Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed Modification of the Bayonne Bridge Across the Kill Van Kull Between Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey and Staten Island, Richmond County, New York, 28873-28875 [2013-11627]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 95 / Thursday, May 16, 2013 / Notices
individual certifying his/her agreement
for you to access his/her records.
Without the above information, the
component(s) may not be able to
conduct an effective search, and your
request may be denied due to lack of
specificity or lack of compliance with
applicable regulations.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
See ‘‘Notification procedure’’ above.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
See ‘‘Notification procedure’’ above.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG–2012–1091]
Availability of Final Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for the Proposed
Modification of the Bayonne Bridge
Across the Kill Van Kull Between
Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey
and Staten Island, Richmond County,
New York
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
ACTION:
Records in the system are supplied by
several sources. In general, information
is obtained from federal, state, local,
tribal, or foreign governments. More
specifically, DHS/ICE–014 records are
derived from the following sources: (a)
other federal, state, local, tribal, or
foreign governments and government
information systems; and (b) evidence,
contraband, and other seized material.
SUMMARY:
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
The Secretary of Homeland Security,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2), has
exempted this system from the
following provisions of the Privacy Act
5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (c)(4); (d); (e)(1),
(e)(2), (e)(3), (e)(4)(G), (e)(4)(H), (e)(4)(I),
(e)(5), (e)(8), (f); and (g). Additionally,
the Secretary of Homeland Security,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2), has
exempted this system from the
following provisions of the Privacy Act:
5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3); (d); (e)(1), (e)(4)(G),
(e)(4)(H), (e)(4)(I); and (f). Where a
record received from another system has
been exempted in that source system
under 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2), DHS will
claim the same exemptions for those
records that are claimed for the original
primary systems of records from which
they originated and claims any
additional exemptions in accordance
with this rule.
Dated: April 22, 2013.
Jonathan R. Cantor,
Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2013–11722 Filed 5–15–13; 8:45 am]
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This notice announces the
availability of a Final Environmental
Assessment (Final EA) which examines
the reasonably foreseeable
environmental impacts and socioeconomic impacts of the proposed
modification of the historic Bayonne
Bridge across the Kill Van Kull between
Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island,
New York. This notice also announces
the availability of the Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI). Because the
Bayonne Bridge is a structure over
navigable waters of the United States,
the proposed bridge modification
requires a Coast Guard Bridge Permit
Amendment. This notice provides
information on where to view the Final
EA and FONSI, which consider an
application by the Port Authority of
New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) for
Coast Guard approval of the
modification to the Bayonne Bridge
across the Kill Van Kull.
ADDRESSES: We have provided a copy of
the Final EA and FONSI in our online
docket at https://www.regulations.gov.
Also, the Coast Guard First District
Bridge Office at 1 South Street Bldg 1,
New York, NY 10004–1466 will
maintain a printed copy of the Final EA
and FONSI for public viewing. The
document will be available for
inspection at this location between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The
document will also be available for
inspection in the locations shown in the
section below titled ‘‘Viewing the Final
EA and FONSI.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this notice, call
or email Christopher Bisignano, Bridge
Management Specialist, First Coast
Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard;
telephone 212–668–7165, email
Christopher.J.Bisignano@uscg.mil. If
you have questions on viewing material
on the docket, call Docket Operations at
202–366–9826.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The Final Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact have been prepared
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42
U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.); Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40
CFR 1500–1508) and associated CEQ
guidelines; Department of Homeland
Security Management Directive 5100.1,
Environmental Planning Program; and
United States Coast Guard Commandant
Instruction M16475.1D, National
Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Procedures and Policy for Considering
Environmental Impacts.
