Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry Modernization and Expansion Project in Grand Portage, Minnesota, 65392-65393 [2023-20381]

Agencies

• General Services Administration

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65392-65393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20381]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2023-08; Docket No. 2023-0002; Sequence No. 28]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry Modernization and 
Expansion Project in Grand Portage, Minnesota

AGENCY: Public Buildings Service (PBS), General Services Administration 
(GSA).

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI); announcement of meeting.

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SUMMARY: GSA intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
and conduct the section 106 process of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) to address proposed improvements at the Grand 
Portage Land Port of Entry (LPOE), including site expansion, 
demolition, and new construction. This NOI also announces the public 
scoping process for the EIS.

DATES: 
    Public Scoping Period--Interested parties are invited to provide 
comments regarding the scope of the EIS. The public scoping period 
begins with the publication of this NOI in the Federal Register and 
continues until Sunday, October 22, 2023. Written comments must be 
received by the last day of the scoping period (see ADDRESSES section 
of this NOI on how to submit comments).
    Meeting Date--GSA will host a hybrid (virtual and in-person) public 
and stakeholder meeting on Thursday, October 5, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 
7:00 p.m., Central Daylight Time (CDT). The purpose of the meeting is 
to provide information on the project and to encourage public feedback 
on the scope of the EIS. The meeting will be conducted in-person at the 
Grand Portage Welcome Center, but members of the public may participate 
via video-conference on Zoom to view an online broadcast of the meeting 
(see ADDRESSES section for location address). Refer to the Public 
Meeting Information section of this NOI on how to access the online 
portion of the public meeting.

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location--The public may attend the meeting at the 
Grand Portage Welcome Center, 9393 E MN-61, Grand Portage, MN to view 
the presentation in-person. GSA staff members will be available (in-
person and virtually) to assist the public as they offer comments 
whether they are participating virtually or in person.

Public Scoping Comments

    In addition to oral comments and written comments provided at the 
public meeting, members of the public may also submit comments by one 
of the following methods. All oral and written comments will be 
considered equally and will be part of the public record.
     Email: [email protected]. Please include `Grand 
Portage LPOE EIS Scoping Comment' in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: ATTN: Michael Gonczar, GSA Grand Portage LPOE EIS; 
U.S. General Services Administration, Region 5; 230 S Dearborn Street, 
Suite 3600, Chicago, IL 60604.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Gonczar, NEPA Program Manager, 
GSA, 312-810-2326, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Meeting Information

    The in-person meeting will begin with an open house format from 
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CDT. This portion of the meeting will not be 
broadcasted. The hybrid public meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with 
presentations on the NEPA and NHPA processes and the proposed project. 
A copy of the presentation slideshow will be made available prior to 
the meeting at: https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/gsa-properties/land-ports-of-entry-and-the-bil/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-construction-project/minnesota. Following the presentation, there will be a 
moderated session during which members of the public can provide 
scoping comments. Members participating virtually or attending in-
person will be able to comment. Commenters will be allowed 3 minutes to 
provide comments. Comments will be recorded. Attendees can also provide 
written comments at the public meeting should they not wish to speak. 
In addition, a court reporter will be available after the presentation, 
should attendees wish to provide a verbal comment in private. All 
written or verbal comments will be treated with equal importance. 
Following the presentation and public comment session, the meeting will 
continue with an open house format until 7:00 p.m. CDT, which will not 
be broadcasted.
    Members of the public may join the EIS virtual public meeting by 
entering the Meeting ID: 889 5436 6939, using any of the below methods, 
or by using the following link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88954366939?pwd=WDZXQTc2dDM3UUtYc3pyN0FVS1lNUT09. Note that the meeting 
is best viewed through the Zoom app. Attendees are encouraged to 
download the Zoom app at the Zoom website (https://zoom.us) on their 
personal computer or on their mobile device and test their connection 
prior to the meeting to ensure best results.
     By personal computer (via the Zoom app)--Install the Zoom 
app at the Zoom website (https://zoom.us) and launch the Zoom app. 
Click `Join a Meeting' and enter the above Meeting ID. Follow the 
prompts to enter your name and email address to access the meeting; or
     By personal computer (via the Zoom website)--Using your 
computer's browser, go to the Zoom website at https://zoom.us/join and 
enter the above Meeting ID. Click `Join from your browser' and follow 
the prompts to enter your name; or
     By mobile device (via the Zoom mobile app)--Install and 
launch the Zoom app. Enter the above Meeting ID.
    Whether joining through the Zoom app or web browser, attendees 
should follow the prompts to connect their computer audio. Attendees 
are encouraged to connect through the `Computer Audio' tab and click 
`Join Audio by Computer' under the `Join Audio' button on the bottom of 
their screen. Users who do not have a computer microphone and wish to 
provide a comment during the meeting may connect by following the 
prompts under the `Phone Call' tab under the `Join Audio' button.
    For members of the public who do not have access to a personal 
computer, they may join the meeting audio by dialing the following 
number: 507-473-4847. When prompted, enter the following information: 
Meeting ID--889 5436 6939, followed by the pound (#) key; then press 
pound (#) again when prompted for a participant ID. Note, dialing in to 
the meeting is only necessary if you are not accessing the meeting 
through a personal computer or mobile app, or if you would like to 
provide oral comments during the meeting but do not have a computer 
microphone.
    The public meeting will be recorded and available for viewing on 
the GSA website in the days following the

[[Page 65393]]

meeting. All comments provided will become part of the formal record.

