Notice of Availability for a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Floodplain and Wetlands Assessment and Statement of Findings for the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization and Expansion Project in Grand Portage, Minnesota, 19719-19721 [2025-07964]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 89 / Friday, May 9, 2025 / Notices
Mulligan, Project Manager, JCK Federal
Building, 230 S. Dearborn, Suite 3600,
Chicago, IL 60604
Comments sent by any other method
or to any other address or individual
may not be considered by GSA.
Comments received or postmarked after
the 30-day Final EIS Wait Period may
not be considered by GSA. All
comments received are part of the
public record. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. GSA will accept
anonymous comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Mulligan, GSA Project Manager,
312–505–5426, at HartfordCourthouse@
gsa.gov.
GSA has
considered and incorporated
stakeholder input and public comments
provided during the scoping and Draft
EIS comment periods to develop the
Final EIS and determine the Preferred
Alternative.
GSA’s Preferred Alternative for the
site acquisition, and subsequent design,
construction and operation of a new
federal courthouse in Hartford is
Alternative 2, the Allyn Site. Under the
Preferred Alternative, GSA would
acquire the Allyn Site, consisting of
approximately 2.19 acres of land located
at 154 Allyn Street. The Allyn Site is
bounded by Church Street to the north,
High Street to the west, Allyn Street to
the south, and mixed-use and religious
buildings along its eastern perimeter. It
is in the central business district of
Hartford and is one block north of
Bushnell Park. The Allyn Site currently
serves as a surface parking lot. Under
the Preferred Alternative, the new
federal courthouse would likely contain
up to two levels of underground secure
parking. The majority of the Allyn Site,
approximately 2 acres, would be
excavated and graded in preparation for
construction, and a small portion,
approximately 0.25 acres, would be
used as a staging area. GSA may lease
a vacant paved lot in the vicinity of the
Allyn Site for staging purposes due to
the limited space availability at the site.
The Project would generate
approximately 50,000 to 75,000 cubic
yards of excavated materials. A new
landscape plan would be developed
using native plantings. There appears to
be adequate public parking in proximity
to the Allyn Site, however, GSA may
pursue options to provide additional
parking such as entering into a lease
with a commercial parking operator.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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17:11 May 08, 2025
Jkt 265001
Background
The Court currently operates at three
facilities: the Richard C. Lee U.S.
Courthouse in New Haven (its
headquarters location), the Brien
McMahon Federal Building and U.S.
Courthouse in Bridgeport, and the
Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building
and Courthouse in Hartford (Ribicoff
Federal Building and Courthouse).
The Ribicoff Federal Building and
Courthouse, constructed in 1963, does
not have the capacity to accommodate
the functions and operations of the
Court. The facility is inadequate in size
and configuration for the Court’s
existing operations, including
deficiencies in judicial, juror, and
detainee circulation and overall facility
security. The Court’s long-term facilities
planning and GSA’s feasibility studies
concluded that relocating the Court’s
headquarters to Hartford would provide
efficiencies in judicial operations across
the State. The results from these studies
led to GSA’s proposal to locate the
Court and related agencies at a new
courthouse in Hartford.
GSA has prepared a Final EIS to
assess the potential impacts of this
project.
Alternatives Considered
GSA evaluated two action alternatives
in the Final EIS. Both would involve
site acquisition, design, construction,
and operation of a new federal
courthouse in Hartford: (1) Alternative
1, Woodland Site, located at 61
Woodland Street, and (2) Alternative 2,
Allyn Site, located at 154 Allyn Street.
Key features of the proposed courthouse
include (a) total building gross square
footage of up to 281,000; (b) eleven
courtrooms and eighteen judges
chambers; (c) offices for the Court and
related agencies; and (d) sixty-six secure
parking spaces. GSA also considered a
No Action alternative. The Final EIS
describes the purpose and need for the
proposed project, the alternatives
considered, the existing environment
that could be affected, the potential
impacts resulting from each of the
alternatives, and proposed best
management practices and mitigation
measures. The resource areas analyzed
in the Final EIS include land use;
utilities; traffic and transportation; air
quality; solid and hazardous waste;
socioeconomics; protection of children’s
health and safety; cultural resources;
geology, topography, and soils; water
resources; and visual resources. Based
on the analysis presented in the Final
EIS, impacts from the Preferred
Alternative on all resource areas would
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19719
be less-than-significant (i.e., negligible,
minor, or moderate).
