Notice2024-07949
Notice of Availability for a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Floodplain Assessment and Statement of Findings for the International Falls Land Port of Entry Modernization and Expansion Project in International Falls, Minnesota
Primary source
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Published
April 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
General Services Administration
Abstract
This notice announces the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which examines potential environmental impacts from the modernization and expansion of the International Falls Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in International Falls, Minnesota. The existing International Falls 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 Final SEIS 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 mitigation commitments. The Final SEIS also includes a Floodplain Assessment and Statement of Findings as a result of construction in a floodplain at the International Falls LPOE. Based on impacts analyses and public comments, GSA has identified Alternative 1 (Full Build) as described in the Final SEIS as its preferred alternative. Alternative 1 has also been identified as the environmentally preferred alternative.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26884-26885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07949]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[Notice-PBS-2024-04; Docket No. 2024-0002; Sequence No. 9]
Notice of Availability for a Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement and Floodplain Assessment and Statement of Findings
for the International Falls Land Port of Entry Modernization and
Expansion Project in International Falls, Minnesota
AGENCY: Public Buildings Service (PBS), General Services Administration
(GSA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA); Public Notice of Floodplain
Assessment and Statement of Findings.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which examines
potential environmental impacts from the modernization and expansion of
the International Falls Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in International
Falls, Minnesota. The existing International Falls 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 Final SEIS
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
mitigation commitments. The Final SEIS also includes a Floodplain
Assessment and Statement of Findings as a result of construction in a
floodplain at the International Falls LPOE. Based on impacts analyses
and public comments, GSA has identified Alternative 1 (Full Build) as
described in the Final SEIS as its preferred alternative. Alternative 1
has also been identified as the environmentally preferred alternative.
DATES: The Final SEIS Wait Period begins with publication of this NOA
in the Federal Register and will last until Monday, May 20, 2024.
Written comments must be received by the last day of the Wait Period
(see ADDRESSES section of this NOA on how to submit comments). After
the Wait Period, GSA will issue the Record of Decision (ROD).
ADDRESSES: Members of the public may submit comments by one of the
following methods. All comments will be considered equally and will be
part of the public record.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82efebe1eae3e7eeace5edece1f8e3f0c2e5f1e3ace5edf4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="701d19131811151c5e171f1e130a1102301703115e171f06">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include
`International Falls LPOE SEIS' in the subject line of the message.
<bullet> Mail: ATTN: Michael Gonczar, International Falls LPOE
SEIS; U.S. General Services Administration, Region 5; 230 S. Dearborn
Street, Suite 3600, Chicago, IL 60604.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments on the Final
SEIS should be directed to: Michael Gonczar, NEPA Program Manager, GSA,
at 312-810-2326, or via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bed3d7ddd6dfdbd290d9d1d0ddc4dfccfed9cddf90d9d1c8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f12161c171e1a13511810111c051e0d3f180c1e51181009">[email protected]</span></a>. See ADDRESSES
section of this NOA on how to submit comments.
Additional information and an electronic copy of the Final SEIS,
may be found online on the following website: <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions/region-5-great-lakes/buildings-and-facilities/minnesota/international-falls-land-port-of-entry">https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions/region-5-great-lakes/buildings-and-facilities/minnesota/international-falls-land-port-of-entry</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final SEIS has considered previous input
provided during the scoping and Draft SEIS comment periods.
Background
The existing 1.6-acre LPOE is located on the south bank of the
Rainy River and serves as the port of entry to people and vehicles
crossing the International Bridge that connects International Falls,
Minnesota to the town of Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The
International Falls Land Port of Entry Improvements Study Final EIS,
released in 2011, assessed the potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action of replacing the undersized
International Falls LPOE with a new LPOE facility ``to improve safety,
security, and functionality.'' A total of ten build alternatives were
considered, and a preferred action alternative was identified. This
alternative would
[[Page 26885]]
consist of demolishing the existing building, constructing new
facilities at the existing LPOE, and expanding the LPOE to meet the
required space standards and increased security requirements of the
Federal Inspection Services. This alternative would move the majority
of the LPOE improvements and operations to an approximately 20-acre
site southeast of the existing site between 4th Street and Rainy River.
GSA signed and released a ROD in January 2012 that identified a
preferred alternative as it best satisfied the purpose and needs of the
project with the least overall adverse impacts to the environment. The
ROD stated that the preferred alternative would have less-than-
significant impacts on the natural and social environment of the study
area and International Falls, including minor changes or impacts to
surface water, surface water runoff, traffic, increased lighting, and
hazardous substances.
Since 2011, GSA has identified the following changes to the
project, which differ from the preferred alternative described in the
2011 EIS:
<bullet> There have been proposed changes in tenants and use of the
space. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture/Animal Plant Health Inspection Services/-Plant Protection
and Quarantine (USDA/APHIS-PPQ) will need space and facilities at the
LPOE.
