Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the City of Raleigh, Little River Reservoir Project in Wake County, NC, 53211-53213 [E8-21426]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 179 / Monday, September 15, 2008 / Notices
Dated: September 5, 2008.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer,
Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E8–21422 Filed 9–12–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Docket ID: DoD–2008–OS–0091]
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness/
National Security Education Program,
DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness/National
Security Education Program announces
a proposed new public information
collection and seeks public comment on
the provisions thereof. Comments are
invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all
comments received by November 14,
2008.
You may submit comments,
identified by docket number and title,
by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Federal Docket Management
System Office, 1160 Defense Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20301–1160.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name, docket
number and title for this Federal
Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
from members of the public is to make
these submissions available for public
viewing on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov as they are
received without change, including any
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ADDRESSES:
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20:22 Sep 12, 2008
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personal identifiers or contact
information.
To
request more information on this
proposed information collection or to
obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments,
please write to the Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness/National Security Education
Program, ATTN: Mr. Robert Slater, PO
Box 12221, Arlington, VA 22209–2221,
or call at 703–696–5673.
Title; Associated Form; and OMB
Number: National Language Service
Corps; DD Test Forms 2932, 2933, 2934
and 2935; OMB Number 0704–0449.
Needs and Uses: The information
collection requirement is necessary to
identify individuals with language and
special skills who potentially qualify for
employment or service opportunities in
the public section during periods of
national need or emergency.
Affected Public: Individuals or
Households.
Annual Burden Hours: 2,200.
Number of Respondents: 4,000.
Responses per Respondent: 1.75.
Average Burden per Response: 18.86
minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Summary of Information Collection
The DD Test Form 2932, National
Language Service Corps Application, is
the initial document used to collect
information from members of the
public. The National Language Service
Corps Application form contains a brief
set of screening questions. Applicants
fill this out for basic information (age,
citizenship, Foreign Language), and if
they meet eligibility criteria, they
proceed to the supplemental
documents.
The supplemental documents are
used to determine eligibility for
membership in the National Language
Service Corps. The DD Test Form 2934,
National Language Service Corps
(NLSC) Global Language SelfAssessment, provides an overall
assessment of the applicant’s foreign
language ability. The DD Test Form
2933, National Language Service Corps
(NLSC) Detailed Skills Self-Assessment,
is a detailed description of the
applicant’s skills with respect to
specific foreign language tasks. The DD
Test Form 2935, National Language
Service Corps (NLSC) Language Data
Sheet, provides background data on
where the applicant learned the foreign
language and whether the applicant has
used the language professionally. These
three supplemental documents are used
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53211
in conjunction for the certification of
language skills for entry into the NLSC
and quality assurance of certification.
The information collected in the
application and the supplemental
documents is used solely by the
National Language Service Corps.
Dated: September 5, 2008.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer,
Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E8–21423 Filed 9–12–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the City of Raleigh, Little River
Reservoir Project in Wake County, NC
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (COE), Wilmington District,
Wilmington Regulatory Division has
received a request for Department of the
Army authorization, pursuant to Section
404 of the Clean Water Act, from the
City of Raleigh to construct a drinking
water reservoir on Little River to satisfy
the future demands for the service area
which includes Raleigh, Garner,
Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest,
Wendell, and Zebulon, NC.
The proposed project would require
the construction of a dam north of U.S.
Highway 64 on Little River, a tributary
in the Neuse River Basin. In addition,
infrastructure improvements including a
water treatment plant, water lines, and
raising and/or closing existing roadways
are expected.
DATES: A public scoping meeting for the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) will be held at the East Wake
High School at 5101 Rolesville Road,
Wendell, NC 27591 on October 14, 2008
at 6:30 pm.
ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and
questions regarding scoping of the Draft
EIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District,
Regulatory Division—Raleigh Field
Office, 3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite
105, Wake Forest, NC 27587, ATTN:
File Number SAW–2004–9984752.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action
and DEIS can be directed to Mr. Monte
Matthews, Regulatory Division,
telephone: (919) 554–4884, Extension
30.