The Final EIS was prepared in
compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NEPA, as amended (42 United States
Code [U.S.C.] et seq.), which requires
federal agencies to examine the impacts
of their proposed projects or actions on
the human and natural environment and
consider alternatives to the proposal
before deciding on taking an action. The
Final EIS complies with the GSA PBS
NEPA Desk Guide and other relevant
federal and state laws and regulations
and executive orders.
Further information about the project
can be viewed at: https://gsa.gov/
hartfordcourthouse.
Jesse Lafreniere,
Director, Design and Construction Division,
U.S. General Services Administration, PBS
New England Region.
[FR Doc. 2025–08090 Filed 5–8–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–RB–P
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
[Notice–P–2025–03; Docket No. 2025–0002;
Sequence No. 3]
Notice of Availability for a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Floodplain and Wetlands
Assessment and Statement of
Findings for the Grand Portage Land
Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization
and Expansion Project in Grand
Portage, Minnesota
Public Buildings Service (PBS),
United States (U.S.) General Services
Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA);
Public Notice of Floodplain and
Wetlands Assessment and Statement of
Findings.
AGENCY:
This notice announces the
availability of the Final EIS, which
examines potential environmental
impacts from the modernization and
expansion of the Grand Portage LPOE,
located within the Grand Portage
Reservation of the Grand Portage Band
of Lake Superior Chippewa (herein
referred to as the Grand Portage Band).
The existing Grand Portage 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 EIS 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
SUMMARY:
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09MYN1
19720
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 89 / Friday, May 9, 2025 / Notices
alternatives; and proposed best
management practices and mitigation
measures.
The Final EIS also includes a
Floodplain and Wetlands Assessment
and Statement of Findings as a result of
potential construction in a floodplain
and wetlands at the Grand Portage
LPOE. Based on impacts analyses and
public comments, GSA has identified
the Proposed Action as described in the
Final EIS as its preferred alternative.
DATES: The Final EIS Wait Period begins
with publication of this NOA in the
Federal Register and will last for 30
days until June 8, 2025. Any final
written comments must be received or
postmarked by the last day of the Wait
Period (see the ADDRESSES section of
this NOA on how to submit comments).
After the Wait Period, GSA will issue
the Record of Decision (ROD).
ADDRESSES: A copy of the Final EIS can
be found on the GSA website at: https://
www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions/
region-5-great-lakes/buildings-andfacilities/minnesota/grand-portageland-port-of-entry. Hard copies are also
available at the following locations:
Grand Portage Tribal Council Office, 83
Stevens Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605;
Grand Portage Community Center, 73
Upper Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605;
Grand Portage Trust Lands, 27 Store
Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Public Comments
Members of the public may submit
comments by any of the following
methods. All comments will be
considered equally and will be part of
the public record.
• Electronic comments should be
submitted to the email address listed
below.
matthew.heiman@gsa.gov.
Please include ‘Grand Portage LPOE
Final EIS’ in the subject line.
• Written comments should be
mailed to: ATTN: Matthew Heiman,
Senior Project Manager, Grand Portage
LPOE Final EIS, U.S. General Services
Administration, c/o Potomac-Hudson
Engineering, Inc., 77 Upper Rock Circle,
Suite 302, Rockville, MD 20850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions and comments on the Final
EIS should be directed to: Matthew
Heiman, Senior Project Manager, GSA at
the following email address:
matthew.heiman@gsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Wait Period
The views and comments of the
public are necessary in helping GSA in
its decision-making process. The public
review process will be accomplished
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 May 08, 2025
Jkt 265001
through 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 Final EIS has
considered previous input provided
during the scoping and Draft EIS
comment periods.
Background
The existing 5.7-acre LPOE serves
vehicles and pedestrians crossing the
U.S.-Canada border between the Grand
Portage Reservation in the U.S. and
Neebing, Ontario in Canada. The
Feasibility Study performed in 2019
determined that the existing structures
do not contain the necessary square
footage as specified by CBP’s space and
facility requirements (also referred to as
Program of Requirements [POR]). In
addition, the facility lacks outbound
inspection capabilities. Following
preparation of the Feasibility Study, a
Program Development Study (PDS) was
initiated as the next step in the design
process to further refine potential
alternatives under consideration. From
the PDS process, viable alternatives
were further refined into the Proposed
Action analyzed within the Final EIS, in
collaboration with the Grand Portage
Band, who is serving as a Cooperating
Agency for this EIS.
