With the development of new standards in the health care industry, design professionals will soon have additional construction criteria to ensure speech privacy in new facilities. There are currently sound transmission class (STC) ratings required for partitions in a healthcare setting outlined in the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Healthcare Facilities. These currently implemented criteria have traditionally focused on patient personal privacy and not speech privacy. This effort will be a general analysis to determine the shortcomings of these standards with respect to speech privacy and a cost-privacy analysis for commonly used wall constructions. Wall constructions included in the analysis will be suitable for a healthcare setting. Commonly referenced published, modeled, and measured transmission loss across partitions will be shown. The privacy indices will be evaluated for each configuration. The talk will highlight that, in most cases, no extraordinary measures will be needed to ensure reasonable safeguards have been implemented.
Under the Proposed Action, USAPAT would construct a 12,000-square-foot modified standarddesign, small-battalion headquarters facility with classrooms that would also provide conference and training space, an industrial kitchen, and associated cold and dry storage for mission special use. The new facility would be constructed to meet current battalion needs; no increase in the number of USAPAT personnel at JBA is anticipated. Additionally, no change in USAPAT operations is anticipated; the operation and activities conducted in the new facility would be substantially the same as those now conducted out of Building 1778. Demolition of Building 1778 (approximately 7,000 SF) would be required. Three locations on JBA are proposed for construction of the facility in the EA. NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE Under the No Action Alternative, there would be no change from existing conditions at JBA. The USAPA T functions at JBA would continue to operate in antiquated, dispersed facili ties that meet only approximately 50 percent of the mission and special needs space requirements. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED ~"ROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION As part of the NEPA process, reasonable alternatives to the Proposed Action were considered. Seven locations were proposed for the new USAP AT facility. Three of the proposed locations were along the flight line, and although proximity to the flight line is preferred, the 2010 General Plan Update for
JBA proposes a program of targeted construction and demolition activities intended to improve its operational efficiency and ensure that the installation can sustain its current and future national security operations and mission-readiness status. The proposed activities are Construct a Helicopter Operations Facility. Construct a new fitness center and demolish the West Fitness Center (Building 1444). Construct a new Child Development Center (CDC) and demolish CDC #1 (Building 4575). Construct a Security Forces Group complex and demolish two buildings (Building 1642 [Base Library] and Building 1605 [a vehicle wash rack]) that are on the site selected for the complex. Enlarge the parking lot adjacent to Building 1845. Demolish Building 1988 (a traffic check house) and construct a new traffic check house in the same location. Demolish Buildings 1429 (a generator building), 1679 (Chapel 3), and 1732 (a heat plant), and the canopy and fuel tanks at Building 1685 (a former Army and Air Force Exchange Service gas station). Modify three entry control facilities (Main Gate, Pearl Harbor Gate, and Virginia Gate). The scope of this Installation Development EA includes an evaluation of alternatives for the various projects, where applicable, and analysis of the cumulative effects on the natural and man-made environments. This EA has been prepared to report the evaluation conducted of the proposed action and alternatives including the No Action Alternative. Resource areas addressed in the EA are noise, air quality, safety and occupational health, earth resources, water resources, infrastructure/utilities, transportation, hazardous materials and wastes, biological resources, cultural resources, historic and archaeological resources socioeconomics (including environmental justice and protection of children), land use and visual resources, and sustainability and greening. The Draft EA is made available to agencies and the public for a 30-day comment period from February 5, 2013, to March 7, 2013.
Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington (JBA), Maryland. The environmental assessment (EA) is attached to this FONSIIFONPA and incorporated by reference. Decision Based on the review of the EA, the Air Force has decided to proceed with replacing the taxiways and pads as described in the EA. The potential impacts to the human and natural environment were evaluated relative to the existing environment. Anticipated direct and indirect effects were assessed for each environmental resource or issue, and both short-term and long-term project effects were considered as well. The proposed action is expected to result in less than significant or no effects on all resource areas considered (noise, air quality, safety and occupational health, earth resources, water resources, infrastructure and utilities, transportation, hazardous materials and waste, biological resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics [including environmental justice and protection of children], land use, and sustainability and greening). During construction, the proposed action would have temporary and minor impacts on the noise environment, air quality, soils, and the local transportation system on the base, and on the regional economy. Short-term and long-term minor impacts on soils due to the grading and filling of areas would be expected. Also, widening the taxiways from 7 5 feet to 82 feet will result in a projected net increase in impervious area of approximately 2 acres, which would result in a minor net increase in storm water runoff. The action would also impact up to approximately 0.4 acre of existing wetlands. A FONPA is required for the proposed action because relocating the taxiways and pads is not a feasible alternative. Before the start of construction, appropriate permits and approvals would be obtained. Any required mitigation will be conducted. Permanent impacts of the taxiway projects on JBA' s jurisdictional wetlands airfield would be mitigated by off-site creation or restoration of wetlands. The proposed mitigation site is on the Hancock Property in Charles County, Maryland, and the specific mitigation plan would be determined jointly among JBA, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Maryland Department of the Environment. The projects would provide for larger aircraft utilization and would meet Air Force Standards for safe airfield operations. During construction, the proposed action would provide temporary, socioeconomic benefits through the generation of construction jobs. Overall, the analysis for this EA indicates that the proposed actions would not result in or contribute to significant adverse direct, indirect, or cumulative impacts on the resources in the region. Conclusion Finding of No Practicable Alternative Considering the information contained herein (including the attached EA), and pursuant to the authority delegated by the Headquarters Air Force Order Mission Directive 1-18, paragraph 6, the Air Force finds there is no practicable alternative to completing the Proposed Action within wetlands. The Proposed Action, as...
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