facilities and personnel would be 
consolidated in one location under the Proposed Action.
    Generally, construction and demolition would result in some ground 
disturbance and increased traffic congestion at intersections near the 
installation and proximal to the build

[[Page 44599]]

sites, which would be expected regardless of the alternative selected. 
Operation of the East Campus Integration Program would be expected to 
result in long-term, negligible to moderate impacts on land use, noise, 
air quality, geological resources, water resources, biological 
resources, infrastructure, sustainability, hazardous materials and 
waste, and socioeconomic resources. Major impacts on transportation 
(levels of service) would occur during operation; however, traffic 
impacts are considered major under the existing conditions as levels of 
service are already degraded.
    Best Management Practices and Mitigation Measures: The Proposed 
Action has the potential to result in adverse environmental impacts. 
The Proposed Action includes best management practices, mitigation 
measures, and design concepts to avoid adverse impacts to the extent 
practicable. Unavoidable impacts would be minimized or compensated for 
to the extent practicable. In accordance with Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations, mitigation measures are considered for adverse 
environmental impacts.
    Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at local 
repositories and by request (see ADDRESSES). The DoD invites public and 
agency input on the Draft EIS. Please submit comments and materials 
during the 45-day public review period to allow sufficient time for 
consideration in development of the Final EIS (see DATES).
    The DoD will consider all comments received and then prepare the 
Final EIS. As with the Draft EIS, DoD will announce the availability of 
the Final EIS and once again give you an opportunity for review and 
comment.

    Dated: July 5, 2016.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2016-16175 Filed 7-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P