Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Construction of GSA Federal Laboratories, Prince George's County, Maryland

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for

Construction of GSA Federal Laboratories, Prince George's County,

Maryland

Reply to the Attention of: Dawud Abdur-Rahman, National Capital

Region, General Services Administration, 7th and D Sts., SW.,

Washington, DC 20407

All comments must be received by April 13, 1999.

The General Services Administration will publish a Final

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

on Friday, March 12, 1999 for Construction of Federal Laboratories in

Beltsville, Maryland. The Final EA will be available for public review

and comment at the Beltsville Library, 4319 Sellman Road, Beltsville,

Maryland 20705.

The General Services Administration (GSA), acting as development

manager for Federal facilities, proposes to construct and operate

Federal Laboratories in Prince George's County, Maryland. The proposed

action would consist of the construction a 150,000 gross square foot

(gsf) (13,935 gross square meters) National Laboratory and a 50,000 gsf

(4,645 gross square meters) Fire Investigation, Research, and Education

(F.I.R.E.) Center. The facilities would employ approximately 152

people.

The new facilities would improve administrative and operational

efficiency and would facilitate communication and interaction among

staff. The proposed action would provide state-of-the-art laboratories

and research facilities. The new facilities will alleviate overcrowding

and provide safe, secure, and modern laboratories. The F.I.R.E. Center

will be one of very few such facilities in the world and will enhance

Federal fire scene investigations. The Center will serve as a training

center for advanced fire investigation and a repository for technical

data related to fire investigation and research.

Finding

Pursuant to the provision of GSA Order ACM 1095.1D, the HB PBS P

1095.4B and the regulations issued by the Council of Environmental

Quality, November 29, 1978, (40 CFR Parts 1500 to 1508), this is to

advise you of our finding, based on the Final Environmental Assessment

(EA), that the action described above is considered a major Federal

action not significantly affecting the quality of the human

environment.

Basis for Finding

The impacts of construction and operation of the proposed

facilities on the environment were considered in an EA pursuant to the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The Final

EA, which is available for review at the location listed above, is

incorporated by reference into this Finding of No Significant Impact.

Construction and operation of the proposed project would not have a

significant adverse effect on the human environment.

Two alternate sites, the Ammendale Site and the Konterra Site,

along with the No Action Alternative, were studied in detail in the EA.

The EA describes the existing natural, physical social and cultural

environment associated with each alternative. The EA also describes

potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with

construction of the proposed facilities on each alternate site. Impacts

of the No Action Alternative have also been analyzed.

Regardless of which of the two alternate sites is selected,

moderate impacts will occur to the following resources: soils, forested

areas, land use, aesthetics, utilities, and transportation facilities.

If the Ammendale Site is selected, moderate impacts would also occur to

Interior Forest Dwelling Species habitat. To mitigate potential

impacts, GSA will implement the measures that are discussed in the

Environmental Assessment.

This Finding of No Significant Impact will become final April 13,

1999 provided that no information leading to a contrary finding is

received or comes to light during the 30-day public review period.

Nelson Alcalde,

Regional Administrator, National Capital Region, General Services

Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-8576 Filed 4-6-99; 8:45 am]

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