[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68810-68811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28239]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Notice of Intent To Prepare One Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Northern Border Between the United States and Canada
AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) informs the public
that it intends to prepare one Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) for the Northern Border between the United States and
Canada. Previously, CBP had published a notice in the Federal Register
stating that CBP intended to prepare four such documents, each covering
a different region of the Northern Border. However, after conducting a
public scoping process, CBP has determined that it would be preferable
to produce one document covering the entire Northern Border to ensure
that CBP effectively analyzes and conveys impacts that occur across the
region of the Northern Border. The overall anticipated area of study,
extending approximately 100 miles south of the Northern Border, will
remain the same.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hass, CBP, Office of
Administration, telephone (202) 344-1929. You may also visit the
Northern Border PEIS Web site at: http://www.NorthernBorderPEIS.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 6, 2010, CBP published in the Federal Register (75 FR
38822) a document entitled Notice of Intent to Prepare Four
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements for the Northern Border
Between the United States and Canada and To Conduct Public Scoping
Meetings. The notice announced that CBP intended to prepare four
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) to analyze the
environmental effects of current and potential future CBP border
security activities along the Northern Border between the United States
and Canada. Each PEIS was to cover one region of the Northern Border:
the New England region, the Great Lakes region, the region east of the
Rocky Mountains, and the region west of the Rocky Mountains.
The notice also announced and initiated the public scoping process
to gather information from the public in preparation for drafting the
PEISs. In this scoping process, CBP solicited written comments from the
public and held 11 public scoping meetings in locations near the
Northern Border. CBP conducted this public scoping process in order to
obtain input concerning the range of environmental considerations for
inclusion within the PEISs. As indicated in the prior notice, the
scoping period concluded on August 5, 2010.
As a result of input received during the scoping process, CBP has
decided to refocus its approach and develop one PEIS covering the
entire Northern Border, rather than four separate, regional PEISs.
Through this refocused approach, CBP will further clarify the proposed
action, alternatives, and potential impacts across the four previously
identified regions. CBP's principal reasons for preparing a single PEIS
with sections for each region are:
(1) CBP's need to identify a single unified proposal and
alternatives for maintaining or enhancing security along the Northern
Border, and
(2) Certain resources of concern for this PEIS extend or move
across the PEIS regions previously identified (e.g. habitat of various
wildlife). Thus, to ensure that CBP effectively analyzes and conveys
impacts that occur across regions of the Northern Border, a
[[Page 68811]]
unified PEIS is desirable. The overall anticipated area of study,
extending approximately 100 miles south of the Northern Border, remains
the same.
CBP is continuing to review the results of the scoping process and,
as described in the July 6 notice, will compile a list of comments
received to be included in a scoping report. This report will be made
available on the project Web site: http://www.NorthernBorderPEIS.com
and upon written request. Written requests for the scoping report may
be made via e-mail to [email protected], subject: Scoping
Report, or via mail to CBP Northern Border PEIS (Scoping Report), P.O.
Box 3625, McLean, Virginia, 22102. The body of the request should read,
``Request a copy of the scoping report for U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Northern Border PEIS.'' CBP anticipates the scoping report
will be available in November 2010.
The information gained from the scoping process will aid CBP as it
prepares the draft PEIS. This draft PEIS will be followed, after a
period of public comment, with a final PEIS. CBP plans to use the
information derived from the analysis in the PEIS in management,
planning, and decision-making for its mission and its environmental
stewardship responsibilities, as well as to establish a foundation for
future impact analyses. For complete information, please see the July 6
Federal Register notice (75 FR 38822).
Next Steps
This environmental analysis process is being conducted pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.,
(NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for
Implementing the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Department of
Homeland Security Directive 023-01 (renumbered from 5100.1),
Environmental Planning Program of April 19, 2006. In accordance with
NEPA, the draft PEIS will be made available to the public for review
and comment through a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal
Register. The NOA will provide directions for obtaining copies of the
draft PEIS as well as dates and locations for any associated public
participation meetings. After a public comment period on the draft
PEIS, CBP will complete a final PEIS. CBP will continue to announce
information on exact locations and times of public meetings as well as
project information through local newspapers and the project Web site:
http://www.NorthernBorderPEIS.com.
Dated: November 4, 2010.
Rob Janson,
Acting Executive Director, Facilities Management and Engineering,
Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-28239 Filed 11-8-10; 8:45 am]
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