83 FR 32952 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement of the Department of Veterans Affairs Housing Loan Program

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 136 (July 16, 2018)

Page Range		32952-32953
FR Document		2018-15073

Under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations, VA intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental consequences of continued operation and administration of VA's Housing Loan Program (HLP). VA's reference to the HLP includes federal assistance, administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), in the form of loans made, insured, or guaranteed by VA. It also includes housing benefits that can be used in conjunction with the HLP (e.g., the Specially Adapted Housing program). Under the HLP, VBA is also responsible for the management, marketing, and disposition of real estate owned (REO) properties that VA acquires following the foreclosure of certain VA-guaranteed loans and loans held in VA's portfolio. This notice opens the public scoping phase and invites interested parties to identify potential issues, concerns, and reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the PEIS. Following the scoping meeting referenced below, a Draft PEIS will be prepared and circulated for public comment.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 136 (Monday, July 16, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32952-32953]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15073]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement of the Department of Veterans Affairs Housing Loan Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and its implementing regulations, VA intends to prepare a 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate the 
potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental consequences 
of continued operation and administration of VA's Housing Loan Program 
(HLP). VA's reference to the HLP includes federal assistance, 
administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), in the form 
of loans made, insured, or guaranteed by VA. It also includes housing 
benefits that can be used in conjunction with the HLP (e.g., the 
Specially Adapted Housing program). Under the HLP, VBA is also 
responsible for the management, marketing, and disposition of real 
estate owned (REO) properties that VA acquires following the 
foreclosure of certain VA-guaranteed loans and loans held in VA's 
portfolio. This notice opens the public scoping phase and invites 
interested parties to identify potential issues, concerns, and 
reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the PEIS. 
Following the scoping meeting referenced below, a Draft PEIS will be 
prepared and circulated for public comment.

DATES: All written comments should be submitted by August 15, 2018.
    VA invites federal, state, tribal, and local entities; non-profit 
organizations; businesses; interested parties; and the general public 
to comment on the proposed scope and content of the PEIS. VA will 
consider all scoping comments in developing the PEIS. VA will conduct a 
public scoping meeting on Thursday, August 2, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 
p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 
Marinelli Road, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The scoping meeting will 
afford the public an opportunity to learn more about the project and 
provide input on the environmental analysis process. During the 
meeting, VA will provide an overview of the project, as well as details 
regarding the PEIS scope, purpose, and need. VA will also outline the 
overall NEPA process. Additionally, VA will post a scoping presentation 
on a publicly available website during the 30-day scoping period. Such 
presentation will be available at http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/environmental_impact.asp.
    Proposed Actions and Alternatives: VA's Proposed Action is to 
continue administering the HLP and incorporating programmatic changes 
as necessitated by amendments to program authorities, Veteran need, 
market conditions, and factors not foreseen at the time of this 
publication.
    VA's No Action Alternative refers to a scenario wherein VA operates 
the HLP in a manner consistent with policies

[[Page 32953]]

