[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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