Presidential Document2024-12490
Authorizing the City of Laredo, Texas, To Expand and Continue To Maintain and Operate a Vehicular and Pedestrian Border Crossing at the World Trade Bridge Land Port of Entry
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 5, 2024
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 48251-48253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12490]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 48251]]
Presidential Permit of May 31, 2024
Authorizing the City of Laredo, Texas, To Expand
and Continue To Maintain and Operate a Vehicular and
Pedestrian Border Crossing at the World Trade Bridge
Land Port of Entry
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of
the United States of America (the ``President''), I
hereby grant permission, subject to the conditions set
forth herein, to the City of Laredo in Webb County,
Texas (the ``permittee''), to expand and continue to
maintain and operate a vehicular and pedestrian
crossing at the World Trade Bridge Land Port of Entry
located on the United States border with Mexico in
Laredo, Texas, as described in the ``Laredo World Trade
Bridge Expansion Project Presidential Permit
Application'' dated April 29, 2022 (``April 29, 2022,
Application''), by the permittee to the Secretary of
State and determined to be complete on February 9,
2024, in accordance with 33 U.S.C. 535d and associated
procedures.
The term ``Border facilities'' as used in this permit
consists of the bridge over the Rio Grande, including
two additional commercial lanes on the existing World
Trade Bridge land port of entry and the addition of a
second span adjacent to the existing World Trade Bridge
land port of entry, its approaches, and any land,
structures, installations, or equipment appurtenant
thereto located approximately 9.35 river miles north of
Laredo International Bridge I on the United States side
of the international boundary between the United States
and Mexico.
This permit is subject to the following conditions:
Article 1. The Border facilities herein described and
all aspects of their operation are subject to all the
conditions, provisions, and requirements of this permit
and any subsequent Presidential amendment to it. The
construction, maintenance, and operation of the Border
facilities shall be in all material respects as
described in the April 29, 2022, Application.
Article 2. The standards for and the manner of
construction, maintenance, and operation of the Border
facilities are subject to inspection by the
representatives of appropriate Federal, State, and
local agencies. The permittee shall grant officers and
employees of such agencies that are duly authorized and
performing their official duties free and unrestricted
access to said Border facilities.
Article 3. The permittee shall comply with all
applicable Federal laws and regulations regarding the
construction, maintenance, and operation of the Border
facilities.
Article 4. (1) The permittee shall take or cause to be
taken all appropriate measures to mitigate adverse
impacts on or disruption of the human environment in
connection with the construction, maintenance, and
operation of the Border facilities. Mitigation measures
are those that avoid, minimize, or compensate for
adverse impacts.
(2) The permittee shall hold harmless and indemnify
the United States for any claimed or adjudged liability
arising out of construction, maintenance, and operation
of the Border facilities, including environmental
contamination from the release, threatened release, or
discharge of hazardous substances or hazardous waste.
[[Page 48252]]
(3) The permittee is responsible for obtaining any
required Federal, State, and local permits, approvals,
and authorizations prior to commencing construction
activities. The permittee shall implement the
mitigation identified in any environmental decision
documents prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act and Federal permits, including
stormwater permits and permits issued in accordance
with section 402 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C.
1342). The permittee shall comply with applicable
Federal, State, and local environmental laws.
Article 5. The permittee shall immediately notify the
President or his designee of any decision to transfer
custody and control of the Border facilities or any
part thereof to any executive department or agency
(agency) of the United States Government. Said notice
shall identify the transferee agency and seek the
approval of the President for the transfer of the
permit. In the event of approval by the President of
such transfer, this permit shall remain in force and
effect, and the Border facilities shall be subject to
all the conditions, permissions, and requirements of
this permit and any amendments thereof. The permittee
may transfer ownership or control of the Border
facilities to a non-Federal entity or individual only
upon the prior express approval of such transfer by the
President, which approval may include such conditions,
permissions, and requirements that the President, in
the President's discretion, determines are appropriate
and necessary for inclusion in the permit, to be
effective on the date of transfer.
Article 6. The permittee is responsible for acquiring
and maintaining any right-of-way grants or easements,
permits, and other authorizations as may become
necessary or appropriate. To ensure the safe operation
of the Border facilities, the permittee shall maintain
them and every part of them in a condition of good
repair and in compliance with applicable law and use of
best management practices.
Article 7. To the extent authorized by law, and
consistent with Donation Acceptance Agreements (DAAs)
already executed with the permittee under the Donation
Acceptance Authority found in 6 U.S.C. 301a and section
559 of title V of division F of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76), as
amended, as continued by 6 U.S.C. 301b, the permittee
shall provide to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection of the Department of Homeland
Security and the heads of any other relevant agencies,
at no cost to the United States, suitable inspection
facilities, infrastructure improvements, equipment, and
maintenance, as set forth in the DAAs. Nothing in this
permit obligates such agencies to provide a particular
level of services or staffing for such inspection
facilities or for any other aspect of the port of entry
associated with the Border facilities.
Article 8. Upon request, the permittee shall provide
appropriate information to the President or his
designee with regard to the Border facilities. Such
requests could include requests for information
concerning current conditions, environmental
compliance, mitigation, or anticipated changes in
ownership or control, construction, connection,
operation, or maintenance of the Border facilities.
Article 9. Before initiating construction, the
permittee shall obtain the concurrence of the United
States Section of the International Boundary and Water
Commission, United States and Mexico.
Article 10. The permittee shall not initiate
construction until the Department of State has provided
notification to the permittee that the Department of
State has completed its exchange of diplomatic notes
with the Government of Mexico regarding authorization.
The permittee shall provide written notification to the
President or his designee at the time that the
construction authorized by this permit begins, at the
time as such construction is completed, interrupted, or
discontinued, and at other times as may be requested by
the President.
Article 11. The permittee shall file any applicable
statements and reports required by applicable Federal
law in connection with the Border facilities.
[[Page 48253]]
Article 12. The permittee shall make no substantial
change to the Border facilities, in the location of the
Border facilities, or in the operation authorized by
this permit, unless such changes have been approved by
the President. The President may terminate, revoke, or
amend this permit at any time at his sole discretion.
The permittee's obligation to implement any amendment
to this permit is subject to the availability of funds.
If the permittee permanently closes the World Trade
Bridge and it is no longer used as an international
crossing, then this permit shall terminate, and the
permittee may manage, utilize, or dispose of the Border
facilities in accordance with applicable authorities.
This permit shall continue in full force and effect for
only so long as the permittee continues the operations
hereby authorized.
Article 13. This permit shall expire 5 years from the
date of its issuance if the permittee has not commenced
construction of the Border facilities by that date.
Article 14. This permit is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-12490
Filed 6-4-24; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 5, 2024.
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