O-2010-3208 agreement with Harris County to utilize the “Bomb Robot”

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Department of Homeland Security Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness WtuhlllglOll. D.C. 205JJ Memorandum To: Official Grant File From: Al Fisher, Environmental Coordinator Subject: Categorical Exclusion for Harris County The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP), Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) must consider the environmental impacts of a grant action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEP A). NEP A requires that any federally funded grant activity be reviewed for potential environmental impact within the place of performance of the project. Recipients of the Fiscal Year 2005 Port Security Grant Program (pSGP) grants are subject to compliance with NEP A. DHS has identified several categories of actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the human environment and Ulerefore do not require an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These categorical exclusions allow grantees to avoid unnecessary analysis, process, and paperwork and concentrate their resources on those proposed actions having real potential for environme~tal concerns. For an action to be categorically excluded, grantees must satisfy three conditions: 1. The entire action must clearly fit within one or more of the categories of excludable actions listed in DHS Management Directive 5100.1, Environmental Planning Program. 2. The scope of the action has not been segmented to be a small piece of a larger action in order to avoid the appearance of significance. 3. No extraordinary circumstances with potentially significant impacts relating to the proposed action exist. Activities that involve greater potential for environmental effect require a Record of Environmental Consideration. Projects in the following categories require grantees to complete a NEP A Compliance Checklist addressing the environmental issues for each project funded by DHS grants: _ Acquisition, installation, maintenance, operation, evaluation, removal, or disposal of security equipment to screen for or detect dangerous individuals or dangerous or illegal materials at existing facilities. _ Acquisition, installation, maintenance, operation, evaluation, removal, or disposal of target hardening security equipment, devices, or controls to enhance the physical security "