[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 18 (Friday, January 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5345-5346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01549]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2023-01; Docket No. 2023-0002; Sequence No. 3]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Finding of No 
Practicable Alternative for the Expansion and Modernization of the Raul 
Hector Castro Land Port of Entry and Proposed Commercial Land Port of 
Entry in Douglas, Arizona

AGENCY: Public Buildings Service (PBS), General Services Administration 
(GSA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; public notice of Draft Finding of No 
Practicable Alternative (FONPA); announcement of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which examines the potential 
environmental impacts from the expansion and modernization of the Raul 
Hector Castro (RHC) Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in Douglas, Arizona, and 
construction of a new Commercial LPOE to address various operational, 
capacity, and safety issues associated with the existing facility. The 
existing RHC LPOE is owned and managed by GSA and is operated by the 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP). The DEIS describes the purpose and need for the project; 
alternatives considered; the existing environment that could be 
affected; the potential impacts resulting from each of the 
alternatives; and proposed best management practices and/or mitigation 
measures. The DEIS also includes the Draft Finding of No Practicable 
Alternative (FONPA), which provides a floodplain assessment and 
statement of findings as a result of construction in a floodplain at 
the RHC LPOE.

DATES: Meeting Date--A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, 
February 22nd from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., MST. The meeting will be held in 
the Douglas Visitor Center, where interested parties are invited to 
join and provide verbal or written comments on the DEIS and Draft 
FONPA.
    Public Comments - The public comment period begins with the 
publication of this NOA in the Federal Register. Please submit public 
comments on or before March 13th, 2023. After the comment period, GSA 
will prepare the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting Location--A public meeting will be held at the Douglas 
Visitor Center, 345 16th St, Douglas, AZ 85607.
    Public Comments--In addition to verbal and written comments 
provided at the public meeting, members of the public may also submit 
comments by one of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Please include `RHC LPOE EIS' 
in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: ATTN: Osmahn Kadri, RHC LPOE EIS; U.S. General 
Services Administration, c/o Potomac-Hudson Engineering, Inc., 77 Upper 
Rock Circle, Suite 302, Rockville MD 20850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Osmahn Kadri, NEPA Project Manager, 
GSA at 415-522-3617 or [email protected]. Please also call the 
number if special assistance is needed to attend and participate in the 
public meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The RHC LPOE is a full-service, multi-modal port, where CBP 
currently inspects commercially-owned vehicles (COVs), privately-owned 
vehicles (POVs), and pedestrians at the U.S.- Mexico border in Douglas, 
Arizona. The current facilities at the RHC LPOE no longer function 
adequately given the site constraints, steady increase in traffic, and 
outdated facilities and technologies. The interaction between COVs, 
POVs, and pedestrian traffic is also a concern at the RHC LPOE. 
Inadequate pathways and separations between traffic types cause safety 
and security issues for CBP officers and the general public. As 
downtown Douglas is located just north of the RHC LPOE, traffic 
congestion and trucks hauling hazardous materials through the city are 
also a concern in the community.
    The purpose of the project is for GSA to support CBP's mission by 
bringing the RHC LPOE operations in line with current land port design 
standards and operational requirements of CBP while addressing existing 
operational deficiencies. The project is needed to: improve capacity 
and functionality of the LPOE to meet future demand while maintaining 
the capability to meet border security initiatives; ensure the safety 
and security for workers and users of the LPOE; and improve traffic

[[Page 5346]]

congestion and safety for the City of Douglas.
    The Proposed Action would comprise of: (1) construction of a new 
commercial port facility dedicated to COVs, located approximately 5 
miles west of the existing RHC LPOE; and (2) expansion and 
modernization of existing RHC LPOE facilities to serve as a 
noncommercial facility for POVs and pedestrians. Expansion and 
modernization of existing RHC LPOE facilities would require a multi-
phase construction plan to ensure that operations are continuous and 
that safety and security of the RHC LPOE are maintained. Action 
alternatives were analyzed that consider both sequential and concurrent 
construction at both sites.
    Both action alternatives would take place within 100-year and 500-
year floodplains at the existing RHC LPOE. In compliance with Executive 
Order 11988 (Floodplain Management), GSA prepared a Draft FONPA 
addressing potential impacts on floodplains, which is included in the 
DEIS for public review and comment. As described in the DEIS, GSA would 
follow regulatory compliance (e.g., measures outlined in the Arizona 
Stormwater General Construction Permit) and incorporate design 
standards at the RHC LPOE to minimize impacts to floodplains.

Public Comment Period

    The views and comments of the public are necessary in helping GSA 
in its decision-making process with impacts to environmental, cultural, 
and economic impacts. The meeting will be an informal open house, where 
visitors may speak with GSA representatives, receive information, and 
provide written comments. No formal presentation will be provided. All 
comments received, written or verbal, will be considered equally and 
will become part of the public record. Further information on the 
project, including an electronic copy of the DEIS, may also be found 
online at the following websites: https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-pacific-rim-region-9/land-ports-of-entry/douglas-commercial-land-port-of-entry and https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-pacific-rim-region-9/land-ports-of-entry/raul-hector-castro-land-port-of-entry.

Russell Larson,
Director, Portfolio Management Division, Pacific Rim Region, Public 
Buildings Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-01549 Filed 1-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-YF-P