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NEPA Categorical Exclusion Determination for
The Dr. Samuel B. Massie Chairs of Excellence Professorships in
Engineering
The Massie Chairs of Excellence Program is
designed to assist its member institutions in producing top-level
graduates in scientific and technical disciplines and is named after Dr.
Samuel P. Massie, an African-American
chemist of national reputation who was a leader in championing
the cause of minority education in the United States.
The
Program which presently comprises fourteen Historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCUs) and one Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) has
established a team of world-class scholars, researchers and educators,
who advance research, enhance academics, promote partnerships, and
effect outreach in the sciences.
The Massie Chairs Program leverages support at
the federal, state, and private industry levels to develop cutting-edge
technologies through research and development in the areas of basic and
applied science and engineering, environmental technology, national
defense technology, homeland security, and nuclear nonproliferation
studies led by world-class scholars, researchers and educators.
The Chairs, selected from a number of highly qualified
individuals, have national and international reputations in science and
technology. Their professional experience includes work in the public
and private sectors, as well as in academia.
The reviews of the research proposal packages
submitted by the Massie Chair Program participants did not reveal any
extraordinary related circumstances that might affect the significance
of the environmental effects of these proposals.
The proposals are not “connected”
to other actions with potentially significant impacts, or to other
proposed actions with cumulatively significant impacts, and are not
precluded by 40 CFR 1506.1 or 10 CFR 1021.211. The proposals do not
result in adverse effects to historic properties included or eligible
for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (National
Register) and would not impact sensitive resources (e.g., threatened and
endangered (T/E) species, wetlands and floodplains).
Nor do these proposals threaten a violation of applicable
statutory, regulatory, or permit requirements for environment, safety,
and health, including requirements of DOE and/or Executive Orders;
require siting and construction or major expansion of waste storage,
disposal, recovery, or treatment facilities (including incinerators and
facilities for treating wastewater, surface water, and groundwater; or
disturb hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, or petroleum and
natural gas products excluded from the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) that pre-exist in the
environment such that there would be uncontrolled or unpermitted
releases.
Accordingly, and pursuant to the DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures at 10 CFR 1021, Subpart D, Appendix A and
Appendix B, the categorical exclusion (CX) determination applies to the
research proposals submitted by the following participants in the Massie
Chairs of Excellence Program.
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