Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Construction and Operation of the Everglades Agricultural Area A1 Flow Equalization Basin, Palm Beach County, FL, 51981-51983 [2012-21186]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 167 / Tuesday, August 28, 2012 / Notices
[FR Doc. 2012–21055 Filed 8–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–C
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
[Docket ID: USAF–2012–0016]
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
United States Security Forces
Center, Headquarters, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
In compliance with Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the
United States Security Forces Center,
Headquarters announces the proposed
extension of a 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 October 29, 2012.
ADDRESSES: 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, 4800 Mark Center Drive,
East Tower, Suite 02G09, Alexandria,
VA 22350.
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
personal identifiers or contact
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To
request more information on this
proposed information collection or to
obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments,
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:39 Aug 27, 2012
Jkt 226001
please write to HQ AFSFC/SFOP,
ATTN: TSgt Heather M. Cain/TSgt
Janaea E. Warner,1517 Billy Mitchell
Blvd., Lackland AFB, TX 78236–0119,
or call SFOP, Security Forces Police
Services, at 210–925–5050/0266.
Title; Associated Form; and OMB
Number: Security Forces Management
Information System (SFMIS), AF Form
1199A, 1199B, 1199C, 1199D, USAF
Restricted Area Badge; AF Form 75,
Visitor Pass; AF 2586, Unescorted Entry
Authorization Certificate and OMB
Number 0701–TBD.
Needs and Uses: The Security Forces
Management Information System
(SFMIS) was developed primarily to
meet the Congressionally-mandated
Defense Incident-Based Reporting
System (DIBRS) requirements and
improve Air Force Security Forces dayto-day operations IAW 10 U.S.C. 8013,
Secretary of the Air Force; 18 U.S.C. 922
note, DoD Directive 5200.27, Air Force
Instruction 31–203, Security Forces
Management Information System; Air
Force Instruction 31–101, Integrated
Defense and E.O. 9397 (SSN), as
amended. SFMIS also provides
Restricted Area Badge creation and
Installation Access Control in those
cases where DBIDS is not fully
deployed.
The Pass & ID module in SFMIS
automated most of SF clerical tasks, a
majority of administrative tasks
formerly performed manually are now
done online via SFMIS, (i.e. AF Form
1199A, 1199B, 1199C, 1199D, USAF
Restricted Area Badge; AF Form 75,
Visitor Pass; AF 2586, Unescorted Entry
Authorization Certificate) which
document installation access and
restricted area.
Affected Public: Non-military
personnel (civilians) and contractors
business or other for profit; not-forprofit institutions.
Annual Burden Hours: 28,000.
Number of Respondents: 4.
Responses per Respondent: 28,000.
Annual Number of Responses:
112,000.
Average Burden per Response: 15
minutes.
Frequency: Daily.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summary of Information Collection
Respondents are DoD personnel
assigned to Security Forces units who
provide visitor passes for installation
access and restricted area badges for
controlled and restricted area access.
SFMIS maintains personal information
such as: Full names, Social Security
Numbers (SSN); date of birth, home
address, phone numbers, alias; race
ethnicity, sex, height, weight, eye hair
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51981
color, and any approved document
(must be a picture ID) that is accepted
as proof of identity, it must not be
expired and has to be valid. SFMIS
provides Restricted Area Badge creation
and Installation Access Control in those
cases where DBIDS is not fully
deployed.
The Badge/ID panel in the Pass & ID
Module is used to record restricted and
controlled area badges or identification
cards using the information collected on
the AF 2586. SFMIS will maintain an
inventory on the stored data and create
an Entry Authority List (EAL) or Master
Entry Authority List (MEAL). SFMIS
also prints restricted area badges,
maintains the inventory and prints a
destruction certificate for destroyed
restricted area badges.
This Visitor Pass panel in the Pass &
ID Module is used to complete visitor
pass requests and view and print the AF
Form 75. An electronic signature pad
can be set up with SFMIS to capture the
visitor’s electronic signature. Visitor
passes can be completed two different
ways. First, SF personnel can create a
new visitor pass for a customer by
entering the visitor’s information into
the system. Secondly, SF personnel can
search the system for a pending web
registration or kiosk request; select the
name in the search results grid and it
will populate the panel with the
existing information. Visitor passes are
stored in SFMIS for a 90 day period.
During these 90 days, previously issued
visitor passes can be recalled. Visitor
passes may be recalled as an
investigative tool or it can be used to
issue a new pass based on the previous
information.
