Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Homer Harbor Navigation Improvements Feasibility Study, 48623-48625 [E7-16796]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
• Engineers Corps
• Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 164 (Friday, August 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48623-48625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16796]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Homer 
Harbor Navigation Improvements Feasibility Study

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announces its 
intention to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study 
the feasibility of expanding the existing moorage capacity for vessels 
at Homer, AK. This study will be performed through partnership of 
USACE, the City of Homer, and the Alaska Department of Transportation 
and Public Facilities. The existing moorage condition at Homer is at 
maximum capacity, resulting in overcrowded and unsafe conditions for 
harbor users. Additionally, the City will be unable to meet the growing 
moorage demands of commercial, Government, recreation, and subsistence 
vessels in the near future. The EIS will address potential 
environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and maintenance 
of the new and existing harbor. USACE will hold public scoping meetings 
in Homer, AK.

DATES: The location, date, and time for the first scoping meeting will 
be as follows: Homer, AK: Thursday, September 6, 2007, from 1-6 p.m. at 
the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Subsequent meetings will 
be advertised in the Homer News and Homer Tribune.

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments or suggestions on the scope of the 
EIS to: Ms. Lisa Rabbe, NEPA Coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Alaska District, EN-CW-ER, P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898; 
Phone: 907-753-2634; Fax: (907) 753-2625, e-mail 
Lisa.a.rabbe@poa02.usace.army.mil (please use ``NOI Comments on Homer 
Harbor'' for the subject).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information or questions 
concerning the proposed project, contact: Mr. Pat Fitzgerald, Study 
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, EN-CW-PF, P.O. 
Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898; Phone: 907-753-5638; Fax: (907) 
753-2625; e-mail: patrick.s.fitzgerald@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The City of Homer was established in 1964. The Homer Harbor was 
initially constructed in 1961 and was expanded to its existing 
configuration in 1984. The harbor accommodates a large array of 
commercial, Government, recreation, and subsistence vessels.

Purpose and Need for Agency Action

    The City of Homer needs to expand the existing harbor to a more 
efficient and safe harbor for navigation and mooring for its users. The 
existing Homer Harbor is utilized beyond its capacity. The harbor is 
not able to appropriately accommodate the needs of some of the larger 
commercial fishing vessels. Overcrowding of large vessels often results 
in increased damages to the vessels and docks. Overcrowding is also a 
problem for smaller commercial fishing, charter, and recreational 
vessels that use Homer Harbor. Additionally, the depths within the 
harbor are inadequate for these larger vessels on lower tides, which 
can result in vessel delays.
    In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal and state 
vessels do not have adequate security for their vessels at their 
individual piers. A common area for state and federal vessels will 
decrease the administrative and personnel burdens for security measures 
needed to protect the vessels.

[[Page 48624]]

    Operators of larger vessels have expressed that they would be 
interested in using Homer Harbor on a longer term basis if it were not 
as crowded and suitable moorage were available. Many of these operators 
are known to travel back to the Pacific Northwest for moorage. If 
suitable moorage were available in Homer, they could save the costs of 
the trip back to the Pacific Northwest. There is an opportunity to save 
operating costs, damages, and opportunity costs of time for crews of 
these vessels by providing additional protected moorage at Homer.
    The USACE authority to conduct this study is provided by the 
``Rivers and Harbors in Alaska'' study resolution adopted by the U.S. 
House of Representatives Committee on Public Works on December 2, 1970.
    This EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts of 
constructing, operating, maintaining an expanded and/or new harbor as 
well as other reasonable alternatives. The EIS will aid decision making 
on the Homer Harbor study by evaluating the environmental impacts of 
the range of reasonable alternatives, as well as providing a means for 
public input into the decision making process. USACE is committed to 
ensuring that the public has ample opportunity to participate in this 
review.