Viewing the Final EA and FONSI: To
view Final EA and FONSI go to
https://www.regulations.gov, insert
‘‘USCG–2012–1091’’ in the Search box,
press Enter, then click on the ‘‘Open
Docket Folder’’ option. If you do not
have access to the internet, you may
view the docket online by visiting the
Docket Management Facility in Room
W12–140 on the ground floor of the
Department of Transportation West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. We have an
agreement with the Department of
Transportation to use the Docket
Management Facility. The Final EA and
FONSI are also available online at
https://www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/
Bridges.asp, www.dhs.gov/nepa, and
https://www.panynj.gov/bayonnebridge/,
and are available from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except federal
holidays and as noted below), for
inspection at the following locations:
1. U.S. Coast Guard Battery Bldg, 1
South Street, Building 1, New York, NY
10004
2. U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York,
212 Coast Guard Drive, Staten Island,
NY 10305
3. Bayonne City Hall, 630 Avenue C,
Bayonne, NJ 07002
4. Staten Island Borough Hall, 10
Richmond Terrace, Room 100, Staten
Island, NY 10301
5. Bayonne Public Library, 630
Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002 (Also
available from 12 p.m.–5 p.m. on
Saturdays)
6. Port Richmond–NY Public Library,
75 Bennett Street, Staten Island, NY
10302 (Also available 12 p.m.–5 p.m. on
Thursdays and Saturdays)
7. Ironbound Community Corp, 317
Elm Street, Newark, NJ 07105
8. New York Assembly District 61,
853 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY
10301
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9. New Jersey Legislative District 31,
447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002
10. New York City Council District 49,
130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY
10301
11. Staten Island Community Board 1,
1 Edgewater Plaza, Room 217, Staten
Island, NY 10305
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the
electronic form of comments received
into any of our dockets by the name of
the individual submitting the comment
(or signing the comment, if submitted
on behalf of an association, business,
labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act, system of records notice
regarding our public dockets in the
January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal
Register (73 FR 3316).
Background and Purpose
Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey (PANYNJ) has proposed to
modify the Bayonne Bridge across
navigable waters of the United States by
raising the roadway thereby increasing
the vertical navigational clearance from
approximately 151 feet to 215 feet at
Mean High Water. A thorough
description of the project and how it
would be completed can be found at the
project’s Web site: https://
www.panynj.gov/bayonnebridge/.
The proposed bridge modification
project has been identified as a
nationally or regionally significant
project under ’’Implementing Executive
Order 13604 on Improving Performance
of Federal Permitting and Review of
Infrastructure Projects: A Federal Plan
for Modernizing the Federal Permitting
and Review Process for Better Projects,
Improved Environmental and
Community Outcomes, and Quicker
Decisions,’’ dated June 2012, which
requires agencies to identify and
expedite the permitting and
environmental review process for
regionally or nationally significant
infrastructure projects. The existing
Bayonne Bridge has a vertical
navigational clearance of approximately
151 feet above the Kill Van Kull at Mean
High Water. The applicant proposes to
increase the vertical navigational
clearance to approximately 215 feet
above the waterway at Mean High Water
to provide greater clearances to
accommodate larger, Post-Panamax
vessels and thereby ensure the longterm viability of the Port of New York
and New Jersey. Post-Panamax vessels
are wider and taller ships with deeper
drafts that will be able to traverse
through the Panama Canal once
improvements on the canal are
completed in 2014. The expanded
purpose of the Bayonne Bridge project
is to improve the substandard features
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and seismic stability of the existing
bridge and ensure it conforms to
modern highway and structural design
standards. In addition, the existing
bridge is eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Therefore, the Coast Guard initiated
consultation under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act. The
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation accepted the Coast Guard
invitation to participate in the Section
106 process. As a result, a Section 106
Programmatic Agreement was
formulated and then executed on May 7,
2013. The Section 106 Programmatic
Agreement has been included in the
Final EA.
The Coast Guard issued a NEPA
Workplan, dated September 2011,
which provided a discussion of the
project’s Purpose and Need, project
alternatives and the framework of the
environmental analysis. On October 31,
2011, the Coast Guard held a
coordination meeting with city, state
and federal agencies to discuss the
project’s scope and the NEPA Workplan.
