Department of the Army December 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of the Army announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance, the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of the Army announces the decision to implement the Preferred Alternative identified in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Short-Term Projects and Real Property Master Plan (RPMP) Update for U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, VA. The RPMP identifies potential future development and management of real propertyland, facilities, resources, and infrastructureand consequent population changes on Fort Belvoir through 2030. The Record of Decision (ROD) explains the potential environmental impacts associated with the selected action, which includes 52 short-term demolition, construction, and renovation projects; four short-term transportation improvement projects; and 19 long-term facility and transportation improvement projects. The short-term projects are programmed for construction through 2017; the long-term projects are intended for implementation between 2018 and 2030. The ROD also adopts mitigation measures that will minimize or eliminate adverse impacts in land, infrastructure, transportation, and environment.

The Department of the Army has completed a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for construction, operation, and maintenance of solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy projects on Army installations and is making the PEA and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) available for public comment. The draft FNSI incorporates the PEA, which does not identify any significant environmental impacts from the proposed action or any of the alternatives. The draft FNSI concludes that preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and therefore will not be prepared. The PEA is programmatic and nationwide in scope. For years, the Army has analyzed and implemented solar PV projects at Army installations across the country. In the PEA, the Army leveraged this experience with the goal of streamlining the National Environmental Policy Act process for future solar PV proposals, as appropriate, in a manner consistent with Council on Environmental Quality and Department of the Army regulations.