Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Port of Gulfport Expansion Project, Harrison County, MS (Department of the Army Permit Number SAM-2009-1768-DMY), 13363-13365 [2011-5672]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13363-13365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5672]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Port 
of Gulfport Expansion Project, Harrison County, MS (Department of the 
Army Permit Number SAM-2009-1768-DMY)

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (USACE) 
announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the 
construction and operation of a project proposed by the Mississippi 
State Port Authority (MSPA). As part of the NEPA process, the 
Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will be a cooperating agency in 
the preparation of the EIS. The National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) has expressed interest in acting as a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the EIS.
    The proposed project as described in the application filed on March 
17, 2010, proposed filling approximately 700 acres of open-water 
benthic habitat. Since submittal of the application, the proposed 
project footprint has been modified by the MSPA to reduce the overall 
potential fill required for implementation and to not include any 
impacts to the Gulfport Harbor Federal Navigation Channel or Turning 
Basin. The currently proposed project involves filling of up to 400 
acres of open-water bottom in the Mississippi Sound, the construction 
of wharfs, bulkheads, terminal facilities, container storage areas, 
intermodal container transfer facilities, dredging and dredged material 
disposal and infrastructure, and construction of a breakwater of 
approximately 4,000 linear feet. The proposed expanded port facility 
will be elevated 25 feet above sea level to provide protection against 
future tropical storm surge events.
    The EIS will evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed 
project, connected actions, and alternatives. The

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EIS will also assist the USACE in deciding whether to issue a 
Department of the Army permit.
    The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to inform and educate 
the public of the proposed project; invite public participation in the 
EIS process; announce the plans for a public scoping meeting; solicit 
public comments for consideration in establishing the scope and content 
of the EIS; and provide notice of potential impacts to open-water 
benthic habitats.

DATES: A scoping meeting will be held on March 31, 2011. Comments will 
be accepted in written format at the scoping meeting or via mail/e-mail 
until April 11, 2011, to ensure consideration. Late comments will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the Fleming Education 
Center Auditorium at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Park 
Campus, 730 East Beach Boulevard, Long Beach, Mississippi. Written 
comments regarding the proposed EIS scope should be addressed to Mr. 
Damon M. Young, P.G. USACE, Mobile District, Post Office Box 2288, 
Mobile, Alabama 36628. Individuals who would like to electronically 
provide comments should contact Mr. Young by electronic mail: 
port.gulfporteis@usace.army.mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this project, to 
be included on the mailing list for future updates and meeting 
announcements, or to receive a copy of the DRAFT EIS when it is issued, 
contact Damon M. Young, P.G., at the USACE at (251) 690-2658 or the 
address provided above. Mr. Ewing Milam, at the MDA can also be 
contacted for additional information at P.O. Box 849, Jackson, 
Mississippi, 39205-0849, telephone 601.359.2157 or by electronic mail 
at emilam@mississippi.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Background: The Gulfport Harbor Navigation Project was adopted 
by the River and Harbors Act approved on July 3, 1930 (House Document 
Number 692, 69th Congress, 2nd session) and the River and Harbors Act 
approved on June 30, 1948 (House Document Number 112, 81st Congress, 
1st session). Construction of the existing Gulfport Harbor commenced in 
1932 and was completed in 1950. Authorization to conduct improvements 
to the existing harbor was issued in the Fiscal Year 1985 Supplemental 
Appropriations Act (Public Law 99-88). The Water Resources Development 
Acts (WRDAs) 1986 and 1988 further modified the previous authorization 
to cover widening and deepening and thin-layer disposal, respectively. 
The authorized deepening was completed in 1993. Currently, there is an 
ongoing Federal action to widen the channel to the Federally authorized 
dimensions of 300 feet in the Mississippi Sound Channel and 400 feet in 
the Bar Channel. A Department of the Army Permit MS96-02828-U was 
issued in 1998 authorizing an 84-acre expansion to fill the West Pier 
to construct new tenant terminals and infrastructure. Phases I and II 
are currently under construction. Phase III is expected to begin in 
late 2011.
    On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the 
Mississippi Gulf Coast, resulting in one of the most significant 
natural disasters in the United States. The Port of Gulfport was 
severely impacted by the storm. The electrical power supply, roads, 
water, sewer, rail, small craft harbor fendering systems, navigational 
aids, and lighting and security systems were all destroyed or damaged 
beyond repair. According to the MSPA, the Port is currently operational 
at this time but it is not capable of withstanding another major 
hurricane without significant rehabilitation.
    2. Location: The proposed Port of Gulfport Expansion Project is 
located in the City of Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi. The 
proposed project is approximately 80 miles west of Mobile, Alabama, and 
80 miles east of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Port encompasses 
approximately 184 acres and is located within 5 miles of the Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) and approximately 7 miles south of 
Interstate Highway 10.
    3. Work: The proposed project involves filling of up to 400 acres 
of open-water bottom in the Mississippi Sound, the construction of 
wharfs, bulkheads, terminal facilities, container storage areas, 
intermodal container transfer facilities, dredging and dredged material 
disposal and infrastructure, construction of a breakwater of 
approximately 4,000 linear feet, and may include additional 
improvements identified at the public scoping meeting. The proposed 
expanded port facility will be elevated 25 feet above sea level to 
provide protection against future tropical storm surge events. A 
Department of the Army permit is required for the proposed project, 
pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251), 
Section 10 of the River and Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403), and Section 
103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (33 U.S.C. 
1401-1445, 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq., also 33 U.S.C. 1271).
    An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared pursuant 
to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) to assess the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of 
a project proposed by the Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA).
    4. Need: According to the MSPA, this project will enhance 
Mississippi's standing in the global economy by repositioning the Port 
into a sustainable, world-class maritime facility for future 
generations. This project is needed to expand the Port's current 
footprint, which will include the construction of wharfs, bulkheads, 
terminal facilities, container storage areas, intermodal container 
transfer facilities, dredging and dredged material disposal and 
infrastructure. Specific alternatives will be developed as part of the 
EIS process and feedback provided during project scoping.
    5. Affected Environment: Environmental characteristics that may be 
affected by the proposed project include geological, chemical, 
biological, physical, socioeconomic, and commercial and recreational 
activities. Offshore, the navigation channel extends 20 miles south 
into the Gulf of Mexico, passing close to the western end of Ship 
Island. On-shore, the regional environment is characterized as Coastal 
Lowlands, and the shore area, where not developed, consists typically 
of gently undulating swampy plains. The beach area is man-made and 
bordered by constructed seawalls. The existing Port, as part of the 
man-made environment of Gulfport, is constructed on fill material. The 
Gulfport area is well developed. Beyond the seawalls are extensive 
commercial and residential developments. The near-shore area is known 
for its valuable resources as a productive fishery and is also utilized 
extensively for commercial and recreational shipping and boating.
    6. Applicable Environmental Laws and Policies: The proposed project 
could result in both beneficial and negative environmental impacts. 
These impacts will be evaluated in the EIS in accordance with 
applicable environmental laws and policies, which include NEPA; WRDA; 
Endangered Species Act (ESA); Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Historic Preservation Act; 
Coastal Barrier Resources Act; Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act; Coastal Zone Management Act; Marine, Protection, 
Research, and Sanctuaries Act; Rivers and Harbors

