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Canada-United
States Accord on Our Shared Border
Under the
Canada-United States Accord on Our Shared Border,
Canada and the United States are cooperating to
develop a vision for the border that develops and
preserves its open character while protecting the
communities.
The Accord,
announced on February 25, 1995, recognizes that
improving the efficiency of the shared border
requires cooperation and coordination. As partners,
the responsibility is shared to create a border
that is flexible enough to accommodate the economic
interests and permit the protection of the health
and safety of the citizens of both countries.
The Accord is a
blueprint that has allowed both governments to
strengthen their partnership by offering their
citizens new and innovative programs and services.
The Accord
commits both governments to:
• Promoting
international trade;
• Providing
enhanced protection against drugs, smuggling, and
the illegal and irregular movement of people;
and
• Reducing
costs to both governments and the
public.
Since 1995, the
two countries have worked as partners to implement
a number of Accord initiatives. Both countries are
committed to the modernization of the shared border
in order to facilitate legitimate travel, ensure
security, improve compliance with the laws of both
countries, and efficiently manage increasing
volumes of trade and travel to reduce pressures on
border resources and infrastructure.
Under the
umbrella of the Accord, the new joint facility at
Oroville, Washington/Osoyoos, British Columbia is
the third joint construction project under the
auspices of the Canada-United States Joint
Facilities Initiative.
The key
objectives in the Joint Facilities Initiative are
to:
· Create
facilities that will improve both border protection
and services;
· Plan and
construct facilities with the flexibility to
respond to the continually and rapidly changing
operating environment; and
· Achieve
economies from the joint sharing of facilities, by
reducing both initial and ongoing costs for the
taxpayers of both governments.
The
Oroville/Osoyoos location services the interior of
British Columbia into the Okanagan Valley, and the
central region of Washington State.
Oroville,
Washington/Osoyoos, British Columbia joint border
crossing facility environmentally
friendly
Under the
umbrella of the Canada-United States Accord on Our
Shared Border, the new-shared facility at Oroville,
Washington/Osoyoos, British Columbia is the third
joint construction project under the auspices of
the Canada-United States Joint Facilities
Initiative.
The key
objectives in the Joint Facilities Initiative are
to:
· Create
facilities that will improve both border protection
and services;
· Plan and
construct facilities with the flexibility to
respond to the continually and rapidly changing
operating environment; and
· Achieve
economies from the joint sharing of facilities, by
reducing both initial and ongoing costs for the
taxpayers of both governments.
In keeping with
these objectives, the facility incorporates a
number of sustainable development initiatives, the
most notable of which is the Ground Source Heat
Pump (GSHP). Through a partnership with Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan), the GSHP technology was
incorporated for both heating and cooling at the
new shared Oroville/Osoyoos border crossing that
will serve as a template for replication at other
border crossing facilities, where feasible.
How the GSHP System
Works
The system
consists of heat pump units in the buildings
connected to a series of pipes buried underground.
A water/food grade glycol solution circulating
through the pipes carries energy between the ground
and the heat pump. The system uses the earth's
renewable energy to provide high efficiency heating
and cooling. In winter, it draws heat from the
ground and transfers the heat into the building
space. In summer, it extracts heat from the
building's interior and transfers it to the
ground.
The unique
aspect of the GSHP system is the ground loop.
Physically, the "ground loop" consists of several
lengths of tough, resilient, and flexible plastic
pipe typically installed in vertical, fully cased
wells that are subsequently covered with
landscaping, grass or even parking lots.
Since GSHP
systems transfer heat to and from the ground that
remains at a nearly constant temperature
year-round, they operate at higher efficiencies
than conventional heating and cooling technologies.
In fact, they supply nearly four times the energy
they consume.
The facility
also includes some auxiliary heating and cooling
units in locations where it would be impractical to
install the GSHP loop. These are electric or gas
fired units.
System
Benefits
One of the
primary benefits of GSHP is the increase in
operating efficiency that translates to reduce
energy costs. In addition to this, the transfer of
natural energy from the ground involves no
combustion process, which contributes significantly
to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and
the government's commitment to climate change and
sustainable development. For example, approximately
330 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are kept out
of the atmosphere every year as a result of the
choice of a GSHP system in place of the
conventional centralized boiler/chiller system.
In the
Oroville/Osoyoos system, a number of heat pumps are
connected to the common ground-coupled loop. The
arrangement provides superior comfort conditions
compared to what would be available under a more
conventional system through effective zoning,
individual room thermostat control, and the ability
of the system to be in heating mode in one part of
the building, and cooling mode in another, at the
same time.
Finally, the
system requires less mechanical room space than a
conventional central heating and cooling system
since there are no boilers, chillers, or cooling
towers, and the heat pump units are relatively
small. This results in a smaller, less expensive
building to construct, and in more space being
available for occupancy. In addition, the
ground-coupling system does not limit the future
use of land area over the ground loop, however it
is not recommended to construct facilities over the
wells.
Oroville/Osoyoos
shared border station project
history
The Port of
Osoyoos is the largest port in the Okanagan and
Kootenay District, processing 553,000 travelers and
13,000 commercial shipments annually. It is staffed
by 28 customs inspectors, clerks and
managers.