and procedures as of fiscal year 2017 (October 1, 2016 through 
September 30, 2017). The No Action Alternative is being presented as a 
snapshot in time to provide a baseline from which to compare the 
Proposed Action. Nevertheless, the No Action Alternative is likely 
unrealistic, as it assumes that HLP policies and requirements are 
frozen, and thereby does not account for subsequent programmatic 
improvements, legislation, Executive Branch directives, or other 
requirements.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov; by mail or hand delivery to the Director, Office 
of Regulation Policy and Management (00REG), Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Room 1063B, Washington DC 20420; or by 
fax to 202-273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted 
in response to ``Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
Housing Loan Program''. Copies of comments received will be available 
for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and Management 
(00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Room 
1063B, Washington, DC 20420, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). Please call 
(202) 461-4902 (this is not a toll-free number) for an appointment. 
During the comment period, comments may also be viewed online through 
the Federal Docket Management System at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elysium Drumm, VA Housing Loan 
Program, at 202-632-8790 or VAHLPNEPA.VBAVACO@va.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The most significant element of the HLP is 
the provision of housing benefits that assist eligible Veterans in 
financing the purchase, construction, repair, or improvement of a home 
for their personal occupancy. See 38 U.S.C. 3701 et seq. VBA 
administers these and other housing benefits, such as assistance to 
Veterans who want to adapt their homes, to assist Veterans in 
readjusting to civilian life. The HLP provides what can be, for some 
Veterans, their sole opportunity to obtain crucial housing loans and 
adaptations.
    Through this PEIS, VA is using the NEPA process to evaluate the 
potential physical, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic effects 
of the HLP; to invite public participation; and to assist with and 
inform future agency planning and decision making related to the HLP. 
The PEIS will also evaluate the HLP, which assists hundreds of 
thousands of Veterans each year across the United States and its 
territories, to ensure that VA appropriately considers the human 
environmental elements and effects specified in 40 CFR 1508.8 (i.e., 
ecological, aesthetic, historic, cultural, economic, social, or health, 
whether direct, indirect, or cumulative) in carrying out the various 
elements and aspects of the program. This PEIS is unique in that it 
addresses an existing program, and VA has no specific or immediate need 
to change its operational structure or procedures to address 
environmental impacts. Furthermore, the making of loan guaranties, 
direct loans, and grants do not typically, in and of themselves, result 
in direct environmental impacts. Environmental impacts, if they occur, 
would be the result of private citizen actions (e.g., construction of a 
house funded by VA-guaranteed loan financing) related to a specific 
property. In this case, the primary environmental impacts of concern 
for VA would be the potential indirect impacts from homeowner actions 
and the potentially significant cumulative impacts of small incremental 
actions on local and regional resources.
    As part of the scoping process, VA encourages federal, state, 
tribal, and local entities; non-profit organizations; businesses; 
interested parties; and the general public to provide input on any 
areas of environmental concern relevant to the HLP, and suggestions 
regarding potential environmental impacts that should be evaluated. VA 
will consult with such parties during VA's preparation of the PEIS.

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. Jacquelyn 
Hayes-Byrd, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on July 10, 2018, for publication.

    Dated: July 10, 2018.
Jeffrey M. Martin,
Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2018-15073 Filed 7-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P

