Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) [PDF - 30 MB]
Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Meeting [PDF - 379 KB]
The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the availability for public review of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Rouses Point Land Port of Entry for a project to construct a new Land Port of Entry (LPOE) located north of the town of Rouses Point, New York. The Draft EA is available for a 30-calendar-day public review period ending on July 8, 2024 and can be accessed from the link above and at the following local libraries:
- Rouses Point Dodge Memorial Library, 144 Lake Street, Rouses Point, NY (12979)
- Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak Street, Plattsburgh, NY (12901).
A virtual public meeting regarding the proposed project will be held at 6:00 p.m. on June 26, 2024. The website to access the meeting is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83275086049?pwd=25mpx_zC4u1jBcLrzANeY1TpUSIC8w.xZ6znNJtSWJRe1Yo or by telephone at 507-473-4847, Passcode: 015227. Interested parties are invited to attend to learn about the project and submit questions and comments.
Interested parties can submit all comments via email or via U.S. Postal Service and must be received or postmarked before midnight on July 8, 2024. Any questions or comments should be sent to Thomas Burke, GSA NEPA Program Manager, One World Trade Center, 55th Floor, Room 55W09, New York, NY, 10007, thomas.w.burke@gsa.gov.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) proposes to design and construct a new Land Port of Entry (LPOE) located north of the town of Rouses Point, New York. This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared as required in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ([NEPA]; 42 United States Code 4321 et seq.), the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations 1500–1508) (CEQ 1978), and GSA Public Building Services NEPA Desk Guide (GSA 1999). This EA is required to determine whether the Proposed Action would have significant environmental impacts.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of the project is to construct a modernized and expanded LPOE at Rouses Point to house additional support staff, provide functional program areas, expand parking, and increase efficiency. The new facility would co-locate program areas (U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP] vehicle processing, Trusted Traveler Programs, and rail inspection program) to allow all program areas to be served by the same CBP personnel in one location, close to the U.S.-Canadian border. The Proposed Action would improve efficiency and security for travelers and for federal agencies and ensure that the CBP has the facilities necessary to carry out its mission successfully. The Proposed Action is needed to bring the LPOE into compliance with federal infrastructure and security requirements and support CBP’s mission. The proposed project would bring the building up to current GSA Facility Standards for the Public Buildings Service (P100). The existing facility does not meet CBP’s needs because of its space constraints, its distance from the U.S.-Canadian border, and limitations associated with its aging infrastructure.
Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives
Under the Proposed Action, GSA would award a contract to construct a new LPOE in immediate proximity to the U.S.-Canadian border. The new facility would house the CBP processing of passenger vehicles, recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, and train passengers, as well as Trusted Traveler Programs. Under the Proposed Action, the newly constructed facility would bring the LPOE into compliance with current federal infrastructure and security requirements and support additional staff offices and space, functional program areas, and adequate parking to meet CBP mission requirements. The EA analyzes two alternatives—the Proposed Action Alternative and the No-Action Alternative. Under the No-Action Alternative, GSA would not construct a new Rouses Point LPOE facility. The existing facility would continue to operate in its current condition.
Environmental Impacts
The affected environment of the Proposed Action Alternative site and its immediate surroundings is discussed in Section 3 of this EA. The potential direct and indirect effects of implementing the Proposed Action and the No-Action Alternative are also identified in Section 3. Resource areas evaluated in this EA are geology and soils; water resources; wildlife and habitat; cultural resources; socioeconomics and environmental justice; land use; and traffic, transportation, and parking. No significant impacts on these resources were identified.
U.S. General Services Administration