GSA has prepared this Final EIS for
the purpose of analyzing the potential
environmental, cultural, and economic
impacts resulting from the Proposed
Action to modernize and expand the
existing Grand Portage LPOE.
Alternatives Under Consideration
The Proposed Action would consist of
modernization and expansion of
existing Grand Portage LPOE facilities
as described in the PDS. Under the
Proposed Action, GSA would replace
the Grand Portage LPOE with a
modernized facility on an expanded
footprint, expanding the existing 5.7acre operational footprint to a total
operational footprint of approximately
10.4 acres. GSA would also upgrade the
electrical distribution system leading to
the LPOE by installing a 7.3-mile buried
three-phase power line within
Arrowhead Cooperative’s existing utility
right-of-way along the western side of
Highway 61. GSA also considered the
No Action Alternative, which assumes
that GSA would not expand or
modernize the Grand Portage LPOE or
install the three-phase power line.
The purpose of the Proposed Action
is for GSA to support CBP’s mission by
modernizing and expanding the Grand
Portage LPOE. The existing LPOE does
not meet CBP’s current needs and does
PO 00000
Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
not allow for expeditious and safe
inspection of the traveling public. The
deficiencies fall into two broad
categories: deficiencies in the overall
site layout and substandard building
conditions. Therefore, to bring the
Grand Portage LPOE operations in line
with design standards and operational
requirements, implementation of the
Proposed Action is needed to (1)
address space constraints and inefficient
traffic flows; (2) shorten and expedite
vehicle processing time, to include
improving daily commutes across the
U.S.-Canada border; (3) decrease
congestion and long wait times during
the peak travel season; (4) allow CBP to
process a higher volume of vehicles
traveling to and from Canada, to include
further accommodation of potential
future spikes in travelers crossing the
U.S.-Canada border; and (5) provide a
wider single lane for large semi-trucks
hauling wind turbine components from
Canada.
The Final EIS analyzes the potential
impacts of the proposed alternatives on
environmental resources including
geology, water, biological resources, air
quality, noise, traffic and transportation,
land use and visual resources,
infrastructure and utilities,
socioeconomics, cultural resources, and
human health and safety. The Final EIS
concludes that impacts to all resource
areas would be less-than-significant
(i.e., negligible, minor, or moderate.
Impact reduction measures are
presented in the Final EIS to reduce
potential adverse effects.
GSA is currently conducting formal
consultation with the Grand Portage
Band Tribal Historic Preservation
Officer (THPO) as required under
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act to determine impacts
to historic properties. Mitigation
measures may be determined in
consultation between GSA, the THPO,
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.
GSA determined that there would be no
adverse effects to federally threatened or
endangered species with
implementation of impact avoidance
measures; USFWS concurred with these
findings. GSA’s findings and
correspondence with USFWS are
incorporated in the Final EIS.
The project area occurs within a
region unmapped by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency for
floodplains and floodways. As
information is currently unavailable that
definitively indicates the presence or
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09MYN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 89 / Friday, May 9, 2025 / Notices
location of floodplains relative to the
project area, GSA has assumed that the
project area is located within a 1percent-annual-chance or 0.2-percentannual-chance floodplain for purposes
of complying with Executive Order
11988 and the GSA Floodplain
Management Desk Guide, and until such
time that a floodplain hazard study can
be conducted. In addition, based on a
wetland delineation conducted for the
project, approximately 3.3 acres of
wetlands occur within the project area.
GSA prepared a Floodplain and
Wetlands Assessment and Statement of
Findings addressing potential impacts
on floodplains and wetlands, which is
included in the Final EIS. Final design
of the Grand Portage LPOE would
incorporate standard measures,
including those specified in GSA
Interim Core Building Standards as well
as by the authority having jurisdiction,
to reduce or manage stormwater flows
as well as any potential impacts to the
floodplain if present. GSA would
coordinate as necessary with the Grand
Portage Band to obtain appropriate
permits and approvals related to
wetlands disturbance under the Clean
Water Act. Further, GSA would
consider options to minimize, avoid, or
mitigate potential impacts, as required
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and/or the Grand Portage Band.