32952 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2018 / Notices

carrier vehicle maintenance practices as Title: Truck and Bus Maintenance Statement (PEIS) to evaluate the
a result of an intervention; significant Requirements and Their Impact on potential direct, indirect, and
benefits of interventions; and ways the Safety. cumulative environmental
intervention process could be improved. OMB Control Number: 2126–XXXX. consequences of continued operation
Information provided by the IE Group Type of Request: New information and administration of VA’s Housing
will address the portion of Objective 2 collection. Loan Program (HLP). VA’s reference to
regarding sufficiency of regulations and Respondents: Freight motor carriers the HLP includes federal assistance,
where interventions need to be and passenger carriers. administered by the Veterans Benefits
improved to facilitate complying with Estimated Number of Respondents: Administration (VBA), in the form of
these regulations. 578 respondents [578 respondents will loans made, insured, or guaranteed by
Survey responses will be summarized complete the Online Recruitment VA. It also includes housing benefits
and reported using plots, tables, content Survey. Of those 578 respondents, 289 that can be used in conjunction with the
analysis, and calculated summary will also complete the Carrier HLP (e.g., the Specially Adapted
statistics. Plots and tables will provide Maintenance Manager Survey]. Housing program). Under the HLP, VBA
a visual comparison of multiple choice Estimated Time per Response: Varies is also responsible for the management,
and checkbox survey responses for [Online Recruitment Survey: 5 minutes. marketing, and disposition of real estate
successful carriers (i.e., carriers in the Carrier Maintenance Manager Survey: owned (REO) properties that VA
RP Group) and those receiving 45 minutes]. acquires following the foreclosure of
interventions in the last 24 months (i.e., Expiration Date: 3 years after certain VA-guaranteed loans and loans
carriers in the IE Group). These methods approval. held in VA’s portfolio. This notice
will also allow researchers to Frequency of Response: Once. opens the public scoping phase and
summarize responses by carrier Estimated Total Annual Burden: 265
invites interested parties to identify
operation type (i.e., truck or bus) and hours [Online Recruitment Survey: 578
potential issues, concerns, and
size. Bar charts will be used to plot respondents × (5 minutes ÷ 60 minutes)
reasonable alternatives that should be
responses to many survey questions. = 48 hours; Carrier Maintenance
considered in the PEIS. Following the
Some survey responses may be Manager Survey: 289 respondents × (45
scoping meeting referenced below, a
summarized with tables with rows for minutes ÷ 60 minutes) = 217 hours].
Draft PEIS will be prepared and
each of the carrier operation types (truck Public Comments Invited: You are
circulated for public comment.
or bus) and each carrier-size subgroup. asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including: (1) DATES: All written comments should be
To explore and summarize responses to
open-ended survey questions, Whether the proposed collection is submitted by August 15, 2018.
researchers will use content analysis necessary for the performance of VA invites federal, state, tribal, and
methods. An illustration of an open- FMCSA’s functions; (2) the accuracy of local entities; non-profit organizations;
ended question in the survey is ‘‘List the estimated burden; (3) ways for businesses; interested parties; and the
examples of critical safety-related FMCSA to enhance the quality, general public to comment on the
maintenance activities for trailer vehicle usefulness, and clarity of the collected proposed scope and content of the PEIS.
milestones.’’ The goal of content information; and (4) ways that the VA will consider all scoping comments
analysis of open-ended questions will burden could be minimized without in developing the PEIS. VA will conduct
be to identify common answers. reducing the quality of the collected a public scoping meeting on Thursday,
The results of this information information. The agency will summarize August 2, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
collection will be documented in a or include your comments in the request at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel
technical report to be delivered to and for OMB’s clearance of this information and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli
published by FMCSA. In addition, the collection. Road, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The
results will be used to create a scoping meeting will afford the public
Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87
‘‘recommended best practices’’ report an opportunity to learn more about the
on: July 10, 2018.
that will outline minimum standards for project and provide input on the
Kelly Regal,
inspection intervals, mechanic environmental analysis process. During
Associate Administrator for Office of the meeting, VA will provide an
qualifications and training, and Research and Information Technology.
certification of maintenance facilities. overview of the project, as well as
[FR Doc. 2018–15151 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am] details regarding the PEIS scope,
Finally, VTTI is required under the
contract with FMCSA to compile and BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P purpose, and need. VA will also outline
analyze the collected information and the overall NEPA process. Additionally,
develop a public-use data set. VA will post a scoping presentation on
This ICR is for a one-time data DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS a publicly available website during the
collection. If this data collection does AFFAIRS 30-day scoping period. Such
not take place, the truck and bus presentation will be available at http://
industry would continue to operate with Notice of Intent To Prepare a www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/
the uncertainty of what a ‘‘systematic Programmatic Environmental Impact environmental_impact.asp.
maintenance’’ program, as currently Statement of the Department of Proposed Actions and Alternatives:
worded in section 396.3(a), consists of. Veterans Affairs Housing Loan VA’s Proposed Action is to continue
This term’s ambiguous definition makes Program administering the HLP and
it difficult for federal and state incorporating programmatic changes as
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
inspectors to evaluate the effectiveness ACTION: Notice of intent. necessitated by amendments to program
of a carrier’s maintenance program or its authorities, Veteran need, market
compliance with this provision. SUMMARY: Under the authority of the conditions, and factors not foreseen at
Furthermore, this uncertainty may make National Environmental Policy Act the time of this publication.
it difficult for carriers to ascertain and (NEPA) and its implementing VA’s No Action Alternative refers to
therefore comply with the regulation’s regulations, VA intends to prepare a a scenario wherein VA operates the HLP
intent. Programmatic Environmental Impact in a manner consistent with policies

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Document Created: 2018-07-14 00:53:33
Document Modified: 2018-07-14 00:53:33

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of intent.
Dates		All written comments should be submitted by August 15, 2018.
Contact		Elysium Drumm, VA Housing Loan Program, at 202-632-8790 or [email protected]
FR Citation		83 FR 32952