Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Dam Safety Modification Study Report for the Cherry Creek Project, Arapahoe County, Colorado, 76288-76289 [2013-29984]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2013 / Notices
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EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
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[FR Doc. 2013–29969 Filed 12–16–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and
Dam Safety Modification Study Report
for the Cherry Creek Project, Arapahoe
County, Colorado
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers; DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Omaha District (Corps)
intends to prepare a draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the federal action to remediate dam
safety concerns at Cherry Creek Dam.
The dam safety concerns are primarily
related to a hydrologic deficiency
resulting from an extreme precipitation
event and the large population that
could be affected by such an event.
Cherry Creek Dam and Lake is located
on Cherry Creek, 11.4 miles upstream of
its confluence with the South Platte
River, in Aurora, Colorado (southeast
Denver metropolitan area). The
remediation actions will be identified
through a Dam Safety Modification
Study (DSMS) being conducted in
accordance with Corps policy as
described in Engineering Regulation
1110–2–1156 ‘‘Safety of Dams—Policy
and Procedures.’’
ADDRESSES: Omaha District Corps of
Engineers, 1616 Capitol Ave, Omaha,
NE 68102–4926 (Attn: Margaret Oldham
CENWO–PAO).
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SUMMARY:
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14:45 Dec 16, 2013
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Current and archival information
regarding Cherry Creek Dam may be
obtained by contacting the Omaha
District. The point of contact is Margaret
Oldham, Phone: (402) 995–2416; email:
Margaret.E.Oldham@usace.army.mil.
Questions or comments regarding the
upcoming studies at Cherry Creek Dam
should also be directed to Ms. Oldham.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background Information. The
Cherry Creek Dam project was
authorized in the 1940s for the primary
purpose of protecting the city of Denver
against floods from Cherry Creek. The
dam is located in a densely populated
area and provides flood protection to
over 200,000 people. Starting in 2005,
the Corps sought to better categorize the
risk at all of its dams. Risk considers
both the probability and consequences
of a dam failure. Cherry Creek Dam
received an elevated risk rating
primarily because of the hydraulic
deficiency resulting from an extreme
precipitation event and the large
population which is protected by the
dam. Estimation of extreme
precipitation events is based on the
Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP)
for a given location. A PMP is an
extremely rare event and is defined as
the maximum amount of precipitation
that could occur if all meteorological
elements were optimal to allow a perfect
environment for forming precipitation.
The resulting stream flow from a PMP
is a flood defined as the Probable
Maximum Flood (PMF).
Multiple past studies have indicated
that Cherry Creek may not be able to
adequately pass a PMF event.
Hydrologic deficiency issues associated
with Cherry Creek Dam were initially
brought to light in 1970 after the
National Weather Service (NWS)
completed a site-specific PMP study of
the upper South Platte River basin for
the design of Chatfield Dam (a nearby
dam on the South Platte River).
Applying the 1970 PMP criteria to the
Cherry Creek basin resulted in a larger
stream flow than used in the project’s
original design and indicated the dam
had a potential hydrologic deficiency.
Since 1970, the NWS and the Corps
have completed several PMP and PMF
estimates including a Cherry Creek
basin, site-specific PMP study
completed by the NWS in 1995.
Applying the current estimate of the
PMF, which is also based on the 1995
PMP study, Cherry Creek Dam has a
hydrologic deficiency even if the pool
elevation at the start of the PMF was at
normal operating levels.
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Sfmt 4703
Because of the risk rating, Omaha
District completed an Issue Evaluation
Study (IES) in 2011 to further evaluate
Cherry Creek Dam’s safety issues and
corresponding risk. The IES findings
were presented to a Senior Oversight
Group (SOG) appointed by the Corps’
Headquarters. The SOG reviewed the
IES and confirmed the risk rating for the
dam. Omaha District was directed to
proceed into a DSMS, which is
currently under way, with the task of
defining in detail the risk associated
with the Cherry Creek Dam’s safety
issues and assessing possible options for
mitigating the risk. Those options may
include federal actions which will be
the subject of the EIS.
