WELLESLEY ISLAND, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in February 2022 that analyzed potential effects resulting from proposed construction and operation of a new Border Patrol station in the U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Sector, Wellesley Island Station area of responsibility. The proposed project includes the construction of a new 49,000-square-foot facility to accommodate current and near-future staff and the associated relocation of current operations on Wellesley Island.
The proposed location for the new Border Patrol station that’s evaluated in the draft EA is approximately 20 acres and is in Orleans, New York. This location is next to Blind Bay, with frontage along New York State Route 12 and the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, the site proposed and evaluated in the EA remains a potential location for a new Border Patrol station and CBP remains committed to the project.
CBP will also conduct additional environmental surveys at the site and develop a draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment to address questions and concerns raised in public comments to the draft EA. However, real estate access restrictions at the proposed location have delayed completion of the necessary species-specific surveys until Spring 2024. Data from the additional surveys are necessary to complete a thorough and accurate analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed project.
In addition to follow-up surveys at the location, CBP is considering alternative locations for the proposed project. However, CBP requires the property abuts to the St. Lawrence River for mission readiness and adequate response times. CBP has also identified an alternative site that met these requirements and completed environmental resource and due-diligence surveys at that location. The alternative site is an approximately 19-acre parcel located in Clayton, New York with frontage along New York State Route 12 and the St. Lawrence River. CBP will include the results of the surveys and an evaluation of the alternative in the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment.
Public scoping for the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment will be conducted by CBP in early 2024. At that time, interested or affected parties will have the opportunity to provide information to CBP pertaining to proposed and/or alternative locations as well as suggest other locations that CBP has not yet considered. Alternative locations meeting CBP requirements for the proposed project may be identified by CBP or interested parties during the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment scoping process. These locations may be surveyed and evaluated in the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment. Lastly, CBP will notify the public of the availability of the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment and provide an opportunity for review and comment.
It is anticipated that CBP will release the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment in 2024. Additional information regarding the project and a copy of the draft EA are available on the CBP website at https://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-management.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo @USBPChiefBUN