The Port of
Osoyoos was first established, ten years before
Canadian Confederation, in the fall of 1861. The
Office was established as an outport of New
Westminster and at that time was the only Customs
House east of New Westminster and the only one west
of Winnipeg (Fort Garry). During the next 69 years
the Office was relocated six times within the
Osoyoos area, approximately three miles from the
border. In 1930, a new Office was constructed on
the border and remained in service until 1952 when
the immediate-past building was opened (that
building was moved just north of the present
entrance and is currently used as a Gift Shop).
That building consisted of two brick buildings
having a total floor space of 12,032 sq. ft.
In January 2001,
the Canadian and U.S. Governments announced that
construction was to begin on a new Shared Border
Station, which would be located at the Oroville,
Washington/Osoyoos, British Columbia Port of Entry.
This project will provide an expanded joint
facility for the Canada Customs & Revenue
Agency ("CCRA"), Canada Immigration &
Citizenship ("CIC"), the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency ("CFIA"), U.S. Department of Homeland
Security &endash; Customs and Border Protection
("USCBP"), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
("USDA"). The U.S. General Services Administration
("GSA") is the design and construction leader for
this new facility, working in cooperation with the
CCRA. The Oroville/Osoyoos joint facility is the
third such operation under the Canada-United States
Joint Facilities Initiative, which was a product of
the "Canada-United States Accord on Our Shared
Border". The other two operations are located at
Little Gold, Yukon/Poker Creek, Alaska and Coutts,
Alberta/Sweetgrass, Montana. There is also another
existing joint facility, that was constructed in
the 1980's, in the district located at Danville,
Washington/Carson, British Columbia, immediately
south of Grand Forks, B.C.
The new
Oroville/Osoyoos joint facility is being built on
23 acres and will be approximately 100,000 sq. ft.
in size. The main portion of the facility will be a
four-building complex, two of which will be located
on the Canadian side of the border. One of these,
the Administration Building, will be utilized as
the CCRA Traffic and Commercial Offices and the CIC
Offices. The other, the Devanning Building, will be
utilized as the Commercial Examination Warehouse
and Bus Clearance Office. The Area Administration
Office and the CFIA Office will be located on the
second floor of the Administration Building. In
addition, there will be training rooms, washrooms,
locker rooms, a gym and a lunchroom that will be
shared by both the Canadian and U.S. staff members.
Additional buildings in the U.S. will house
devanning, secondary inspection and animal
inspection facilities.
…/2
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These
"buildings" are linked together by both a sloping
steel roof structure and a second-floor open
walkway, which run perpendicular to the border. The
highest point of the roof is approximately 12
meters (40 ft.) high and the walkway will be
approximately 500 yards long. The majority of the
exterior wall surface is constructed with
integrally colored tilt up concrete panels. The
architect, Jim Cutler of Bainbridge Island,
Washington, has designed the traffic pattern
through the facility, in an east/west direction
(instead of the conventional north/south direction)
so that the best use is made of the available land
and so the public will be able to see the beautiful
surrounding landscape (including agricultural
lands, the lake and mountains) as they drive
through the border crossing. Mr. Cutler's design
concept, in using concrete walls, was to represent
the cold storage units at the local packing houses
and his design of the sloping steel roof is to
represent the local hay sheds.
The heating and
cooling systems for the new facility are a Ground
Source Heat Pump Energy System and will be the
first of its kind to be used at any CCRA facility.
Due to CCRA's commitment to Sustainable
Development, it is partnering with Natural
Resources Canada to evaluate and measure the many
expected benefits of this system (energy savings,
reduction in emission, use of a renewable energy
resource, etc.).
The construction
of the new join facility is proceeding in three
phases to allow for full border operations during
construction. Phase 1 included the relocation of
the Canada Customs Brokers, the Canada Duty Free
Store, demolition of selected U.S. facilities and
site work, including the installation of a sewer
line to the new facility. Phase 2 involved the
construction of the Administration Buildings. The
contract for that phase was awarded to
Intermountain Construction, Inc. ("ICI"), based in
Idaho Falls, Idaho. ICI subsequently subcontracted
the construction on the Canadian side to Greyback
Construction ("Greyback"), based in Penticton, B.C.
Completion of that phase was in March, 2003. The
third and final phase encompasses the demolition of
the current buildings and the construction of the
Canadian Devanning Building, Impound Area, Staff
Parking, as well as the U.S. Noncommercial
Secondary Inspection facility, Multipurpose
(devanning) Building and the animal inspection
facility. Work on the Canadian facility was
completed in September 2003, with the U.S. facility
work to be completed in 2004. The estimated total
cost of this new joint facility, is 31 million U.S.
dollars; of which Canada's share is approximately
40 percent, based on facility size
requirements.
This new Shared
Border Station at the Oroville/Osoyoos Port of
Entry is being officially dedicated, in a joint
ceremony conducted by both governments, on October
9, 2003.