2. Remediation Alternatives. The draft
EIS will address an array of remediation
alternatives that could reduce the risk of
life loss, extensive downstream damage,
functional loss of the project, and the
loss of all project benefits. The nature
and extent of the remediation
alternatives will be determined based on
the results of on-going engineering
studies, public and agency input during
the scoping period, and preparation of
the draft EIS.
3. Issues To Be Addressed. The draft
EIS will address environmental issues
concerning the remediation alternatives
proposed. Issues will be identified
based on public input during the
scoping process and during preparation
of the draft EIS. Environmental issues
initially identified as potentially
significant include, but are not limited
to: hydrology and water quality, noise
and vibration, air quality,
socioeconomics, water supply, land use,
recreation, visual and aesthetic
resources, traffic and transportation,
historical and cultural resources,
vegetation and wildlife, special status
species, and fisheries.
4. Public Involvement. Public scoping
meetings will be held in 2014 at specific
locations to be announced within the
local Cherry Creek Dam project area.
The purpose of the public scoping
meetings will be to present information
to the public regarding the array of
remediation alternatives that may be
addressed in the draft EIS, receive
public comments, and solicit input
regarding dam safety issues,
remediation alternatives to consider,
and environmental issues of concern to
the public. These meetings are intended
to initiate the process to involve
concerned individuals, and local, state,
and federal agencies. The public
scoping meeting place, date, and time
will be advertised in advance in local
newspapers, and meeting
announcement letters will be sent to
interested parties.
E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2013 / Notices
5. Availability of the Draft EIS. The
Corps intends to issue the draft EIS in
the 2015/2016 time frame. The Corps
will announce availability of the draft
EIS in the Federal Register and other
media, and will provide the public,
organizations, and agencies with an
opportunity to submit comments to be
addressed in the final EIS.
Dated: December 4, 2013.
John Palensky,
Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2013–29984 Filed 12–16–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED–2013–IES–0151]
Request for Information To Gather
Technical Expertise Pertaining to Data
Elements, Metrics, Data Collection,
Weighting, Scoring, and Presentation
of a Postsecondary Institution Ratings
System
National Center for Education
Statistics, Institute of Education
Sciences, Department of Education.
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
To assist the Department of
Education (Department) in its efforts to
develop a Postsecondary Institution
Ratings System (PIRS), the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
invites the submission of information
about data elements, metrics, methods
of data collection, methods of weighting
or scoring, and presentation frameworks
for a PIRS for assessing the performance
of institutions of higher education
(IHEs) and advancing institutional
accountability while also enhancing
consumer access to useful information.
DATES: Written submissions must be
received by the Department on or before
January 31, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal
or via postal mail, commercial delivery,
or hand delivery. We will not accept
comments by fax or by email. To ensure
that we do not receive duplicate copies,
please submit your comments only one
time. In addition, please include the
Docket ID and the term ‘‘Postsecondary
Institution Ratings response’’ at the top
of your comments.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov to submit
your comments electronically.
Information on using Regulations.gov,
including instructions for accessing
agency documents, submitting
comments, and viewing the docket, is
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SUMMARY:
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14:45 Dec 16, 2013
Jkt 232001
available on the site under ‘‘Are you
new to this site?’’
• Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery,
or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver
your comments, address them to
Richard Reeves, National Center for
Education Statistics, Attention:
Postsecondary Institution Ratings
System RFI, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street NW., 8th
Floor, Washington, DC 20006.
• Privacy Note: The Department’s
policy for comments received from
members of the public (including
comments submitted by mail,
commercial delivery, or hand delivery)
is to make these submissions available
for public viewing in their entirety on
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore,
commenters should be careful to
include only information that they wish
to make publicly available on the
Internet.