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 179 / Monday, September 15, 2008 / Notices
The
proposed Little River Reservoir site is
located north of U.S. Highway 64, near
Zebulon, Wake County, NC. The
proposed reservoir would be comprised
of approximately 1,100 acres of surface
water at a normal pool elevation of 260
feet mean sea level. This would supply
the service area with 17 million gallons
per day (mgd) of drinking water.
Impounded water would extend from
the proposed dam site north to an area
just south of State Route #2224, Mitchell
Mill Road. The proposed project site
includes undeveloped forested lands,
existing farm fields, and beaver
impacted streams and wetlands. This
portion of Little River is classified as
WS–II, High Quality Waters, Nutrient
Sensitive Waters by the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources.
The City of Raleigh has provided the
following information about the purpose
of the proposed project:
The purpose of the proposed project
is to develop a safe and dependable
water supply for the project service area
that, together with existing supplies,
will satisfy estimated water demands for
a planning period of approximately 30
years, and that will reinforce water
system’s reliability during periods of
drought and other water emergencies.
Furthermore, an adequate water supply
is necessary to support continued
growth of the service area. The service
area for the proposed project includes
the City of Raleigh and the Towns of
Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake
Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon, NC. The
water and wastewater utilities for these
six towns have been merged with the
utilities for the City of Raleigh. The City
of Raleigh also provides water to other
communities in Wake County (Holly
Springs and Fuquay-Varina) under
existing sales contracts. The population
projections for the service area are
expected to increase from 489,000
people in 2010 to 896,200 people in
2040.
To continue, the water supply sources
that currently provide drinking water
for the project service area, including
the communities served by sales
contracts, encompass Falls Lake, Lake
Benson/Lake Wheeler (scheduled to go
on-line in 2010), and the Smith Creek
Reservoir. The existing safe yield of the
Smith Creek Reservoir is approximately
1 mgd, and the use of this source for
water supply is currently planned to be
discontinued. The existing 50-year safe
yield of Falls Lake and Lake Benson/
Lake Wheeler is approximately 78.4
mgd. The projected water demand for
the project service area for the Year
2040 is approximately 93 mgd. This
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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20:22 Sep 12, 2008
Jkt 214001
projection includes allowances for
sustainable reductions in water demand
due to water conservation and reuse,
which are important components of the
City of Raleigh’s long-term water supply
planning. On this basis, the proposed
project, operated in conjunction with
existing supplies as noted above, will
meet the project service area demand
through 2040. An additional water
supply source will also increase the
water system’s reliability during shortterm or catastrophic interruptions in the
system due to line break or equipment
breakdowns.
Proposed Impacts to Wetlands and
Surface Waters: Surface waters and
wetlands have been delineated for the
proposed project site. Field reviews of
the delineations with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE), and North
Carolina Division of Water Quality
(DWQ) have been conducted with final
USACE verification of the streams and
wetlands delineation pending. The
proposed reservoir will impact
approximately 650 acres of wetlands
and 55,500 linear feet of stream channel.
Scope of Investigations: Based upon
the proposed impacts to wetlands and
streams, the City of Raleigh has
indicated to the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers that they are willing to pursue
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the proposed Project. The
scope of the EIS investigation will
include the following: Alternatives
analyses, Affected environment,
Environmental consequences,
Secondary and cumulative
environmental impacts, and Mitigation.
Alternatives analyses: Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(a)) require
an EIS to ‘‘rigorously explore and
objectively evaluate all reasonable
alternatives’’ for a proposed action. The
regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(b)) further
require that substantial treatment be
made of each alternative considered in
detail, including the proposed action.
The Proposed Project and a reasonable
number of alternatives, including the no
action alternative, Use of Existing
Reservoirs (Falls Lake, Lake Benson,
Jordan Lake, and/or Kerr Lake),
Alternative Reservoir Sites,
Construction of Several Reservoirs,
River or Stream Intake, Upland
Constructed Flow Augmentation
Reservoir, Purchasing Water from Other
Systems, Development of Groundwater
Supplies, Recycle and Reuse of
Wastewater, Water Conservation, and
any Combination of Alternatives will be
evaluated and compared in the EIS. The
factors used to compare the alternatives
will be the same for each of the
alternatives.