On November 14, 2011, the Coast Guard
issued a solicitation requesting
comments from the general public for
the scope of the project and the NEPA
Workplan. Comments received
following the meeting and during the
solicitation comment period included
concerns from the U.S. Federal Highway
Administration, the Environmental
Protection Agency, various private
organizations and individuals, and
others regarding additional cargo
volumes due to larger ships entering the
Port of New York and New Jersey, the
expansion of the port and port facilities,
and the related impacts to air quality
and traffic. In response to these
comments, an Induced Demand
Analysis was conducted by an
independent source to study the impact
of the proposed action to those
communities surrounding the Port of
New York and New Jersey. Further
information regarding this analysis can
be found in Chapter 18 of the Final EA
and in Appendix I. In addition, the
Coast Guard met with representatives
from minority and low income
communities in Staten Island, NY and
Newark, NJ to explain the Coast Guard
bridge permit process and to ensure
those communities had a voice in the
public comment process.
On January 4, 2013, the Coast Guard
published a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the availability of
the Draft EA, inviting comments on it,
and announcing the dates and locations
of two public meetings on the Draft EA
(78 FR 740). On January 25, 2013, the
Coast Guard published a supplemental
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notice in the Federal Register
announcing the extension of the
comment period to 60 days, and a third
public meeting. Public meetings were
held on February 5, 2013, in Bayonne,
NJ, February 7, 2013, in Staten Island,
NY, and February 13, 2013, in Newark,
NJ. Based on the information received
during the 60-day public comment
period, and during the three public
meetings, the Coast Guard has
determined that a Final Environmental
Assessment is the most appropriate
level of environmental documentation
for this project. The Coast Guard has
determined that there are no significant
impacts and has issued a Finding of No
Significant Impact. The Final EA and
appendices and FONSI are available
online in the www.regulations.gov
docket as well as at https://
www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/
Bridges.asp.
Alternatives for the proposed project
considered include: (1) Taking no
action; (2) various build alternatives that
satisfy the purpose and need; (3) a
tunnel; (4) new cargo terminals
constructed downstream of the Bayonne
Bridge; and (5) a ferry service in lieu of
the bridge. Build alternatives included
raising the roadway within the existing
superstructure (preferred), jacking the
arch superstructure, converting to a lift
bridge, or constructing a new bridge.
As a structure over navigable waters
of the United States, it requires a Coast
Guard Bridge Permit Amendment
pursuant to the Bridge Act of March 23,
1906, as amended, Title 33 U.S.C. 491.
Additionally, the bridge permit
amendment would be the major federal
action in this undertaking since federal
funds will not be used, and therefore the
Department of Homeland Security,
through the Coast Guard is the federal
lead agency for review of potential
effects on the human environment,
including historic properties, pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.) and the National Historic
Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.
470 et seq.).
The Coast Guard, with assistance from
PANYNJ, has prepared a Final EA in
accordance with NEPA. See ‘‘Viewing
the Final EA and FONSI’’ above. The
Final EA identifies and examines the
reasonable alternatives (including ‘‘No
Build’’) and assesses the potential for
impact to the human environment,
including historic properties, of the
alternative proposals.
This notice is issued under the
authority of 5 U.S.C. 552 (a).
Additionally, the Final EA and FONSI
have been prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
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(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Council
on Environmental Quality Regulations
for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500–
1508) and associated CEQ guidelines;
Department of Homeland Security
Management Directive 5100.1,
Environmental Planning Program; and
United States Coast Guard Commandant
Instruction M16475.1D, National
Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Procedures and Policy for Considering
Environmental Impacts.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA);
97.046, Fire Management Assistance Grant;
97.048, Disaster Housing Assistance to
Individuals and Households in Presidentially
Declared Disaster Areas; 97.049,
Presidentially Declared Disaster Assistance—
Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals
and Households; 97.050 Presidentially
Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals
and Households—Other Needs; 97.036,
Disaster Grants—Public Assistance
(Presidentially Declared Disasters); 97.039,
Hazard Mitigation Grant.)
Dated: May 10, 2013.
Brian L. Dunn,
Administrator, Office of Bridge Programs,
U.S. Coast Guard.
W. Craig Fugate,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
[Docket ID FEMA–2013–0002]
[Internal Agency Docket No. FEMA–3363–
EM; Docket ID FEMA–2013–0001]
Texas; Amendment No. 2 to Notice of
an Emergency Declaration
Federal Emergency
Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice amends the notice
of an emergency declaration for the
State of Texas (FEMA–3363–EM), dated
April 19, 2013, and related
determinations.