Submission of Proprietary
Information: Given the subject matter,
some comments may include
proprietary information as it relates to
confidential commercial information.
The Freedom of Information Act defines
‘‘confidential commercial information’’
as information the disclosure of which
could reasonably be expected to cause
substantial competitive harm. You may
wish to request that we not disclose
what you regard as confidential
commercial information.
To assist us in making a
determination on your request, we
encourage you to identify any specific
information in your comments that you
consider confidential commercial
information. Please list the information
by page and paragraph numbers.
This is a request for information (RFI)
only. This RFI is not a request for
proposals (RFP) or a promise to issue an
RFP or a notice inviting applications
(NIA). This RFI does not commit the
Department to contract for any supply
or service whatsoever. Further, the
Department is not seeking proposals and
will not accept unsolicited proposals.
The Department will not pay for any
information or administrative costs that
you may incur in responding to this RFI.
If you do not respond to this RFI, you
may still apply for future contracts and
grants. The Department posts RFPs on
the Federal Business Opportunities Web
site (https://www.fbo.gov). The
Department announces grant
competitions in the Federal Register
(https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys). It is your
responsibility to monitor these sites to
determine whether the Department
issues an RFP or NIA after considering
the information received in response to
this RFI. The documents and
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76289
information submitted in response to
this RFI become the property of the U.S.
Government and will not be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Reeves, (202) 502–7436,
Richard.Reeves@ed.gov. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
A postsecondary education is among
the most important investments
students can make in their own futures.
However, obtaining such an education
has grown increasingly expensive. The
average tuition at a public four-year
college has increased by more than 300
percent over the past three decades,
while incomes for typical families grew
by only 16 percent, according to
Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System (IPEDS) and Bureau of
Labor Statistics data. Declining State
funding has moved an increasing share
of the cost of postsecondary education
from State taxpayers to students; tuition
has almost doubled as a share of public
college revenues over the past 25 years,
from 25 percent to 47 percent. While a
college education remains a valuable
investment overall, the average
borrower with a bachelor’s degree now
graduates with more than $29,400 in
debt, according to 2012 data from the
National Postsecondary Student Aid
Study. Moreover, college completion
rates are relatively low: only 58 percent
of full-time students who began college
in 2004 earned a four-year degree within
six years. Loan default rates are rising,
and many young adults are burdened
with debt as they seek to start a family,
buy a home, launch a business, or save
for retirement.
The Department provides over $150
billion each year in student financial
aid, while States collectively invest over
$70 billion in public colleges and
universities. Almost all of these
resources are allocated based on the
number of students who enroll, not the
number of students who earn degrees,
how much students learn, or the return
on investment to the students and
society for the cost of their degrees.
In August 2013, President Obama
announced a new agenda that will
increase college value and affordability
for American families. As part of this
plan, the President has directed the
Department to develop and publish a
new college ratings system before the
2015–16 school year.
The ratings system will help students
compare the value and affordability of
E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76288-76289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29984]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement and Dam Safety Modification Study Report for the Cherry Creek
Project, Arapahoe County, Colorado
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District (Corps)
intends to prepare a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
federal action to remediate dam safety concerns at Cherry Creek Dam.
The dam safety concerns are primarily related to a hydrologic
deficiency resulting from an extreme precipitation event and the large
population that could be affected by such an event. Cherry Creek Dam
and Lake is located on Cherry Creek, 11.4 miles upstream of its
confluence with the South Platte River, in Aurora, Colorado (southeast
Denver metropolitan area). The remediation actions will be identified
through a Dam Safety Modification Study (DSMS) being conducted in
accordance with Corps policy as described in Engineering Regulation
1110-2-1156 ``Safety of Dams--Policy and Procedures.''
