Adoption of Department of Navy Categorical Exclusion Pursuant to Section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 2214-2216 [2024-00564]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
MANAGEMENT AGENCY (DCMA),
DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGMENT
OFFICE
Deletions
Quarterly Public Meeting
The following product(s) and
service(s) are proposed for deletion from
the Procurement List:
Product(s)
NSN(s)—Product Name(s):
7530–01–516–7577—Pad, Writing Paper,
Glue Bound Top, Legal Rule, White, 81⁄2″
x 131⁄4″
7530–01–516–7572—Pad, Writing Paper,
Glue Bound Top, Legal Rule, Canary, 5″
x 8″
Designated Source of Supply: Blind
Industries & Services of Maryland,
Baltimore, MD
Contracting Activity: GSA/FAS ADMIN
SVCS ACQUISITION BR(2, NEW YORK,
NY
NSN(s)—Product Name(s):
3030–01–375–8087—Belt, Micro-V, Vribbed, 4 Ribs, EPDM Rubber, 35.5″ long
3030–01–466–9476—Belt, V-shaped,
Micro, EPDM Rubber, 8 Ribs, 98.07″
Designated Source of Supply: Northeastern
Association of the Blind at Albany, Inc.,
Albany, NY
Contracting Activity: DLA LAND AND
MARITIME, COLUMBUS, OH
NSN(s)—Product Name(s):
8445–01–436–2695—Belt, Trousers,
Women’s, Type XII, Black, Size 45
Designated Source of Supply: Travis
Association for the Blind, Austin, TX
Contracting Activity: DLA TROOP SUPPORT,
PHILADELPHIA, PA
NSN(s)—Product Name(s):
8140–00–NSH–0014—Tube, Cardboard,
Grenade, 155mm Projectile
Designated Source of Supply: SVRC
Industries, Inc., Saginaw, MI
Contracting Activity: W4MM USA JOINT
MUNITIONS CMD, ROCK ISLAND, IL
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Service(s)
Service Type: Document Destruction
Mandatory for: VA Medical Clinic: 25 North
Spruce, NULL, Colorado Springs, CO
Designated Source of Supply: Bayaud
Enterprises, Inc., Denver, CO
Contracting Activity: VETERANS AFFAIRS,
DEPARTMENT OF, 259–NETWORK
CONTRACT OFFICE 19
Service Type: Document Destruction
Mandatory for: Department of Veterans
Affairs, Network Contracting Office,
NCO 19, Glendale, CO
Designated Source of Supply: Bayaud
Enterprises, Inc., Denver, CO
Contracting Activity: VETERANS AFFAIRS,
DEPARTMENT OF, 259–NETWORK
CONTRACT OFFICE 19
Michael R. Jurkowski,
Acting Director, Business Operations.
[FR Doc. 2024–00545 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353–01–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
00:38 Jan 12, 2024
Jkt 262001
Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
January 25, 2024, from 1 p.m. to
4 p.m. ET.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
virtually only via Zoom webinar.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Angela Phifer, 355 E Street SW, Suite
325, Washington, DC 20024, (703) 798–
5873, CMTEFedReg@AbilityOne.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The Committee for
Purchase From People Who Are Blind
or Severely Disabled is an independent
government agency operating as the U.S.
AbilityOne Commission. It oversees the
AbilityOne Program, which provides
employment opportunities through
Federal contracts for people who are
blind or have significant disabilities in
the manufacture and delivery of
products and services to the Federal
Government. The Javits-Wagner-O’Day
Act (41 U.S.C. chapter 85) authorizes
the contracts.
Registration: Attendees not requesting
speaking time should register not later
than 11:59 p.m. ET on January 24, 2024.
Attendees requesting speaking time
must register not later than 11:59 p.m.
ET on January 16, 2024, and use the
comment fields in the registration form
to specify the intended speaking topic/
s. The registration link will be available
by December 15, 2023, on the
Commission’s home page,
www.abilityone.gov, under News and
Events.
Commission Statement: This regular
quarterly meeting will include updates
from the Commission Chairperson,
Executive Director, and Inspector
General.
