[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 214 (Friday, November 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57522-57523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26727]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Criminal Alien Requirement 9

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

ACTION: Public comment on Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons 
(Bureau) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the proposed contract to secure additional inmate 
bed space for the Bureau's growing inmate population.
    As part of a recent initiative known as the Criminal Alien 
Requirement 9 (CAR 9), the Bureau has identified a specific requirement 
to confine a population of up to 2,500 low-security adult male inmates, 
that are primarily criminal aliens. The Bureau is seeking to reduce 
prison overcrowding by requesting

[[Page 57523]]

additional contract beds for low-security male criminal aliens.

Background Information

    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), and the Department of Justice procedures for implementing 
NEPA (28 CFR part 61), the Bureau has prepared a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the proposed contract with one or more private 
contractors to house up to 2,500 federal, low-security, adult male, 
non-U.S. citizen, criminal aliens at contractor-owned, contractor-
operated correctional facilities located in Baldwin, Michigan and/or 
Lake City, Florida. Inmates housed in these facilities would be aliens 
from any number of countries who have committed crimes within the U.S. 
and are being held for trial, or who have been convicted and sentenced 
to serve time within the federal prison system. Upon completion of 
their sentences, these inmates would be deported to their country of 
origin.

Project Information

    The Bureau's DEIS evaluates the potential environmental 
consequences of two action alternatives and the No Action Alternative. 
Under Alternative 1, the Bureau would contract with the GEO Group to 
house approximately 1,889 federal, low-security, adult male, non-U.S. 
citizen, criminal aliens at the North Lake Correctional Facility in 
Baldwin, Michigan. The Baldwin, Michigan site is located in Lake 
County, Michigan and consists of approximately 105 acres of which the 
existing North Lake Correctional Facility comprises 24 acres. Under 
Alternative 2, the Bureau would contract with Civigenics (also known as 
Community Education Centers, Inc.) to house up to 1,268 federal 
inmates. The Lake City, Florida site, located in Columbia County, is 
comprised of an 80-acre parcel of land which is undeveloped. The 
property has not yet been developed by the contractor, but the 
contractor has the option to purchase 53.3 acres of the total 80-acre 
parcel. The proposed correctional facility would then be developed on 
approximately 40 acres of the total 53.3 acres, with the most northern 
13.3 acres maintained as a natural buffer. The principal function of 
the correctional facility would be to provide a safe, secure and humane 
environment for the care and custody of federal inmates. Upon award of 
the contract, one of the correctional facilities at either alternative 
site would be activated, and the facility would have staff of 
approximately 250 full-time employees would provide 24-hour 
supervision. Under the No Action Alternative, the Bureau would not 
contract with a contractor-owned, contractor-operated facility to house 
up to 2,500 inmates currently under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. The 
No Action Alternative serves as a baseline against which to compare the 
action alternatives; however, it is not considered a viable 
alternative.
    One Environmental Assessment and Phase I Environmental Site 
Assessment were prepared for each of the proposed alternative site 
locations in 2008. The information obtained in these documents was used 
in preparing the DEIS.

Public Hearing and Open House

    The Bureau invites you to learn and comment about the proposed 
project at the Public Hearing on the proposed contracting action 
alternatives and the evaluation contained in the DEIS. Public Hearings 
will be held at 5 p.m. November 17, 2009 at the Columbia County Public 
Library, West Branch located at 435 NW. Hall of Fame Drive, Lake City, 
Florida and at 5 p.m., November 24, 2009 at the Webber Township Hall 
located at 2286 West Springtime Street, Baldwin, Michigan. The public 
hearing locations, dates, and times will be well publicized and have 
been arranged to allow for the public, as well as interested agencies 
and organizations to attend. The Public Hearings are being held to 
allow interested persons to formally express their views on the DEIS. 
The Public Hearings will 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, as amended.

Request for Comments

    The DEIS will be the subject of a 45-day comment period which 
begins November 6, 2009 and ends December 21, 2009. Comments concerning 
the DEIS and the proposed action must be received during this time to 
be assured consideration. All written comments received during this 
review period will be taken into consideration by the Bureau. Copies of 
the DEIS are available for public viewing at: Columbia County Public 
Library, 308 NW. Columbia Avenue, Lake City, Florida 32055; Columbia 
County Public Library, West Branch, 435 NW. Hall of Fame Drive, Lake 
City, Florida 32055; Pathfinder Community Library, 812 Michigan Ave., 
Baldwin, MI 49304; Webber Township Hall, 2286 West Springtime Street, 
Baldwin, Michigan 49304.
    The DEIS and other information regarding this project are available 
upon request. To request a copy of the DEIS, please contact: Richard A. 
Cohn, Chief, or Issac J. 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] or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard A. Cohn, or Issac J. Gaston, 
Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    Dated: October 30, 2009.
Issac J. Gaston,
Site Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. E9-26727 Filed 11-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P