Oroville/Osoyoos shared
border station project history
The Port of
Osoyoos is the largest port in the Okanagan and
Kootenay District, processing 553,000 travelers and
13,000 commercial shipments annually. It is staffed
by 28 customs inspectors, clerks and
managers.
The Port of
Osoyoos was first established, ten years before
Canadian Confederation, in the fall of 1861. The
Office was established as an outport of New
Westminster and at that time was the only Customs
House east of New Westminster and the only one west
of Winnipeg (Fort Garry). During the next 69 years
the Office was relocated six times within the
Osoyoos area, approximately three miles from the
border. In 1930, a new Office was constructed on
the border and remained in service until 1952 when
the immediate-past building was opened (that
building was moved just north of the present
entrance and is currently used as a Gift Shop).
That building consisted of two brick buildings
having a total floor space of 12,032 sq. ft.
In January 2001,
the Canadian and U.S. Governments announced that
construction was to begin on a new Shared Border
Station, which would be located at the Oroville,
Washington/Osoyoos, British Columbia Port of Entry.
This project will provide an expanded joint
facility for the Canada Customs & Revenue
Agency ("CCRA"), Canada Immigration &
Citizenship ("CIC"), the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency ("CFIA"), U.S. Department of Homeland
Security &endash; Customs and Border Protection
("USCBP"), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
("USDA"). The U.S. General Services Administration
("GSA") is the design and construction leader for
this new facility, working in cooperation with the
CCRA. The Oroville/Osoyoos joint facility is the
third such operation under the Canada-United States
Joint Facilities Initiative, which was a product of
the "Canada-United States Accord on Our Shared
Border". The other two operations are located at
Little Gold, Yukon/Poker Creek, Alaska and Coutts,
Alberta/Sweetgrass, Montana. There is also another
existing joint facility, that was constructed in
the 1980's, in the district located at Danville,
Washington/Carson, British Columbia, immediately
south of Grand Forks, B.C.
The new
Oroville/Osoyoos joint facility is being built on
23 acres and will be approximately 100,000 sq. ft.
in size. The main portion of the facility will be a
four-building complex, two of which will be located
on the Canadian side of the border. One of these,
the Administration Building, will be utilized as
the CCRA Traffic and Commercial Offices and the CIC
Offices. The other, the Devanning Building, will be
utilized as the Commercial Examination Warehouse
and Bus Clearance Office. The Area Administration
Office and the CFIA Office will be located on the
second floor of the Administration Building. In
addition, there will be training rooms, washrooms,
locker rooms, a gym and a lunchroom that will be
shared by both the Canadian and U.S. staff members.
Additional buildings in the U.S. will house
devanning, secondary inspection and animal
inspection facilities.
These
"buildings" are linked together by both a sloping
steel roof structure and a second-floor open
walkway, which run perpendicular to the border. The
highest point of the roof is approximately 12
meters (40 ft.) high and the walkway will be
approximately 500 yards long. The majority of the
exterior wall surface is constructed with
integrally colored tilt up concrete panels. The
architect, Jim Cutler of Bainbridge Island,
Washington, has designed the traffic pattern
through the facility, in an east/west direction
(instead of the conventional north/south direction)
so that the best use is made of the available land
and so the public will be able to see the beautiful
surrounding landscape (including agricultural
lands, the lake and mountains) as they drive
through the border crossing. Mr. Cutler's design
concept, in using concrete walls, was to represent
the cold storage units at the local packing houses
and his design of the sloping steel roof is to
represent the local hay sheds.
The heating and
cooling systems for the new facility are a Ground
Source Heat Pump Energy System and will be the
first of its kind to be used at any CCRA facility.
Due to CCRA's commitment to Sustainable
Development, it is partnering with Natural
Resources Canada to evaluate and measure the many
expected benefits of this system (energy savings,
reduction in emission, use of a renewable energy
resource, etc.).
The construction
of the new join facility is proceeding in three
phases to allow for full border operations during
construction. Phase 1 included the relocation of
the Canada Customs Brokers, the Canada Duty Free
Store, demolition of selected U.S. facilities and
site work, including the installation of a sewer
line to the new facility. Phase 2 involved the
construction of the Administration Buildings. The
contract for that phase was awarded to
Intermountain Construction, Inc. ("ICI"), based in
Idaho Falls, Idaho. ICI subsequently subcontracted
the construction on the Canadian side to Greyback
Construction ("Greyback"), based in Penticton, B.C.
Completion of that phase was in March, 2003. The
third and final phase encompasses the demolition of
the current buildings and the construction of the
Canadian Devanning Building, Impound Area, Staff
Parking, as well as the U.S. Noncommercial
Secondary Inspection facility, Multipurpose
(devanning) Building and the animal inspection
facility. Work on the Canadian facility was
completed in September 2003, with the U.S. facility
work to be completed in 2004. The estimated total
cost of this new joint facility, is 31 million U.S.
dollars; of which Canada's share is approximately
40 percent, based on facility size
requirements.
This new Shared
Border Station at the Oroville/Osoyoos Port of
Entry is being officially dedicated, in a joint
ceremony conducted by both governments, on October
9, 2003.
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