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DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ADDRESSING PROPOSED TACTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ALONG THE U.S./MEXICO INTERNATIONAL BORDER IN TEXAS Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol MARCH 2014 BW11 FOIA CBP 007347 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS μg/m3 microgram per cubic meter ESCP Erosion-and-sediment-control ACHP Advisory Council on Historic plans Preservation ESP Environmental Stewardship ACM asbestos-containing materials Plan AIRFA American Indian Religious ESSR Environmental Stewardship Freedom Act Summary Report ARHA Archeological and Historic FEMA Federal Emergency Preservation Act Management Agency AST aboveground storage tank FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act AQCR air quality control region FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map BMP best management practice FM&E Facilities Management and CAA Clean Air Act Engineering CBP U.S. Customs and Border FONSI Finding of No Significant Protection Impact CEQ Council on Environmental FPPA Farmland Protection Policy Act Quality FR Federal Register CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and FY Fiscal Year Liability Act GHG greenhouse gas CFR Code of Federal Regulations HAP hazardous air pollutant CO carbon monoxide HUC hydrologic unit code CO2 carbon dioxide I Interstate CWA Clean Water Act IIRIRA Illegal Immigration Reform and dBA a-weighted decibel Immigrant Responsibility Act DHS Department of Homeland LBP lead-based paint Security mg/m3 milligrams per cubic meter DOD U.S. Department of Defense mm/year millimeters per year DVD digital video disc mph miles per hour EA Environmental Assessment msl mean sea level EIA Energy Information Agency NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality EIS Environmental Impact Standards Statement NAGPRA Native American Graves EO Executive Order Protection and Repatriation Act ESA Endangered Species Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act continued on inside of back cover BW11 FOIA CBP 007348 continued from inside of front cover RVSS Remote Video Surveillance System NHPA National Historic Preservation Act SBInet Secure Border Initiative NO2 nitrogen dioxide SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer NOA Notice of Availability SIP State Implementation Plan NOx nitrogen oxides SOP standard operating procedures NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System SO2 sulfur dioxide NPS U.S. National Park Service SSPP Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service TCEQ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality NRHP National Register of Historic Places TPWD Texas Parks and Wildlife Department NWR National Wildlife Refuge tpy tons per year O3 Ozone TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration TX Texas Highway PA Programmatic Agreement USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pb lead USBP U.S. Border Patrol PCB polychlorinated biphenyl U.S.C United States Code percent g percent of the force of gravity USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PM10 particulate matter equal to or less than 10 microns in USGS U.S. Geological Survey diameter USFS U.S. Forest Service PM2.5 particulate matter equal to or USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service less than 2.5 microns in diameter USIBWC United States Section, International Boundary and PMO Project Management Office Water Commission POE Port of Entry UST underground storage tank ppm part per million VOC volatile organic compound ppb part per billion WMA Wildlife Management Area PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ROI region of influence ROW right-of-way BW11 FOIA CBP 007349 BW11 FOIA CBP 007350 1 COVER SHEET 2 3 DRAFT 4 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ADDRESSING 5 PROPOSED TACTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR 6 ALONG THE U.S./MEXICO INTERNATIONAL BORDER IN TEXAS 7 8 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, 9 U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, 10 U.S. BORDER PATROL 11 Responsible Agencies: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border 12 Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP). 13 Affected Location: U.S./Mexico international border in Texas. 14 Proposed Action: CBP proposes to maintain and repair existing tactical infrastructure along the 15 U.S./Mexico international border in Texas. The existing tactical infrastructure along the 16 U.S./Mexico international border in Texas is within USBP El Paso, Big Bend, Del Rio, Laredo, 17 and Rio Grande Valley sectors. 18 Report Designation: Draft Environmental Assessment (EA). 