[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39089-39090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16518]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 7076]


Notice of Receipt of Request To Amend the Presidential Permit for 
an International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico Border at Eagle Pass, Texas 
and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State hereby gives notice that, on June 1, 
2010, it received from Eagle Pass, Texas, a request to amend the 
Presidential permit that the Department issued in 1996 for the Eagle 
Pass II International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, 
Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The permittee proposes to 
revise article 10 of the permit so it may begin to collect rent from 
the Federal government for the continued use of the bridge's inspection 
facilities.
    Article 10 states that ``[t]he permittee shall provide to the 
United States Customs Service and to other Federal Inspection Agencies, 
as appropriate, at no cost to the Federal government, temporary 
inspectional facilities, at a mutually agreed upon site, that are 
adequate and acceptable to the Federal Inspection Agencies. In 
providing the inspectional facilities, including selection of the site, 
the permittee shall fully comply with all National Environmental Policy 
Act and National Historic Preservation Act mitigation provisions and 
stipulations.''

[[Page 39090]]

    The city's letter, explaining the rationale for this proposed 
change, is included in the Supplementary Information section below.
    The Department's jurisdiction over this application is based upon 
Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968, as amended, and Article 1 of 
the 1996 permit, which states that the permit ``may be amended by the 
Secretary of State or the Secretary's delegate at will or upon proper 
application therefor * * *.'' As provided in E.O. 11423, the Department 
is circulating this application to relevant Federal and State agencies 
for review and comment. Under E.O. 11423, the Department has the 
responsibility to determine, taking into account input from these 
agencies and other stakeholders, whether the proposed amendment of this 
Presidential permit would be in the U.S. national interest.

DATES: Interested members of the public are invited to submit written 
comments regarding this application on or before July 28, 2010 to 
Stewart Tuttle, U.S.-Mexico Border Affairs Coordinator, via e-mail at 
[email protected], or by mail at WHA/MEX--Room 3909, 
Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stewart Tuttle, U.S.-Mexico Border 
Affairs Coordinator, via e-mail at [email protected]; by 
phone at 202-647-6356; or by mail at WHA/MEX--Room 3909, Department of 
State, Washington, DC 20520. General information about Presidential 
Permits is available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/permit/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is the text of the application 
that Daniel Valenzuela, City Manager, Eagle Pass, Texas, submitted to 
the Department on June 1, 2010.
    Begin text.
    This communication is in reference to removing the restrictions of 
receiving rental payments for the temporary inspection facilities in 
Article 10 of the Presidential Permit (No. 96-01) issued by the 
Department of State on April 12, 1996, for a second international 
bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas. Currently, Article 10 of the permit 
requires the City of Eagle Pass (permittee) to provide the temporary 
inspection facilities at ``no cost'' to the Federal Government.
    As the permittee, and on behalf of the taxpayers of Eagle Pass, we 
are formally requesting that the Article 10 (Presidential Permit No. 
96-01) restriction be removed so that an agreeable rental rate can be 
established for the temporary inspection facilities. The Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) issued by the Department of State on April 
12, 1996, and in support of the permit issued on the same date, 
anticipated the need for the temporary facilities lasting between five 
and ten years. The current ``no cost'' lease has now been in effect for 
ten years and there is presently no timeline for the construction of 
the permanent inspection facilities. In addition, we believe that a 
change to the Presidential Permit will be a positive step toward 
helping develop a long-term solution to the past disagreements between 
GSA and the City of Eagle Pass. This solution will initiate progress 
towards construction of permanent facilities that will increase the 
capacity of the port, strengthen border security and improve working 
conditions for CBP officers.
    Based on the anticipated ongoing need for use of the temporary 
facilities, and in fairness to the taxpayers of Eagle Pass, we believe 
that the City should now be permitted to negotiate with the Federal 
Government an agreeable rental rate for the continued use of these 
facilities. Most municipalities and private-sector owners of inspection 
facilities along the Texas-Mexico border are permitted the collection 
rents for improvements provided for use by the Federal Government. 
Furthermore, we understand that no other Presidential Permit contains a 
similar restriction.
    We understand that the U.S. Department of State is willing, acting 
under Article 1 of the permit, in coordination with CBP and other 
Federal agencies, and after providing an opportunity for public 
comment, to consider modifying Article 10. The City of Eagle Pass 
respectfully asks to be consistently informed and updated on this 
process with written correspondence.
    It is the City's sincerest hope that an amendment to the 
Presidential Permit may be handled in an expeditious manner; we thank 
you for your consideration in this most important issue for our 
community.
    End text.

    Dated: June 29, 2010.
Alex Lee,
Director, Office of Mexican Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-16518 Filed 7-6-10; 8:45 am]
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