Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Expansion of an Existing Sand and Aggregate Mining Operation Proposed by Aggregate Industries in a Backwater Area of the Mississippi River in Cottage Grove, MN, 27804-27805 [E8-10782]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27804-27805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10782]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Expansion of an Existing Sand and Aggregate Mining Operation Proposed 
by Aggregate Industries in a Backwater Area of the Mississippi River in 
Cottage Grove, MN

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Aggregate Industries is proposing a project that will require 
a St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) permit for excavation 
within a navigable water and to discharge dredged material into waters 
and wetlands during an aggregate mining operation.
    Specifically, Aggregate Industries is proposing to dredge and 
excavate sand

[[Page 27805]]

and gravel in approximately 230 acres of backwater area adjacent to the 
main channel of the Mississippi River. A berm would be constructed in 
the river upstream of the mine area to minimize current velocity in the 
mining area and to reduce turbidity. Sand and gravel would be excavated 
using a clamshell-type dredge to a maximum depth of approximately 200 
feet. Dredged material would be transported via a conveyor system from 
the dredge to an existing sand and gravel processing plant located on 
Grey Cloud Island. Excess sand not used for berm construction would be 
returned to the mined area. A specific compensatory mitigation plan has 
not yet been developed for the project. Aggregate Industries intends to 
work with interested federal and state agencies to develop an 
acceptable plan that would meet federal and state compensatory 
mitigation requirements. The project requires Corps of Engineers 
approval under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and 
under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The final environmental 
impact statement will be used as a basis for the permit decision and to 
ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

DATES: A public meeting will be held on May 15, 2008 from 4:30 p.m. to 
6:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Cottage Grove City Hall, 
7516 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, MN.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) can be addressed to Mr. Tom 
Hingsberger, Corps Regulatory Branch, by letter at U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, 190 Fifth Street East, St. Paul, MN 55101-1638, by telephone 
at (651) 290-5367, or by e-mail at thomas.j.hingsberger@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps and the City of Cottage Grove, 
Minnesota will jointly prepare the DEIS. The Corps is the lead federal 
agency and the City of Cottage Grove (City) is the lead state agency 
under the State of Minnesota's Environmental Policy Act. A Scoping 
Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and Draft Scoping Decision 
Document will be available for review on or after April 21, 2008 on the 
Internet at https://www.eqb.state.mn.us. The Corps and the City will 
conduct a public meeting (see DATES and ADDRESSES). Additional meetings 
will be conducted as needed. We anticipate that the DEIS will be 
available to the public in summer 2008.
    The DEIS will assess impacts of the proposed action and reasonable 
alternatives, identify and evaluate mitigation alternatives, and 
discuss potential environmental monitoring. Significant issues and 
resources to be identified in the DEIS will be determined through 
coordination with responsible federal, state, and local agencies; the 
general public; interested private organizations and parties; and 
affected Native American Tribes. Anyone who has an interest in 
participating in the development of the DEIS is invited to contact the 
St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers. Significant issues that will be 
addressed in the DEIS include:
    1. Natural resources, including: Fisheries, mussels, waterfowl, 
riparian areas, and waters of the U.S.
    2. Water quality, groundwater, erosion, and sedimentation.
    3. Navigation, flood impacts, hydrology.
    4. Historic and Cultural Preservation.
    5. Air Quality.
    6. Traffic.
    7. Noise.
    8. Social and economic resources.
    9. Downstream resources.
    Additional issues of interest may be identified through the public 
scoping meeting and agency meetings.
    Issuing a permit for the excavation and dredging of a 230-acre area 
of the Mississippi River, and discharging material into the river and 
adjacent wetlands to construct berms and to dispose of excess dredged 
material, is considered to be a major Federal action with the potential 
to have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. 
The project: (1) Has the potential to significantly affect habitat for 
fish and threatened or endangered species of mussels, (2) has the 
potential to affect navigation and flood impacts, (3) would be 
conducted in an area with potential cultural and historic significance. 
Our environmental review will be conducted to meet the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966, Council of Environmental Quality Regulations, 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and 
other applicable laws and regulations.

    Dated: April 29, 2008.
Jon L. Christensen,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
 [FR Doc. E8-10782 Filed 5-13-08; 8:45 am]
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