Effective Date: May 6, 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Dean Webster, Office of Response and
Recovery, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 500 C Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–2833.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The notice
of an emergency declaration for the
State of Texas is hereby amended to
include the following area determined
to have been adversely affected by the
event declared an emergency by the
President in his declaration of April 19,
2013.
McLennan County for debris removal
(Category A) under the Public Assistance
program (already designated for the
Individuals and Households Program and
emergency protective measures [Category B],
including direct federal assistance, under the
Public Assistance program).
(The following Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Numbers (CFDA) are to be used
for reporting and drawing funds: 97.030,
Community Disaster Loans; 97.031, Cora
Brown Fund; 97.032, Crisis Counseling;
97.033, Disaster Legal Services; 97.034,
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Federal Emergency
Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Final notice.
AGENCY:
New or modified Base (1%
annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs),
base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard
Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone
designations, and/or the regulatory
floodway (hereinafter referred to as
flood hazard determinations) as shown
on the indicated Letter of Map Revision
(LOMR) for each of the communities
listed in the table below are finalized.
Each LOMR revises the Flood Insurance
Rate Maps (FIRMs), and in some cases
the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports,
currently in effect for the listed
communities. The flood hazard
determinations modified by each LOMR
will be used to calculate flood insurance
premium rates for new buildings and
their contents.
DATES: The effective date for each
LOMR is indicated in the table below.
ADDRESSES: Each LOMR is available for
inspection at both the respective
Community Map Repository address
listed in the table below and online
through the FEMA Map Service Center
at www.msc.fema.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Luis
Rodriguez, Chief, Engineering
Management Branch, Federal Insurance
and Mitigation Administration, FEMA,
500 C Street SW., Washington, DC
20472, (202) 646–4064, or (email)
Luis.Rodriguez3@fema.dhs.gov; or visit
SUMMARY:
SUMMARY:
DATES:
Changes in Flood Hazard
Determinations
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the FEMA Map Information eXchange
(FMIX) online at
www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/
fmx_main.html.
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) makes the final flood hazard
determinations as shown in the LOMRs
for each community listed in the table
below. Notice of these modified flood
hazard determinations has been
published in newspapers of local
circulation and ninety (90) days have
elapsed since that publication. The
Deputy Associate Administrator for
Mitigation has resolved any appeals
resulting from this notification.
The modified flood hazard
determinations are made pursuant to
section 206 of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973, 42 U.S.C. 4105,
and are in accordance with the National
Flood Insurance Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C.
4001 et seq., and with 44 CFR part 65.
For rating purposes, the currently
effective community number is shown
and must be used for all new policies
and renewals.
The new or modified flood hazard
determinations are the basis for the
floodplain management measures that
the community is required either to
adopt or to show evidence of being
already in effect in order to remain
qualified for participation in the
National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP).
These new or modified flood hazard
determinations, together with the
floodplain management criteria required
by 44 CFR 60.3, are the minimum that
are required. They should not be
construed to mean that the community
must change any existing ordinances
that are more stringent in their
floodplain management requirements.
The community may at any time enact
stricter requirements of its own or
pursuant to policies established by other
Federal, State, or regional entities.
These new or modified flood hazard
determinations are used to meet the
floodplain management requirements of
the NFIP and also are used to calculate
the appropriate flood insurance
premium rates for new buildings, and
for the contents in those buildings. The
changes in flood hazard determinations
are in accordance with 44 CFR 65.4.
Interested lessees and owners of real
property are encouraged to review the
final flood hazard information available
at the address cited below for each
community or online through the FEMA
Map Service Center at
www.msc.fema.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28873-28875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11627]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2012-1091]
Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for the Proposed Modification of the Bayonne Bridge
Across the Kill Van Kull Between Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey and
Staten Island, Richmond County, New York
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a Final
Environmental Assessment (Final EA) which examines the reasonably
foreseeable environmental impacts and socio-economic impacts of the
proposed modification of the historic Bayonne Bridge across the Kill
Van Kull between Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. This
notice also announces the availability of the Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI). Because the Bayonne Bridge is a structure over
navigable waters of the United States, the proposed bridge modification
requires a Coast Guard Bridge Permit Amendment. This notice provides
information on where to view the Final EA and FONSI, which consider an
application by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) for
Coast Guard approval of the modification to the Bayonne Bridge across
the Kill Van Kull.