Dated: August 22, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012–21098 Filed 8–27–12; 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 on
the Construction and Operation of the
Everglades Agricultural Area A1 Flow
Equalization Basin, Palm Beach
County, FL
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
AGENCY:
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
28AUN1
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
51982
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 167 / Tuesday, August 28, 2012 / Notices
District, is in the preapplication phase
of its evaluation of the anticipated
application from the South Florida
Water Management District (SFWMD)
for a U.S. Department of the Army (DA)
permit under Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act for construction and
operation of a Flow Equalization Basin
(FEB) at the location of the Everglades
Agricultural Area (EAA) A1 Reservoir
project that was not fully constructed.
The USACE regulates the discharge of
dredged or fill material into Waters of
the United States, including
jurisdictional ditches and/or wetlands,
associated with construction of any
proposed action. The USACE
anticipates a decision on the proposed
activities would constitute a Major
Federal Action in accordance with 40
CFR Section 1501.8. Based on the size
of the project area, the current purpose
for the site, and the potential
environmental impacts, both
individually and cumulatively, of the
anticipated Proposed Action, the
USACE intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to inform
any final decision on the permit
application. The USACE’s decision will
be to either issue, issue with
modifications to the applicant’s
proposal, or deny Department of the
Army permits for the Proposed Action.
The Draft EIS is intended to be
sufficient in scope to address federal
and other requirements and
environmental issues concerning the
Proposed Action to support the Corps
determination whether to issue a
Section 404 permit. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.
EPA) and the U.S. Department of
Interior (U.S. DOI) will be offered the
option of being a cooperating agency on
the EIS.
DATES: The USACE plans to hold a
public scoping meeting September 6,
2012, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time (EST).
ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting
will be held at 3301 Gun Club Road,
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the Proposed Action
and Draft EIS should be directed to Ms.
Alisa Zarbo, (561) 472–3516 or by email
at Alisa.A.Zarbo@usace.army.mil.
Written comments should be addressed
to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Attn: Ms. Alisa Zarbo, 4400 PGA
Boulevard, Suite 500, Palm Beach
Gardens, FL, 33410, or by facsimile at
(561) 626–6971.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:39 Aug 27, 2012
Jkt 226001
a. Background/Project Authorization.
The USACE is preparing this Draft EIS
in accordance with NEPA, Council of on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
Regulations (40 CFR part1500 et seq.),
and USACE provisions for
implementing the procedural
requirements of NEPA (33 CFR part 230,
USACE Engineering Regulation ER 200–
2–2). A primary purpose of a USACE
Regulatory Program EIS is to provide a
comnprehensive discussion of the
significant environmental impacts of a
proposal or project that may be the
subject of a DA permit. The Draft EIS
and Final EIS are used to inform the
public and agency decision-makers of
alternatives to an applicant’s project and
opportunities to avoid or minimize
adverse impacts or enhance the quality
of the human environment. The EIS is
not a USACE regulatory decision
document. It is used by agency officials
in conjunction with other relevant
information in a permit application file,
including public and agency comments
presented in the Final EIS, to inform the
final decision on a permit application.
In this instance, the SFWMD intends to
submit a permit application to construct
and operate a FEB on the site previously
intended for the EAA A1 Reservoir
known as the A1 Site. The purpose of
the proposed action is to assist in
meeting State of Florida water quality
standards by attenuating peak
stormwater flows and temporarily
storing stormwater runoff from the
central EAA which will improve inflow
delivery rates to Stormwater Treatment
Area (STA) 2 (including Compartment
B) and STA 3/4. This project is
anticipated to result in increased
phosphorus removal performance in
these STAs in order to meet State water
quality standards.
b. Need or Purpose. The purpose of
the proposed action is to attenuate peak
stormwater flows into Stormwater
Treatment Areas 2 and 3/4 to assist in
meeting State water quality standards.
c. Prior EAs, EISs. In 2006, an EIS was
completed for the A1 Reservoir site,
which is expected to have the same
footprint as the A1 FEB site; however,
the project purpose and intended use for
the A1 FEB is different. This Draft EIS
will include the project purpose,
evaluation of the FEB and its potential
effects, evaluation of alternatives,
relevant history and data, an evaluation
of downstream effects based on current
state of the environment with the FEB,
and a jurisdictional determination.
d. Alternatives. An evaluation of
alternatives to the proposed FEB project,
including a No Action alternative will
be performed. The Draft EIS will
analyze reasonable alternatives to meet
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the project purpose and need.
