Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Updated Water Control Manuals for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, 9780-9781 [E8-3315]

Download as PDF 9780 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 36 / Friday, February 22, 2008 / Notices at each of the three alternative locations that would occur as a result of implementing the proposed action and responds to public comments. Impacts at alternative sites would result from construction and training activities. Each of the impacts can be mitigated. The Army invited full public participation to promote open communication and better decision making. All persons and organizations that have an interest in the permanent stationing of the 2/25th SBCT were urged to participate in this NEPA evaluation process. The public has provided input and comments at scoping meetings and public meetings held at all potential alternative stationing locations for the 2/25th. The Army held scoping meetings in January and February 2007 and Draft EIS meetings in September and October 2007. Responses to the public comments are addressed in this FEIS. The FEIS is available for review at https://www.aec.army.mil. Dated: February 15, 1008. Addison D. Davis, IV, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health). [FR Doc. 08–793 Filed 2–21–08: 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3170–08–M DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Updated Water Control Manuals for the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint River Basin Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice of intent. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Mobile District, intends to prepare an update and revision of the water control manuals for the Apalachicola-ChattahoocheeFlint (ACF) River Basin. Concurrent with that revision, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Draft EIS will address updated operating criteria and guidelines for managing the water storage and release actions of agency water managers and associated environmental impacts. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the manual update or NEPA process can be answered by: Mr. Brian Zettle, Inland Environment Team, VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:38 Feb 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 Environment and Resources Branch, Planning and Environmental Division, U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628–0001; Telephone (251) 690–2115; or delivered by electronic facsimile at (251) 694–3815; or E-mail: brian.a.zettle@usace.army.mil. You may also request to be included on the mailing list for public distribution of notices, meeting announcements and documents associated with the preparation and review of the Draft EIS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. Water control manuals are guidance documents that assist Federal water managers in the operation of individual and multiple interdependent Federal reservoirs on the same river system. They provide technical, historical, hydrological, geographic, demographic, policy and other information that guide the proper management of reservoirs during times of high water, low water, and normal conditions. The manuals contain water control plans for each of the reservoirs within the basin system and specify how the various reservoir projects will be operated as a balanced system. The manuals also contain drought plans and zones to assist Federal water managers in knowing when to reduce or increase reservoir releases and conserve storage in the Federal reservoirs, and how to ensure the safety of dams during extreme conditions such as floods. The authority and guidance for the Corps to prepare and update these manuals may be found in Section 7 of the 1944 Flood Control Act, and the following Corps of Engineer Regulations: ER 1110–2–240, ER 1110–2–241, ER 1110–2–1941 and ER 1110–2–8156. The ACF Basin provides water resources for multiple purposes from northwestern GA down, along the Alabama-Georgia border and then into Florida and the Gulf Coast at Apalachicola Bay, extending a distance of approximately 540 miles along the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola Rivers and an additional 350 miles on the Flint River, and encompassing an area of approximately 19,600 square miles. The master operating manual for the ACF River Basin dates to 1958, prior to the completion of most of the reservoir projects in the basin, and the individual reservoir project water control manuals were last updated at various dates as far back as the 1970s and 1980s, with primarily administrative updates approved in the 1990s. There are 16 major dams and reservoirs (five Federal and 11 non-Federal) located in the basin. The Federal projects owned and operated by the Corps include Buford PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dam and Lake Lanier, West Point Dam and Lake, Walter F. George Dam and Lake, George W. Andrews Dam and Lake located on the Chattahoochee River; and Jim Woodruff Dam and Lake Seminole located on the Apalachicola River at the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint River. The authorized project purposes at the Corps lakes include flood control, hydropower, navigation, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation. Other non-Federal reservoirs located on the Chattahoochee River and Flint River include power projects owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company and Crisp County, Georgia. The non-Federal power lakes are primarily run-of-river projects that do not impact Federal project operations significantly, but operations between the Georgia Power projects and the Federal projects are coordinated as necessary to meet downstream water quality and water supply demands. In 1989, a draft master manual for the ACF basin was proposed which described operations current at that time. This draft manual was never finalized due to the initiation of litigation by the State of Alabama, which is still ongoing. However, since that time, Corps operations have continued to conform with the operations described in the 1989 draft manual and other more recently updated water control manuals for the various Federal projects. The new manuals will eventually replace any current ones and will address the basinwide management of those water resources. Public participation throughout the water control manual revision process is essential. The Corps invites full public participation at all stages to promote open communication and better decision making. All persons, stakeholders, and organizations that have an interest in water-related resources in the ACF basin, including minority, low-income, disadvantaged and Native American groups, are urged to participate in this NEPA environmental analysis process. Assistance will be provided upon request to anyone having difficulty understanding how to participate. Dates and locations for public scoping meetings will be announced by future publication in the Federal Register and in the local news media. Tentative dates for publication of the draft water control manuals and EIS and other opportunities for public involvement will also be announced at that time. Public comments are welcomed anytime throughout the NEPA process. E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM 22FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 36 / Friday, February 22, 2008 / Notices Cooperating Agencies. The lead responsibility for this action rests with the Corps. The Corps intends to coordinate and/or consult with an interagency team of Federal and State agencies during scoping and preparation of the draft EIS. A decision will be made during the scoping process whether other agencies will serve in an official role as cooperating agencies. Scoping. The Alabama-CoosaTallapoosa Rivers (ACT)/ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint Rivers (ACF) Comprehensive Study from 1990 to 1997 and ACF Compact negotiations from 1997 to 2004 involved the States (Alabama, Florida and Georgia), stakeholders and the public in identifying areas of concern; collecting and developing water resource, environmental, and socioeconomic data; and developing tools to assist in decisions affecting water resources within the two basins. Development of the updated water control manuals and scoping for this EIS will continue to build upon the knowledge and information developed during the Comprehensive Study and subsequent Compact negotiations. Scoping meetings were also held in the fall of 2006 associated with initiation of a draft EIS for the Lake Lanier Interim Storage Contracts associated with the Southeastern Federal Power Customers, Inc. vs. the Secretary of the Army settlement agreement, and information gathered during this scoping process will also contribute to the information base for the ACF water control manual EIS. Additional scoping meetings or workshops with agencies and stakeholder groups will be scheduled to identify significant issues and data gaps, focus on the alternatives to be evaluated, and to identify appropriate tools to assist in the evaluation of alternatives and analysis of impacts. Dated: February 13, 2008. R. Daren Payne, Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Acting District Commander. [FR Doc. E8–3315 Filed 2–21–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710–CR–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Inland Waterways Users Board Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice of open meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:38 Feb 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 (Pub. L. 92–463), announcement is made of the forthcoming meeting. Name of Committee: Inland Waterways Users Board (Board). Date: March 27, 2008. Location: Baton Rouge Marriott Hotel, 5500 Hilton Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808, (225–924–5000). Time: Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 1 p.m. Agenda: The Board will consider its project investment priorities for the next fiscal year. The Board will also hear briefings on the status of both the funding for inland navigation projects and studies, and the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and be provided updates of various inland waterways projects. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark R. Pointon, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CECW–IP, 441 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20314–1000; Ph: 202–761–4258. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The meeting is open to the public. Any interested person may attend, appear before, or file statements with the committee at the time and in the manner permitted by the committee. Brenda S. Bowen, Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E8–3317 Filed 2–21–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710–92–P 9781 period until March 10, 2008 to give stakeholders more time to comment on the proposed priority. We must receive your comments on or before March 10, 2008. DATES: All comments concerning the proposed priority should be addressed to: Teresa Cahalan, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5W218, Washington, DC 20202–8245. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the following address: jacobk.javits@ed.gov. You must include the term ‘‘Comments on FY 2008 Javits Priority’’ in the subject line of your electronic message. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Cahalan. Telephone: (202) 401– 3947. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1– 800–877–8339. Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access to This Document DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of proposed priority: reopening of comment period. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This document reopens the comment period for the proposed priority under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program that was published in the Federal Register (73 FR 2228) on January 14, 2008. The proposed priority would support the implementation of models with demonstrated effectiveness in identifying and serving gifted and talented students who are economically disadvantaged or limited English proficient, or who have disabilities, and who may not be identified and served through typical strategies for identifying gifted children. The original deadline for comments on the proposed priority was February 13, 2008. Due to administrative problems with the e-mail address listed in the notice of proposed priority, we are reopening the comment PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 You may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/ news/fedregister. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–888–293–6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512–1530. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ index.html. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.206A Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program). Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7253. Dated: February 19, 2008. Kerri L. Briggs, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. E8–3383 Filed 2–21–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM 22FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9780-9781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3315]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Updated Water Control Manuals for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint 
River Basin