Public Participation: The public
engagement session will address how
the AbilityOne Program supports, and
can increasingly support, the Federal
Government’s hiring of individuals with
disabilities. Scheduled speakers will
include Federal agency partners as well
as former AbilityOne Program
employees who now work for the
Federal Government.
The Commission invites public
comments and suggestions on the public
engagement topic. During registration,
you may choose to submit comments, or
you may request speaking time at the
meeting. The Commission may invite
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
some attendees who submit advance
comments to discuss their comments
during the meeting. Comments
submitted will be reviewed by staff and
the Commission members before the
meeting. Comments posted in the chat
box during the meeting will be shared
with the Commission members after the
meeting. The Commission is not subject
to the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 552(b);
however, the Commission published
this notice to encourage the broadest
possible participation in its meeting.
Personal Information: Speakers
should not include any information that
they do not want publicly disclosed.
Michael R. Jurkowski,
Acting Director, Business Operations.
[FR Doc. 2024–00563 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Adoption of Department of Navy
Categorical Exclusion Pursuant to
Section 109 of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), Department
of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of adoption of the
Department of Navy’s (DoN) categorical
exclusion for passive scientific
measurement devices pursuant to
section 109 of the NEPA.
AGENCY:
DARPA is adopting the DoN’s
categorical exclusion 19 for the
installation and operation of passive
scientific measurement devices. This
notice describes the proposed action for
which DARPA intends to use the DoN
categorical exclusion and details the
consultation between the agencies.
DATES: This action is effective January
12, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Catherine Campbell, 703–526–2044
(Voice), Catherine.Campbell@darpa.mil
(Email).
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
National Environmental Policy Act and
Categorical Exclusions
NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347, requires
all Federal agencies to assess the
environmental impacts of their actions.
Congress enacted NEPA to encourage
productive and enjoyable harmony
between humans and the environment,
recognizing the profound impact of
human activity and the critical
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
importance of restoring and maintaining
environmental quality to the overall
welfare of humankind. NEPA seeks to
ensure agencies consider the
environmental effects of their proposed
actions in their decision-making
processes and inform and involve the
public in that process. NEPA created the
Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ), which promulgated NEPA
implementing regulations, 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 1500
through 1508 (CEQ regulations).
To comply with NEPA, agencies
determine the appropriate level of
review—an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), Environmental
Assessment (EA), or categorical
exclusion. (42 U.S.C. 4336). If a
proposed action is likely to have
significant environmental effects, the
agency must prepare an EIS and
document its decision in a record of
decision. Id. If the proposed action is
not likely to have significant
environmental effects or the effects are
unknown, the agency may instead
prepare an EA, which involves a more
concise analysis and process than an
EIS. Id. Following the EA, the agency
may conclude the process with a finding
of no significant impact if the analysis
shows that the action will have no
significant effects. If the analysis in the
EA finds that the action is likely to have
significant effects, however, then an EIS
is required.
Under NEPA and the CEQ regulations,
a Federal agency may establish in its
NEPA implementing procedures
categorical exclusions, which are
categories of actions the agency has
determined normally do not
significantly affect the quality of the
human environment. (40 CFR 1501.4,
1507.3(e)(2)(ii), 1508.1(d)). If an agency
determines that a categorical exclusion
covers a proposed action, it then
evaluates the proposed action for
extraordinary circumstances in which a
normally excluded action may have a
significant effect. (40 CFR 1501.4(b)). If
no extraordinary circumstances are
present or if further analysis determines
that the extraordinary circumstances do
not involve the potential for significant
environmental impacts, the agency may
apply the categorical exclusion to the
proposed action without preparing an
EA or EIS. (40 CFR 1501.4). If the
extraordinary circumstances have the
potential to result in significant effects,
the agency is required to prepare an EA
or EIS.