Alternatives will be determined through
scoping, but are expected to include at
a minimum the A1 Reservoir in addition
to a ‘‘no action’’ alternative.
e. Issues. The following issues have
been identified for analysis in the Draft
EIS. This list is preliminary and is
intended to facilitate public comment
on the scope of the Draft EIS. The Draft
EIS will consider the effects on
Federally listed threatened and
endangered species, health and safety,
socioeconomics, aesthetics, general
environmental concerns, wetlands (and
other aquatic resources), historic
properties, cultural resources, fish and
wildlife values, land use, transportation,
recreation, water supply and
conservation, water quality, energy
needs, mineral needs, considerations of
property ownership, and, in general, the
needs and welfare of the people, and
other issues identified through scoping,
public involvement, and interagency
coordination. At the present time, our
primary areas of environmental concern
are the loss of wetland functions and
value, mitigation of such losses, the
improvements in the downstream
timing and delivery of water, and water
quality. We expect to better define the
issues of concern and define the
methods that will be used to evaluate
those issues through the scoping
comment period.
f. Scoping Process. CEQ regulations
(40 CFR 1501.7) require an early and
open process for determining the scope
of a Draft EIS and for identifying
significant issues related to the
proposed action.
The Corps is furnishing this notice to
advise other Federal and State agencies,
affected federally recognized Tribes, and
the public of our intentions. This notice
announces the initiation of a 30-day
scoping period which requests the
public’s involvement in the scoping and
evaluation process of the Draft EIS.
Stakeholders will be notified through
advertisements, public notices and other
means. All parties who express interest
will be given an opportunity to
participate in this process. The process
allows the Corps to obtain suggestions
and information on the scope of issues
and an opportunity to provide
reasonable alternatives to be included in
the Draft EIS. (See DATES and ADDRESSES
for meeting schedules)
g. Public Involvement. The USACE
invites Federal agencies, American
Indian Tribal Nations, state and local
governments, and other interested
private organizations and parties to
attend the public scooping meeting and
to provide comments in order to ensure
that all significant issues are identified
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
28AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 167 / Tuesday, August 28, 2012 / Notices
and the full range of issues related to the
permit request are addressed.
h. Coordination. The proposed action
is being coordinated with a number of
Federal, state, regional, and local
agencies including but not limited to the
following: U.S. DOI, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, U.S. National Marine
Fisheries Service, U.S. EPA, Florida
Department of Environmental
Protection, the federally recognized
Native American Indian Tribes, Florida
State Historic Preservation Officer, Palm
Beach County, and other agencies as
identified in scoping, public
involvement, and agency coordination.
i. Agency Role. The Corps will be the
lead agency for the EIS. The U.S. EPA
and the U.S. DOI will be asked to be
cooperating agencies. The Corps expects
to receive input and critical information
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
U.S. EPA, and other federal, state, and
local agencies.
k. A1 FEB Draft EIS Preparation. It is
estimated that the Draft EIS will be
available to the public on or about
December 2012. A Notice of Availability
will be issued which will open the
public comment period. Comments will
be accepted during the Draft EIS public
comment period which will last at least
30 days.
Dated: August 21, 2012.
Donald W. Kinard,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2012–21186 Filed 8–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
President’s Advisory Commission on
Educational Excellence for Hispanics
U.S. Department of Education,
White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanics.
ACTION: Notice of an Open Conference
Call Meeting.
AGENCY:
This notice sets forth the
announcement of a conference call
meeting of the President’s Advisory
Commission on Educational Excellence
for Hispanics. The notice also describes
the functions of the Commission. Notice
of the meeting is required by section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act and is intended to notify
the public of this meeting.
DATES: Friday, September 7, 2012.
Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time.
Conference Call Number/ID: (712)
432–3900/ID—391333 (Listen-Only).
ADDRESSES: For members of the public
who wish to convene in person and
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:39 Aug 27, 2012
Jkt 226001
listen to the conference call meeting,
please arrive at the U.S. Department of
Education, Lyndon Baines Johnson
Building, Room 1W103, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Washington, DC, no later
than 3:30 p.m. Please RSVP to
WhiteHouseforHispanicEducation
@ed.gov by Thursday, September 6,
2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marco A. Davis, Deputy Director, White
House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanics, 400 Maryland
Ave. SW., Room 4W110, Washington,
DC 20202; telephone: 202–453–7023.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
President’s Advisory Commission on
Educational Excellence for Hispanics
(the Commission) is established by
Executive Order 13555 (Oct. 19, 2010).
The Commission is governed by the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA), (Pub. L. 92–463;
as amended, 5 U.S.C.A., Appendix 2)
which sets forth standards for the
formation and use of advisory
committees. The purpose of the
Commission is to advise the President
and the Secretary of Education
(Secretary) on all matters pertaining to
the education attainment of the
Hispanic community.
