Source: http://www.federalregister.com/Browse/Document/usa/na/fr/2009/11/9/e9-26376
Timestamp: 2019-02-21 15:07:29
Document Index: 90570220

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 200', 'art 200', 'art 200', 'ART 200', 'art 200', 'art 200', 'art 200', '§ 200', '§ 200', '§ 200', '§ 200', 'art 200', '§ 1506', '§ 200', '§ 200', '§ 200', 'art 200', '§ 1508']

74 FR 215 pgs. 57608-57612 - Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
Type: RULEVolume: 74Number: 215Pages: 57608 - 57612
Docket number: [Docket No. AFRH 2009-01]
FR document: [FR Doc. E9-26376 Filed 11-6-09; 8:45 am]
38 CFR Part 200
[Docket No. AFRH 2009-01]
RIN 3030-ZA00
Effective November 9, 2009.
Joe Woo, Master Planner, (202) 730-3445.
This rule is not a major rule for the purposes of Executive Order 12866. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, AFRH certifies that these rules will not have a significant impact on small business entities.
These rules set out environmental policy for the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) and provide direction for carrying out the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. These regulations were developed to comply with Section 103 of 42 U.S.C. 4321. These rules were published for public comment in the Federal Register (August 27, 2009, 74 FR 43649) and no comments were received.
List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 200
Armed forces, Environmental protection, Retirement.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) establishes 38 CFR Chapter II consisting of Part 200 to read as follows:
CHAPTER II-ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME
PART 200-COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
Sec. 200.1 Purpose.200.2 Background.200.3 Responsibilities.200.4 Implementation of NEPA and related authorities.200.5 Coordination with other authorities.200.6 Public involvement.200.7 Cooperating agencies.200.8 AFRH participation in NEPA compliance by other agencies.Appendix A to Part 200-Categorical Exclusions
Appendix B to Part 200-The Action Requiring an Environmental Assessment
Appendix C to Part 200-Actions Requiring Environmental Impact Statement
24 U.S.C. 401, et seq.
§ 200.1 Purpose.
These regulations set out AFRH environmental policy and provide direction for carrying out the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related legal authorities.
§ 200.2 Background.
(a) The NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing the procedural requirements of NEPA (40 CFR 1500 through 1508, hereinafter, the CEQ regulations) require that each Federal agency consider the impact of its actions on the human environment and prescribe procedures to be followed. Other laws, executive orders, and regulations provide related direction. NEPA establishes and AFRH adopts as policy that as a Federal agency, AFRH will: Use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy, to improve and coordinate Federal plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the Nation may:
(b) As an important means of carrying out this policy, AFRH will analyze and consider the impacts of its proposed actions (activities, programs, projects, legislation) and any reasonable alternatives on the environment, and on the relationship of people with the environment. This analysis is to be undertaken early in planning any such action, as an aid to deciding whether the action will go forward, and if so how. Consideration must be given to reasonable alternative means of achieving the purpose and need for the proposed action, and to the alternative of not taking the proposed action. The analysis is to be completed, and used to inform the decision maker and make the public aware of the action's potential impacts, before the decision is made about whether and how to proceed with the action. Relevant environmental documents, comments, and responses regarding the proposal will accompany the proposal and be presented to the AFRH decision maker for their consideration.
(c) NEPA also requires and AFRH will ensure that, to the fullest extent possible, analyses and consultations required by other environmental laws be coordinated with those required under NEPA, to reduce redundancy, paperwork, time, and cost.
(d) The AFRH is an independent Federal agency that provides residence and related services for certain retired and former members of the Armed Forces. The AFRH has property in Washington, DC and Gulfport, MS.
(e) This part contains AFRH's general policy regarding NEPA implementation and sets out AFRH procedures that supplement the CEQ regulations for meeting NEPA requirements. It also assigns responsibilities to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the AFRH and the Master Planner. These regulations provide further detail regarding the conduct of NEPA impact analyses.
§ 200.3 Responsibilities.
(a) The COO is the AFRH NEPA official responsible for compliance with NEPA for AFRH actions. The COO also provides the AFRH's views on other agencies' environmental impact statements (EIS).
(b) The Master Planner is the point of contact for information on: AFRH NEPA documents; NEPA oversight activities; and review of other agencies' EISs and NEPA documents.
(c) The AFRH's assigned counsel is the point of contact for legal questions involving environmental matters.
§ 200.4 Implementation of NEPA and related authorities.
(B) No exceptional circumstances exist. Determine if the action involves extraordinary circumstances that would preclude the use of a CATEX ( see paragraphs (b)(1)(ii)(A) through (xiv) of this section).
(C) One (or more) CATEX ( See Appendix A to Part 200) encompasses the proposed action. Identify a CATEX (or multiple CATEXs) that potentially encompasses the proposed action. If no CATEX is appropriate, and the project is not exempted by statute or emergency provisions, an EA or an EIS must be prepared, before a proposed action may proceed.
(iii) If a proposed action would adversely affect "environmentally sensitive" resources, unless the impact has been resolved through another environmental process ( e.g., CZMA, NHPA, CWA, etc. ) a CATEX cannot be used. Environmentally sensitive resources include:
(i) CATEX-does not require documentation unless the Master Planner determines that an extraordinary circumstance may exist, whereupon a CATEX-requires documentation must be prepared ( see below). The likelihood of such a circumstance is judged to be so low that no specific environmental document is typically required.
(ii) CATEX-requires documentation that involves a cursory review to ensure that no extraordinary circumstances exist. For an action falling into such a category, a CATEX requiring documentation is completed to support a determination by the Master Planner, as to whether the action needs further review under NEPA. A CATEX documentation is developed and maintained by the Master Planner.