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Affected environment: CEQ
regulations (40 CFR 1502.15) require the
EIS to describe the environment of the
areas to be affected or created by the
alternatives under consideration. The
data and analysis shall be
commensurate with the importance of
the impact. Based upon preliminary
evaluation of the proposed Project, it
appears the primary areas of
environmental concern will focus on the
loss of wetlands and/or streams and
other aquatic resource functions and
values, mitigation of such losses, and
the effect of the proposed reservoir on
downstream water quality.
In preparation for the EIS, the
following studies have been completed
or are ongoing for the proposed Project:
• An in-house Environmental
Assessment, Phase I Report completed
by the applicant in January 1990. This
report will be included as an appendix
to the EIS.
• An in-stream flow study composed
of an interagency technical group to
develop a technically defensible study,
including alternatives, for releases of
minimum flow. This report detailing the
methodologies and results of the study
will be included as an appendix to the
EIS.
• Jurisdictional wetland/stream/open
waters delineations (Section 404
Jurisdictional Areas) (field reviews have
been conducted with USACE and DWQ
with final verification pending). A
technical report detailing the
methodologies and results of the
jurisdictional areas delineation will be
included as an appendix to the EIS.
• Archaeological investigations and
field survey. A technical report detailing
the methodologies and results of the
archaeological investigation and survey
will be included as an appendix to the
EIS.
Environmental consequences: CEQ
regulations (40 CFR 1502.16) state the
EIS will include the environmental
impacts of the alternatives including the
proposed action, any adverse
environmental effects which cannot be
avoided should the proposal be
implemented, the relationship between
short-term uses of man’s environment
and the maintenance and enhancement
of long-term productivity, and any
irreversible or irretrievable
commitments of resources which would
be involved in the proposal should it be
implemented. The EIS will identify and
disclose the direct impacts of the
proposed project and study a reasonable
number of alternatives on the following:
Topography, geology, soils, climate,
biotic communities, wetlands, fish and
wildlife resources, endangered and
threatened species, hydrology, water
E:\FR\FM\15SEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 179 / Monday, September 15, 2008 / Notices
resources and water quality,
floodplains, hazardous materials, air
quality, noise, aesthetics, recreational
resources, historical and cultural
resources, socioeconomics, land use,
public health and safety, energy
requirements and conservation, natural
or non-renewable resources, drinking
waters, and environmental justice.
Secondary and cumulative
environmental impacts: Cumulative
impacts result from the incremental
impact of the proposed action when
added to past, present, and reasonably
foreseeable future actions, regardless of
what agency or person undertakes the
action. GIS data and mapping will be
used to evaluate and quantify secondary
and cumulative impacts of the proposed
Project with particular emphasis given
to wetlands and surface/groundwater
resources.
Mitigation: CEQ regulations (40 CFR
1502.14, 1502.16, and 1508.20) require
the EIS to include appropriate
mitigation measures. The USACE has
adopted, through the CEQ, a mitigation
policy which embraces the concepts of
‘‘no net loss of wetlands’’ and project
sequencing. The purpose of this policy
is to restore and maintain the chemical,
biological, and physical integrity of
‘‘Waters of the United States,’’
specifically wetlands. Mitigation of
wetland impacts has been defined by
the CEQ to include: avoidance of
impacts (to wetlands), minimizing
impacts, rectifying impacts, reducing
impacts over time, and compensating
for impacts (40 CFR 1508.20). Each of
these aspects (avoidance, minimization,
and compensatory mitigation) must be
considered in sequential order. As part
of the EIS, the applicant will develop a
compensatory mitigation plan detailing
the methodology and approach to
compensate for unavoidable impacts to
waters of the U.S. including streams and
wetlands.
NEPA/SEPA Preparation and
Permitting: Because the proposed Little
River Reservoir project requires
approvals from federal and state
agencies under both the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the State Environmental Policy Act
(SEPA), a joint Federal and State
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will be prepared. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers will serve as the lead
agency for the process. The EIS will be
the NEPA document for the Corps of
Engineers (404 permit) and the SEPA
document for the State of North
Carolina (401 permit).