<bullet> The Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) has acquired
Boise, Inc. and has a different timber unloading operation occurring
adjacent to the proposed acquisition parcel, which will require
modifications to the original site plan at the LPOE and offsite on PCA
lands.
<bullet> A section of First Creek between Route 11 and the Rainy
River that was previously contained in a culvert was identified
following the 2011 EIS. The culvert has been removed and is now
daylighted, requiring impacts analysis.
<bullet> There has been an increase in the proposed usable square
feet (USF) for overall building space needed, based on the addition of
a maintenance building and expansion in the sizes of all other
buildings per updated agency requirements.
<bullet> Stormwater management would be redesigned in the 300-foot
section of First Creek due to two new areas of pavement crossing the
creek or installation of a new culvert.
<bullet> The Resolute Paper Mill in Fort Frances, Ontario has since
closed and rail traffic across the bridge has ceased.
<bullet> New renewable energy technologies are being considered for
implementation at the expanded and modernized LPOE, including solar and
geothermal technologies.
<bullet> New LPOE access points for privately owned vehicles (POVs)
and pedestrians are being considered. After publication of the Draft
SEIS, the proposed location of the LPOE access point for POVs and
pedestrians shifted from a point on Highway 53 and 2nd Street to points
located near or at the proposed commercially owned vehicle (COV) access
point on State Route 11 due to site constraints.
GSA has prepared a Final SEIS to assess the potential impacts of
these updates, which were not assessed in the 2011 EIS.
Alternatives Under Consideration
The Proposed Action, defined as Alternative 1 (Full Build) in the
Final SEIS and GSA's preferred alternative, would consist of
modernization and expansion of existing International Falls LPOE
facilities as previously considered in the 2011 EIS, but to consider
the above project changes. GSA also considered the No Action
Alternative, which assumes that GSA would not expand or modernize the
International Falls LPOE.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is for GSA to support CBP's
mission by bringing the International Falls LPOE operations in line
with current land port design standards and operational requirements of
CBP while addressing existing deficiencies identified with the ongoing
port operations. Generally, the deficiencies described in the 2011 EIS
remain at the LPOE. The deficiencies fall into two broad categories:
deficiencies in the overall site layout and substandard building
conditions. Therefore, in order to bring the International Falls LPOE
operations in line with CBP's design standards and operational
requirements, the Proposed Action is needed to (1) improve the capacity
and functionality of the International Falls LPOE to meet future
demand, while maintaining the capability to meet border security
initiatives; (2) address spatial and layout constraints that lead to
traffic congestion and safety issues for the employees and users of the
LPOE; and (3) provide adequate space and facilities for the federal
agencies to accomplish their missions.
The Final SEIS addresses the potential environmental impacts of the
proposed alternatives on environmental resources including geology and
soils, water resources, biological resources, air quality, noise,
transportation and traffic, land use and visual resources,
infrastructure and utilities, socioeconomics, cultural resources, human
health and safety, and environmental justice. Additionally, findings
from maritime and terrestrial surveys are included in the cultural
resources discussion, and findings from the Phase II Environmental Site
Assessment are included in the human health and safety discussion.
Based on the analysis presented in the Final SEIS, adverse impacts to
transportation and traffic, land use and visual resources, and human
health and safety may experience major adverse impacts due to an
increase in traffic conflicts between vehicles and bikers/pedestrians
along the Rainy Lake Bike Trail. Impacts for the remaining resource
areas would be less-than-significant (i.e., negligible, minor, or
moderate), adverse or beneficial. Impact reduction measures to reduce
potential adverse effects are presented in the Final SEIS.
GSA is currently undergoing formal consultation with the State
Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and consulting parties to follow
coordination procedures as required under Section 106 of the NHPA to
determine impacts to historic properties. Mitigation measures may be
determined in consultation between GSA, SHPO, and applicable consulting
parties.
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), GSA coordinated with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) per Section 7 requirements to
determine effects to federally protected species. There would be no
adverse effects to federally threatened or endangered species.
Correspondence with USFWS and the findings are incorporated in the
Final SEIS.
The Proposed Action would take place within the 1-percent-annual-
chance floodplain and 0.2-percent-annual-chance floodplain at the
International Falls LPOE. In compliance with Executive Order 11988
(Floodplain Management), GSA prepared a Floodplain Assessment and
Statement of Findings addressing potential impacts on floodplains,
which is included in the Final SEIS. As described in the Final SEIS,
GSA would follow federal, state, and local regulatory compliance
requirements and incorporate design standards at the International
Falls LPOE to minimize impacts to floodplains.
William Renner,
Director, Facilities Management and Services Programs Division, Great
Lakes Region 5, U.S. General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-07949 Filed 4-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-CF-P
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