[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 176 (Monday, September 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 54862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23228]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Immigration and Naturalization Service

[INS No. 2085-00]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Construction of a Detention Facility Within 15 Files 
from Interstate 35 in Frio, La Salle, Medina, Atascosca or Webb 
Counties, TX

AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

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

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SUMMARY:

Proposed Action

    The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for evaluation of the 
environmental impacts of the construction of a Contractor-Owned 
Contractor-Operated (COCO) detention facility within 15 miles of 
Interstate 35 in Frio, La Salle, Medina, Atascosca or Webb Counties, 
Texas. The INS has a requirement to expand the total capacity in the 
area by 1,000 beds. The facility is needed near the Interstate 35 
corridor area between Laredo and San Antonio to house and care for 
illegal aliens detained by the INS for illegal entry into the United 
States. With regard to planned construction, the DEIS will include 
evaluations of water, sewage system, parking, supporting administrative 
spaces, gates, gate access, lighting, and surveillance components. The 
direct project impacts, as well as cumulative impacts of the project, 
will also be addressed in the DEIS. According to the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulation 40 CFR 1508.22, a scoping process is 
required prior to preparing a DEIS. As part of the DEIS process, the 
INS will hold a public meeting in the San Antonio area. Interested 
parties will be invited to help identify significant environmentally 
related items for evaluation in the DEIS. Notices will be published in 
the Frio, La Salle, Medina, Atascosca, and Webb County local newspapers 
to provide the time, date, and location of the hearing.

Alternatives

    The DEIS will include discussions of the alternative approaches to 
fulfilling the requirement for a detention facility in the area. This 
will include a review of potential construction sites. The No Action 
alternative (i.e., cancellation of the proposed project) will also be 
reviewed.

Scoping Process

    In developing the DEIS, interested parties and the public are 
invited to help decide the most significant issues to be examined. A 
scoping meeting will be held in the San Antonio, Texas area in the 
future. Notice of the meeting will be published in local newspapers 
prior to the meeting indicating the date, time, and location of the 
meeting.

DEIS Preparation

    The identified significant and relevant scoping issues will be used 
to determine the environmental focus of the DEIS. Environmental experts 
will be used to prepare the analysis of the major environmental 
concerns in the DEIS. After completion, the DEIS will be made available 
for public review and comment prior to the preparation of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Diefenbeck, Director of 
Facilities and Engineering Division, 425 ``I'' Street, NW, Washington, 
DC 20536, telephone number (202) 514-3099.

    Dated: September 1, 2000.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 00-23228 Filed 9-8-00; 8:45 am]
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