Russell Riberto,
Regional Commissioner, Great Lakes Region
5, U.S. General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025–07964 Filed 5–8–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–CF–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. FDA–2025–N–0679]
Determination That VOSOL (Acetic
Acid, Glacial) 2% Otic Solution/Drops;
and Other Drug Products Were Not
Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of
Safety or Effectiveness
AGENCY:
Food and Drug Administration,
HHS.
ACTION:
Notice.
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA or Agency) has
determined that the drug products listed
in this document were not withdrawn
from sale for reasons of safety or
effectiveness. This determination means
that FDA will not begin procedures to
withdraw approval of abbreviated new
drug applications (ANDAs) that refer to
these drug products, and it will allow
FDA to continue to approve ANDAs that
refer to the products as long as they
meet relevant legal and regulatory
requirements.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stacy Kane, Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research, Food and Drug
Administration, 10903 New Hampshire
Ave., Bldg. 51, Rm. 6236, Silver Spring,
MD 20993–0002, 301–796–8363,
Stacy.Kane@fda.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C.
355(j)) allows the submission of an
ANDA to market a generic version of a
previously approved drug product. To
obtain approval, the ANDA applicant
must show, among other things, that the
generic drug product: (1) has the same
active ingredient(s), dosage form, route
of administration, strength, conditions
of use, and (with certain exceptions)
labeling as the listed drug, which is a
version of the drug that was previously
approved, and (2) is bioequivalent to the
listed drug. ANDA applicants do not
have to repeat the extensive clinical
testing otherwise necessary to gain
approval of a new drug application
(NDA).
Section 505(j)(7) of the FD&C Act
requires FDA to publish a list of all
approved drugs. FDA publishes this list
as part of the ‘‘Approved Drug Products
With Therapeutic Equivalence
Evaluations,’’ which is generally known
as the ‘‘Orange Book.’’ Under FDA
regulations, a drug is removed from the
list if the Agency withdraws or
suspends approval of the drug’s NDA or
ANDA for reasons of safety or
effectiveness, or if FDA determines that
the listed drug was withdrawn from sale
for reasons of safety or effectiveness (21
CFR 314.162).
Under § 314.161(a) (21 CFR
314.161(a)), the Agency must determine
whether a listed drug was withdrawn
from sale for reasons of safety or
effectiveness: (1) before an ANDA that
refers to that listed drug may be
approved, (2) whenever a listed drug is
voluntarily withdrawn from sale and
ANDAs that refer to the listed drug have
been approved, and (3) when a person
petitions for such a determination under
21 CFR 10.25(a) and 10.30. Section
314.161(d) provides that if FDA
determines that a listed drug was
withdrawn from sale for safety or
effectiveness reasons, the Agency will
initiate proceedings that could result in
the withdrawal of approval of the
ANDAs that refer to the listed drug.
FDA has become aware that the drug
products listed in the table are no longer
being marketed.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
TABLE 1—DRUG PRODUCTS NOT WITHDRAWN FROM SALE FOR REASONS OF SAFETY OR EFFECTIVENESS
Application No.
Drug name
Active ingredient(s)
Dosage form/route
Strength(s)
NDA 012179 ............
NDA 012836 ............
VOSOL .............................
PERSANTINE ..................
Acetic Acid, Glacial ..........
Dipyridamole ....................
Solution/Drops; Otic .........
Tablet; Oral ......................
Hikma.
Boehringer Ingelheim.
NDA 013790 ............
NDA 016758 ............
CORDRAN .......................
NAVANE ..........................
Flurandrenolide ................
Thiothixene Hydrochloride
Lotion; Topical ..................
Concentrate; Oral .............
Almirall.
Pfizer.
NDA 017604 ............
NALFON ...........................
Fenoprofen Calcium .........
Capsule; Oral ...................
Key Therapeutics.
NDA 019737 ............
METROGEL .....................
Metronidazole ...................
2% ....................................
25 Milligrams (mg); 50
mg; 75 mg.
0.05% ...............................
Equivalent to (EQ) 5 mg
Base/Milliliters (mL).
EQ 200 mg Base; EQ 400
mg Base.
0.75% ...............................
Gel; Topical ......................
NDA 019909 ............
NDA 019922 ............
NDA 020212 ............
ZOVIRAX .........................
CORLOPAM .....................
ZINECARD .......................
ZOFRAN ..........................
200 mg/5 mL ....................