Section 109 of NEPA, enacted as part
of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,
allows a Federal agency to adopt a
categorical exclusion listed in another
agency’s NEPA procedures for a
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00:38 Jan 12, 2024
Jkt 262001
category of proposed agency actions for
which the categorical exclusion was
established 42 U.S.C. 4336(c). To adopt
another agency’s categorical exclusion
under section 109, an agency must
identify the relevant categorical
exclusion listed in that agency’s
(‘‘establishing agency’’) NEPA
procedures that cover its category of
proposed actions or related actions;
consult with the establishing agency to
ensure that the proposed adoption of the
categorical exclusion to a category of
actions is appropriate; identify to the
public the categorical exclusion that the
agency plans to use for its proposed
actions; and document adoption of the
categorical exclusion. Id.
This notice documents DARPA’s
adoption of DoN’s categorical exclusion
under Section 109 of NEPA.
II. Identification of the Categorical
Exclusion
DoN’s categorical exclusion for the
use of passive scientific measurement
devices is codified in DoN’s NEPA
procedures as categorical exclusion 19
in 32 CFR 775.6(f)(19).
Proposed Action
DARPA proposes to deploy a single
reef mimicking structure (RMS, 258.2
ft2) on the seafloor of the Kilo Nalu
Observatory (KNO) on the south shore
of O1ahu, Hawai1i for a period of no
longer than five years. A Particle Image
Velocimeter (PIV), coral larval
settlement modules (20 to 40 domeshaped concrete structures), and two
Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs)
would be attached to the RMS to test
material durability and water flow
characteristics. The overall footprint on
the seafloor does not increase beyond
the size of the RMS when the
instruments are attached. The need to
collect oceanographic data with this
equipment is to inform the design and
deployment of reef mimicking
structures as part of DARPA’s Reefense
Program.
III. Rationale for the Categorical
Exclusion
The RMS is a passive oceanographic
tool developed to dissipate wave energy.
The amount of wave energy that is
dissipated will be measured by the
attached oceanographic instruments
(PIV, larval settlement modules, and
ADVs). The RMS would not be shallow
enough to function as a breakwater; it is
a tool to learn whether consistent wave
energy can be effectively dissipated
(e.g., energy coming in through the
exterior holes then bouncing around
within the RMS) and to ensure the
durability of the materials. The PIV and
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2215
ADVs would measure velocity fields of
ocean currents and the larval settlement
modules would measure material
durability. The RMS would not be
deployed with any living organisms
attached to it. KNO is an established
research site managed by the University
of Hawaii at Manoa. The site was
chosen for this testing because it is
already supplied with infrastructure
(e.g., electric power) to support other
ongoing scientific research and the
ground swell is consistent and
predictable, thus it can allow for better
data collection.
IV. Consideration of Extraordinary
Circumstances
If an agency determines that a
categorical exclusion covers a proposed
action, the agency must evaluate the
proposed action for extraordinary
circumstances in which a normally
excluded action may have a significant
effect. (40 CFR 1501.4(b)). DARPA does
not currently have its own NEPA
implementing procedures to guide its
application of extraordinary
circumstances. Until DARPA establishes
NEPA implementing procedures, for
purposes of considering extraordinary
circumstances in connection with the
DoN categorical exclusion discussed in
this notice, DARPA has considered
whether the proposed action has the
potential to result in significant effects,
including by considering the factors
listed in DoN’s definition of
extraordinary circumstances. (32 CFR
775.6(e)(1)).
DARPA has assessed the
extraordinary circumstances and
determined they are not present.
V. Consultation With DoN and
Determination of Appropriateness
DARPA and DoN consulted on the
appropriateness of DARPA’s adoption of
the categorical exclusion from July to
November 2023. This consultation
included a review of DoN’s experience
applying the categorical exclusion and
the proposed action for which DARPA
plans to utilize it. Following this
consultation and review, DARPA has
determined that the impacts of the
proposed action to install and operate
passive scientific measurement devices
for a temporary period of time, no
longer than five years, in an existing
scientific observatory, KNO, is similar to
the impacts, which are not significant,
of projects for which DoN may apply the
categorical exclusion. Additionally,
DARPA determined that there are no
extraordinary circumstances. Therefore,
DARPA has determined that its
proposed use of DoN’s categorical
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
exclusion 19, as described within this
notice, would be appropriate.
