Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Construction and Operation of a Replacement Currency Production Facility at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Prince George's County, MD, 62565-62566 [2019-24802]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62565-62566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24802]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Bureau of Engraving and Printing


Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Construction and 
Operation of a Replacement Currency Production Facility at the 
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Prince George's County, MD

AGENCY: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing (BEP) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for 
the construction and operation of a replacement currency production 
facility.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to: US Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN. Harvey Johnson, Programs and Project Management 
Division, 2 Hopkins Plaza, 10th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, or emailed 
to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harvey Johnson by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BEP is the federal agency tasked with 
developing and producing United States currency notes and other 
security documents. BEP currently operates production facilities in 
Washington, DC and in Fort Worth, Texas for this purpose. The 
Washington DC facility (DCF) is more than 100 years old and subject to 
sub-standard conditions that limit BEP's ability to modernize its 
production operations. These limitations include space, functional, and 
security deficiencies, in particular, segmented production processes 
and antiquated systems and equipment. From 2010 through 2017, BEP 
conducted various studies to evaluate alternative courses of action 
based on factors such as cost, location, and operational requirements. 
These investigations concluded that construction of a replacement 
production facility (vice renovation of the existing DCF) was the most 
appropriate and cost-effective course of action for BEP to modernize 
its currency production operations. A 2018 Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) review concurred with BEP's determination. Once 
operational, the new facility would phase out BEP's manufacturing 
operations at its existing Washington, DC facility (DCF); the main 
building in DC would be renovated for administrative purposes, and the 
Annex building would be returned to the General Services Administration 
(GSA). BEP is currently evaluating a potential site at the US 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beltsville Agricultural Research 
Center (BARC) for development of the new facility. The site's location 
would meet BEP's siting requirements for being accessible to commercial 
airports and interstate roadways, and for maintaining a reasonable 
commuting distance for its existing workforce in Washington, DC. A 
formal land transfer between BEP and USDA is pending further study of 
the site.
    The EIS will analyze the potential impacts of siting a new BEP 
currency production facility at the BARC site. At a minimum, the EIS 
will analyze a No Action Alternative, the impacts of not constructing a 
replacement production facility at the BARC, and a Proposed Action 
Alternative. Other reasonable alternatives identified during conceptual 
design and the NEPA process for this proposed action will also be 
considered for evaluation in the EIS. Resource areas that will be 
analyzed in the EIS include: Land use, aesthetics, air quality, noise, 
geology and soils, water resources, biological resources, cultural 
resources, socioeconomics and environmental justice, traffic and 
transportation, utilities, and hazardous and toxic materials/waste. 
Mitigation measures will be presented in the EIS to reduce potential 
adverse effects.
    The 2018 Farm Bill (Public Law 115-334) provided Congressional 
authorization for a land transfer between BEP and USDA. BEP is 
currently evaluating a potential site at the USDA's BARC on which to 
construct and operate the new facility. The BARC site is located in 
Beltsville, Prince George's County, Maryland on approximately 105 acres 
near the intersection of Poultry Road and Powder Mill Road. The site's 
location meets BEP's siting requirements for being accessible to 
commercial airports and interstate roadways, and for maintaining a 
reasonable commuting distance for its current workforce in Washington, 
DC. A formal land transfer between BEP and

[[Page 62566]]

USDA is pending further study of the site.
    A replacement currency production facility would range in size from 
approximately 750,000 to 1 million square feet. Such a facility is 
needed to address the space and functional deficiencies of BEP's 
existing DCF located at 300 14th Street SW in Washington, DC. The 
proposed action would allow BEP to modernize and streamline its 
operational footprint within the National Capital Region (NCR). The 
proposed action would include siting and orientating the facility to 
meet specific operational, security, and safety standards, clearing and 
grading the site, placement of and connection to required utilities and 
infrastructure, and the phased construction and operation of the new 
facility. The phased operation of the proposed action would also 
include the transition or relocation of administrative and 
manufacturing personnel from BEP's existing DCF. However, the proposed 
action would not include structural changes to or disposition of any 
existing BEP facility assets within the NCR, including its current DCF. 
NEPA compliance for changes to or disposition of these assets will 
occur at a later date.
    The EIS will analyze the potential impacts of siting this facility 
at the BARC site. At a minimum, the EIS will analyze a No Action 
Alternative, the impacts of not constructing a replacement production 
facility at the BARC, and a Proposed Action Alternative. Other 
reasonable alternatives identified during conceptual design and the 
NEPA process for BEP's proposed action will also be considered for 
evaluation in the EIS. Resource areas that will be analyzed in the EIS 
include: Land use, aesthetics, air quality, noise, geology and soils, 
water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, 
socioeconomics and environmental justice, traffic and transportation, 
utilities, and hazardous and toxic materials/waste. Mitigation measures 
will be presented in the EIS to reduce potential adverse effects.
    The public is invited to participate in the scoping process. The 
scoping process begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent in 
the Federal Registerand will last for 30 days. The scoping process will 
include a public scoping meeting, which is an opportunity for the 
public to receive information about the proposed action and assist BEP 
in identifying issues related to the proposed action. This meeting will 
take place near the BARC in Beltsville, Maryland; the specific details 
of the meeting will be announced in local media at least 2 weeks in 
advance. The public will also be invited to review and comment on the 
Draft EIS when it is available for review. Comments from the public 
will be considered before any decision is made regarding implementation 
of the proposed action.

David F. Eisner,
Assistant Secretary for Management.
[FR Doc. 2019-24802 Filed 11-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4840-01-P