[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17371-17372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08205]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Environmental Impact Statement for Area Development Plan, Davison
Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, VA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces its intent to
conduct public scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and solicit public comments to gather information to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed Area Development
Plan (ADP) for Davison Army Airfield (DAAF), U.S. Army Garrison Fort
Belvoir (Fort Belvoir), Virginia. The EIS will analyze the potential
environmental impacts that would result from implementing the projects
identified in the ADP (Proposed Action). The Proposed Action consists
of multiple new construction, replacement, demolition, and renovation
projects at DAAF. The Proposed Action does not include, nor would it
require, substantial changes in missions, air operations, or the number
of aircraft or personnel. The scoping process will help identify
reasonable alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key
issues of concern to be analyzed in the EIS. The Army intends to comply
with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act in parallel with this NEPA process, and invites
federally recognized tribes and the State Historic Preservation Office
to participate in the consultation process.
DATES: Comments must be sent by May 21, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to: U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, ATTN. Heather Cisar, Planning Division, 2 Hopkins Plaza,
10th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Cisar at:
[email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DAAF is located on Fort Belvoir's North Post
in Fairfax County, VA. DAAF is home to The Army Aviation Brigade's
(TAAB)
[[Page 17372]]
12th Aviation Battalion (AVN BN) and several other tenants, including
the Night Vision and Electronic Sensor Directorate (NVESD); District of
Columbia Army National Guard (DCARNG); Operational Support Airlift
Activity/Operational Support Airlift Command (OSA-A/OSACOM); Civil Air
Patrol; and TAAB's Airfield Division. DAAF's existing physical
infrastructure consists of buildings and pavements. Buildings include
several fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft (helicopter) maintenance
hangars, operations/administrative facilities, an air control tower,
and a fire station. A number of buildings are old and inefficient
(dating from the 1950's to 1970's) and are too small. DAAF's buildings
are also located in an inefficient way, resulting in spread-out
operations; interaction of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that
reduces operational safety; and the need for multiple runway crossings.
Finally, a number of facilities are in violation of airfield design
requirements and operate under temporary waivers.
Fort Belvoir has a current Real Property Master Plan (RPMP) for the
Main Post and Fort Belvoir North Area. Within that plan, DAAF is a
district requiring an ADP. Therefore, the Army is preparing an ADP to
support and complement the RPMP and guide future development actions at
DAAF.
The proposed ADP identifies multiple projects that will address the
airfield's deficiencies and accommodate the space and functional needs
of DAAF's tenants, consistent with applicable regulations and the
airfield's vision to create a safe, secure, sustainable, consolidated
aviation complex that allows for mission growth and provides multiple
services in a compact campus. The ADP projects include the construction
of a consolidated complex for the 12th AVN BN comprising one new
aircraft maintenance hangar and two new aircraft storage hangars, along
with supporting facilities (including wash rack and paint booth),
associated aircraft parking aprons, and privately owned vehicle (POV)
parking; consolidation of NVESD to new facilities; renovation and
extension of the existing DCARNG facilities; construction of a new
aircraft maintenance hangar and a new administrative facility for OSA-
A/OSACOM; and renovation and extension of the Airfield Division's
building. Up to 25 existing facilities would be demolished, including
the buildings currently under temporary waivers. Infrastructure
improvements would include construction of a 200-foot runway extension;
realignment and extension of existing roadways; construction of an
entry gate meeting applicable antiterrorism/force protection (AT/FP)
standards; and excavation and grading of a wooded knoll to eliminate
airfield clearance violations.
At a minimum, the EIS will analyze the potential impacts of three
alternatives: No Action Alternative, Full Implementation Alternative,
and Partial Implementation Alternative. Any other reasonable
alternatives identified during the scoping process will be considered
for evaluation in the EIS. The EIS will assess the impacts of the
alternatives on resources and identify mitigation measures. The
proposed action could result in significant adverse effects on the 100-
year floodplain associated with Accotink Creek, which covers a
substantial part of DAAF, and on wetlands. One of the proposed projects
would require using part of Anderson Park, a Fort Belvoir recreational
resource adjacent to DAAF, to construct a new POV parking lot.
Governmental agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes,
interested organizations, and individuals are invited to participate in
the scoping process for the preparation of this EIS by attending
meetings and/or submitting written comments.
Written comments must be sent within 30 days of publication of this
NOI in the Federal Register. A public scoping meeting will be held near
Fort Belvoir during this period. Notification of the meeting's time and
location will be published locally.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-08205 Filed 4-18-18; 8:45 am]
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