The Commission shall advise the
President and the Secretary in the
following areas: (i) Developing,
implementing, and coordinating
educational programs and initiatives at
the Department and other agencies to
improve educational opportunities and
outcomes for Hispanics of all ages; (ii)
increasing the participation of the
Hispanic community and HispanicServing Institutions in the Department’s
programs and in education programs at
other agencies; (iii) engaging the
philanthropic, business, nonprofit, and
education communities in a national
dialogue regarding the mission and
objectives of this order; (iv) establishing
partnerships with public, private,
philanthropic, and nonprofit
stakeholders to meet the mission and
policy objectives of this order.
Agenda:
The Commission will discuss the
activities of its subcommittees and
identify next steps.
Please be advised that members of the
public will be able to listen only to the
conference call meeting. There will not
be an opportunity for public comment
during this meeting due to time
constraints. However, members of the
public may submit written comments
related to the work of the Commission
via WhiteHouseforHispanicEducation
@ed.gov no later than September 5,
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51983
2012. A recording of this meeting will
be posted on the Commission’s Web
page at https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/
list/hispanic-initiative/ no
later than Sep. 14, 2012.
Records are kept of all Commission
proceedings and are available for public
inspection at the office of the White
House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanics, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Ave. SW., Room 4W108, Washington,
DC, 20202, Monday through Friday
(excluding federal holidays) during the
hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Electronic Access to the Document:
You may view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at:
www.ed.gov/fedregister/. To
use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is available free at this
site. For questions about using PDF, call
the U.S. Government Printing Office
(GPO), toll free at 1–866–512–1830; or
in the Washington, DC, area at 202–512–
0000.
Dated: August 23, 2012.
Martha Kanter,
Under Secretary, U.S. Department of
Education.
[FR Doc. 2012–21230 Filed 8–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy
Availability of Department of Energy
EV Everywhere Grand Challenge Initial
Framing Document and Request for
Public Comment
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for public comment.
AGENCY:
The EV Everywhere Grand
Challenge is a U.S. Department of
Energy ‘‘Clean Energy Grand Challenge’’
with the goal of enabling U.S.
companies to be the first in the world
to produce plug-in electric vehicles
(PEVs) that are as affordable and
convenient for the average American
family as today’s gasoline-powered
vehicles within the next 10 years.
President Obama announced the EV
Everywhere Challenge on March 7, 2012.
The EV Everywhere Initial Framing
Document (framing document) has been
developed as a principal means of
facilitating stakeholder engagement in
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28AUN1.SGM
28AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51981-51983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21186]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement on the Construction and Operation of the Everglades
Agricultural Area A1 Flow Equalization Basin, Palm Beach County, FL
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville
[[Page 51982]]
District, is in the preapplication phase of its evaluation of the
anticipated application from the South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD) for a U.S. Department of the Army (DA) permit under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for construction and operation of a
Flow Equalization Basin (FEB) at the location of the Everglades
Agricultural Area (EAA) A1 Reservoir project that was not fully
constructed. The USACE regulates the discharge of dredged or fill
material into Waters of the United States, including jurisdictional
ditches and/or wetlands, associated with construction of any proposed
action. The USACE anticipates a decision on the proposed activities
would constitute a Major Federal Action in accordance with 40 CFR
Section 1501.8. Based on the size of the project area, the current
purpose for the site, and the potential environmental impacts, both
individually and cumulatively, of the anticipated Proposed Action, the
USACE intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to inform any final decision on the permit
application. The USACE's decision will be to either issue, issue with
modifications to the applicant's proposal, or deny Department of the
Army permits for the Proposed Action.
The Draft EIS is intended to be sufficient in scope to address
federal and other requirements and environmental issues concerning the
Proposed Action to support the Corps determination whether to issue a
Section 404 permit. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
and the U.S. Department of Interior (U.S. DOI) will be offered the
option of being a cooperating agency on the EIS.
