80 FR 66978 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Reconfiguration of VA Black Hills Health Care System (BHHCS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 210 (October 30, 2015)

VA proposes to reconfigure health care services throughout the 100,000-square mile VA BHHCS service area, including the addition of purchased care for Veterans from community providers to improve geographic access to care. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), VA has prepared a Draft EIS that analyzes the potential impacts of six alternatives for changes to VA's facilities in Hot Springs and Rapid City, South Dakota, to support the proposed services reconfiguration. The Draft EIS uses the substitution approach for integrating compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act into the EIS process. The Draft EIS is available for review on the agency Web site and at public libraries in the service area.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66978-66979]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27684]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Reconfiguration of VA Black Hills Health Care System 
(BHHCS)

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: VA proposes to reconfigure health care services throughout the 
100,000-square mile VA BHHCS service area, including the addition of 
purchased care for Veterans from community providers to improve 
geographic access to care. In accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), VA has prepared a Draft EIS that 
analyzes the potential impacts of six alternatives for changes to VA's 
facilities in Hot Springs and Rapid City, South Dakota, to support the 
proposed services reconfiguration. The Draft EIS uses the substitution 
approach for integrating compliance with Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act into the EIS process. The Draft EIS is 
available for review on the agency Web site and at public libraries in 
the service area.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments in writing on 
the VA BHHCS Reconfiguration Draft EIS by January 5, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the VA BHHCS Reconfiguration 
Draft EIS online through www.blackhillseis.com, by email to 
[email protected], or by regular mail to Staff Assistant to the 
Director, VA Black Hills Health Care System, 113 Comanche Road, Fort 
Meade, SD 57741. Please refer to ``BHHCS Reconfiguration Draft EIS'' in 
any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Staff Assistant to the Director, VA 
Black Hills Health Care System, 113 Comanche Road, Fort Meade, SD 57741 
or by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA proposes to reconfigure health care 
services throughout the VA BHHCS service area including, under 
Alternatives A through D, the addition of purchased care for Veterans 
from community providers; this reconfiguration would improve the 
system's compliance with VA's ``Geographic Access to Care'' guidelines.
    Six alternatives are considered in detail in the Draft EIS, as well 
as a supplement to four of the alternatives. The alternatives propose 
different locations and combinations of facilities serving as a 
community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC), a multi-specialty outpatient 
clinic (MSOC), and a residential rehabilitation treatment program 
(RRTP) facility; expanding, renovating, or vacating existing 
facilities; and taking no action:
    A. Hot Springs--new CBOC, cease services at existing VA campus; 
Rapid City--new MSOC (replacing leased CBOC) and 100-bed RRTP.
    B. Hot Springs--new CBOC and 100-bed RRTP, cease services at 
existing VA campus; Rapid City--new MSOC (replacing leased CBOC).
    C. Hot Springs--renovations for new CBOC in Building 12 and 100-bed 
RRTP in domiciliary at existing VA campus; Rapid City--new MSOC 
(replacing leased CBOC).
    D. Hot Springs--new CBOC and 24-bed RRTP, cease services at 
existing VA campus; Rapid City--new MSOC (replacing leased CBOC) and 
76-bed RRTP.
    E. Save the VA Proposal.
    Hot Springs--renovations and construction to continue and expand 
inpatient and outpatient services at existing VA campus, including 200-
bed RRTP; Rapid City--services from existing leased CBOC.
    F. No Action.
    G. Supplemental alternative to A, B, C, or D for re-use of part or 
all of existing Hot Springs campus.
    The analysis uses the substitution procedures defined in the 
regulations for implementing Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, by which agencies can develop an integrated NEPA 
analysis to substitute the NEPA process for effects analysis and 
consultation under Section 106. Formal consultation and identification 
and resolution of effects to historic properties are documented 
throughout the EIS.
    Environmental topics that are addressed in the Draft EIS include 
aesthetics, air quality, cultural resources and historic properties, 
geology and soils, hydrology and water quality, wildlife and habitat, 
noise, land use, floodplains and wetlands, socioeconomics, community 
services, solid waste and hazardous materials, transportation and 
parking, utilities, and environmental justice. Best management 
practices and mitigation measures that could alleviate environmental 
effects

[[Page 66979]]

have been considered and are included where relevant within the Draft 
EIS.
    The VA BHHCS Reconfiguration Draft EIS is available for viewing on 
the VA BHHCS Web site www.blackhills.va.gov/vablackhillsfuture/ and at 
the Hot Springs, Rapid City Downtown, Sturgis, Chadron, Alliance, Lied 
Scottsbluff, and Pierre (Rawlins Municipal) public libraries; as well 
as in Pine Ridge at the Oglala Lakota College Pine Ridge Center library 
on the high school campus.
    Information related to the EIS process is also available for 
viewing on the VA BHHCS Web site www.blackhills.va.gov/vablackhillsfuture/.

Meetings

    Interested parties are invited to participate in any of six public 
meetings summarizing the results of the Draft EIS. These meetings will 
be held in Rapid City, SD; Hot Springs, SD; Pine Ridge, SD; Chadron, 
NE; Alliance, NE; and Scottsbluff, NE. The dates, times, and locations 
for these meetings will be published online at www.blackhills.va.gov/vablackhillsfuture/.
    At the public meetings, interested parties will also have the 
opportunity to comment regarding the National Historic Preservation Act 
Section 106 process, which has been integrated into this NEPA process.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document 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. Robert L. 
Nabors II, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved 
this document on October 26, 2015, for publication.

    Dated: October 27, 2015.
Michael Shores,
Chief Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office 
of the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-27684 Filed 10-29-15; 8:45 am]
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