Notice2023-27713
Scoping Notice for Preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the National Cemetery Administration
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 18, 2023
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is preparing a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) in accordance with the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations, and VA's NEPA Implementing Regulations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 241 (Monday, December 18, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 241 (Monday, December 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87493-87494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27713]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Scoping Notice for Preparation of a Programmatic Environmental
Assessment for the National Cemetery Administration
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is preparing a
programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) in accordance with the
regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council
on Environmental Quality regulations, and VA's NEPA Implementing
Regulations.
[[Page 87494]]
DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 17, 2024. VA
anticipates releasing the draft PEA for a 30-day public review and
comment period in the first quarter of calendar year 2024. VA will
notify stakeholders via email/mail, publish a notice of availability of
the draft PEA in the Federal Register and solicit comments at that
time. The draft PEA will be available for review via the VA website:
<a href="http://www.cfm.va.gov/environmental/">www.cfm.va.gov/environmental/</a>.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted through <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Except as provided below, comments received before the close of the
comment period will be available at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> for public
viewing, inspection, or copying, including any personally identifiable
or confidential business information that is included in a comment. We
post the comments received before the close of the comment period on
the following website as soon as possible after they have been
received: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. VA will not post on
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> public comments that make threats to individuals or
institutions or suggest that the commenter will take actions to harm
the individual. VA encourages individuals not to submit duplicative
comments. We will post acceptable comments from multiple unique
commenters even if the content is identical or nearly identical to
other comments. Any public comment received after the comment period's
closing date is considered late and will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Fernando Fernandez, Environmental
Engineer, Office of Construction and Facilities Management (003C2),
Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 876-7608
(this is not a toll-free number), <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c88eadbaa6a9a6aca7e68eadbaa6a9a6acadb288bea9e6afa7be"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f290a1d010e010b0041290a1d010e010b0a152f190e41080019">[email protected]</span></a>. Reference
``National Cemetery Expansion PEA'' in your correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The VA National Cemetery Administration
provides burial services, including gravesites, grave markers, and
gravesite maintenance for eligible Veterans, spouses, and dependents.
The National Cemetery Administration currently operates 155 National
Cemeteries in 42 states and Puerto Rico and 34 soldiers' lots and
monument sites across the United States. The PEA will evaluate VA's
Proposed Action to undertake future expansions and/or infrastructure
and building improvements at all VA National Cemeteries with the sole
intent to maintain and improve the service to Veterans and their family
and loved ones. The PEA aims to provide a streamlined NEPA compliance
process for future National Cemetery expansion projects that would
result in less than significant environmental impacts.
This notice initiates the scoping process for the PEA and invites
the public, government agencies, and other interested persons and
organizations to provide comments on the scope of issues for analysis,
input on potential alternatives, or information/analyses relevant to
the proposed action.
Use of the PEA would decrease the time and cost associated with
having to prepare stand-alone NEPA documentation for those future
National Cemetery projects that would meet the conditions of the PEA
while ensuring that the environment is preserved. VA would complete
additional NEPA compliance as required for projects outside the
parameters of the PEA.
The proposed action supports burial requests for eligible
individuals and provides sufficient infrastructure to support the needs
of Veterans, spouses, dependents, and staff at existing National
Cemeteries. The proposed action is needed to provide burial benefits
and services to Veterans, spouses, and dependents.
The PEA will evaluate the potential direct and indirect impacts on
the human environment from the proposed action and alternatives. VA
will make the draft PEA available for a public comment period following
its completion.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and signed
this document on December 11, 2023, and authorized the undersigned to
sign and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Luvenia Potts,
Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy &
Management, Office of General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-27713 Filed 12-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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