EQ 10 mg Base/mL .........
EQ 250 mg Base/Vial; EQ
500 mg Base/Vial.
EQ 4 mg Base/5 mL ........
Suspension; Oral .............
Injectable; Injection ..........
Injectable; Injection ..........
NDA 020605 ............
Solution; Oral ...................
Sandoz.
NDA 020636 ............
NDA 020645 ............
VIRAMUNE ......................
AMMONUL .......................
Boehringer Ingelheim.
Bausch Health.
LUXIQ ..............................
200 mg .............................
10%; 10% (5 Grams (g)/
50 mL; 5 g/50 mL).
0.12% ...............................
Tablet; Oral ......................
Solution; Intravenous .......
NDA 020934 ............
Acyclovir ...........................
Fenoldopam Mesylate ......
Dexrazoxane Hydrochloride.
Ondansetron Hydrochloride.
Nevirapine ........................
Sodium Benzoate; Sodium Phenylacetate.
Betamethasone Valerate
Galderma Laboratories
LP.
Norvium Bioscience.
Hospira.
Pfizer.
Aerosol, Foam; Topical ....
Norvium Bioscience.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 May 08, 2025
Jkt 265001
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Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\09MYN1.SGM
09MYN1
Applicant
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 89 (Friday, May 9, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19719-19721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07964]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[Notice-P-2025-03; Docket No. 2025-0002; Sequence No. 3]
Notice of Availability for a Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Floodplain and Wetlands Assessment and Statement of Findings
for the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization and
Expansion Project in Grand Portage, Minnesota
AGENCY: Public Buildings Service (PBS), United States (U.S.) General
Services Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA); Public Notice of Floodplain and
Wetlands Assessment and Statement of Findings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Final EIS, which
examines potential environmental impacts from the modernization and
expansion of the Grand Portage LPOE, located within the Grand Portage
Reservation of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (herein
referred to as the Grand Portage Band). The existing Grand Portage 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 EIS 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
[[Page 19720]]
alternatives; and proposed best management practices and mitigation
measures.
The Final EIS also includes a Floodplain and Wetlands Assessment
and Statement of Findings as a result of potential construction in a
floodplain and wetlands at the Grand Portage LPOE. Based on impacts
analyses and public comments, GSA has identified the Proposed Action as
described in the Final EIS as its preferred alternative.
DATES: The Final EIS Wait Period begins with publication of this NOA in
the Federal Register and will last for 30 days until June 8, 2025. Any
final written comments must be received or postmarked by the last day
of the Wait Period (see the ADDRESSES section of this NOA on how to
submit comments). After the Wait Period, GSA will issue the Record of
Decision (ROD).
ADDRESSES: A copy of the Final EIS can be found on the GSA website at:
https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions/region-5-great-lakes/buildings-and-facilities/minnesota/grand-portage-land-port-of-entry.
Hard copies are also available at the following locations: Grand
Portage Tribal Council Office, 83 Stevens Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605;
Grand Portage Community Center, 73 Upper Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605;
Grand Portage Trust Lands, 27 Store Rd., Grand Portage, MN 55605.
Public Comments
Members of the public may submit comments by any of the following
methods. All comments will be considered equally and will be part of
the public record.
Electronic comments should be submitted to the email
address listed below.
[email protected].
Please include `Grand Portage LPOE Final EIS' in the subject line.
Written comments should be mailed to: ATTN: Matthew
Heiman, Senior Project Manager, Grand Portage LPOE Final EIS, U.S.
General Services Administration, c/o Potomac-Hudson Engineering, Inc.,
77 Upper Rock Circle, Suite 302, Rockville, MD 20850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments on the Final
EIS should be directed to: Matthew Heiman, Senior Project Manager, GSA
at the following email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Wait Period
The views and comments of the public are necessary in helping GSA
in its decision-making process. The public review process will be
accomplished through 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 Final EIS has considered previous input provided during
the scoping and Draft EIS comment periods.
Background
The existing 5.7-acre LPOE serves vehicles and pedestrians crossing
the U.S.-Canada border between the Grand Portage Reservation in the
U.S. and Neebing, Ontario in Canada. The Feasibility Study performed in
2019 determined that the existing structures do not contain the
necessary square footage as specified by CBP's space and facility
requirements (also referred to as Program of Requirements [POR]). In
addition, the facility lacks outbound inspection capabilities.
