Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)-Louisiana, Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River Project, 78339-78340 [E8-30356]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 246 / Monday, December 22, 2008 / Notices
the latest update is included with the
Final PEIS as Appendix A. As
individual site-specific projects are
initiated to implement various DMMP
goals individual NEPA and/or permit
documents will continue to be prepared
by the implementing agencies.
DATES: The formal comment period for
the Final PEIS has been extended to
February 1, 2009. Comments received
will be considered by the District in
decision-making for the Final PEIS’s
Record of Decision.
ADDRESSES: Additional requests for the
DMMP and Final PEIS can be made by
post card to the following address: U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, New York
District, Planning DivisionEnvironmental Analysis Branch, Jacob
K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal
Plaza—Room 2151, New York, NY
10278–0090.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christopher Ricciardi, Ph.D.,
Environmental Coordinator can be
contacted at (917) 790–8630 or by e-mail
at
christopher.g.ricciardi@usace.army.mil.
Several
authorities exist to conduct navigation
studies and maintain the New York
Harbor, these include the Rivers and
Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899 (33
U.S.C. 401–466n), the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act of 1972 (Clean
Water Act-CWA), and the Marine
Protection, Research and Sanctuaries
Act of 1972 (MPRSA). With respect to
the preparation of the DMMP, District
planning guidance stated in EC1165–2–
200 requires each district to maintain
responsibility for preparation of longterm plans to maintain navigation
projects.
The New York/New Jersey Harbor
encompasses approximately two-dozen
separately authorized and maintained
Federal navigation channels. These
projects, which range in authorized
depth from 8–50 feet, combined with
privately operated berthing areas have
historically generated 2–4 million cubic
yards of dredged material annually from
maintenance of required depths.
Further, several of these channels are
either under construction or in the
planning phase for deepening in the
upcoming years to accommodate larger
vessels that will need to use the Port.
The construction of these deeper
channels will generate substantial
amounts of dredged material. The 2008
DMMP Update seeks to identify options
to manage the material generated from
both the Federal and non-Federal
maintenance and deepening of the Port
through the year 2065.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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19:07 Dec 19, 2008
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The District held scoping meetings
with the public on this plan during
February and April 1997. A Notice of
Intent (NOI) to produce a PEIS
including an outline of the scope was
published in the Federal Register on
February 24, 1998. Subsequently,
meetings on the topics to be covered in
the Draft PEIS were held during April
1998. Written comments were
considered in the promulgation of the
Draft PEIS.
After distribution of the Draft PEIS to
the public during September 1999, four
public meetings on the document were
held during November 1999. Written
comments and taped verbal statements
gathered at these meetings, letters and emails received during the comment
period were considered in the
promulgation of the Final PEIS.
The DMMP also considered the
Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) and its
Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) that was
signed by the agencies with
responsibilities for the Port and its
environment. Further, for the last
several years the New York/New Jersey
Regional Dredging Team (RDT),
comprised of representatives from the
District, PANY/NJ, the States of NY and
NJ, and the USEPA, has been meeting
monthly to discuss current and future
needs and disposal/management
options. The RDT will continue to
coordinate in order to keep abreast of
current and developing placement
opportunities and technologies as the
DMMP is implemented.
The 2008 DMMP Update and Final
1999 PEIS are available on CD in PDF
format and are downloadable through
the District’s Web page: https://
www.nan.usace.army.mil/business/
prjlinks/dmmp/index.htm.
Printed copies of the DMMP and Final
PEIS are also available upon request.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–30368 Filed 12–19–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)—
Louisiana, Small Diversion at Convent/
Blind River Project
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
PO 00000
Frm 00056
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
78339
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)—Louisiana, Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project. This restoration
project involves a small diversion (less
than 5,000 cubic feet per second [cfs])
from the Mississippi River into the
Blind River through a new control
structure. This SEIS will be tiered off of
the programmatic EIS for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)—Louisiana,
Ecosystem Restoration Study, November
2004. The record of decision for the
programmatic EIS was signed on
November 18, 2005.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section for scoping meeting dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the draft SEIS
should be addressed to Dr. William P.
Klein, Jr., CEMVN–PM–RS, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160–0267;
telephone: (504) 862–2540; fax: (504)
862–1583; or by e-mail:
william.p.klein.jr@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This SEIS will be tiered
off of the programmatic EIS for the
Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)—
Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study,
November 2004. The record of decision
for the programmatic EIS was signed on
November 18, 2005. The Water
Resources Development Act of 2007
(WRDA 2007) authorized the LCA
program. The authority includes
requirements for comprehensive
planning, program governance,
implementation, and other program
components. The LCA restoration
program will facilitate the
implementation of critical restoration
features and essential science and
technology demonstration projects,
increase the beneficial use of dredged
material and determine the need for
modification of selected existing
projects to support coastal restoration
objectives. The LCA near-term plan
includes fifteen elements authorized for
implementation contingent upon
meeting certain reporting requirements.
