Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision for the Construction of a New U.S. Land Port of Entry in Madawaska, Maine, and a New Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge

Glenn Rotondo
General Services Administration
2 March 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 41 (Monday, March 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12302-12303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04252]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2020-02; Docket No. 2020-0002; Sequence No. 7]


Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision for the 
Construction of a New U.S. Land Port of Entry in Madawaska, Maine, and 
a New Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge

AGENCY:  Public Buildings Service (PBS), General Services 
Administration (GSA); Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); Maine 
Department of Transportation (MaineDOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations, GSA Order ADM 1095.1F Environmental Considerations in 
Decision Making, the GSA PBS NEPA Desk Guide, the FHWA Policy Guide, 
and FHWA's Environmental Impact and Related Procedures, the GSA PBS, 
FHWA, and MaineDOT, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and in 
coordination with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 
announce the availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 
proposed new U.S. land port of entry (LPOE) in Madawaska, Maine, and 
new International Bridge between Madawaska, Maine, and Edmundston, New 
Brunswick, Canada.

ADDRESSES: GSA, FHWA, and MaineDOT will have copies of the ROD for 
review at the Town of Madawaska Town Office on 328 St. Thomas Street, 
Suite 101, Madawaska, Maine 04756. Further information, including an 
electronic copy of the ROD, may be found online on the following 
websites:

 gsa.gov/madawaskalpoe
 https://www.maine.gov/mdot/planning/studies/meib/

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexas Kelly, Project Manager, GSA, 
New England Region, 10 Causeway Street, 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02222, 
by phone at 617-549-8190, or by email at alexandria.kelly@gsa.gov; or 
Cheryl Martin, Assistant Division Administrator, FHWA, Edmund S. Muskie 
Federal Building, 40 Western Avenue, Room 614, Augusta, ME 04330, by 
phone at 207-512-4912, or by email at cheryl.martin@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Proposed Action is to 
provide for the long-term safe and efficient flow of current and 
projected traffic volumes, including the movement of goods and people 
between Edmundston, New Brunswick, and Madawaska, Maine. The Proposed 
Action is needed because (1) the existing International Bridge is 
nearing the end of its useful life, and (2) the existing Madawaska LPOE 
is substandard, inhibiting the agencies assigned to the LPOE from 
adequately fulfilling their respective missions.
    The existing Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge opened to 
traffic in 1921 and its design life has been exceeded. Notable bridge 
deficiencies are (1) substandard roadway width and clearance, (2) 
foundation susceptible to undermining, (3) piers cracked and

[[Page 12303]]

deteriorated, (4) significant steel corrosion, (5) bridge capacity is 
insufficient, and (6) deficiencies prompting the bridge posting on 
October 27, 2017, from 50 tons to 5 tons.
    A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and ROD were 
published in January 2007, which addressed the construction of a new 
Madawaska LPOE.
    Built in 1959, the current LPOE suffers from facility, operational, 
and site deficiencies, and does not meet current CBP mission and 
operational requirements for a LPOE. A few noted deficiencies: (1) Lack 
of office and inspection areas, (2) deficient inbound and outbound 
passenger and commercial processing areas, (3) inadequate queuing space 
for vehicles, and (4) inability to meet the Architectural Barriers Act. 
In furtherance of the LPOE Project, GSA previously acquired 
approximately nine acres of land but did not commence construction.
    A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) was needed due 
to a change in circumstance: The decision by MaineDOT and New Brunswick 
Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI) to include 
alternatives for addressing deficiencies to the existing Madawaska--
Edmundston International Bridge. The SEIS addresses changes to the 
Proposed Action, including an updated design in accordance with current 
GSA and CBP requirements, a new International Bridge, and additional 
land acquisition.
    A Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS)/Final 
Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation were issued for public review and 
comment on October 4, 2019. The FSEIS identified the Preferred 
Alternative for the new U.S. LPOE and new International Bridge location 
and design; described the environmental impacts of the proposed project 
and proposed mitigation; and addressed comments received on the Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Programmatic Section 
4(f) Evaluation issued on November 26, 2018. The 30-day comment period 
for the FSEIS/Final Programmatic Section 4(f) ended on November 4, 
2019.
    The ROD states what the decision is; identifies the alternatives 
considered, including the environmentally preferred alternative; and 
discusses mitigation plans, including enforcement and monitoring 
commitments. In the ROD, the agencies discuss all the factors that were 
contemplated when reaching their decision on whether to, and if so how 
to, proceed with the Proposed Action. The ROD discusses all practical 
means to avoid or minimize environmental harm that have been adopted.
    The GSA considered three build alternatives for the LPOE FSEIS/
Final Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation; the FHWA and MaineDOT 
considered three build alternatives for the International Bridge. The 
Selected Alternative is identified as LPOE Alternative C and Bridge 
Alternative 2 from the FSEIS/Final Programmatic Section 4(f) 
Evaluation. LPOE Alternative C and Bridge Alternative 2 are the 
environmentally preferred alternatives for the LPOE and International 
Bridge, respectively.
    LPOE Alternative C was identified as the Preferred LPOE Alternative 
because it furthers the purpose of the project and satisfies the needs 
for the project. The Preferred LPOE Alternative: (1) Provides enough 
space for safe and efficient flow of traffic through the LPOE; (2) 
provides enough space for the operations of the LPOE to function 
efficiently; (3) meets MaineDOT's access management guidelines and the 
entrance and exit to the LPOE would be approved by MaineDOT; (4) 
provides a safer location and distance between the outbound and inbound 
driveways; (5) provides enough open space to accommodate the necessary 
length of road to descend from the bridge landing elevation (538) to 
the elevation of Mill Street (520) without a steep road grade, and 
provides safer maintenance and circulation in winter conditions; (6) 
provides increased line of sight, safety and security for CBP personnel 
to carry out their mission and operations; (7) allows inbound and 
outbound driveways to connect to Mill Street, eliminating the need for 
B-trains to use Main Street; and, (8) provides enough space for 
seasonal snow storage and future expansion.
    Bridge Alternative 2 was identified as the Preferred Bridge 
Alternative because, although it would have one more pier in the Saint 
John River than another alternative considered, the piers to support 
the bridge would be smaller, decreasing the risks for ice jamming in 
the river. While Bridge Alternative 2 would have similar construction 
impacts and comparable costs (both construction and long-term operation 
and maintenance) to other alternatives, Bridge Alternative 2 would take 
approximately six months less time to construct.
    The FSEIS/Final Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation includes a 
comprehensive summary of the mitigation measures and commitments from 
the GSA, FHWA, and MaineDOT in support of the development of the 
Preferred LPOE Alternative and the Preferred Bridge Alternative to 
further avoid and minimize adverse impacts.

    Dated: February 11, 2020.
Glenn Rotondo,
Regional Commissioner, Public Buildings Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-04252 Filed 2-28-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-FP-P