[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 56 (Friday, March 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15070-15071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05784]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Public Meeting for the Draft Supplemental Revised Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed United States Penitentiary 
and Federal Prison Camp in Letcher County, Kentucky

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons 
(Bureau) is announcing a public meeting for the Draft Supplemental 
Revised Final Environmental Impact Statement (RFEIS) for the proposed 
United States Penitentiary (USP) and Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in 
Letcher County, Kentucky. A 45-day public comment period on the Draft 
Supplemental RFEIS was initiated with the publication of the Notice of 
Availability of the Draft Supplemental RFEIS in the Federal Register on 
March 24, 2017, and will end on May 8, 2017. During the 45-day public 
comment period, the Bureau will conduct a public meeting to receive 
oral and written comments on the Draft Supplemental RFEIS. This notice 
announces the date, time, and location of the public meeting and 
provides supplementary information about the environmental planning 
effort.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on April 12, 2017 between 5:30 
p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Letcher County Central High School located at 435 Cougar 
Drive, Whitesburg, Kentucky. Bureau representatives will be available 
at poster stations during the public meeting to clarify information 
related to the Draft Supplemental RFEIS. Federal, state, and local 
agencies and officials, and interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to provide comments in person at the public meeting or in 
writing anytime during the public comment period. At the public 
meetings, attendees will be able to submit comments in writing and 
orally to a stenographer who will transcribe comments. Written comments 
on the Draft Supplemental RFEIS may be submitted during the 45-day 
review period via the U.S. Postal Service or electronically. Written 
comments may be submitted via mail to: Mr. Issac Gaston, Site Selection 
Specialist, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 
First Street NW., Washington, DC 20534. Written comments may also be 
submitted via email to [email protected]. All written comments must be 
postmarked or received via email by May 8, 2017 to ensure consideration 
in connection with the Final Supplemental RFEIS. All comments received 
during the public comment period, whether oral or written, will be 
given equal consideration, become part of the public record on the 
Draft Supplemental RFEIS and be responded to in the Final Supplemental 
RFEIS.
    The Draft Supplemental RFEIS is available electronically on the 
project Web site at http://www.fbopletchercountyeis.com. Copies of the 
Draft Supplemental RFEIS are available for public review at the 
following repositories:
    1. Harry M. Caudill Memorial Library, 220 Main Street, Whitesburg, 
KY.
    2. Blackey Public Library, 295 Main Street Loop, Blackey, KY.
    3. Jenkins Public Library, 9543 Highway 805, Jenkins, KY.
    4. Fleming Neon Public Library, 1049 Highway 317, Neon, KY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Issac Gaston, Site Selection 
Specialist, Capacity Planning and Construction Branch, Federal Bureau 
of Prisons, 320 First Street NW., Washington, DC 20534 (Telephone: 
(202) 514-6470, Fax: (202) 616-6024, or Email: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental 
RFEIS was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2016 (81 
Federal Register 81809). The Draft Supplemental RFEIS was prepared to 
address changes to the proposed action, as required under NEPA [40 CFR 
1502.9(c)], and to assess new circumstances or information relevant to 
potential environmental impacts. In

[[Page 15071]]