Specifically, Section 7006(e)(3) instructs
the Secretary of the Army to submit
feasibility reports to Congress on six
elements of the LCA near-term
restoration plan by December 31, 2008.
The six elements are: (1) Multipurpose
Operation of Houma Navigation Lock,
(2) Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline
Restoration, (3) Small Diversion at
Convent/Blind River, (4) Amite River
Diversion Canal Modification, (5)
Medium Diversion at Whites Ditch, and
(6) Convey Atchafalaya River Water to
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
22DEN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
78340
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 246 / Monday, December 22, 2008 / Notices
Northern Terrebonne Marshes. The
Congressional language further
authorizes construction of these six
elements contingent upon completion of
a favorable report of the Chief of
Engineers, no later than December 31,
2010, and subsequent submission to the
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on
Environment and Public Works of the
Senate.
2. Proposed Action. The Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project proposes the
construction of a small diversion (less
than 5,000 cfs) from the Mississippi
River into Blind River through a new
control structure. The objective of this
restoration project is to introduce
sediments and nutrients into the
southeast portion of Maurepas Swamp.
This project is intended to operate in
conjunction with the Hope Canal
diversion to facilitate organic deposition
in the swamp, improve biological
productivity and prevent further swamp
deterioration.
3. Public Involvement. Public
involvement, an essential part of the
SEIS process, is integral to assessing the
environmental consequences of the
proposed action and improving the
quality of the environmental decision
making. The public includes affected
and interested Federal, state, and local
agencies, Indian tribes, concerned
citizens, stakeholders, and other
interested parties. Public participation
in the SEIS process will be strongly
encouraged, both formally and
informally, to enhance the probability of
a more technically accurate,
economically feasible, and socially and
politically acceptable SEIS. Public
involvement will include but is not
limited to: Information dissemination;
identification of problems, needs and
opportunities; idea generation; public
education; problem solving; providing
feedback on proposals; evaluation of
alternatives; conflict resolution by
consensus; public and scoping notices
and meetings; public, stakeholder and
advisory groups consultation and
meetings; and making the SEIS and
supporting information readily available
in conveniently located places, such as
libraries and on the World Wide Web.
4. Scoping. Scoping, an early and
open process for identifying the scope of
significant issues related to the
proposed action to be addressed in the
SEIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the
affected public and agency concerns; (b)
facilitate an efficient SEIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and
alternatives that will be examined in
detail in the SEIS; and (d) save time in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:07 Dec 19, 2008
Jkt 217001
the overall process by helping to ensure
that the draft SEIS adequately addresses
relevant issues. A Scoping Meeting
Notice announcing the locations, dates
and times for scoping meetings will be
mailed to all interested parties in
January 2009.
5. Coordination. The USACE and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
have formally committed to work
together to conserve, protect, and restore
fish and wildlife resources while
ensuring environmental sustainability of
our Nation’s water resources under the
January 22, 2003, Partnership
Agreement for Water Resources and
Fish and Wildlife. The USFWS will
provide a Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act Report. Coordination
will be maintained with the USFWS and
the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) regarding threatened and
endangered species under their
respective jurisdictional
responsibilities. Coordination will be
maintained with the NMFS regarding
essential fish habitat. Coordination will
be maintained with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service
regarding prime and unique farmlands.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will
be consulted regarding the
‘‘Swampbuster’’ provisions of the Food
Security Act. Coordination will be
maintained with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency concerning
compliance with Executive Order
12898, ‘‘Federal Action to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income
Populations.’’ Coordination will be
maintained with the Advisory Counsel
on Historic Preservation and the State
Historic Preservation Officer. The
Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources will be consulted regarding
consistency with the Coastal Zone
Management Act. The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
will be consulted concerning potential
impacts to Natural and Scenic Streams.
5. Availability of Draft SEIS. The
earliest that the draft SEIS will be
available for public review would be in
spring of 2010. The draft SEIS or a
notice of availability will be distributed
to affected Federal, state, and local
agencies, Indian tribes, and other
interested parties.
Dated: December 11, 2008.
Mark D. Jernigan,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Deputy
District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8–30356 Filed 12–19–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)—
Louisiana, Amite River Diversion Canal
Modification Feasibility Study
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)—Louisiana, Amite
River Diversion Canal Modification
restoration project. This restoration
project will introduce additional
nutrients and sediment into the western
Maurepas Swamp to facilitate organic
deposition in the swamp, improve
biological productivity and prevent
further swamp deterioration. This SEIS
will be tiered off of the programmatic
EIS for the Louisiana Coastal Area
(LCA)—Louisiana, Ecosystem
Restoration Study, November 2004. The
record of decision for the programmatic
EIS was signed on November 18, 2005.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section for scoping meeting dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the draft SEIS
should be addressed to Dr. William P.