ADDRESSES: We have provided a copy of the Final EA and FONSI in our
online docket at https://www.regulations.gov. Also, the Coast Guard
First District Bridge Office at 1 South Street Bldg 1, New York, NY
10004-1466 will maintain a printed copy of the Final EA and FONSI for
public viewing. The document will be available for inspection at this
location between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. The document will also be available for inspection in
the locations shown in the section below titled ``Viewing the Final EA
and FONSI.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
call or email Christopher Bisignano, Bridge Management Specialist,
First Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 212-668-7165,
email Christopher.J.Bisignano@uscg.mil. If you have questions on
viewing material on the docket, call Docket Operations at 202-366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact have been prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.); Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR
1500-1508) and associated CEQ guidelines; Department of Homeland
Security Management Directive 5100.1, Environmental Planning Program;
and United States Coast Guard Commandant Instruction M16475.1D,
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures and Policy
for Considering Environmental Impacts.
Viewing the Final EA and FONSI: To view Final EA and FONSI go to
https://www.regulations.gov, insert ``USCG-2012-1091'' in the Search
box, press Enter, then click on the ``Open Docket Folder'' option. If
you do not have access to the internet, you may view the docket online
by visiting the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the
ground floor of the Department of Transportation West Building, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an agreement
with the Department of Transportation to use the Docket Management
Facility. The Final EA and FONSI are also available online at https://www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/Bridges.asp, www.dhs.gov/nepa, and https://www.panynj.gov/bayonnebridge/, and are available from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except federal holidays and as noted below), for
inspection at the following locations:
1. U.S. Coast Guard Battery Bldg, 1 South Street, Building 1, New
York, NY 10004
2. U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York, 212 Coast Guard Drive, Staten
Island, NY 10305
3. Bayonne City Hall, 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002
4. Staten Island Borough Hall, 10 Richmond Terrace, Room 100,
Staten Island, NY 10301
5. Bayonne Public Library, 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002 (Also
available from 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays)
6. Port Richmond-NY Public Library, 75 Bennett Street, Staten
Island, NY 10302 (Also available 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Thursdays and
Saturdays)
7. Ironbound Community Corp, 317 Elm Street, Newark, NJ 07105
8. New York Assembly District 61, 853 Forest Avenue, Staten Island,
NY 10301
[[Page 28874]]
9. New Jersey Legislative District 31, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ
07002
10. New York City Council District 49, 130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten
Island, NY 10301
11. Staten Island Community Board 1, 1 Edgewater Plaza, Room 217,
Staten Island, NY 10305
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
Background and Purpose
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has proposed to
modify the Bayonne Bridge across navigable waters of the United States
by raising the roadway thereby increasing the vertical navigational
clearance from approximately 151 feet to 215 feet at Mean High Water. A
thorough description of the project and how it would be completed can
be found at the project's Web site: https://www.panynj.gov/bayonnebridge/.
The proposed bridge modification project has been identified as a
nationally or regionally significant project under ''Implementing
Executive Order 13604 on Improving Performance of Federal Permitting
and Review of Infrastructure Projects: A Federal Plan for Modernizing
the Federal Permitting and Review Process for Better Projects, Improved
Environmental and Community Outcomes, and Quicker Decisions,'' dated
June 2012, which requires agencies to identify and expedite the
permitting and environmental review process for regionally or
nationally significant infrastructure projects. The existing Bayonne
Bridge has a vertical navigational clearance of approximately 151 feet
above the Kill Van Kull at Mean High Water. The applicant proposes to
increase the vertical navigational clearance to approximately 215 feet
above the waterway at Mean High Water to provide greater clearances to
accommodate larger, Post-Panamax vessels and thereby ensure the long-
term viability of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Post-Panamax
vessels are wider and taller ships with deeper drafts that will be able
to traverse through the Panama Canal once improvements on the canal are
completed in 2014. The expanded purpose of the Bayonne Bridge project
is to improve the substandard features and seismic stability of the
existing bridge and ensure it conforms to modern highway and structural
design standards. In addition, the existing bridge is eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, the
Coast Guard initiated consultation under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act. The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation accepted the Coast Guard invitation to participate in the
Section 106 process. As a result, a Section 106 Programmatic Agreement
was formulated and then executed on May 7, 2013. The Section 106
Programmatic Agreement has been included in the Final EA.
