NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Proposed Construction and Operation of an Outpatient Clinic in Beaufort County, South Carolina The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with VA's Proposed Action to award a lease to a private entity that would construct an outpatient clinic (OPC) for VA to lease and operate in Beaufort County, SC. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide outpatient health care services to area Veterans. The Proposed Action is needed to address space gaps and operational inefficiencies at existing clinics within the VA Charleston Health Care System that were identified through the VA Strategic Capital Investment Planning process. VA is evaluating the following three Proposed Action Alternative sites and would select one for the new OPC: Alternative 1 – 708 Robert Smalls Parkway, Port Royal, SC (27 acres)Alternative 2 – Robert Smalls Parkway & Goethe Hill Road, Beaufort, SC (16 acres)Alternative 3 – 1844 Ribaut Road, Port Royal, SC (11 acres) VA prepared the Draft EA according to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S. Code § 4321 et seq.). The Draft EA is available on the VA website at https://www.cfm.va.gov/environmental/. A hard copy of the Draft EA is available at the Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. Please submit any requests for additional information, questions, or comments on the Draft EA via email to vacoenvironment@va.gov with the subject line "Beaufort, SC OPC EA" within 30 days following publication of this notice. VA will summarize and address substantive comments in the Final EA. IPL0241728 Jun 27,29 2025