Notice to the Public and Documentation
of Adoption
This notice documents adoption of
the DoN categorical exclusion listed
above in accordance with 32 CFR
775.6(e)(1) and is available for use by
DARPA, effective immediately.
Dated: January 9, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024–00564 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001–FR–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED–2023–FSA–0180]
Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
Federal Student Aid,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of a new matching
program.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended by the Computer
Matching and Privacy Protection Act of
1988 and the Computer Matching and
Privacy Protection Amendments of 1990
(Privacy Act), and Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) guidance on the
conduct of matching programs, notice is
hereby given of the re-establishment of
a matching program between the U.S.
Department of Education (Department),
as the recipient agency, and the Social
Security Administration (SSA), as the
source agency, to enable the Department
to contact individuals whom SSA
identifies as disabled using Medical
Improvement Not Expected (MINE)
data, to inform them that the
Department will issue Total and
Permanent Disability (TPD) discharges
of their balances of loans under title IV
of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA), their title IV HEA loans
that have been written off due to
default, or, their outstanding service or
repayment obligations under the
Teacher Education Assistance for
College and Higher Education (TEACH)
Grant Program unless they opt out of the
TPD discharge. Such TPD discharges
will occur no earlier than 61 days from
the date that the Department sends the
notification to those individuals, unless
those individuals choose to have their
loans or outstanding service or
repayment obligations discharged
earlier, or choose to opt out of the TPD
discharge within 60 days from the date
that the Department sends the
notification to them.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
00:38 Jan 12, 2024
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Submit your comments on the
proposed re-establishment of the
matching program on or before February
12, 2024.
The matching program will go into
effect on the later of the following three
dates: (1) March 30, 2024; (2) at the
expiration of the 60-day period
following the Department’s transmittal
of a report concerning the matching
program to OMB and to the appropriate
Congressional Committees, along with a
copy of the Computer Matching
Agreement, unless OMB waives any of
this 60-day review period for
compelling reasons, in which case, 60
days minus the number of days waived
by OMB from the date of the
Department’s transmittal of the report of
the matching program; or (3) at the
expiration of the 30-day public
comment period following the
Department’s publication of notice of
this matching program in the Federal
Register, assuming that the Department
receives no public comments or receives
public comments but makes no changes
to the Matching Notice as a result of the
public comments, or 30 days from the
date on which the Department publishes
a Revised Matching Notice in the
Federal Register, assuming that the
Department receives public comments
and revises the Matching Notice as a
result of public comments. If the latest
date occurs on a non-business day, then
that date will be counted for purposes
of this paragraph as occurring on the
next business day.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be
submitted via the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at regulations.gov. However, if
you require an accommodation or
cannot otherwise submit your
comments via regulations.gov, please
contact the program contact person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. The Department will not
accept comments submitted by fax or by
email, or comments submitted after the
comment period. To ensure that we do
not receive duplicate copies, please
submit your comments only once. In
addition, please include the Docket ID
at the top of your comments.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
www.regulations.gov to submit your
comments electronically. Information
on using Regulations.gov, including
instructions for accessing agency
documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the
site under ‘‘FAQ’’.
Privacy Note: The Department’s
policy is to make all comments received
from members of the public available for
public viewing in their entirety on the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
www.regulations.gov. Therefore,
commenters should be careful to
include in their comments only
information that they wish to make
publicly available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron
Bennett, Group Director Program
Technical & Business Support Group,
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of
Education, 830 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20202–5320.
Telephone: (202) 377–3181. Email:
Ron.Bennett@ed.gov.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or
have a speech disability and wish to
access telecommunications relay
services, please dial 7–1–1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Privacy Act; OMB
‘‘Final Guidance Interpreting the
Provisions of Public Law 100–503, the
Computer Matching and Privacy
Protection Act of 1988,’’ published in
the Federal Register on June 19, 1989
(54 FR 25818); and OMB Circular No.
