[Federal Register: November 9, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 216)]
[Notices]               
[Page 68810-68811]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09no10-72]                         

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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 comments@NorthernBorderPEIS.com, 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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