00-913. Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the National Park Seminary Historic District, Forest Glen Annex, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2383-2384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-913]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the 
National Park Seminary Historic District, Forest Glen Annex, Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: On June 3, 1997, the Army published a Notice of Intent (NOI) 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the reuse of the 
National Park Seminary Historic District (NPSHD). A public scoping 
meeting was held on July 14, 1997. The proposed EIS was intended to 
analyze a broad range of Army reuse alternatives for the site; however, 
the Army no longer needs to use the NPSHD site and now proposes to 
declare the property excess. Under the Federal Property and 
Administrative Services Act and its accompanying regulations, the 
General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for the disposal 
of excess federal property. The Army's proposed excessing action will 
begin the disposal process by providing notice to GSA that the property 
is excess to the Army's needs.
    Therefore, the Army proposes to report the property as excess to 
GSA, in accordance with Army Regulation 405-90 (``Disposal of Real 
Estate,'' dated May 10, 1985) and federal property law. Accordingly, 
this notice is to inform the public that the EIS for Army reuse of the 
NPSHD has been discontinued and that the Army is now preparing an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed excessing action. Should 
the property be declared excess by the Army, then GSA (as the property 
disposal agent) will be responsible for evaluating the potential 
environmental impacts associated with disposal and reuse.

ADDRESSES: Address comments to Ms. Beverly Chidel, Public Affairs 
Office, Walter Reed Medical Center, 6825 16th

[[Page 2384]]

Street, NW, Washington, DC 20307-5001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Chidel, Public Affairs 
Officer, at [phone] or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the EA is to identify the 
environmental impacts that could be associated with the proposed 
excessing action and to ensure that the Army makes an informed decision 
based on full and informed public participation. An EA, rather than an 
EIS, normally is prepared for proposals that may lead to excessing Army 
real property (Army Regulation (AR) 200-2, Section 5-3, ``Environmental 
Effects of Army Actions,'' dated December 23, 1988). In accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act, the regulations published by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (Title 40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and AR 
200-2, the EA will identify all relevant direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts associated with the proposed action 
and alternatives.
    The NPSHD is part of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Forest 
Glen Annex, which is located in the Silver Spring area of Montgomery 
County, Maryland, approximately 1.5 miles north of the District of 
Columbia. The NPSHD has been listed as an historic district on the 
National Register of Historic Places since 1972 and was the first 
historic district to be designated by Montgomery County in 1979. As a 
result of consolidation and replacement of outmoded facilities, Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center's mission-related activities have been 
relocated and the historic buildings on this property now are mostly 
vacant.
    The EA will address a series of alternatives for the immediate 
future of the NPSHD. Alternatives may include: Excessing (declaring the 
NPSHD to be an excess property, which would allow the disposal process 
to begin); the no-action alternative (retaining the property 
indefinitely in its current underutilized condition); or 
``mothballing'' the historic buildings and retaining the property. As 
part of the excessing alternative, the EA will address measures for 
interim maintenance of the historic buildings, pending their ultimate 
disposal.
    Because GSA is responsible for screening and marketing the property 
for disposal and reuse, consideration of specific reuse alternatives is 
beyond the scope of the Army's EA. Therefore, the EA will be limited to 
the Army's proposed excessing action and alternatives, as described 
above, and will evaluate the potential environmental effects of 
disposal and reuse only as indirect and cumulative effects of the 
Army's excessing action.
    As noted, if the property is declared excess, GSA will market and 
dispose of the NPSHD and will consider any relevant disposal 
alternatives and their potential impacts, in compliance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, as a part of its 
subsequent disposal action. Public comments are welcome at any time 
during preparation of the EA. Public information meetings were held 
(May 11 and Oct. 28, 1999), while the EA was being prepared and were 
announced in the ``Washington Post,'' the ``Washington Times,'' and the 
``Montgomery Journal'' newspapers. Copies of the EA will be made 
available for public review and a public notice will be published in 
these same newspapers to advise the public of the availability of the 
EA.

    Dated: January 10, 2000.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 00-913 Filed 1-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M