Following preparation of the Feasibility Study, a Program Development
Study (PDS) was initiated as the next step in the design process to
further refine potential alternatives under consideration. From the PDS
process, viable alternatives were further refined into the Proposed
Action analyzed within the Final EIS, in collaboration with the Grand
Portage Band, who is serving as a Cooperating Agency for this EIS.
GSA has prepared this Final EIS for the purpose of analyzing the
potential environmental, cultural, and economic impacts resulting from
the Proposed Action to modernize and expand the existing Grand Portage
LPOE.
Alternatives Under Consideration
The Proposed Action would consist of modernization and expansion of
existing Grand Portage LPOE facilities as described in the PDS. Under
the Proposed Action, GSA would replace the Grand Portage LPOE with a
modernized facility on an expanded footprint, expanding the existing
5.7-acre operational footprint to a total operational footprint of
approximately 10.4 acres. GSA would also upgrade the electrical
distribution system leading to the LPOE by installing a 7.3-mile buried
three-phase power line within Arrowhead Cooperative's existing utility
right-of-way along the western side of Highway 61. GSA also considered
the No Action Alternative, which assumes that GSA would not expand or
modernize the Grand Portage LPOE or install the three-phase power line.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is for GSA to support CBP's
mission by modernizing and expanding the Grand Portage LPOE. The
existing LPOE does not meet CBP's current needs and does not allow for
expeditious and safe inspection of the traveling public. The
deficiencies fall into two broad categories: deficiencies in the
overall site layout and substandard building conditions. Therefore, to
bring the Grand Portage LPOE operations in line with design standards
and operational requirements, implementation of the Proposed Action is
needed to (1) address space constraints and inefficient traffic flows;
(2) shorten and expedite vehicle processing time, to include improving
daily commutes across the U.S.-Canada border; (3) decrease congestion
and long wait times during the peak travel season; (4) allow CBP to
process a higher volume of vehicles traveling to and from Canada, to
include further accommodation of potential future spikes in travelers
crossing the U.S.-Canada border; and (5) provide a wider single lane
for large semi-trucks hauling wind turbine components from Canada.
The Final EIS analyzes the potential impacts of the proposed
alternatives on environmental resources including geology, water,
biological resources, air quality, noise, traffic and transportation,
land use and visual resources, infrastructure and utilities,
socioeconomics, cultural resources, and human health and safety. The
Final EIS concludes that impacts to all resource areas would be less-
than-significant (i.e., negligible, minor, or moderate. Impact
reduction measures are presented in the Final EIS to reduce potential
adverse effects.
GSA is currently conducting formal consultation with the Grand
Portage Band Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) as required
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to
determine impacts to historic properties. Mitigation measures may be
determined in consultation between GSA, the THPO, 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. GSA determined that
there would be no adverse effects to federally threatened or endangered
species with implementation of impact avoidance measures; USFWS
concurred with these findings. GSA's findings and correspondence with
USFWS are incorporated in the Final EIS.
The project area occurs within a region unmapped by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency for floodplains and floodways. As
information is currently unavailable that definitively indicates the
presence or
[[Page 19721]]
location of floodplains relative to the project area, GSA has assumed
that the project area is located within a 1-percent-annual-chance or
0.2-percent-annual-chance floodplain for purposes of complying with
Executive Order 11988 and the GSA Floodplain Management Desk Guide, and
until such time that a floodplain hazard study can be conducted. In
addition, based on a wetland delineation conducted for the project,
approximately 3.3 acres of wetlands occur within the project area. GSA
prepared a Floodplain and Wetlands Assessment and Statement of Findings
addressing potential impacts on floodplains and wetlands, which is
included in the Final EIS. Final design of the Grand Portage LPOE would
incorporate standard measures, including those specified in GSA Interim
Core Building Standards as well as by the authority having
jurisdiction, to reduce or manage stormwater flows as well as any
potential impacts to the floodplain if present. GSA would coordinate as
necessary with the Grand Portage Band to obtain appropriate permits and
approvals related to wetlands disturbance under the Clean Water Act.
Further, GSA would consider options to minimize, avoid, or mitigate
potential impacts, as required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/
or the Grand Portage Band.
Russell Riberto,
Regional Commissioner, Great Lakes Region 5, U.S. General Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-07964 Filed 5-8-25; 8:45 am]
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