81 FR 11511 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Non-Contiguous Region of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network and Notice of Public Meetings

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
First Responder Network Authority

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 43 (March 4, 2016)

The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Non-Contiguous Region (``Draft PEIS''). FirstNet also announces a series of public meetings to be held throughout the Non-Contiguous Region to receive comments on the Draft PEIS. The Draft PEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposed nationwide public safety broadband network in the Non- Contiguous Region.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11511-11512]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04830]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

First Responder Network Authority

[Docket Number: 160229154-6154-01]
RIN 0660-XC023


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Non-Contiguous Region of the Nationwide Public 
Safety Broadband Network and Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY:  First Responder Network Authority, National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION:  Announcement of availability of a draft programmatic 
environmental impact statement and of public meetings.

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SUMMARY:  The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') 
announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Non-Contiguous Region (``Draft PEIS''). 
FirstNet also announces a series of public meetings to be held 
throughout the Non-Contiguous Region to receive comments on the Draft 
PEIS. The Draft PEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of 
the proposed nationwide public safety broadband network in the Non-
Contiguous Region.

DATES:  Submit comments on the Draft PEIS for the Non-Contiguous Region 
on or before May 3, 2016. FirstNet will also hold public meetings in 
each of the seven Non-Contiguous states and territories. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES:  At any time during the public comment period, members of 
the public, public agencies, and other interested parties are 
encouraged to submit written comments, questions, and concerns about 
the project for FirstNet's consideration or to attend any of the public 
meetings. Written comments may be submitted electronically via 
www.regulations.gov, FIRSTNET-2016-01, or by mail to Amanda Goebel 
Pereira, NEPA Coordinator, First Responder Network Authority, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, M/S 243, Reston, VA 20192. 
Comments received will be made a part of the public record and may be 
posted to FirstNet's Web site (www.firstnet.gov) without change. 
Comments should be machine readable and should not be copy-protected. 
All personally identifiable information (e.g., name, address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. The Draft PEIS is available for download from 
www.regulations.gov FIRSTNET-2016-01. A CD of this document is also 
available for viewing at public libraries (see Chapter 15 of the Draft 
PEIS for the complete distribution list). See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for public meeting addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For more information on the Draft 
PEIS, contact Amanda Goebel Pereira, NEPA Coordinator, First Responder 
Network Authority, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 12201 Sunrise Valley 
Drive, M/S 243, Reston, VA 20192.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 11512]]

Public Meetings

    Attendees can obtain information regarding the project and/or 
submit a comment in person during public meetings. The meeting details 
are as follows:

     Anchorage, Alaska: March 15, 2016, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., 
at the Hilton Anchorage, 500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 
99501
     Juneau, Alaska: March 17, 2016, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., at 
the Centennial Hall Convention Center, 101 Egan Drive, Juneau, 
Alaska 99801
     Honolulu, Hawaii: March 21, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. to 
8:00 p.m., at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel, 2500 Kuhio Avenue, 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
     Tumon Bay, Guam: April 5, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 
p.m., at the Hilton Guam Resort, 202 Hilton Road, Tumon Bay, Guam 
96913
     Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: April 7, 2016, from 
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm 
Avenue, Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Saipan, MP 96950
     Tafuna, American Samoa: April 11, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. 
to 8:00 p.m., at the Tradewinds Hotel, 999 Ottoville Road, Tafuna, 
American Samoa 69799
     Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands: April 
22, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Company House Hotel, 
No. 2 Company Street, Christiansted, Virgin Islands 00820
     San Juan, Puerto Rico: April 26, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. 
to 8:00 p.m., at La Concha Resort, 1077 Ashford Avenue, San Juan, 
Puerto Rico 00907

Background

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 
112-96, Title VI, 126 Stat. 156 (codified at 47 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.)) 
(the ``Act'') created and authorized FirstNet to take all actions 
necessary to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of an 
interoperable, nationwide public safety broadband network (``NPSBN'') 
based on a single, national network architecture. The Act meets a 
longstanding and critical national infrastructure need, to create a 
single, nationwide network that will, for the first time, allow police 
officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service professionals, and 
other public safety entities to effectively communicate with each other 
across agencies and jurisdictions. The NPSBN is intended to enhance the 
ability of the public safety community to perform more reliably, 
effectively, and safely; increase situational awareness during an 
emergency; and improve the ability of the public safety community to 
effectively engage in those critical activities.
    The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347) 
(``NEPA'') requires federal agencies to undertake an assessment of 
environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making a final 
decision and implementing the action. NEPA requirements apply to any 
federal project, decision, or action that may have a significant impact 
on the quality of the human environment. NEPA also establishes the 
Council on Environmental Quality (``CEQ''), which issued regulations 
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (see 40 CFR parts 1500-
1508). Among other considerations, CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1508.28 
recommend the use of tiering from a ``broader environmental impact 
statement (such as a national program or policy statements) with 
subsequent narrower statements or environmental analysis (such as 
regional or basin wide statements or ultimately site-specific 
statements) incorporating by reference the general discussions and 
concentrating solely on the issues specific to the statement 
subsequently prepared.''
    Due to the geographic scope of FirstNet (all 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, and five territories) and the diversity of 
ecosystems potentially traversed by the project, FirstNet has elected 
to prepare five regional PEISs. The five PEISs will be divided into the 
East, Central, West, South, and Non-Contiguous Regions. The Non-
Contiguous Region consists of Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 
Draft PEIS analyzes potential impacts of the deployment and operation 
of the NPSBN on the natural and human environment in the Non-Contiguous 
Region, in accordance with FirstNet's responsibilities under NEPA.

Next Steps

    All comments received by the public and any interested stakeholders 
will be evaluated and considered by FirstNet during the preparation of 
the Final PEIS. Once a PEIS is completed and a Record of Decision (ROD) 
is signed, FirstNet will evaluate site-specific documentation, as 
network design is developed, to determine if the proposed project has 
been adequately evaluated in the PEIS or warrants a Categorical 
Exclusion, an Environmental Assessment, or an Environmental Impact 
Statement.

    Dated: March 1, 2016.
Amanda Goebel Pereira,
NEPA Coordinator First Responder Network Authority.
[FR Doc. 2016-04830 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-TL-P