March 2016, the Bureau completed the Revised Final EIS for the Proposed 
United States Penitentiary and Federal Prison Camp, Letcher County, 
Kentucky, which evaluated the potential environmental impacts from the 
acquisition of property and construction and operation of a new United 
States Penitentiary, Federal Prison Camp, ancillary facilities, and 
access roads in Letcher County. The RFEIS analyzed two potential 
locations: An approximately 753-acre site in eastern Letcher County 
(Alternative 1--Payne Gap), and an approximately 700-acre site in 
western Letcher County (Alternative 2--Roxana). The RFEIS identified 
Alternative 2--Roxana as the preferred alternative because it best 
meets the project needs and, on balance, would have fewer impacts to 
the natural and built environment.
    The Bureau was originally considering acquiring approximately 700 
acres at the Roxana site for this project. The Bureau removed two 
parcels of land at the Roxana site from acquisition consideration, 
resulting in a proposed site of approximately 570 acres. This reduction 
in site size necessitated modifying the facilities layout evaluated for 
Alternative 2--Roxana in the RFEIS. The environmental impacts of the 
Modified Alternative 2--Roxana have been analyzed in the Draft 
Supplemental RFEIS. The alternatives evaluated in the Draft 
Supplemental RFEIS include the No Action Alternative and Modified 
Alternative 2--Roxana.
    Modified Alternative 2--Roxana is the Preferred Alternative and 
includes proposed facilities that would house approximately 1,216 total 
inmates: Approximately 960 within the USP and approximately 256 within 
the FPC. Inmates housed in the USP would be high-security male inmates 
and those housed in the FPC would be minimum-security male inmates. In 
addition to the USP and FPC, several ancillary facilities necessary for 
the operation of the USP and FPC would be constructed. The ancillary 
facilities would include a central utility plant, outdoor firing range, 
outside warehouse, staff training building, garage/landscape building, 
access roads, and parking lots. A non-lethal/lethal fence and site 
lighting would also be installed. The non-lethal/lethal fence would be 
placed around the perimeter of the USP between two parallel, chain link 
and razor wire fences. Operation of the USP and FPC would require 
approximately 300 full-time staff.
    The Draft Supplemental RFEIS analyzes potential direct, indirect 
and cumulative environmental impacts that may result from Modified 
Alternative 2--Roxana, including land use and zoning; topography, 
geology, and soils; air quality; noise; infrastructure and utilities; 
cultural resources; water resources; and biological resources. The 
Bureau determined there is no significant new information relevant to 
environmental concerns and no appreciable changes to potential impacts 
as a result of the modifications to the Roxana site size and facilities 
layout under Modified Alternative 2--Roxana to the following resource 
areas: Socioeconomics and environmental justice, community facilities 
and services, transportation and traffic, and hazardous materials and 
waste. Relevant and reasonable measures that could avoid or mitigate 
environmental impacts have been analyzed.
    The Bureau is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and with the Kentucky 
Heritage Council under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act. When complete, results of these ongoing consultations 
will be included in the Final Supplemental RFEIS.
    A notice of availability of the Draft Supplemental RFEIS and a 
notice of public meeting is being published in the area newspapers to 
identify further details about the public meeting and the specific 
opportunities and methods for the public to provide comments on the 
Draft Supplemental RFEIS. The mailing list for the Draft Supplemental 
RFEIS was based on the mailing list in the 2016 RFEIS. Those on this 
list will receive a copy of the Draft Supplemental RFEIS. This list 
includes local, state, and federal agencies with jurisdiction, elected 
officials and community leaders, businesses and organizations, and 
other interested parties and individuals. Anyone wishing to be added to 
the mailing list to receive a copy of the Draft Supplemental RFEIS may 
request to be added by contacting the Bureau's Site Selection 
Specialist at the address below. Following completion of the 45-day 
public comment period on the Draft Supplemental RFEIS, the Bureau will 
issue a Final Supplemental RFEIS that will include comments received 
during the public comment period on the Draft Supplemental RFEIS. The 
Final Supplemental RFEIS will also include the Bureau's response to 
substantive comments received on the Draft Supplemental RFEIS. 
Following publication of the Final Supplemental RFEIS, a 30-day review 
period will be provided. No action will be taken to implement any of 
the proposed alternatives until completion of the 30-day review period 
on the Final Supplemental RFEIS and issuance of a Record of Decision on 
behalf of the Bureau by its Director or Acting Director.

    Dated: March 17, 2017.
Issac Gaston,
Site Selection Specialist, Capacity Planning and Construction, U.S. 
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
[FR Doc. 2017-05784 Filed 3-23-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-P