[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3925-3926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-294]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for Housing Approximately 1,750 Low-Security, Adult
Male Inmates, That Are Predominantly Criminal Aliens at a Privately-
Owned and Operated Institution in Either Hinton, OK; McRae, GA;
Baldwin, MI; or Scott County, MS
AGENCY: Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
Parts 1500-1508), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) intends to
prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and conduct
Public Scoping Meetings for the proposed housing of inmates under the
Criminal Alien Requirement 12 (CAR 12) solicitation, at a facility
located in either Hinton, Oklahoma; McRae, Georgia; Baldwin, Michigan;
or Scott County, Mississippi.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the United States Department
of Justice, BOP, is to protect society by confining offenders in the
controlled environments of prison and community-based facilities that
are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that
provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist
offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens. The BOP accomplishes its
mission through the appropriate use of community correction, detention,
and correctional facilities that are either: Federally-owned and
operated; federally-owned and non-federally operated; and non-federally
owned and operated.
Proposed Action
The BOP is facing a period of growth in its inmate population.
Projections show the federal inmate population increasing from
approximately 212,000 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2010 to over
231,756 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2013. As such, the demand for
bed space within the federal prison system continues to grow at a
significant rate. To accommodate a portion of the growing inmate
population, the BOP proposes to contract with a privately-owned and
operated correctional facility that can house approximately 1,750 low-
security, adult male inmates, that are predominantly criminal aliens.
Proposals received by the BOP from private contractors include
existing facilities located in Hinton, Oklahoma; McRae, Georgia;
Baldwin, Michigan; and a new facility proposed for development in Scott
County, Mississippi. The BOP has preliminarily evaluated these
proposals and determined that the prospective facility/sites appear to
be of sufficient size to provide space for inmate housing, programs,
administrative services and other support facilities associated with
the correctional facility. The DEIS to be prepared by the BOP will
analyze the potential impacts of correctional facility construction
and/or operation at these locations.
The Process
In the process of evaluating the sites, several aspects will
receive detailed examination including, but not limited to: Topography,
geology/soils, hydrology, biological resources, utility services,
transportation services, cultural resources, land uses, socio-
economics, hazardous materials, and air and noise quality, among
others.
Alternatives
In developing the DEIS, the options of ``no action'' and
``alternative sites'' for the proposed facility will be fully and
thoroughly examined.
Scoping Process
During the preparation of the DEIS, there will be opportunities for
public involvement in order to determine the issues to be examined in
the DEIS. Four Scoping Meetings will be held for the proposed action:
The first at 6 p.m., February 9, 2011 at the Hinton Fire Station, 115
E. Main Street, Hinton, Oklahoma; the second at 7 p.m., February 15,
2011 at the Morton City Board Room, 19 West 1st Avenue, Morton,
Mississippi; the third at 6 p.m. February 17, 2011 at McRae City Hall,
301 N. 1st Avenue, McRae, Georgia; and the final at 6 p.m. on February
24, 2011 at Webber Township Hall, 2286 Spring Time Street in Baldwin,
Michigan.
The meeting locations, dates, and times will be well publicized and
will be arranged to allow for public involvement, as well as interested
agencies and organizations to attend. The meetings will be held to
allow interested persons to formally express their views on the scope
and significant issues to be studied as part of the DEIS process. The
meetings will provide for timely public comments and understanding of
federal plans and programs with possible environmental consequences as
required by the NEPA of 1969, as amended, and the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
DEIS Preparation
Public notice will be given concerning the availability of the DEIS
for public review and comment at a later date.
Address
All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action and
alternatives at the Public Scoping Meetings and anytime during the
public scoping period and until March 11, 2011. There are three ways in
which comments may be submitted: (1) By attending one of the scoping
meetings, (2) by mail or (3) by FAX.
Contact
Questions concerning the proposed action and the DEIS may be
directed to: Richard A. Cohn, Chief or Issac J. Gaston, Site Selection
Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch, Federal Bureau
of Prisons, 320
[[Page 3926]]
First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534, Telephone: 202-514-6470/
Facsimile: 202-616-6024/E-mail: [email protected].
Dated: January 4, 2011.
Richard A. Cohn,
Chief, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. 2011-294 Filed 1-20-11; 8:45 am]
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