[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15161-15162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7021]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS No. 1626ROD-94]
Record of Decision for the Program of Protecting the Southwest
Border Through the Interdiction of Illegal Drugs With the Support of
Joint Task Force Six
AGENCY: The Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of
Justice (lead); Joint Task Force Six, Department of Defense
(cooperating); and Environmental Protection Agency (cooperating).
action: Notice of availability of the record of decision.
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summary: This Notice is to announce that the Record of Decision (ROD)
for the continuation of the Joint Task Force Six (JTF-6) activities
along the United States (U.S.)/Mexico border, jointly signed by JTF-6
and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is available.
The JTF-6 program involves providing operational, engineering, and
general support to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) that have drug
interdiction responsibilities within the southwestern border states.
The JTF-6's primary area of concern is within a 50-mile-wide corridor
along the U.S./Mexico border from Port Arthur, Texas, to San Diego,
California.
addresses: Copies of the ROD are available upon written request to
either of the following addresses:
1. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, CESWF-PL-RE, P.O.
Box 17300, 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102-0300.
2. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 425 I Street NW, Facilities
Branch (Room 2003), Washington, DC 20536.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority
This Notice of Availability (NOA) is being issued in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Public Law 91-190,
and Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40
CFR 1500-1508. [[Page 15162]]
Background
JTF-6 was activated on November 13, 1989, at Fort Bliss, Texas, by
the Secretary of Defense in accordance with the President's National
Drug Control Strategy.
The mission of JTF-6 is to plan and coordinate military training
along the U.S. Southwest Land Border in support of counter-drug
activities by Federal, State, and Local LEAs, as requested through
Operation Alliance and approved by the Secretary of Defense or a
designated representative.
The INS is responsible for the prevention of smuggling and unlawful
entry of aliens into the United States. This task of the Border Patrol
often results in the interdiction of drugs between the U.S. land Ports-
of-Entry. The INS Border Patrol has been the primary beneficiary of
most JTF-6 engineering actions to date, which have included
reconnaissance operations, and fence and road construction. For this
reason, the INS elected to act as lead agency for the preparation of a
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PEIS analyzed
cumulative environmental impacts of previous actions performed by JTF-
6, and generically examined the impacts of future individual actions,
which may be developed within the reasonably foreseeable future, based
on experience with similar past actions. The PEIS also described the
different types of actions performed by JTF-6. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and JTF-6 elected to act as cooperating
agencies.
A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the PEIS was published in the
Federal Register on July 15, 1993, at 58 FR 38140. The Draft PEIS was
filed with the EPA and published in the Federal Register on April 15,
1994, at 59 FR 18115; the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft
PEIS was published in the Federal Register on May 19, 1994, at 59 FR
26322. The Final PEIS was filed with the EPA on August 11, 1994, and
published in the Federal Register on August 19, 1994, at 59 FR 42831;
the NOA of the Final PEIS was published in the Federal Register on
October 5, 1994, at 59 FR 50773. In accordance with NEPA, this ROD is
the concluding step in the PEIS process.
Dated: March 9, 1995.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 95-7021 Filed 3-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-M
