[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 145 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 46178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18950]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Construction of Private Correctional Facilities in 
Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi

AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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SUMMARY:

Proposed Action

    The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will prepare a DEIS for a Contractor-
Owned and Contractor-Operated private correctional facility(ies) to 
house sentenced criminal aliens. The BOP is facing unprecedented growth 
in its inmate population. As a result, low security federal 
correctional institutions will be especially impacted. The projected 
growth in the population of sentenced criminal aliens will further 
exacerbate these low security population demands.
    The BOP will be soliciting for a Contractor-Owned and Contractor-
Operated correctional facility(ies) to house approximately 1,500 low 
security, male, non U.S. citizen criminal aliens. Proposed 
facility(ies) may include construction of a new facility, expansion of 
an existing facility, or use of an existing facility. Fourteen sites 
throughout Florida, Georgia and Mississippi have been identified by 
contractors and offered to the BOP for consideration. The proposed 
sites have been submitted by the following contractors:
    Alternative Programs, Inc. (1) 160 acres of partially developed 
land located approximately eight miles south of the city limits of 
Lucedale, MS. Owned by the George County School District.
    Correctional Corporation of America (CCA): (1) Tallahatchie County 
Correctional Facility, located north of the City of Tutwiler on U.S. 
Highway 49, Tutwiler, MS.; (2) Stewart Correctional Facility located 
two miles southeast of Lumpkin, GA. On County Road 99; (3) McRae 
Correctional Facility, Highway 23 southeast of McRae, GA.
    Cornell Corrections: (1) 85 acres of primarily undeveloped and 
forested land, east of John E. Lewis Drive in McComb, MS.; (2) 347 
acres of land south of Bucksnort Road, 6 miles west of Interstate 
Highway 75, Jackson, GA.; (3) 70 acre tract of land west of State 
Highway 252 (Burnt Fort Road), Folkston, GA.; (4) 495 acre tract of 
land, south of State Road 60 west of the State Road 676 intersection 
near Mulberry, FL.
    Wackenhut Corrections Corporation: (1) 70 acres of vacant land, 
eastside of Dummy Line Road, west of U.S. Highway 49, Wiggins, MS.; (2) 
50 acres on the southeast portion of General Portland Lafarge Cement 
Plant Site, intersection of North Kendall Drive and Krome Avenue, 
Kendall, FL.
    Correctional Services Corporation: (1) 40 acres of land five miles 
from I-59 and 75-80 miles north, Poplarville, MS.; (2) 250 acres, 
Lumberton Industrial Park, Lumberton, MS.; (3) 65 acres of undeveloped 
land, Land Lot #14 of the 13th District of Clayton County, Forest Park, 
GA.
    Greene County Board of Supervisors: (1) 90 acres of land owned by 
Greene County, adjacent to the State correctional facility, east of 
State Highway 63, three miles north-northwest of the city of 
Leakesville, MS.
    Each proposed site submitted to the BOP is in response to the 
Commerce Business Daily Notice issued April 3rd. The notice required 
potential offerors to submit a Phase I environmental Survey conducted 
in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials, 
Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment Process. Also 
included as a ``non-scope consideration'' under Chapter 12 of the 
Standard Practice are a delineation or identification of on-site 
wetlands, and an analysis of potential impacts to threatened or 
endangered species, or species of special status. In further evaluation 
of these sites, several aspects will receive detailed examination 
including utilities, traffic patterns, noise, cultural resources, 
threatened and endangered species and land uses.
    The BOP intends to award a firm-fixed price contract with award-fee 
incentives; a potential term of ten years consisting of a three-year 
base and seven one-year option periods; a performance-based statement 
of work based generally on the American Correctional Association 
Standards; and a management emphasis on contractor quality control. 
After publication of this notice, the BOP will issue a Request for 
Proposals (RFPs). Proposals may be offered for any or all of the 14 
sites.

Alternatives

    Alternatives will include the no action alternative, and all 
proposals received in response to the RFPs. Each alternative will be 
identified and fully examined. The DEIS will not contain a preferred 
alternative(s).

Scoping Process

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended, (NEPA), a Scoping process will be conducted. As part of this 
process, public meetings will be held in Florida, Georgia, and 
Mississippi, to identify issues of concern for analysis during the NEPA 
process. Information packets containing a description of each site will 
be available during the meetings. Copies of the Phase I Environmental 
Site Assessments will be made available upon written request. During 
the preparation of the DEIS, there will be numerous opportunities for 
public involvement. The meetings, locations, dates and times will be 
well publicized in the local newspaper of record in the affected 
communities adjacent to the potential sites. Meetings will be held to 
allow interested persons to voice their concerns on the scope and 
significant issues to be examined as part of the NEPA process. The 
Scoping process is being held to provide for timely public comments and 
understanding of Federal plans and programs with possible environmental 
consequences as required by NEPA and the National Historic Preservation 
Act of 1966.

DEIS Preparation

    Public notice will be given in the Federal Register and the local 
newspaper of record concerning the availability of the DEIS for public 
review and comment.

ADDRESSES: Questions concerning the proposed action and the DEIS may be 
directed to: David J. Dorworth, Chief, Site Selection and Environmental 
Review Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20534, Attention: Debra J. Hood, Telephone: 202-514-
6470, Telefacsimile: 202-616-6024. E-mail: [email protected]

    Dated: July 21, 2000.
David J. Dorworth,
Chief, Site Selection and Environmental Review Branch.
[FR Doc. 00-18950 Filed 7-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-5-P