19 Abstract: CBP proposes to maintain and repair existing tactical infrastructure along the 20 U.S./Mexico international border in Texas. The existing tactical infrastructure includes fences 21 and gates, roads and bridges/crossovers, drainage structures and grates, boat ramps, lighting and 22 ancillary power systems, and communications and surveillance tower components (including 23 Remote Video Surveillance System [RVSS] or Secure Border Initiative [SBInet] towers [which 24 are henceforth referred to as towers]). The existing tactical infrastructure occurs within the 25 USBP El Paso, Big Bend, Del Rio, Laredo, and Rio Grande Valley sectors in Texas. 26 The EA analyzes and documents potential environmental consequences associated with the 27 Proposed Action. The analyses presented in the EA indicate that implementation of the 28 Proposed Action would not result in significant environmental impacts, and a Finding of 29 No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been prepared. 30 Throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, the public may obtain 31 information concerning the status and progress of the Proposed Action and the EA via the 32 project Web site at http://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-cultural-stewardship/nepa- 33 documents/docs-review; by emailing [email protected]; by written request to Texas 34 TIMR EA, c/o Nicolas Frederick at HDR, 3733 National Drive, Suite 207, Raleigh, NC 27612; 35 or by fax to (919) 785-1178. 36 [[Preparer’s Note: Please confirm above Web site, email address, and contact information are 37 correct for use during the Draft EA comment period.]] BW11 FOIA CBP 007351 BW11 FOIA CBP 007352 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ADDRESSING PROPOSED TACTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ALONG THE U.S./MEXICO INTERNATIONAL BORDER IN TEXAS Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol MARCH 2014 This document printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber. BW11 FOIA CBP 007353 BW11 FOIA CBP 007354 Proposed TIMR Along the U.S./Mexico International Border in Texas 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 3 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 4 propose to maintain and repair certain existing tactical infrastructure along the U.S./Mexico 5 international border in the State of Texas. The tactical infrastructure proposed to be maintained 6 and repaired consists of fences and gates, roads and bridges/crossovers, drainage structures and 7 grates, lighting and ancillary power systems, and communications and surveillance tower 8 components (including Remote Video Surveillance System [RVSS] or Secure Border Initiative 9 [SBInet] towers [henceforth referred to as towers]). The existing tactical infrastructure occurs in 10 the following U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) sectors: El Paso, Big Bend, Del Rio, Laredo, and Rio 11 Grande Valley. 12 The tactical infrastructure analyzed in this Environmental Assessment (EA) crosses multiple 13 privately owned land parcels, tribal lands, and public lands managed by the National Park 14 Service (NPS) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 15 (TPWD), and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The CBP Facilities Management and 16 Engineering (FM&E) Office is responsible for construction and maintenance and repair of 17 tactical infrastructure (e.g., fences, roads, lights, towers, and drainage structures) to support CBP 18 border security requirements. 19 This EA addresses the maintenance and repair of existing tactical infrastructure. Tactical 20 infrastructure included in this EA is found in all five USBP sectors along the U.S./Mexico 21 international border in Texas. This EA also addresses maintenance and repair of any tactical 22 infrastructure on tribal lands in Texas. However, the maintenance and repair of tactical 23 infrastructure assets that are already addressed in previous National Environmental Policy Act 24 (NEPA) documents is not included within the scope of this EA. In addition, tactical 25 infrastructure assets that are covered by a waiver issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security 26 (the Secretary) are also excluded from the scope of this EA. 27 CBP prepared this EA through coordination with Federal and state agencies to identify and 28 assess the potential impacts associated with the proposed maintenance and repair of tactical 29 infrastructure. This EA is being prepared to fulfill the requirements of the NEPA. 30 PURPOSE AND NEED 31 The purpose of the Proposed Action is to ensure that the physical integrity of the existing tactical 32 infrastructure and associated supporting elements continue to perform as intended and assist the 33 USBP in securing the U.S./Mexico international border in Texas. In many areas, tactical 34 infrastructure is a critical element of border security, which contributes as a force multiplier for 35 controlling and preventing illegal border intrusion. To achieve effective control of our nation’s 36 borders, CBP is developing a combination
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