95-7816. Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Concerning the Department of State's Permitting Process for International Bridges Along the Texas/Mexico Border

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16525-16526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7816]



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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2184]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement Concerning the Department of State's Permitting Process for 
International Bridges Along the Texas/Mexico Border

LEAD AGENCY: Department of State, Washington, D.C.

COOPERATING AGENCIES: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (F&WS)
U.S. Coast Guard
International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), U.S. Section
General Services Administration (GSA)

SUMMARY: Under Executive Order 11423 (August 16, 1968) and the 
International Bridge Act of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 535 et seq., the U.S. 
Department of State (``the Department'') has the authority, inter alia, 
to issue permits for the construction of bridges along the Texas/Mexico 
border. (Once such a permit is granted, other agencies, including the 
U.S. Section of the IBWC and the U.S. [[Page 16526]] Coast Guard, 
require additional permits related to their respective regulatory 
functions; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may also require separate 
permits.) To date, with respect to each permit application, the 
Department has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact, based on an 
Environmental Assessment (EA), consistent with the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq. (NEPA).
    With several bridges permitted to date and given the expectation of 
continuing permit applications, the Department intends to prepare 
voluntarily a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to 
assess the cumulative environmental impacts in the United States of 
existing bridges along the Texas/Mexico border. The PEIS will also 
describe the general types of projects expected in the foreseeable 
future and will address the types of impacts that are expected to 
result from the continuation of present permitting procedures. The 
Department will use the results of the PEIS to inform both the manner 
and substance of its permitting process.
    In undertaking this PEIS, the Department has elected to follow the 
procedures pertaining to the preparation of programmatic environmental 
impact statements contained in the NEPA regulations promulgated by the 
Council on Environmental Quality, 40 CFR 1500 et seq., as well as by 
the Department, 22 CFR 161 et seq. The Department, EPA, F&WS, IBWC, 
Coast Guard, GSA and other Federal, state and local agencies will be 
able to develop supplemental EISs or incorporate the PEIS into future 
NEPA documentation (EAs or EISs), as allowed by NEPA, for activities or 
locations not specifically addressed in the PEIS.

ALTERNATIVES PROPOSED: Alternatives to be considered include the No 
Action alternative. Other alternatives identified during the scoping 
process will be discussed in the Draft PEIS.

PUBLIC SCOPING: Comments received as a result of this notice will be 
used to assist the Department primarily in identifying the alternatives 
to be included in the PEIS and in assessing the impacts, in the United 
States, of these alternatives on the quality of the human environment. 
Scoping meetings will be held the week of May 8 in Harlingen, Laredo 
and El Paso, Texas to identify alternatives and significant issues 
related to the PEIS. The exact dates, times and locales for these 
meetings will be published in local newspapers. Individuals or 
organizations may participate in the scoping process by providing 
written comments or by attending the scoping meetings. Written comments 
may be forwarded to either:

U.S. Department of State, OES/ETC, Attn: Ms. Charlotte Roe, 2201 C 
Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20520, Tel: [phone], FAX: (202) 
736-7351
USAED, Fort Worth, CESWF-PL-RE, Attn: Mr. Eric Verwers, P.O. Box 17300, 
Fort Worth, Texas 76102-0300, Tel: [phone], FAX: [phone].

    Comments and suggestions should be received no later than 60 days 
following this notice in order to be considered in the Draft PEIS.
Charlotte Roe,
Multilateral Affairs Officer, Department of State, OES/ETC.
[FR Doc. 95-7816 Filed 3-29-95; 8:45 am]
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