federal register - U.S. Government Printing Office

6124 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulationsof the National Environmental PolicyAct of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), asdescribed in § 17.714 of this part.(5) A site survey performed by alicensed land surveyor. A description ofthe site shall be submitted noting thegeneral characteristics of the site. Thisshould include soil reports andspecifications, easements, mainroadway approaches, surrounding landuses, availability of electricity, waterand sewer lines, and orientation. Thedescription should also include a maplocating the existing and/or newbuildings, major roads, and publicservices in the geographic area.Additional site plans should show allsite work including property lines,existing and new topography, buildinglocations, utility data, and proposedgrades, roads, parking areas, walks,landscaping, and site amenities.(6) Design development (35 percent)drawings.(i) The applicant shall provide to VAone set of sepias and two sets of prints,rolled individually per set, to expeditethe review process. The drawing shallindicate the designation of all spaces,size of the areas and rooms, and indicatein outline the fixed and moveableequipment and furniture. The drawingsshall be drawn at 1 ⁄8′′ or 1 ⁄4′′ scale.Bedroom and toilet layouts, showingclearances and Uniform FederalAccessibility Standards requirements,should be shown at 1 ⁄4′′ scale. The totalfloor and room areas shall be shown inthe drawings. The drawings shallinclude:(A) A plan of any proposeddemolition work;(B) A plan of each floor. Forrenovation, the existing conditions andextent of new work should be clearlydelineated;(C) Elevations;(D) Sections and typical details;(E) Roof plan;(F) Fire protection plans; and(G) Technical engineering plans,including structural, mechanical,plumbing, and electrical drawings.(ii) If the project involves acquisition,remodeling, or renovation, the applicantshould include the current as-built siteplan, floor plans and building sectionswhich show the present status of thebuilding and a description of thebuilding’s current use and type ofconstruction.(7) Design development outlinespecifications. The applicant shallprovide eight copies of outlinespecifications which shall include ageneral description of the project, site,architectural, structural, electrical andmechanical systems such as elevators,air conditioning, heating, plumbing,lighting, power, and interior finishes(floor coverings, acoustical material, andwall and ceiling finishes).(8) Design development costestimates. The applicant shall providethree copies of cost estimates showingthe estimated cost of the buildings orstructures to be acquired or constructedin the project. Cost estimates should listthe cost of construction, contractcontingency, fixed equipment notincluded in the contract, movableequipment, architect’s fees andconstruction supervision andinspection.(9) A design development conference.After VA reviews design developmentdocuments, a design developmentconference may be recommended inorder to provide applicants and theirarchitects an opportunity to learn VAprocedures and requirements for theproject and to discuss VA reviewcomments.(10) Such other documentation asspecified by VA in writing to theapplicant that confirms or clarifiesinformation provided in the application.(b) Receipt of additional information.The required additional informationmust be received in acceptable formwithin the time frame established by VAin a notice of fund availabilitypublished in the Federal Register. VAreserves the right to remove anyproposed project from furtherconsideration for grant assistance if therequired additional project informationis not received in acceptable form by theestablished deadline.(c) Grant award. Following receipt ofthe additional information in acceptableform (and, where applicable, providedthat the environmental review describedin § 17.714 of this part indicates that theproposed project is environmentallyacceptable to VA), to the extent fundsare available VA will approve theapplication and send a grant agreementfor execution to the applicant.(Paperwork requirements were approved bythe Office of Management and Budget undercontrol number 2900–0554.)(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 7721, note)§ 17.714 Environmental reviewrequirements.(a) General. Project selection issubject to completion of anenvironmental review of the proposedsite, and the project may be modified orthe site rejected as a result of thatreview. The environmental effects mustbe assessed in accordance with therequirements of the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act of 1969(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) asimplemented pursuant to the Councilon Environmental Quality’s applicableregulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508)and VA’s applicable implementingregulations (38 CFR part 26).(b) Responsibility for review. (1) VAwill perform the environmental review,in accordance with part 26 of this title,for conditionally selected applicationsreceived directly from private nonprofitorganizations and governmental entitieswith special or limited purpose powers.VA is not permitted to approve suchapplications prior to its completion ofthis review. Because of time constraints,any applications subject toenvironmental review by VA thatrequires an Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) (generally, anapplication that VA determines wouldresult in a major Federal actionsignificantly affecting the quality of thehuman environment in accordance withthe environmental assessmentprocedures at 38 CFR part 26) will notbe eligible for assistance under this part.(2) Applicants that are States,metropolitan cities, urban counties,Indian tribes, or other governmentalentities with general purpose powersshall include environmentaldocumentation for the projectsubmitting information establishing aCategorical Exclusion (CE), a proposedEnvironmental Assessment (EA), or aproposed Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS). The environmentaldocumentation will require approval byVA before final award of a constructionor acquisition grant under this part. (See38 CFR 26.6 for compliancerequirements.) If the proposed actionsinvolving construction or acquisition donot individually or cumulatively have asignificant effect on the humanenvironment, the applicant shall submita letter noting a CE. If constructionoutside the walls of an existing structurewill involve more than 75,000 grosssquare feet (GSF), the application shallinclude an EA to determine if an EIS isnecessary for compliance with section102(2)(c) of the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act 1969. When the applicationsubmission requires an EA, the Stateshall briefly describe the possiblebeneficial and/or harmful effect whichthe project may have on the followingimpact categories:(i) Transportation;(ii) Air quality;(iii) Noise;(iv) Solid waste;(v) Utilities;(vi) Geology (soils/hydrology/floodplains);(vii) Water quality;(viii) Land use;(ix) Vegetation, wildlife, aquatic, andecology/wetlands;(x) Economic activities;