[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20886-20887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07304]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-P-2023-01; Docket No. 2023-0002; Sequence No. 13]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Public Scoping Meeting and Request for Comments for the Expansion and 
Modernization of the Alcan Land Port of Entry in Alcan, Alaska

AGENCY: Office of Public Building Services (PBS); General Services 
Administration, (GSA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969(NEPA)and the GSA/PBS NEPA Desk Guide, GSA intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the 
potential impacts from the proposed modernization and expansion of the 
existing Alcan Land Port of Entry (LPOE)located in Alcan, Alaska. GSA 
has initiated the required section 106 consultation of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) involving outreach efforts with the 
Alaska State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Alaska Native 
Villages.

DATES: A virtual public scoping meeting in open house format will be 
held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Alaska 
Daylight Time (AKDT). Interested parties should submit comments by 
Monday, May 15, 2023, to be considered in the formation of the Draft 
EIS. The views and comments of the public are necessary to help 
determine the scope and content of the environmental analysis. The 
meeting will be on the Zoom platform where GSA will present and 
distribute project information and obtain public input on the project.
    All mail in comments must be postmarked by May 15, 2023.
    Deadlines for Requests of Special Accommodations: Persons needing 
special accommodations shall notify Emily Grimes at [email protected] 
by 2:30 p.m. AKDT, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The public is encouraged to provide written comments 
regarding the scope of the EIS at the meeting and throughout the 
comment period.
    Submit comments identified by Notice P-2023-01 by either of the 
following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include Notice Identifier in the 
subject line of the message.
     Virtual Meeting: Comment forms will be distributed during 
the virtual open-house public meeting, which can also be submitted 
during the meeting. The link for the public scoping meeting will be 
made available on the GSA project website: https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-northwest-arctic-region-10/buildings-and-facilities/alaska/alcan-land-port-of-entry.
     Mail: U.S. General Services Administration, Attention: 
Emily Grimes, Environmental Program Manager, 1301 A Street, Suite 610, 
Tacoma, WA 98402
     Federal Register: Submit comments in response to Notice-P-
2023-01 via http://www.regulations.gov. Submit comments via the Federal 
eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-P-2023-01''. Select the 
link ``Comment'' that corresponds with ``Notice-P-2023-01.'' Follow the 
instructions provided at the screen. Please include your name, company 
name (if any), and ``Notice-P-2023-01'' on your attached document. 
Comments received generally will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal and/or business 
confidential information provided. To confirm receipt of your 
comment(s), please check http://www.regulations.gov, approximately two-
to-three days after submission to verify posting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Grimes, Environmental Program

[[Page 20887]]

Manager, Facilities Management Division, GSA, Phone (253) 394-4026. 
Email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Alcan LPOE is located in a remote area 
of eastern Alaska on the Alaska Highway and is subject to sub-arctic 
weather conditions. It is the only year-round land crossing between the 
Alaskan mainland and Canada. The current Alcan LPOE and its associated 
housing have only received minor additions and improvements since the 
original construction in 1972 and does not meet current operational 
needs. This modernization project is needed to meet the U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection's (CBP) current Program of Requirements for the 
port, provide optimal operational flow, address deficiencies, improve 
customer service to travelers, and provide a comfortable working and 
living environment for CBP personnel and their families. GSA and CBP 
are currently exploring the possibility of operating the Alcan LPOE 
jointly with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and will update 
the considered alternatives when a decision is finalized.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    The EIS will consider two ``action'' alternatives and one ``no 
action'' alternative. Alternative 1 would consist of land acquisition, 
construction, and demolition activities. This alternative would 
relocate the Alcan LPOE location to a proposed site area on the Alaska 
Highway that is approximately 4 miles to the northwest of the Alaska-
Canada border. This alternative would include the acquisition of the 
proposed site area and demolition of onsite defunct structures, 
including a gas station, duty-free shop, and small outbuildings. New 
LPOE facilities and structures would then be constructed on the 
acquired site, including a main port building with enclosed inspection 
lanes and a commercial inspection dock, a service building, a firing 
range, employee housing, and recreation amenities. Upon completion of 
the new LPOE, the existing LPOE would be decommissioned.
    Alternative 2 consists of demolition, renovation, and expansion 
activities at the existing Alcan LPOE. These activities would include 
the demolition of existing housing units, construction of a new port 
building and housing, renovation or reuse of existing main port and 
support buildings, and the installation of new equipment, systems, and 
port support infrastructure. Expansion in this location would require 
the securement of additional easements from the Tetlin National 
Wildlife Refuge. Demolition, construction, and renovation activities 
would be sequenced to maintain current port operations for the entirety 
of the construction period.
    Alternative 3 consists of the ``no action'' alternative, which 
assumes that GSA would not expand or modernize the LPOE and that port 
operations would continue under current conditions.

Anamarie Crawley,
Director, Facilities Management Division, GSA-PBS Northwest/Arctic 
Region (R10).
[FR Doc. 2023-07304 Filed 4-6-23; 8:45 am]
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