Based on the size, complexity, and
potential impacts of the proposed
project, the Applicant has been advised
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
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20:22 Sep 12, 2008
Jkt 214001
identify and disclose the environmental
impacts of the proposed project in an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Within the EIS, the Applicant will
conduct a thorough environmental
review, including an evaluation of a
reasonable number of alternatives. After
distribution and review of the Draft EIS
and Final EIS, the Applicant
understands that the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers will issue a Record of
Decision (ROD) for the project. The ROD
will document the completion of the EIS
process and will serve as a basis for
permitting decisions by Federal and
State agencies.
Jefferson M. Ryscavage,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8–21426 Filed 9–12–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–GN–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
September 10, 2008.
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Docket Numbers: RP00–157–020.
Applicants: Kern River Gas
Transmission Company.
Description: Kern River Gas
Transmission Co submits Original Sheet
495–A and 499–B to FERC Gas Tariff,
Second Revised Volume 1.
Filed Date: 08/28/2008.
Accession Number: 20080903–0046.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 12, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP08–198–002.
Applicants: Gulf South Pipeline
Company, LP.
Description: Gulf South Pipeline
Company LP submits Fourth Revised
Sheet 805A et al. to FERC Gas Tariff,
Sixth Revised Volume 1, to be effective
8/17/08.
Filed Date: 08/28/2008.
Accession Number: 20080829–0093.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Friday, September 12, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP08–613–000.
Applicants: Alliance Pipeline L.P.
Description: Alliance Pipeline, LP
submits Fifth Revised Sheet 244 et al to
FERC Gas Tariff, Original Volume 1,
effective 10/1/08.
Filed Date: 09/08/2008.
Accession Number: 20080909–0095.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, September 22, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP08–614–000.
Applicants: Columbia Gas
Transmission Corporation.
PO 00000
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53213
Description: Columbia Gas
Transmission Corporation submits
Thirty-Eighth Revised Sheet 30A et al to
FERC Gas Tariff, Second Revised
Volume 1, effective 10/8/08.
Filed Date: 09/08/2008.
Accession Number: 20080909–0094.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, September 22, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP08–615–000.
Applicants: Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC.
Description: Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC submits its Annual Report of Flow
Through of Cash Out and Penalty
Revenues for the period of May 2006
through April 2007.
Filed Date: 09/08/2008.
Accession Number: 20080909–0093.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, September 22, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP08–616–000.
Applicants: Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC.
Description: Trunkline Gas Company,
LLC submits its Annual Report of Flow
Through of Cash Out and Penalty
Revenues for the period of May 2007
through April 2008.
Filed Date: 09/08/2008.
Accession Number: 20080909–0092.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, September 22, 2008.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211
and 385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date. It
is not necessary to separately intervene
again in a subdocket related to a
compliance filing if you have previously
intervened in the same docket. Protests
will be considered by the Commission
in determining the appropriate action to
be taken, but will not serve to make
protestants parties to the proceeding.
Anyone filing a motion to intervene or
protest must serve a copy of that
document on the Applicant. In reference
to filings initiating a new proceeding,
interventions or protests submitted on
or before the comment deadline need
not be served on persons other than the
Applicant.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
E:\FR\FM\15SEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 179 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53211-53213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21426]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the City of Raleigh, Little River Reservoir Project in
Wake County, NC
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District,
Wilmington Regulatory Division has received a request for Department of
the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act,
from the City of Raleigh to construct a drinking water reservoir on
Little River to satisfy the future demands for the service area which
includes Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell,
and Zebulon, NC.
The proposed project would require the construction of a dam north
of U.S. Highway 64 on Little River, a tributary in the Neuse River
Basin. In addition, infrastructure improvements including a water
treatment plant, water lines, and raising and/or closing existing
roadways are expected.
DATES: A public scoping meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) will be held at the East Wake High School at 5101
Rolesville Road, Wendell, NC 27591 on October 14, 2008 at 6:30 pm.
ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding scoping of the
Draft EIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington
District, Regulatory Division--Raleigh Field Office, 3331 Heritage
Trade Drive, Suite 105, Wake Forest, NC 27587, ATTN: File Number SAW-
2004-9984752.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and DEIS can be directed to Mr. Monte Matthews, Regulatory Division,
telephone: (919) 554-4884, Extension 30.
[[Page 53212]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Little River Reservoir site is
located north of U.S. Highway 64, near Zebulon, Wake County, NC. The
proposed reservoir would be comprised of approximately 1,100 acres of
surface water at a normal pool elevation of 260 feet mean sea level.
This would supply the service area with 17 million gallons per day
(mgd) of drinking water. Impounded water would extend from the proposed
dam site north to an area just south of State Route 2224,
Mitchell Mill Road. The proposed project site includes undeveloped
forested lands, existing farm fields, and beaver impacted streams and
wetlands. This portion of Little River is classified as WS-II, High
Quality Waters, Nutrient Sensitive Waters by the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The City of Raleigh has provided the following information about
the purpose of the proposed project:
The purpose of the proposed project is to develop a safe and
dependable water supply for the project service area that, together
with existing supplies, will satisfy estimated water demands for a
planning period of approximately 30 years, and that will reinforce
water system's reliability during periods of drought and other water
emergencies. Furthermore, an adequate water supply is necessary to
support continued growth of the service area. The service area for the
proposed project includes the City of Raleigh and the Towns of Garner,
Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon, NC. The
water and wastewater utilities for these six towns have been merged
with the utilities for the City of Raleigh. The City of Raleigh also
provides water to other communities in Wake County (Holly Springs and
Fuquay-Varina) under existing sales contracts. The population
projections for the service area are expected to increase from 489,000
people in 2010 to 896,200 people in 2040.
To continue, the water supply sources that currently provide
drinking water for the project service area, including the communities
served by sales contracts, encompass Falls Lake, Lake Benson/Lake
Wheeler (scheduled to go on-line in 2010), and the Smith Creek
Reservoir. The existing safe yield of the Smith Creek Reservoir is
approximately 1 mgd, and the use of this source for water supply is
currently planned to be discontinued. The existing 50-year safe yield
of Falls Lake and Lake Benson/Lake Wheeler is approximately 78.4 mgd.
The projected water demand for the project service area for the Year
2040 is approximately 93 mgd. This projection includes allowances for
sustainable reductions in water demand due to water conservation and
reuse, which are important components of the City of Raleigh's long-
term water supply planning. On this basis, the proposed project,
operated in conjunction with existing supplies as noted above, will
meet the project service area demand through 2040. An additional water
supply source will also increase the water system's reliability during
short-term or catastrophic interruptions in the system due to line
break or equipment breakdowns.
Proposed Impacts to Wetlands and Surface Waters: Surface waters and
wetlands have been delineated for the proposed project site. Field
reviews of the delineations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), and North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) have been
conducted with final USACE verification of the streams and wetlands
delineation pending. The proposed reservoir will impact approximately
650 acres of wetlands and 55,500 linear feet of stream channel.
Scope of Investigations: Based upon the proposed impacts to
wetlands and streams, the City of Raleigh has indicated to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers that they are willing to pursue an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Project. The
scope of the EIS investigation will include the following: Alternatives
analyses, Affected environment, Environmental consequences, Secondary
and cumulative environmental impacts, and Mitigation.
Alternatives analyses: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(a)) require an EIS to ``rigorously explore
and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives'' for a proposed
action. The regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(b)) further require that
substantial treatment be made of each alternative considered in detail,
including the proposed action. The Proposed Project and a reasonable
number of alternatives, including the no action alternative, Use of
Existing Reservoirs (Falls Lake, Lake Benson, Jordan Lake, and/or Kerr
Lake), Alternative Reservoir Sites, Construction of Several Reservoirs,
River or Stream Intake, Upland Constructed Flow Augmentation Reservoir,
Purchasing Water from Other Systems, Development of Groundwater
Supplies, Recycle and Reuse of Wastewater, Water Conservation, and any
Combination of Alternatives will be evaluated and compared in the EIS.
The factors used to compare the alternatives will be the same for each
of the alternatives.
