Environmental Assessment for Implementation of White House Security Review Vehicular Traffic Restriction Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Environmental Assessment for Implementation of White House

Security Review Vehicular Traffic Restriction Recommendations

AGENCY: Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury is issuing this notice to

inform the public of the availability of the Environmental Assessment

for Implementation of White House Security Review Vehicular Traffic

Restriction Recommendations. The Environmental Assessment (EA) has been

prepared to address the environmental impacts of the restriction of

vehicular access to certain streets in the vicinity of the White House.

This EA was prepared following the security action pursuant to the

emergency provision (40 CFR 1506.11) of the Council on Environmental

Quality's National Environmental Policy Act implementing regulations.

DATES: Comments must be postmarked no later than July 2, 1997. Comments

should be sent to the address given under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the EA or for further

information contact Mr. Bill McGovern, Environment and Energy Programs

Officer, Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room

6140 Treasury Annex, Washington, DC 20220; telephone (202) 622-0043;

fax (202) 622-1468. The EA is also available on the Department of the

Treasury's home page at http://www.treas.gov. Additionally, copies of

the EA have been mailed to Federal, State, and local agencies; public

interest groups; interested individuals; and District of Columbia

public libraries.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 19, 1995 the Secretary of the

Treasury ordered the Director of the United States Secret Service to

restrict vehicular traffic on streets surrounding the White House. The

Director implemented the action on May 20, 1995. The action was taken

to provide necessary and appropriate protection for the President of

the United States, the first family, and those working in or visiting

the White House complex.

This action was one of several recommendations resulting from the

``White House Security Review'' (the Review). The Review was ordered by

then-Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen after a small plane

crashed on the South Lawn of the White House. The Review was expanded

after a shooting incident outside the White House in October of 1994.

In addition to these two incidents, the review had a broad mandate;

indeed the Secretary directed the Review to examine ``the dangers posed

to the White House complex and protectees therein, by air or ground

assaults.'' The final report of the Review is classified; however a

``Public Report of the White House Security Review'' was made public in

May 1995. The Review's recommendation states that it was ``not able to

identify any alternative to prohibiting vehicular traffic on

Pennsylvania Avenue that would ensure the protection of the President

and others in the White House Complex from explosive devices carried in

vehicles near the perimeter.''

The goal of the EA was to analyze the environmental impacts

associated with the security action. Primary focus areas of this EA

include the effects of changes in traffic patterns on transportation,

air quality, noise, vibration, and impacts to historic places.

Available pre-action data was collected from local agencies and

Federal agencies and supplemented by traffic counts and travel time

analysis conducted for the EA. With the exception of traffic counts for

certain intersections, the available pre-action data was not directly

comparable to the post action measurements and did not allow for

accurate comparison of before and after action conditions. The analysis

in the EA describes the conditions after the action and several traffic

modifications which the District of Columbia's Department of Public

Works (DCDPW) implemented to alleviate congestion.

A number of recommendations are discussed which could further

improve traffic conditions in the area around the White House. These

recommendations are presented in the EA; however, they are meant for

consideration by the relevant District of Columbia offices which have

the legal authority to implement them.

George Munoz,

Assistant Secretary (Management) and Chief Financial Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-14212 Filed 5-30-97; 8:45 am]

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