(2) The analysis required for an EA leads either to a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. AFRH will prepare a FONSI in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.13, if the agency determines on the basis of the EA that there are no significant environmental effects and therefore, there is no need to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. AFRH shall make the FONSI available to the affected public as specified in § 1506.6. Under certain limited circumstances, AFRH shall make the finding of no significant impact available for public review for 30 days before the agency makes its final determination whether to prepare an environmental impact statement and before the action may begin. The circumstances are:
§ 200.5 Coordination with other authorities.
(a) To the maximum extent feasible, NEPA review shall be coordinated with review of proposed actions under other environmental legal authorities, including but not limited to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); the Endangered Species Act (ESA); Executive Orders 11988, 11990, and 13006; and other applicable authorities.
(b) In effecting such coordination, responsible AFRH officials will ensure that the substantive and procedural requirements of other environmental authorities are met, together with the requirements of NEPA. It will be explicitly understood that compliance with NEPA does not substitute for compliance with other environmental authorities, nor does compliance with such other authority substitute for compliance with NEPA.
§ 200.6 Public involvement.
(a) As part of its system for NEPA compliance, the COO and the Master Planner shall provide for levels and kinds of public involvement appropriate to the proposed action and its likely effects.
(b) Where a related authority provides specific procedures for public involvement, the responsible AFRH official shall ensure that such procedures where practicable in the process of NEPA review.
(c) Public involvement in the AFRH NEPA process shall have as its purpose the full disclosure of AFRH actions and alternatives to the public, within the constraints of AFRH program authorities, and giving the public a full opportunity to comment on the environmental effects of AFRH proposals.
(d) Pursuant to Executive Order 12898, special efforts will be made to involve members of potentially affected low-income and minority communities in NEPA review and decision-making. Such efforts may include, but are not limited to, special programs of community outreach, including cross- cultural programs, translations of pertinent documents, and ensuring that translators are available at public meetings.
(e) Information pertaining to AFRH actions and/or NEPA documentation can be obtained through the Master Planner at 3700 North Capital Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011.
§ 200.7 Cooperating agencies.
(a) Federal agencies with jurisdiction by law will be invited to serve as cooperating agencies and Federal agencies with special expertise may be invited to serve as cooperating agencies in the conduct of NEPA review of an AFRH proposed action.
(b) The responsible AFRH official will invite other Tribal, State, and local agencies to serve as cooperating agencies with subject matter jurisdiction or special expertise in the conduct of NEPA review of an AFRH proposed action.
Appendix A to Part 200-Categorical Exclusions
A.1Purpose
A.2Definition
"Categorical exclusion" means a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a Federal agency in implementation of these regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. An agency may decide in its procedures or otherwise, to prepare environmental assessments for the reasons stated in § 1508.9 even though it is not required to do so. Any procedures under this section shall provide for extraordinary circumstances in which a normally excluded action may have a significant environmental effect. (40 CFR 1508.4)
A.3CATEXs-Requires No Documentation
A.3(a) Granting a lease ( i.e., outlease), an easement, license, permit ( i.e., licenses to Federal entities), or other arrangements for Federal or non-Federal use of AFRH controlled real property, where such use will remain substantially the same in scope and intensity.
A.3(b) Extensions or renewals of leases, licenses or permits ( i.e., licenses to Federal entities) or succeeding leases, easements, licenses or permits whether AFRH is acting as grantor or grantee and there is no change in use of the facility.
A.3(d) Repair to or replacement in kind of equipment or components in AFRH-controlled facilities without change in location, e.g. HVAC, electrical distribution systems, windows, doors or roof.
A.3(l) Routine procurement of goods and services (complying with applicable procedures for sustainable or "green" procurement) to support operations and infrastructure, including routine utility services and contracts.
A.4CATEXs Requiring Documentation
A.4(d) Disposal of properties where the size, area, topography, and zoning are similar to existing surrounding properties and/or where current and reasonable anticipated uses are or would be similar to current surrounding uses ( e.g., commercial store in a commercial strip, warehouse in an urban complex, office building in downtown area, row house or vacant lot in an urban area).
A.4(e) Demolition, removal and disposal of debris from the demolition or improvement of buildings and other structures neither on nor eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and when under applicable regulations ( i.e., removal of asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other hazardous material) when other environmental laws and regulations will be satisfied prior to the of demolition, removal and disposal.
The following actions are not considered to be major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and, therefore, require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) nor are considered a categorical exclusion as defined in these regulations and would require the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA):
B.1Construction on previously disturbed property where there is the potential for an increase in traffic and people.
The following actions are considered to be major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, and therefore must be the subjects of EIS, as indicates may have significant environmental effects:
C.1Acquisition of space by Federal construction or lease construction, or expansion or improvement of an existing facility, where one or more of the following applies:
C.1(a) The structure and/or proposed use are not substantially consistent with local planning and zoning or any applicable State or Federal requirements.
C.1(b) The proposed use will substantially increase the number of motor vehicles at the facility.
C.1(c) The site and scale of construction are not consistent with those of existing adjacent or nearby buildings.
C.1(d) There is evidence of current or potential environmental controversy.
C.2Space acquisition programs projected for a substantial geographical area ( e.g., a metropolitan area) for a 3-to-5-year period or greater (Note: a Programmatic EIS is often appropriate here, from which subsequent EISs and EAs can be tiered).
[FR Doc. E9-26376 Filed 11-6-09; 8:45 am]