FEMA PUBLIC NOTICE OF ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
STATE OF LOUISIANA, FACILITIES PLANNING AND CONTROL
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS PHYSICAL PLANT
RELOCATION AND IMPROVED PROJECT
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

The Department of Homeland Security and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) have established Alternative Arrangements (AA) to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and CEQ regulations for implementing the procedural requirements of NEPA, for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to reconstruct critical infrastructure in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area (Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 56, p. 14712, March 23, 2006).

Interested parties are hereby notified that FEMA has determined that the improved project for the 	relocation of the Physical Plant at the University of New Orleans (UNO) qualifies for expedited NEPA review under the AA guidelines.  The State of Louisiana, Facilities Planning and Control (FP&C) has prepared and submitted an application to FEMA for funding under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program being administered in response to FEMA-1603-DR-LA.  The Presidential Disaster Declaration, for this event was signed on August 29, 2005. 

On August 29, 2005, the building known as the UNO Physical Plant Services, located on the westernmost boundary of the UNO Lakefront Campus, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the vicinity of latitude 30.0268 and longitude -90.0702, sustained major damage from flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina.   FEMA determined that the cost to repair the facility would exceed 50% of demolition and replacement cost.  FP&C, however, determined that the public interest would be better served by demolishing the existing facility, and constructing a new facility, located on the northernmost boundary of the same campus, in the vicinity of latitude 30.0314, longitude -90.0666, approximately 0.4 miles northeast from the existing facility.

The public comment period will be from FIRST DAY OF NOTICE to 15 DAYS FOLLOWING FIRST DAY OF NOTICE.  Written comments on the proposal may be mailed to:
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Environmental/Historic Preservation, Attn: Nick Knowles
1250 Poydras St., Box 43
New Orleans, LA 70113
or emailed to nicholas.knowles@dhs.gov, of faxed to FEMA’s Transitional Recovery Office in New Orleans at (504) 762-2871; and verbal comments will be accepted at (504) 762-2291 between 7:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.