The Coast Guard issued a NEPA Workplan, dated September 2011, which
provided a discussion of the project's Purpose and Need, project
alternatives and the framework of the environmental analysis. On
October 31, 2011, the Coast Guard held a coordination meeting with
city, state and federal agencies to discuss the project's scope and the
NEPA Workplan. On November 14, 2011, the Coast Guard issued a
solicitation requesting comments from the general public for the scope
of the project and the NEPA Workplan. Comments received following the
meeting and during the solicitation comment period included concerns
from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental
Protection Agency, various private organizations and individuals, and
others regarding additional cargo volumes due to larger ships entering
the Port of New York and New Jersey, the expansion of the port and port
facilities, and the related impacts to air quality and traffic. In
response to these comments, an Induced Demand Analysis was conducted by
an independent source to study the impact of the proposed action to
those communities surrounding the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Further information regarding this analysis can be found in Chapter 18
of the Final EA and in Appendix I. In addition, the Coast Guard met
with representatives from minority and low income communities in Staten
Island, NY and Newark, NJ to explain the Coast Guard bridge permit
process and to ensure those communities had a voice in the public
comment process.
On January 4, 2013, the Coast Guard published a notice in the
Federal Register announcing the availability of the Draft EA, inviting
comments on it, and announcing the dates and locations of two public
meetings on the Draft EA (78 FR 740). On January 25, 2013, the Coast
Guard published a supplemental notice in the Federal Register
announcing the extension of the comment period to 60 days, and a third
public meeting. Public meetings were held on February 5, 2013, in
Bayonne, NJ, February 7, 2013, in Staten Island, NY, and February 13,
2013, in Newark, NJ. Based on the information received during the 60-
day public comment period, and during the three public meetings, the
Coast Guard has determined that a Final Environmental Assessment is the
most appropriate level of environmental documentation for this project.
The Coast Guard has determined that there are no significant impacts
and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact. The Final EA and
appendices and FONSI are available online in the www.regulations.gov
docket as well as at https://www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/Bridges.asp.
Alternatives for the proposed project considered include: (1)
Taking no action; (2) various build alternatives that satisfy the
purpose and need; (3) a tunnel; (4) new cargo terminals constructed
downstream of the Bayonne Bridge; and (5) a ferry service in lieu of
the bridge. Build alternatives included raising the roadway within the
existing superstructure (preferred), jacking the arch superstructure,
converting to a lift bridge, or constructing a new bridge.
As a structure over navigable waters of the United States, it
requires a Coast Guard Bridge Permit Amendment pursuant to the Bridge
Act of March 23, 1906, as amended, Title 33 U.S.C. 491. Additionally,
the bridge permit amendment would be the major federal action in this
undertaking since federal funds will not be used, and therefore the
Department of Homeland Security, through the Coast Guard is the federal
lead agency for review of potential effects on the human environment,
including historic properties, pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the
National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
The Coast Guard, with assistance from PANYNJ, has prepared a Final
EA in accordance with NEPA. See ``Viewing the Final EA and FONSI''
above. The Final EA identifies and examines the reasonable alternatives
(including ``No Build'') and assesses the potential for impact to the
human environment, including historic properties, of the alternative
proposals.
This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552 (a).
Additionally, the Final EA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act
[[Page 28875]]
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508) and associated CEQ
guidelines; Department of Homeland Security Management Directive
5100.1, Environmental Planning Program; and United States Coast Guard
Commandant Instruction M16475.1D, National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental
Impacts.
Dated: May 10, 2013.
Brian L. Dunn,
Administrator, Office of Bridge Programs, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2013-11627 Filed 5-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