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Act; National Marine Sanctuaries Act; Fishery Conservation Act; Marine 
Mammal Protection Act; Executive Order 12898, Environmental Justice in 
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations; Executive Order 13045, 
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risk 
(among other Executive Orders); and Ports and Waterways Safety Act.
    7. Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues: The 
following list of nine environmental issues has been tentatively 
identified for analysis in the EIS. This list, which was developed 
during preliminary internal scoping, has been included with the permit 
application filed for the proposed project. This list (and information 
from similar projects) is neither intended to be all inclusive nor a 
predetermined set of potential impacts, but is presented to facilitate 
public comment on the planned scope of the EIS. Additions to or 
deletions may occur as a result of the public scoping process. 
Preliminary identified environmental issues include but are not limited 
to the loss of aquatic resource (impact to potential submerged and 
shoreline aquatic habitat); water quality, coastal zone consistency, 
hydrodynamic modeling, threatened and endangered species (including 
critical habitat and essential fish and shellfish habitat), air 
quality, alternatives, secondary and cumulative impacts, 
socioeconomics, and mitigation.
    8. Scoping meeting: To ensure that all of the issues related to 
this proposed project are addressed, the USACE will conduct a public 
scoping meeting in which agencies, organizations, and members of the 
general public are invited to present comments or suggestions with 
regard to the range of actions, alternatives, and potential impacts to 
be considered in the EIS. The scoping meeting will be held at the 
Fleming Education Center Auditorium at the University of Southern 
Mississippi's Gulf Park Campus, 730 East Beach Boulevard, Long Beach, 
Mississippi, on March 31, 2011. The scoping meeting will begin with an 
informal open house from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. followed by a formal 
presentation of the proposed action and a description of the NEPA 
process. Comments will be accepted following the formal presentation 
until 8 p.m. Displays and other forms of information about the proposed 
action will be available, and the USACE, the MSPA and the MDA personnel 
will be present at the informal session to discuss the proposed project 
and the EIS Process. The USACE invites comments on the proposed scope 
and content of the EIS from all interested parties. Verbal transcribers 
will be available at the scoping meeting to accept verbal comments 
following the formal presentation until 8:00 p.m. A time limit will be 
imposed on verbal comments.
    9. DRAFT EIS: It is anticipated that a DRAFT EIS will be made 
available for public review in late calendar year 2011 or early 2012.

    Dated: February 24, 2011.
Craig J. Litteken,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-5672 Filed 3-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P