Preliminary Alternatives

    Consistent with NEPA implementation requirements, this EIS will 
assess the range of reasonable alternatives regarding constructing, 
operating, and maintaining the proposed Homer Harbor project. The 
following preliminary list of alternatives is subject to modification 
in response to comments received during the public scoping process.
    Alternative 1: North Harbor Site. This harbor would be constructed 
on the east side of the spit between the existing Homer Harbor and the 
ADF&G fishing hole. Rubble mound breakwaters would be necessary for 
wave protection. Significant dredging would be required for the mooring 
basin and entrance channel and the project would likely require 
extensive annual dredging.
    Alternative 2: East Harbor Site (Preferred Alternative). This site 
is on the Kachemak Bay side of the upland staging area created when the 
harbor was expanded in 1984. This site avoids the need for a long 
entrance channel by placing the new basin in naturally deep waters. 
Dredging of the mooring basin and entrance channel would be required.
    Alternative 3: Harbor Expansion. This alternative includes 
expansion of the existing harbor by dredging and excavating a portion 
of the existing 30-acre staging area adjacent to the harbor. No new 
breakwaters would be required. This excavation would eliminate vital 
uplands on the Homer Spit. These areas of uplands are currently used as 
a parking and staging area, location of the U.S. Coast Guard buildings, 
and are integral to the movement of goods delivered from vessels at the 
City's deep water dock.
    No Action Alternative: Under the ``no action'' alternative, the 
Homer Harbor would continue the ``status quo'' and over time become 
more crowded and safety issues would elevate. Where applicable under 
the alternatives listed above, disposal options, such as deep sea 
dumping, shoreline dumping, offsite dumping, will be considered for 
each alternative. Further, USACE would appreciate comments regarding 
whether there are additional siting alternatives for the Homer Harbor 
that should be considered.

Identification of Environmental and Other Issues

    USACE intends to address the following environmental issues when 
assessing the potential environmental impacts of the alternatives in 
this EIS. Additional issues may be identified as a result of the 
scoping process. USACE invites comment from the Federal agencies, 
Native American tribes, State and local governments, and the general 
public on these and any other issues that should be considered in the 
EIS:
     Potential impacts on health from the Homer Harbor project 
include: Potential impacts to workers during the construction of the 
facilities.
     Potential impacts to surface water, tidelands and fauna 
include turbidity from construction activities.
     Potential impacts on air quality from emissions and from 
noise during harbor construction and operations.
     Potential cumulative impacts of the past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable future actions include impacts resulting from 
activities of the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial operations.
     Potential impacts to historically significant properties, 
if present, and on access to traditional use areas.
     Potential impacts on local, regional, or national 
resources from materials and utilities required for construction and 
operation.
     Potential impacts on ecological resources, including 
threatened and endangered species and water quality.
     Potential impacts on local employment, income, population, 
housing, and public services from harbor construction and operations.

NEPA Process

    The EIS for the proposed project will be prepared pursuant to the 
NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality 
NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and USACE's NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (33 CFR parts 230 and 325). Following the 
publication of this Notice of Intent, USACE will hold scoping meetings, 
prepare and distribute the draft EIS for public review, hold public 
hearings to solicit public comment on the draft EIS, and publish a 
final EIS. Not less than 30 days after the publication of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of the final 
EIS, USACE may issue a Record of Decision (ROD) documenting its 
decision concerning the proposed action.

Scoping Meetings

    The purpose of this Notice is to encourage early public involvement 
in the EIS process and to solicit public comments on the proposed scope 
of the EIS, including the issues and alternatives it would analyze. 
USACE invites public comments on the proposed scope of the Homer Harbor 
Project EIS. To ensure consideration, comments must be postmarked by 
October 30, 2007. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Public meetings will be held in Homer, AK and will provide 
the public with an opportunity to present comments on the scope of the 
EIS and to ask questions and discuss concerns with USACE officials 
regarding the EIS. USACE will hold public scoping meetings in Homer, AK 
(see DATES) to solicit both oral and written comments from interested 
parties. Oral and written comments will be considered equally in the 
preparation of the EIS. The scoping meetings will not be conducted as 
evidentiary hearings. During at least the first hour of each scoping 
meeting, USACE officials will be available for informal discussions 
with attendees. During the formal part of the meeting, the public will 
have the opportunity to provide comments orally or in writing. The 
presiding officer will establish procedures to ensure that everyone who 
wishes to speak has a chance to do so. In addition, the presiding 
officer may set a time limit for each speaker. Comment cards will also 
be available for those who would prefer to submit written comments. The 
EIS will also contain a section summarizing the nature of the comments 
received during the scoping process and describing any

[[Page 48625]]

modification to the scope of the EIS in response to the scoping process 
comments.

EIS Schedule

    The draft EIS is scheduled to be published by June 2009. A 45-day 
comment period on the draft EIS is planned, which will include public 
meetings to receive oral comments. Availability of the draft EIS, the 
dates of the public comment period, and information about the public 
hearings will be announced in the Federal Register and in the local 
news media.
    The final EIS for the Homer Harbor project is scheduled for January 
2010. A ROD would be issued no sooner than 30 days after the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency notice of availability of the final EIS 
is published in the Federal Register.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-16796 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-NL-P