CBP prepared the Final Environmental Stewardship Plans (ESP) to analyze the potential impacts of border barrier projects in Starr County and Hidalgo County, Texas funded in Fiscal Year 2019 by CBP appropriations.
CBP proposed to construct border barrier projects within Rio Grande Valley, including: approximately 52 miles of border barrier in Starr County, Texas; approximately 24 miles of levee wall in Hidalgo County, Texas; and approximately 19 miles of levee/border wall in Cameron County, Texas.
The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), pursuant to the authority granted under Section 102(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), issued an environmental waiver on October 10, 2018 covering the Rio Grande Valley levee wall project described in this ESP. Although the Secretary’s waiver means that CBP no longer has legal obligation under the laws included in the waiver, the Secretary committed DHS to responsible environmental stewardship of the nation’s valuable natural and cultural resources.
From June to September 2019, CBP sought public input on potential impacts to the environment, culture, and commerce, including potential socioeconomic impacts and quality of life. The comment period closed September 25, 2019. CBP used the substantive public comments to inform its environmental review of the projects.
CBP made an informative presentation available that provided an overview of the proposed projects. View the webinar here (English) or view the webinar here (español).
Levee Remediation
CBP is currently working to remediate approximately 16 miles of non-contiguous disturbed earthen flood control levees located in Hidalgo County, Texas, within USBP’s RGV Sector, which were modified or removed in preparation for levee barrier construction. The earthen flood control levees need to be remediated with new concrete levees to ensure the safety of nearby communities from catastrophic flooding and to meet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) technical requirements for certification and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) flood-protection criteria. This does not include the construction of new border barrier. Maps of the levee remediation work are available under the Download Files menu.
| Attachment | Ext. | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Year 2019 Rio Grande Valley Barrier Projects Request for Input English | 649.27 KB | 08/26/2019 | |
| Fiscal Year 2019 Rio Grande Valley Barrier Projects Request for Input Spanish | 654.28 KB | 08/26/2019 | |
| ESP for the Rio Grande Valley Border Barrier Projects - Starr County | 49.02 MB | 04/05/2023 | |
| ESP for the Rio Grande Valley Border Barrier Projects - Starr and Hidalgo Counties | 49.14 MB | 04/05/2023 | |
| ESP for the Rio Grande Valley Levee Wall Projects - Hidalgo County, McAllen and Weslaco Stations | 6.66 MB | 07/17/2020 | |
| ESP for the Rio Grande Valley Barrier - Starr County, Rio Grande City Station | 3.62 MB | 08/01/2022 | |
| Map of Areas of RGV Levee Remediation | 1.65 MB | 01/11/2022 |
CBP Publication Number
3161-0423