Klein, Jr., CEMVN–PM–RS, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160–0267;
telephone: (504) 862–2540; fax: (504)
862–1583; or by e-mail:
william.p.klein.jr@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This SEIS will be tiered
off of the programmatic EIS for the
Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)—
Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study,
November 2004. The record of decision
for the programmatic EIS was signed on
November 18, 2005. The Water
Resources Development Act of 2007
(WRDA 2007) authorized the LCA
program. The authority includes
requirements for comprehensive
planning, program governance,
implementation, and other program
components. The LCA restoration
program will facilitate the
implementation of critical restoration
features and essential science and
technology demonstration projects,
increase the beneficial use of dredged
material and determine the need for
modification of selected existing
projects to support coastal restoration
objectives. The LCA near-term plan
includes fifteen elements authorized for
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
22DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 246 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78339-78340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30356]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River Project
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project. This restoration project involves a small
diversion (less than 5,000 cubic feet per second [cfs]) from the
Mississippi River into the Blind River through a new control structure.
This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study, November
2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS was signed on
November 18, 2005.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for scoping meeting dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the draft SEIS
should be addressed to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr., CEMVN-PM-RS, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-2540; fax:
(504) 862-1583; or by e-mail: william.p.klein.jr@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS
for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration
Study, November 2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS
was signed on November 18, 2005. The Water Resources Development Act of
2007 (WRDA 2007) authorized the LCA program. The authority includes
requirements for comprehensive planning, program governance,
implementation, and other program components. The LCA restoration
program will facilitate the implementation of critical restoration
features and essential science and technology demonstration projects,
increase the beneficial use of dredged material and determine the need
for modification of selected existing projects to support coastal
restoration objectives. The LCA near-term plan includes fifteen
elements authorized for implementation contingent upon meeting certain
reporting requirements. Specifically, Section 7006(e)(3) instructs the
Secretary of the Army to submit feasibility reports to Congress on six
elements of the LCA near-term restoration plan by December 31, 2008.
The six elements are: (1) Multipurpose Operation of Houma Navigation
Lock, (2) Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, (3) Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River, (4) Amite River Diversion Canal
Modification, (5) Medium Diversion at Whites Ditch, and (6) Convey
Atchafalaya River Water to
[[Page 78340]]
Northern Terrebonne Marshes. The Congressional language further
authorizes construction of these six elements contingent upon
completion of a favorable report of the Chief of Engineers, no later
than December 31, 2010, and subsequent submission to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
2. Proposed Action. The Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project proposes the construction of a small diversion
(less than 5,000 cfs) from the Mississippi River into Blind River
through a new control structure. The objective of this restoration
project is to introduce sediments and nutrients into the southeast
portion of Maurepas Swamp. This project is intended to operate in
conjunction with the Hope Canal diversion to facilitate organic
deposition in the swamp, improve biological productivity and prevent
further swamp deterioration.
3. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
SEIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences
of the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal,
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the
SEIS process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally,
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable SEIS. Public
involvement will include but is not limited to: Information
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities;
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the SEIS and
supporting information readily available in conveniently located
places, such as libraries and on the World Wide Web.
4. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be
addressed in the SEIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected
public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient SEIS
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will
be examined in detail in the SEIS; and (d) save time in the overall
process by helping to ensure that the draft SEIS adequately addresses
relevant issues. A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations,
dates and times for scoping meetings will be mailed to all interested
parties in January 2009.
5. Coordination. The USACE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) have formally committed to work together to conserve, protect,
and restore fish and wildlife resources while ensuring environmental
sustainability of our Nation's water resources under the January 22,
2003, Partnership Agreement for Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife.
The USFWS will provide a Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report.
Coordination will be maintained with the USFWS and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding threatened and endangered species
under their respective jurisdictional responsibilities. Coordination
will be maintained with the NMFS regarding essential fish habitat.
Coordination will be maintained with the Natural Resources Conservation
Service regarding prime and unique farmlands. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture will be consulted regarding the ``Swampbuster'' provisions
of the Food Security Act. Coordination will be maintained with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with Executive
Order 12898, ``Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.'' Coordination will be
maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation and the
State Historic Preservation Officer. The Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources will be consulted regarding consistency with the
Coastal Zone Management Act. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries will be consulted concerning potential impacts to Natural and
Scenic Streams.
5. Availability of Draft SEIS. The earliest that the draft SEIS
will be available for public review would be in spring of 2010. The
draft SEIS or a notice of availability will be distributed to affected
Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested
parties.
Dated: December 11, 2008.
Mark D. Jernigan,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Deputy District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-30356 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