A–108, notice is hereby given of the reestablishment of a matching program
between the Department and SSA to
enable the Department to contact certain
individuals with loans under title IV of
the HEA or outstanding service or
repayment obligations under the
TEACH Grant Program whom SSA
identifies as disabled using MINE
disability data to inform them that,
should they wish, the Department will
facilitate a TPD discharge of their loans
under title IV of the HEA or TEACH
Grant service or repayment obligations.
Participating Agencies
The Department and SSA.
Authority for Conducting the Matching
Program
The Department’s legal authority to
enter into the matching program and to
disclose information thereunder
includes sections 420N(c), 437(a)(1),
455(a)(1), and 464(c)(1)(F)(ii & iii) of the
HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070g–2(c), 1087(a)(1),
1087e(a)(1)), and 1087dd((c)(1)(F)(ii &
iii)).
SSA’s legal authority to disclose
information under this Agreement is
section 1106 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1306)
and the regulations promulgated
pursuant to that section (20 CFR part
401). Subsection (b)(3) of the Privacy
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) allows SSA to
make the disclosure without the prior
written consent of the individuals to
whom the records pertain.
Purpose(s)
This matching program will enable
the Department to send notices to
certain borrowers with loans under title
IV of the HEA and TEACH Grant
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2214-2216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00564]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Adoption of Department of Navy Categorical Exclusion Pursuant to
Section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
AGENCY: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department
of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of adoption of the Department of Navy's (DoN)
categorical exclusion for passive scientific measurement devices
pursuant to section 109 of the NEPA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: DARPA is adopting the DoN's categorical exclusion 19 for the
installation and operation of passive scientific measurement devices.
This notice describes the proposed action for which DARPA intends to
use the DoN categorical exclusion and details the consultation between
the agencies.
DATES: This action is effective January 12, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Catherine Campbell, 703-526-2044
(Voice), [email protected] (Email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
National Environmental Policy Act and Categorical Exclusions
NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, requires all Federal agencies to assess
the environmental impacts of their actions. Congress enacted NEPA to
encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between humans and the
environment, recognizing the profound impact of human activity and the
critical
[[Page 2215]]
importance of restoring and maintaining environmental quality to the
overall welfare of humankind. NEPA seeks to ensure agencies consider
the environmental effects of their proposed actions in their decision-
making processes and inform and involve the public in that process.
NEPA created the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), which
promulgated NEPA implementing regulations, 40 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) parts 1500 through 1508 (CEQ regulations).
To comply with NEPA, agencies determine the appropriate level of
review--an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Environmental
Assessment (EA), or categorical exclusion. (42 U.S.C. 4336). If a
proposed action is likely to have significant environmental effects,
the agency must prepare an EIS and document its decision in a record of
decision. Id. If the proposed action is not likely to have significant
environmental effects or the effects are unknown, the agency may
instead prepare an EA, which involves a more concise analysis and
process than an EIS. Id. Following the EA, the agency may conclude the
process with a finding of no significant impact if the analysis shows
that the action will have no significant effects. If the analysis in
the EA finds that the action is likely to have significant effects,
however, then an EIS is required.
Under NEPA and the CEQ regulations, a Federal agency may establish
in its NEPA implementing procedures categorical exclusions, which are
categories of actions the agency has determined normally do not
significantly affect the quality of the human environment. (40 CFR
1501.4, 1507.3(e)(2)(ii), 1508.1(d)). If an agency determines that a
categorical exclusion covers a proposed action, it then evaluates the
proposed action for extraordinary circumstances in which a normally
excluded action may have a significant effect. (40 CFR 1501.4(b)). If
no extraordinary circumstances are present or if further analysis
determines that the extraordinary circumstances do not involve the
potential for significant environmental impacts, the agency may apply
the categorical exclusion to the proposed action without preparing an
EA or EIS. (40 CFR 1501.4). If the extraordinary circumstances have the
potential to result in significant effects, the agency is required to
prepare an EA or EIS.
