The Navy is pleased to announce the availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Activities to Implement
2005 Base Realignment and Closure Actions at National Naval Medical
Center, Bethesda, Maryland. The document is available at the
following websites, as well at a number of locations provided in the
attached notice:

http://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/Professional/Public_Affairs/BRAC/

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/brac

You are invited to review and comment on the DEIS during the 45-day
comment period between 14 December 2007 and 28 January 2008. All
comments must be dated no later than midnight January 28, 2008 to be
accepted and addressed in the Final EIS. Please submit comments by
mail, by E-Mail at NNMCEIS@..., or by Fax at: (301) 295-
5020. The mailing address for comments is:

Officer in Charge - BRAC

National Naval Medical Center

8901 Wisconsin Avenue

Bethesda, Maryland 20889

The Navy will hold two public hearings on January 9 and 10, 2008 from
6 PM to 8 PM, at the Pooks Hill Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road,
Bethesda, MD, 20814, where verbal and written comments related to the
DEIS can also be presented to Navy representatives.

Thank you for your interest.

Note: The full announcement is copied below.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT 2005 BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE ACTIONS
AT NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER, BETHESDA, MARYLAND

The Navy announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for potential environmental impacts associated with
implementing actions directed by the Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) Act of 1990 as amended in 2005, at the National Naval Medical
Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. Under the 2005 BRAC law, Walter
Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) will relocate all tertiary (sub-
specialty and complex care) medical services to the NNMC campus in
Bethesda from WRAMC. This new military health care center is to be
named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)
Bethesda. By law the realignment actions must be accomplished by 15
September 2011. The BRAC realignment actions will bring additional
patients and visitors requiring additional staff and facilities at
NNMC. The DEIS provides information on proposed new construction and
facility alterations and an assessment of the potential environmental
impacts associated with these actions and their subsequent operation
at WRNMMC Bethesda.

The public review period for the DEIS is from 14 December 2007 to 28
January 2008. Copies of the DEIS have been placed at the following
locations: Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD,
20814; Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD,
20815; Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, MD, 20817;
Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Avenue, Kensington, MD, 20895;
Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850; Bethesda-
Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda,
MD, 20814; Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., 7700 Old Georgetown
Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814; and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of
Commerce, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1204, Bethesda, MD, 20814.

The DEIS is also available at the following websites:
http://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/Professional/Public_Affairs/BRAC/
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/brac

The Navy invites the general public, local governments, state and
other federal agencies to submit written comments to the Navy
concerning the assessment of environmental impacts provided by the
DEIS. All comments must be dated no later than midnight January 28,
2008 to be accepted and addressed in the Final EIS. Please submit
comments by mail, by E-Mail at NNMCEIS@..., or by Fax at:
(301) 295-5020. The mailing address for comments is:

Officer in Charge – BRAC
National Naval Medical Center
8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20889

The Navy also invites the public and government agency
representatives to participate in public hearings for the DEIS where
verbal and written comments can also be presented to Navy
representatives. The Navy will hold two public hearings on January 9
and 10, 2008 from 6 PM to 8 PM, at the Pooks Hill Marriott, 5151
Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814.

The Navy requests that people asking to speak at either public
meeting prepare their statements to meet a 3-minute limitation on the
length of that part of the statement to be presented verbally. This
is to ensure that all persons desiring to make a comment at the
meeting are given that opportunity, not to constrain any individual's
ability to fully provide their comment. The Navy requests that to
ensure the full comment is received and can be properly addressed,
statements of considerable length that exceed the time allotted for
each verbal statement, as well as technical statements, be also
submitted in writing.

To obtain additional information concerning the DEIS or public
hearings, or to make a request for special assistance at either of
the public hearings, such as for sign language interpretation for the
hearing impaired, language interpreters, or other auxiliary aids,
please contact Navy representatives at the addresses provided above
or by telephone at: (301) 295-2722. There will be an individual
available to answer the phone between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM on
weekdays, excluding holidays, and an answering machine to take a
message at all other times. Please submit any requests for assistance
at the hearings by January 4, 2008 to allow time to respond.