[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 117 (Friday, June 19, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29240-29241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14179]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for Housing Up to 2,500 Low Security, Adult Inmate 
Beds at Privately Owned Institution in Lake City, FL and/or Baldwin, MI

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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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 
Criminal Alien Requirement 9, at proposed facilities in Lake City, 
Florida and/or Baldwin, Michigan.

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 unprecedented growth in its inmate 
population. Projections show the federal inmate population increasing 
from approximately 201,600 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2008 to 
212,000 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2010. 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 has determined that an additional federal, low-
security facility is needed in its system. To meet this need, the BOP 
proposes to contract with a contractor owned and operated correctional 
facility

[[Page 29241]]

that can house up to 2,500 sentenced or un-sentenced criminal aliens.
    Proposals received by the BOP from private contractors include a 
proposed expansion of an existing facility in Baldwin, Michigan and/or 
new construction at a site in Lake City, Florida. The BOP has 
preliminarily evaluated these sites and determined that the prospective 
sites appear to be of sufficient size to provide space for 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/renovation and operation at these sites.

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. A Public Scoping Meeting will be held at 6 p.m. June 30, 2009 
at the Columbia County Public Library located at 308 NW Columbia 
Avenue, Lake City, Florida.
    In addition, a Public Scoping meeting will be held at 6 p.m., July 
7, 2009 at the Webber Township Hall located at 2286 West Springtime 
Street, Baldwin, Michigan. The meeting locations, dates, and times will 
be well publicized and have been arranged to allow for public 
involvement, as well as interested agencies and organizations to 
attend. The meetings are being 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.

ADDRESSES: All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed 
action and alternatives at any Public Scoping Meetings and anytime 
during the 30-day comment review period, which ends July 20, 2009. 
There are two ways in which comments may be submitted: (1) by attending 
one of the meetings or (2) by mail. All written comments on the DEIS 
should be submitted and postmarked no later than July 20, 2009.
    Comments submitted by mail or questions concerning the proposed 
action and the DEIS may be directed to: Richard A. Cohn, Chief or Issac 
Gaston, Site Selection Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection 
Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20534, Tel: 202-514-6470/Fax: 202-616-6024/E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: June 10, 2009.
Richard A. Cohn,
Chief, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. E9-14179 Filed 6-18-09; 8:45 am]
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