Public Buildings Service; Proposed Port of Entry, Located North of Oroville, WA; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Public Buildings Service; Proposed Port of Entry, Located North

of Oroville, WA; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment or

Environmental Impact Statement

ACTION: The General Services Administration (GSA) hereby gives notice

it intends to prepare either an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for the proposed port of entry

located north of Oroville, Washington. The decision on whether to

prepare an EIS would be made following the completion of scoping and

the Environmental Assessment. The EA would evaluate the proposed

project, expansion of the existing port of entry, the no-action

alternative, and other reasonable alternatives that might be identified

during the scoping process.

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ADDRESSES: Scoping will be accomplished by correspondence and through a

public meeting with interested persons, organizations, and Federal,

state, and local agencies. Written comments on the scope of

alternatives and potential impacts should be addressed to the GSA's EIS

subconsultant, ABAM Consulting Engineers, at the following address:

33301 Ninth Avenue South, Federal Way, Washington 98003-6395,

Attention: Carol Beck.

DATES: Written comments should be sent by July 15, 1994. Comments and

suggestions will also be accepted at a public scoping meeting from 5:30

p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday June 27, 1994 at the Oroville Railroad

Depot, 1210 Ironwood, Oroville, WA 98844. All comments received during

the meeting will be made part of the administrative record for the EA

and will be evaluated as part of the scoping process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Carol Beck at ABAM Consulting

Engineers, 33301 Ninth Avenue South, Federal Way, Washington 98003-

6395, (206) 241-2040 or Donna M. Meyer at General Services

Administration, (206) 931-7675.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSA, assisted by our contractor will

prepare an Environmental Assessment on a proposal to design and

construct a new border station to be located approximately 5 miles

north of the town of Oroville, Washington. The scoping process will

determine the issues to be addressed in the EA, identify the potential

adverse environmental issues related to the proposed expansion, and

assist to determine whether an EIS should be prepared. Scoping will be

conducted in a manner consistent with NEPA guidelines. If an EIS is

required, GSA will serve as the lead agency pursuant to Section

1501.5(a) of the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulations for

Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508).

SCOPING: GSA invites interested individuals, organizations, affected

tribes and Federal, state and local agencies and officials to

participate in defining the reasonable alternatives to be evaluated in

the EA and in identifying any adverse social, economical, or

environmental issues related to the alternatives. Scoping comments can

be made verbally or in writing (see DATES and ADDRESS sections above

for location and time of meeting). During scoping, comments should

focus on identifying specific impacts to be evaluated and suggesting

alternatives or mitigation that minimize adverse impacts while

achieving similar objectives. Comments may also identify issues which

are not significant or which have been covered by prior environmental

review. Scoping should be limited to commenting on alternatives and not

indicating preferences. If an EIS is undertaken, there will be an

opportunity to comment on impacts of the selected alternatives upon

release of the draft document.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A project information packet will be available

at the public meeting or can be obtained by contacting the above

referenced personnel. The packet will describe in more detail the

proposed project, alternatives and the EA/EIS process.

MAILING LIST: If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive

further information for this proposal as the EA process develops,

contact the above referenced personnel.

PROJECT PURPOSE, HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The

project purpose is the design and construction of a new Port of Entry

at the U.S. and Canadian border near the town of Oroville, Washington.

The new station would replace the existing station, which is

overcrowded and functionally obsolete. The new facility would be

constructed on 9.1 acres of land by utilizing the existing site of 3.7

acres and acquiring an additional 5.4 acres to the south. This

additional acreage is necessary for maneuverability, reconfiguration

and expansion.

This facility is the only 24-hour multi-vehicle port in Eastern

Washington located on a major arterial roadway, U.S. Route 97. It is

also the only port in Eastern Washington designated as a commercial

cargo center. The present configuration is unable to satisfactorily

accommodate the volume of southbound traffic generated by Canadian

tourists, day-trippers, shoppers, and commercial truck and bus traffic

entering into the United States.

At completion, the new port facility would provide 68,757 gross

square feet of space, including canopy areas. The new facility would

include a new main administration and inspection facility, a new multi-

purpose building, and an animal inspection building. The primary

inspection lanes would increase from two to four; secondary lanes from

three to ten; primary commercial truck inspection lanes from zero to

two; secondary commercial truck lanes from one to three; and the bus

port bays from zero to two. A total of 124 outside parking spaces,

seven truck and 117 visitor/staff would be provided for travelers,

employees, seized vehicles, commercial vehicles, and government

vehicles.

ALTERNATIVES: The EA would consider an action alternative (Federal

construction) and a no-action alternative. Due to the unique

requirements for port of entry's, GSA has found it is impractical to

consider leasing an existing office building to meet these needs. GSA

is proposing to construct the facility at the site of the existing port

of entry and to acquire a parcel of land lying directly to the south.

The no-action alternative would continue the use of the overcrowded and

obsolete station.

PROBABLE EFFECTS: GSA will evaluate significant environmental, social,

and economical impacts of the alternatives in the EA. Potential impacts

include, but are not limited to, changes in geological characteristics,

changes in drainage and absorption patterns, water quality, new sources

of light or glare, loss of agricultural acreage, impacts to local

residences and businesses, loss of open space, and changes in traffic

and circulation patterns. The impacts will be evaluated both for the

construction period and for the life of the project. Measures to

mitigate any identifiable adverse impacts will be addressed.

PROCEDURES: The EA will be prepared based on the scoping report. After

its publication, GSA will make a decision whether an EIS will be

required. If an EIS is to be prepared, a Draft EIS would be made

available for public and agency review and comment, and a public

hearing would be held. A Final EIS would be prepared following the

closing of the comment period of the Draft.

Dated: June 8, 1994.

L. Jay Pearson,

Regional Administration (10A).

[FR Doc. 94-15220 Filed 6-22-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6820-23-M