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Mobile District, 
intends to prepare an update and revision of the water control manuals 
for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin. Concurrent 
with that revision, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will 
be prepared, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). The Draft EIS will address updated operating criteria and 
guidelines for managing the water storage and release actions of agency 
water managers and associated environmental impacts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the manual update or 
NEPA process can be answered by: Mr. Brian Zettle, Inland Environment 
Team, Environment and Resources Branch, Planning and Environmental 
Division, U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288, 
Mobile, AL 36628-0001; Telephone (251) 690-2115; or delivered by 
electronic facsimile at (251) 694-3815; or E-mail: 
brian.a.zettle@usace.army.mil. You may also request to be included on 
the mailing list for public distribution of notices, meeting 
announcements and documents associated with the preparation and review 
of the Draft EIS.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background. Water control manuals are guidance documents that 
assist Federal water managers in the operation of individual and 
multiple interdependent Federal reservoirs on the same river system. 
They provide technical, historical, hydrological, geographic, 
demographic, policy and other information that guide the proper 
management of reservoirs during times of high water, low water, and 
normal conditions. The manuals contain water control plans for each of 
the reservoirs within the basin system and specify how the various 
reservoir projects will be operated as a balanced system. The manuals 
also contain drought plans and zones to assist Federal water managers 
in knowing when to reduce or increase reservoir releases and conserve 
storage in the Federal reservoirs, and how to ensure the safety of dams 
during extreme conditions such as floods. The authority and guidance 
for the Corps to prepare and update these manuals may be found in 
Section 7 of the 1944 Flood Control Act, and the following Corps of 
Engineer Regulations: ER 1110-2-240, ER 1110-2-241, ER 1110-2-1941 and 
ER 1110-2-8156.
    The ACF Basin provides water resources for multiple purposes from 
northwestern GA down, along the Alabama-Georgia border and then into 
Florida and the Gulf Coast at Apalachicola Bay, extending a distance of 
approximately 540 miles along the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola Rivers 
and an additional 350 miles on the Flint River, and encompassing an 
area of approximately 19,600 square miles. The master operating manual 
for the ACF River Basin dates to 1958, prior to the completion of most 
of the reservoir projects in the basin, and the individual reservoir 
project water control manuals were last updated at various dates as far 
back as the 1970s and 1980s, with primarily administrative updates 
approved in the 1990s. There are 16 major dams and reservoirs (five 
Federal and 11 non-Federal) located in the basin. The Federal projects 
owned and operated by the Corps include Buford Dam and Lake Lanier, 
West Point Dam and Lake, Walter F. George Dam and Lake, George W. 
Andrews Dam and Lake located on the Chattahoochee River; and Jim 
Woodruff Dam and Lake Seminole located on the Apalachicola River at the 
confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint River. The authorized project 
purposes at the Corps lakes include flood control, hydropower, 
navigation, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife 
conservation, and recreation.
    Other non-Federal reservoirs located on the Chattahoochee River and 
Flint River include power projects owned and operated by the Georgia 
Power Company and Crisp County, Georgia. The non-Federal power lakes 
are primarily run-of-river projects that do not impact Federal project 
operations significantly, but operations between the Georgia Power 
projects and the Federal projects are coordinated as necessary to meet 
downstream water quality and water supply demands.
    In 1989, a draft master manual for the ACF basin was proposed which 
described operations current at that time. This draft manual was never 
finalized due to the initiation of litigation by the State of Alabama, 
which is still ongoing. However, since that time, Corps operations have 
continued to conform with the operations described in the 1989 draft 
manual and other more recently updated water control manuals for the 
various Federal projects. The new manuals will eventually replace any 
current ones and will address the basin-wide management of those water 
resources.
    Public participation throughout the water control manual revision 
process is essential. The Corps invites full public participation at 
all stages to promote open communication and better decision making. 
All persons, stakeholders, and organizations that have an interest in 
water-related resources in the ACF basin, including minority, low-
income, disadvantaged and Native American groups, are urged to 
participate in this NEPA environmental analysis process. Assistance 
will be provided upon request to anyone having difficulty understanding 
how to participate. Dates and locations for public scoping meetings 
will be announced by future publication in the Federal Register and in 
the local news media. Tentative dates for publication of the draft 
water control manuals and EIS and other opportunities for public 
involvement will also be announced at that time. Public comments are 
welcomed anytime throughout the NEPA process.

