7 August 2009

[Federal Register: August 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 151)]
[Notices]               
[Page 39714-39715]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au09-97]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Bureau of Prisons

 
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for Housing Approximately 1,380 Low-Security, Adult 
Male Inmates, That Are Predominantly District of Columbia Sentenced 
Felons and Criminal Aliens at a Privately Owned Institution in Winton, 
NC or Princess Anne, MD

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
parts 1500-1508), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) intends to 
prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and conduct 
Public Scoping Meetings for the proposed housing of inmates under the 
District of Columbia (DC) III solicitation, at a facility in Winton, 
North Carolina or Princess Anne, Maryland.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the United States Department 
of Justice, BOP, is to protect society by confining offenders in the 
controlled environments of prison and community-based facilities that 
are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that 
provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist 
offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens. The BOP accomplishes its 
mission through the appropriate use of community correction, detention, 
and correctional facilities that are either: federally-owned and 
operated; federally owned and non-federally operated; and non-federally 
owned and operated.

Proposed Action

    The BOP is facing a period of unprecedented growth in its inmate 
population. Projections show the Federal inmate population increasing 
from approximately 201,600 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2008 to 
212,000 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2010. As such, the demand for 
bed space within the Federal prison system continues to grow at a 
significant rate. To accommodate a portion of the growing inmate 
population, the BOP proposes to contract with a contractor owned and 
operated correctional facility that can house approximately 1,380 low-
security, adult male inmates, that are predominantly District of 
Columbia sentenced felons and criminal aliens.
    Proposals received by the BOP from private contractors include an 
existing facility in Winton, Hertford County, North Carolina and new 
construction at a site in Princess Anne, Somerset County, Maryland. The 
BOP has preliminarily evaluated these proposals and determined that the 
prospective facility/sites appear to be of sufficient size to provide 
space for inmate housing, programs, administrative services and other 
support facilities associated with the correctional facility. The DEIS 
to be prepared by the BOP will analyze the potential impacts of 
correctional facility construction and/or operation at these locations.

The Process

    In the process of evaluating the sites, several aspects will 
receive detailed examination including, but not limited to: Topography, 
geology/soils, hydrology, biological resources, utility services, 
transportation services, cultural resources, land uses, socio-
economics, hazardous materials, and air and noise quality, among 
others.

Alternatives

    In developing the DEIS, the options of ``no action'' and 
``alternative sites'' for the proposed facility will be fully and 
thoroughly examined.

[[Page 39715]]

Scoping Process

    During the preparation of the DEIS, there will be opportunities for 
public involvement in order to determine the issues to be examined in 
the DEIS. A Public Scoping Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. August 27, 
2009 at the County Commissioners Meeting Room in the County Office 
Building, located at 704 King Street in Winton, North Carolina.
    In addition, a Public Scoping meeting will be held at 7 p.m., 
September 1, 2009 at the Washington Academy High School, located at 
10902 Old Princess Anne Road in Princess Anne, Maryland. The meeting 
locations, dates, and times will be well publicized and have been 
arranged to allow for public involvement, as well as interested 
agencies and organizations to attend. The meetings are being held to 
allow interested persons to formally express their views on the scope 
and significant issues to be studied as part of the DEIS process. The 
meetings will provide for timely public comments and understanding of 
Federal plans and programs with possible environmental consequences as 
required by the NEPA of 1969, as amended, and the National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

DEIS Preparation

    Public notice will be given concerning the availability of the DEIS 
for public review and comment at a later date.

Address

    All are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action and 
alternatives at either Public Scoping Meetings and anytime during the 
30-day public scoping period, which ends September 15, 2009. There are 
two ways in which comments may be submitted: (1) By attending one of 
the scoping meetings or (2) by mail. All written comments concerning 
the proposed action should be postmarked no later than September 15, 
2009.
    Comments submitted by mail or questions concerning the proposed 
action and the DEIS may be directed to: Richard A. Cohn, Chief or Issac 
J. Gaston, Site Selection Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site 
Selection Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20534. Tel: 202-514-6470/Fax: 202-616-6024/E-mail: 
racohn@bop.gov.

    Dated: August 4, 2009.
Richard A. Cohn,
Chief, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. E9-19023 Filed 8-6-09; 8:45 am]