DATES: The USACE plans to hold a public scoping meeting September 6,
2012, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting will be held at 3301 Gun Club
Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33406.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the Proposed Action
and Draft EIS should be directed to Ms. Alisa Zarbo, (561) 472-3516 or
by email at Alisa.A.Zarbo@usace.army.mil. Written comments should be
addressed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: Ms. Alisa Zarbo,
4400 PGA Boulevard, Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 33410, or by
facsimile at (561) 626-6971.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
a. Background/Project Authorization. The USACE is preparing this
Draft EIS in accordance with NEPA, Council of on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR part1500 et seq.), and USACE provisions for
implementing the procedural requirements of NEPA (33 CFR part 230,
USACE Engineering Regulation ER 200-2-2). A primary purpose of a USACE
Regulatory Program EIS is to provide a comnprehensive discussion of the
significant environmental impacts of a proposal or project that may be
the subject of a DA permit. The Draft EIS and Final EIS are used to
inform the public and agency decision-makers of alternatives to an
applicant's project and opportunities to avoid or minimize adverse
impacts or enhance the quality of the human environment. The EIS is not
a USACE regulatory decision document. It is used by agency officials in
conjunction with other relevant information in a permit application
file, including public and agency comments presented in the Final EIS,
to inform the final decision on a permit application. In this instance,
the SFWMD intends to submit a permit application to construct and
operate a FEB on the site previously intended for the EAA A1 Reservoir
known as the A1 Site. The purpose of the proposed action is to assist
in meeting State of Florida water quality standards by attenuating peak
stormwater flows and temporarily storing stormwater runoff from the
central EAA which will improve inflow delivery rates to Stormwater
Treatment Area (STA) 2 (including Compartment B) and STA 3/4. This
project is anticipated to result in increased phosphorus removal
performance in these STAs in order to meet State water quality
standards.
b. Need or Purpose. The purpose of the proposed action is to
attenuate peak stormwater flows into Stormwater Treatment Areas 2 and
3/4 to assist in meeting State water quality standards.
c. Prior EAs, EISs. In 2006, an EIS was completed for the A1
Reservoir site, which is expected to have the same footprint as the A1
FEB site; however, the project purpose and intended use for the A1 FEB
is different. This Draft EIS will include the project purpose,
evaluation of the FEB and its potential effects, evaluation of
alternatives, relevant history and data, an evaluation of downstream
effects based on current state of the environment with the FEB, and a
jurisdictional determination.
d. Alternatives. An evaluation of alternatives to the proposed FEB
project, including a No Action alternative will be performed. The Draft
EIS will analyze reasonable alternatives to meet the project purpose
and need. Alternatives will be determined through scoping, but are
expected to include at a minimum the A1 Reservoir in addition to a ``no
action'' alternative.
e. Issues. The following issues have been identified for analysis
in the Draft EIS. This list is preliminary and is intended to
facilitate public comment on the scope of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS
will consider the effects on Federally listed threatened and endangered
species, health and safety, socioeconomics, aesthetics, general
environmental concerns, wetlands (and other aquatic resources),
historic properties, cultural resources, fish and wildlife values, land
use, transportation, recreation, water supply and conservation, water
quality, energy needs, mineral needs, considerations of property
ownership, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people, and
other issues identified through scoping, public involvement, and
interagency coordination. At the present time, our primary areas of
environmental concern are the loss of wetland functions and value,
mitigation of such losses, the improvements in the downstream timing
and delivery of water, and water quality. We expect to better define
the issues of concern and define the methods that will be used to
evaluate those issues through the scoping comment period.
f. Scoping Process. CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) require an
early and open process for determining the scope of a Draft EIS and for
identifying significant issues related to the proposed action.
The Corps is furnishing this notice to advise other Federal and
State agencies, affected federally recognized Tribes, and the public of
our intentions. This notice announces the initiation of a 30-day
scoping period which requests the public's involvement in the scoping
and evaluation process of the Draft EIS. Stakeholders will be notified
through advertisements, public notices and other means. All parties who
express interest will be given an opportunity to participate in this
process. The process allows the Corps to obtain suggestions and
information on the scope of issues and an opportunity to provide
reasonable alternatives to be included in the Draft EIS. (See DATES and
ADDRESSES for meeting schedules)
g. Public Involvement. The USACE invites Federal agencies, American
Indian Tribal Nations, state and local governments, and other
interested private organizations and parties to attend the public
scooping meeting and to provide comments in order to ensure that all
significant issues are identified
[[Page 51983]]
and the full range of issues related to the permit request are
addressed.
h. Coordination. The proposed action is being coordinated with a
number of Federal, state, regional, and local agencies including but
not limited to the following: U.S. DOI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. EPA, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, the federally recognized Native American
Indian Tribes, Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, Palm Beach
County, and other agencies as identified in scoping, public
involvement, and agency coordination.
i. Agency Role. The Corps will be the lead agency for the EIS. The
U.S. EPA and the U.S. DOI will be asked to be cooperating agencies. The
Corps expects to receive input and critical information from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. EPA, and other federal, state, and
local agencies.
k. A1 FEB Draft EIS Preparation. It is estimated that the Draft EIS
will be available to the public on or about December 2012. A Notice of
Availability will be issued which will open the public comment period.
Comments will be accepted during the Draft EIS public comment period
which will last at least 30 days.
Dated: August 21, 2012.
Donald W. Kinard,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-21186 Filed 8-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