[[Page 9781]]

    Cooperating Agencies. The lead responsibility for this action rests 
with the Corps. The Corps intends to coordinate and/or consult with an 
interagency team of Federal and State agencies during scoping and 
preparation of the draft EIS. A decision will be made during the 
scoping process whether other agencies will serve in an official role 
as cooperating agencies.
    Scoping. The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Rivers (ACT)/Apalachicola-
Chattahoochee-Flint Rivers (ACF) Comprehensive Study from 1990 to 1997 
and ACF Compact negotiations from 1997 to 2004 involved the States 
(Alabama, Florida and Georgia), stakeholders and the public in 
identifying areas of concern; collecting and developing water resource, 
environmental, and socioeconomic data; and developing tools to assist 
in decisions affecting water resources within the two basins. 
Development of the updated water control manuals and scoping for this 
EIS will continue to build upon the knowledge and information developed 
during the Comprehensive Study and subsequent Compact negotiations. 
Scoping meetings were also held in the fall of 2006 associated with 
initiation of a draft EIS for the Lake Lanier Interim Storage Contracts 
associated with the Southeastern Federal Power Customers, Inc. vs. the 
Secretary of the Army settlement agreement, and information gathered 
during this scoping process will also contribute to the information 
base for the ACF water control manual EIS. Additional scoping meetings 
or workshops with agencies and stakeholder groups will be scheduled to 
identify significant issues and data gaps, focus on the alternatives to 
be evaluated, and to identify appropriate tools to assist in the 
evaluation of alternatives and analysis of impacts.

    Dated: February 13, 2008.
R. Daren Payne,
Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Acting District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-3315 Filed 2-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.