Section 109 of NEPA, enacted as part of the Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 2023, allows a Federal agency to adopt a categorical exclusion
listed in another agency's NEPA procedures for a category of proposed
agency actions for which the categorical exclusion was established 42
U.S.C. 4336(c). To adopt another agency's categorical exclusion under
section 109, an agency must identify the relevant categorical exclusion
listed in that agency's (``establishing agency'') NEPA procedures that
cover its category of proposed actions or related actions; consult with
the establishing agency to ensure that the proposed adoption of the
categorical exclusion to a category of actions is appropriate; identify
to the public the categorical exclusion that the agency plans to use
for its proposed actions; and document adoption of the categorical
exclusion. Id.
This notice documents DARPA's adoption of DoN's categorical
exclusion under Section 109 of NEPA.
II. Identification of the Categorical Exclusion
DoN's categorical exclusion for the use of passive scientific
measurement devices is codified in DoN's NEPA procedures as categorical
exclusion 19 in 32 CFR 775.6(f)(19).
Proposed Action
DARPA proposes to deploy a single reef mimicking structure (RMS,
258.2 ft\2\) on the seafloor of the Kilo Nalu Observatory (KNO) on the
south shore of O[revaps]ahu, Hawai[revaps]i for a period of no longer
than five years. A Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV), coral larval
settlement modules (20 to 40 dome-shaped concrete structures), and two
Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs) would be attached to the RMS to
test material durability and water flow characteristics. The overall
footprint on the seafloor does not increase beyond the size of the RMS
when the instruments are attached. The need to collect oceanographic
data with this equipment is to inform the design and deployment of reef
mimicking structures as part of DARPA's Reefense Program.
III. Rationale for the Categorical Exclusion
The RMS is a passive oceanographic tool developed to dissipate wave
energy. The amount of wave energy that is dissipated will be measured
by the attached oceanographic instruments (PIV, larval settlement
modules, and ADVs). The RMS would not be shallow enough to function as
a breakwater; it is a tool to learn whether consistent wave energy can
be effectively dissipated (e.g., energy coming in through the exterior
holes then bouncing around within the RMS) and to ensure the durability
of the materials. The PIV and ADVs would measure velocity fields of
ocean currents and the larval settlement modules would measure material
durability. The RMS would not be deployed with any living organisms
attached to it. KNO is an established research site managed by the
University of Hawaii at Manoa. The site was chosen for this testing
because it is already supplied with infrastructure (e.g., electric
power) to support other ongoing scientific research and the ground
swell is consistent and predictable, thus it can allow for better data
collection.
IV. Consideration of Extraordinary Circumstances
If an agency determines that a categorical exclusion covers a
proposed action, the agency must evaluate the proposed action for
extraordinary circumstances in which a normally excluded action may
have a significant effect. (40 CFR 1501.4(b)). DARPA does not currently
have its own NEPA implementing procedures to guide its application of
extraordinary circumstances. Until DARPA establishes NEPA implementing
procedures, for purposes of considering extraordinary circumstances in
connection with the DoN categorical exclusion discussed in this notice,
DARPA has considered whether the proposed action has the potential to
result in significant effects, including by considering the factors
listed in DoN's definition of extraordinary circumstances. (32 CFR
775.6(e)(1)).
DARPA has assessed the extraordinary circumstances and determined
they are not present.
V. Consultation With DoN and Determination of Appropriateness
DARPA and DoN consulted on the appropriateness of DARPA's adoption
of the categorical exclusion from July to November 2023. This
consultation included a review of DoN's experience applying the
categorical exclusion and the proposed action for which DARPA plans to
utilize it. Following this consultation and review, DARPA has
determined that the impacts of the proposed action to install and
operate passive scientific measurement devices for a temporary period
of time, no longer than five years, in an existing scientific
observatory, KNO, is similar to the impacts, which are not significant,
of projects for which DoN may apply the categorical exclusion.
Additionally, DARPA determined that there are no extraordinary
circumstances. Therefore, DARPA has determined that its proposed use of
DoN's categorical
[[Page 2216]]
exclusion 19, as described within this notice, would be appropriate.
Notice to the Public and Documentation of Adoption
This notice documents adoption of the DoN categorical exclusion
listed above in accordance with 32 CFR 775.6(e)(1) and is available for
use by DARPA, effective immediately.
Dated: January 9, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-00564 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