Affected environment: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.15) require the
EIS to describe the environment of the areas to be affected or created
by the alternatives under consideration. The data and analysis shall be
commensurate with the importance of the impact. Based upon preliminary
evaluation of the proposed Project, it appears the primary areas of
environmental concern will focus on the loss of wetlands and/or streams
and other aquatic resource functions and values, mitigation of such
losses, and the effect of the proposed reservoir on downstream water
quality.
In preparation for the EIS, the following studies have been
completed or are ongoing for the proposed Project:
An in-house Environmental Assessment, Phase I Report
completed by the applicant in January 1990. This report will be
included as an appendix to the EIS.
An in-stream flow study composed of an interagency
technical group to develop a technically defensible study, including
alternatives, for releases of minimum flow. This report detailing the
methodologies and results of the study will be included as an appendix
to the EIS.
Jurisdictional wetland/stream/open waters delineations
(Section 404 Jurisdictional Areas) (field reviews have been conducted
with USACE and DWQ with final verification pending). A technical report
detailing the methodologies and results of the jurisdictional areas
delineation will be included as an appendix to the EIS.
Archaeological investigations and field survey. A
technical report detailing the methodologies and results of the
archaeological investigation and survey will be included as an appendix
to the EIS.
Environmental consequences: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.16) state
the EIS will include the environmental impacts of the alternatives
including the proposed action, any adverse environmental effects which
cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented, the relationship
between short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and
enhancement of long-term productivity, and any irreversible or
irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the
proposal should it be implemented. The EIS will identify and disclose
the direct impacts of the proposed project and study a reasonable
number of alternatives on the following: Topography, geology, soils,
climate, biotic communities, wetlands, fish and wildlife resources,
endangered and threatened species, hydrology, water
[[Page 53213]]
resources and water quality, floodplains, hazardous materials, air
quality, noise, aesthetics, recreational resources, historical and
cultural resources, socioeconomics, land use, public health and safety,
energy requirements and conservation, natural or non-renewable
resources, drinking waters, and environmental justice.
Secondary and cumulative environmental impacts: Cumulative impacts
result from the incremental impact of the proposed action when added to
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of
what agency or person undertakes the action. GIS data and mapping will
be used to evaluate and quantify secondary and cumulative impacts of
the proposed Project with particular emphasis given to wetlands and
surface/groundwater resources.
Mitigation: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.14, 1502.16, and 1508.20)
require the EIS to include appropriate mitigation measures. The USACE
has adopted, through the CEQ, a mitigation policy which embraces the
concepts of ``no net loss of wetlands'' and project sequencing. The
purpose of this policy is to restore and maintain the chemical,
biological, and physical integrity of ``Waters of the United States,''
specifically wetlands. Mitigation of wetland impacts has been defined
by the CEQ to include: avoidance of impacts (to wetlands), minimizing
impacts, rectifying impacts, reducing impacts over time, and
compensating for impacts (40 CFR 1508.20). Each of these aspects
(avoidance, minimization, and compensatory mitigation) must be
considered in sequential order. As part of the EIS, the applicant will
develop a compensatory mitigation plan detailing the methodology and
approach to compensate for unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S.
including streams and wetlands.
NEPA/SEPA Preparation and Permitting: Because the proposed Little
River Reservoir project requires approvals from federal and state
agencies under both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), a joint Federal and State
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers will serve as the lead agency for the process. The
EIS will be the NEPA document for the Corps of Engineers (404 permit)
and the SEPA document for the State of North Carolina (401 permit).
Based on the size, complexity, and potential impacts of the
proposed project, the Applicant has been advised by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers to identify and disclose the environmental impacts of the
proposed project in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Within the
EIS, the Applicant will conduct a thorough environmental review,
including an evaluation of a reasonable number of alternatives. After
distribution and review of the Draft EIS and Final EIS, the Applicant
understands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will issue a Record
of Decision (ROD) for the project. The ROD will document the completion
of the EIS process and will serve as a basis for permitting decisions
by Federal and State agencies.
Jefferson M. Ryscavage,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-21426 Filed 9-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-GN-P