Scoping Process

    The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of analysis of the human and 
natural environment including cultural resources. The scoping process 
will be accomplished through a hybrid in-person and virtual public 
scoping meeting, direct mail correspondence to appropriate federal, 
state, and local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens 
who have previously expressed, or are known to have, an interest in the 
project. The EIS will include public input on alternatives and impacts.
    The public scoping meeting will also initiate GSA's public 
consultation required by NHPA. GSA seeks input at this meeting that 
will assist the agency in planning for the Section 106 consultation 
process. This includes identifying consulting parties, determining the 
area of the undertaking's potential effects on cultural resources (Area 
of Potential Effects), and seeking agreement regarding ways to avoid, 
minimize, or mitigate adverse effects. Federal, state, and local 
agencies, along with members of the public, are invited to participate 
in the NEPA scoping and section 106 consultation process.
    The NHPA and NEPA are two separate laws which require federal 
agencies to consider the impacts to historic properties and the human 
environment before making decisions. NHPA and NEPA are independent 
statutes, yet may be executed concurrently to optimize efficiencies, 
transparency, and accountability to better understand the effects to 
the human, natural, and cultural environment. The EIS will be prepared 
pursuant to the requirements of the NEPA of 1969, the Council on 
Environmental Quality NEPA regulations, and the GSA Public Buildings 
Service NEPA Desk Guide. GSA will also consult with appropriate parties 
in accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA of 1966.
    Opportunities for members of the public to become a consulting 
party during the NHPA Section 106 process will be presented during the 
public scoping meeting. You may submit a comment to express your 
interest in being a consulting party if you cannot attend the meeting.

Background

    The existing 5.7-acre LPOE is located on the far northeast tip of 
Minnesota where the Pigeon River meets Lake Superior and serves as the 
port of entry to people and vehicles that connects Grand Portage, 
Minnesota to the town of Neebing, Ontario, Canada. The LPOE is located 
within the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation. 
The Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa will serve as a 
Cooperating Agency (CA) for this EIS. The purpose of the Proposed 
Action is for GSA to support CBP's mission by bringing the Grand 
Portage LPOE in line with current land port design standards and 
operational requirements of CBP, while addressing existing deficiencies 
identified with the ongoing port operations. Current LPOE facilities 
and configurations do not meet CBP's needs and do not allow for 
expeditious and safe inspection of the traveling public. The LPOE 
facilities were constructed in 1965, are too small for CBP's needs, and 
are served by an inefficient road design. Currently, the LPOE contains 
a main building with primary and secondary inspection canopies, 
secondary inspection garage, and public restroom facilities located 
between the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 61. There are 
two inbound primary inspection lanes; one for non-commercial vehicles 
and one for buses and commercial traffic. A commercial inspection dock 
and GSA garage are located north of the inbound lanes of Highway 61. 
There are currently no outbound inspection capabilities at the LPOE.
    A feasibility study for this project was completed in 2019. A total 
of three build alternatives were considered, and a preferred build 
alternative was identified. This alternative would 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.
    Following the feasibility study, a Program Development Study (PDS) 
is the next formal step to further refine the build alternatives, so as 
to develop a facility plan that is respectful of the Grand Portage Band 
of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation property and including the Grand 
Portage State Park. To date, GSA has issued a 35 percent PDS report in 
December 2022 and 50 percent PDS report in May 2023; the final 
alternative design that would support construction will be identified 
in the 100 percent PDS. As of the 50 percent PDS, the identified build 
alternative is located on an approximately 8.13-acre site on and around 
the existing Grand Portage LPOE and is located entirely within the 
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) easement along Highway 
61.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    GSA has preliminarily identified one action alternative that may be 
assessed in the EIS:
     Alternative 1: Construct the facilities as described in 
the 50 percent PDS on an 8.13-acre site on and around the existing 
Grand Portage LPOE and located entirely within the MnDOT easement.
    The No Action Alternative will also be considered to satisfy 
federal requirements for analyzing ``no action'' under NEPA. Analysis 
of this alternative will provide a baseline for comparison with impacts 
from Alternative 1.
    The EIS will address the potential environmental impacts of the 
proposed alternatives on environmental resources including cultural 
resources, geology and soils, water resources, biological resources, 
air quality and climate change, noise, traffic and transportation, land 
use and visual resources, utilities, and human health and safety. The 
EIS will also address the socioeconomic effects of the project, as well 
as impacts on environmental justice (EJ) populations. Impacts may occur 
from air emissions, noise, and traffic delays associated with 
construction; as well as soil disturbance from earth moving activities 
and resultant sedimentation of nearby waterways. Close consideration 
will be given to potential impacts to cultural resources, and GSA will 
work closely with the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa 
to determine if there are any potential impacts to sensitive tribal 
resources. Wetlands may be present near the project site; and a wetland 
delineation will be conducted to further investigate potential impacts. 
Long term benefits to traffic and transportation, air quality, and the 
local economy are expected from operations of the expanded and 
modernized LPOE and associated improved traffic flows.

William Renner,
Director, Facilities Management and Services Programs Division, Great 
Lakes Region 5, U.S. General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-20381 Filed 9-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-CF-P