ADDRESSES: Omaha District Corps of Engineers, 1616 Capitol Ave, Omaha,
NE 68102-4926 (Attn: Margaret Oldham CENWO-PAO).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Current and archival information
regarding Cherry Creek Dam may be obtained by contacting the Omaha
District. The point of contact is Margaret Oldham, Phone: (402) 995-
2416; email: Margaret.E.Oldham@usace.army.mil. Questions or comments
regarding the upcoming studies at Cherry Creek Dam should also be
directed to Ms. Oldham.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background Information. The Cherry Creek Dam project was
authorized in the 1940s for the primary purpose of protecting the city
of Denver against floods from Cherry Creek. The dam is located in a
densely populated area and provides flood protection to over 200,000
people. Starting in 2005, the Corps sought to better categorize the
risk at all of its dams. Risk considers both the probability and
consequences of a dam failure. Cherry Creek Dam received an elevated
risk rating primarily because of the hydraulic deficiency resulting
from an extreme precipitation event and the large population which is
protected by the dam. Estimation of extreme precipitation events is
based on the Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) for a given location.
A PMP is an extremely rare event and is defined as the maximum amount
of precipitation that could occur if all meteorological elements were
optimal to allow a perfect environment for forming precipitation. The
resulting stream flow from a PMP is a flood defined as the Probable
Maximum Flood (PMF).
Multiple past studies have indicated that Cherry Creek may not be
able to adequately pass a PMF event. Hydrologic deficiency issues
associated with Cherry Creek Dam were initially brought to light in
1970 after the National Weather Service (NWS) completed a site-specific
PMP study of the upper South Platte River basin for the design of
Chatfield Dam (a nearby dam on the South Platte River). Applying the
1970 PMP criteria to the Cherry Creek basin resulted in a larger stream
flow than used in the project's original design and indicated the dam
had a potential hydrologic deficiency. Since 1970, the NWS and the
Corps have completed several PMP and PMF estimates including a Cherry
Creek basin, site-specific PMP study completed by the NWS in 1995.
Applying the current estimate of the PMF, which is also based on the
1995 PMP study, Cherry Creek Dam has a hydrologic deficiency even if
the pool elevation at the start of the PMF was at normal operating
levels.
Because of the risk rating, Omaha District completed an Issue
Evaluation Study (IES) in 2011 to further evaluate Cherry Creek Dam's
safety issues and corresponding risk. The IES findings were presented
to a Senior Oversight Group (SOG) appointed by the Corps' Headquarters.
The SOG reviewed the IES and confirmed the risk rating for the dam.
Omaha District was directed to proceed into a DSMS, which is currently
under way, with the task of defining in detail the risk associated with
the Cherry Creek Dam's safety issues and assessing possible options for
mitigating the risk. Those options may include federal actions which
will be the subject of the EIS.
2. Remediation Alternatives. The draft EIS will address an array of
remediation alternatives that could reduce the risk of life loss,
extensive downstream damage, functional loss of the project, and the
loss of all project benefits. The nature and extent of the remediation
alternatives will be determined based on the results of on-going
engineering studies, public and agency input during the scoping period,
and preparation of the draft EIS.
3. Issues To Be Addressed. The draft EIS will address environmental
issues concerning the remediation alternatives proposed. Issues will be
identified based on public input during the scoping process and during
preparation of the draft EIS. Environmental issues initially identified
as potentially significant include, but are not limited to: hydrology
and water quality, noise and vibration, air quality, socioeconomics,
water supply, land use, recreation, visual and aesthetic resources,
traffic and transportation, historical and cultural resources,
vegetation and wildlife, special status species, and fisheries.
4. Public Involvement. Public scoping meetings will be held in 2014
at specific locations to be announced within the local Cherry Creek Dam
project area. The purpose of the public scoping meetings will be to
present information to the public regarding the array of remediation
alternatives that may be addressed in the draft EIS, receive public
comments, and solicit input regarding dam safety issues, remediation
alternatives to consider, and environmental issues of concern to the
public. These meetings are intended to initiate the process to involve
concerned individuals, and local, state, and federal agencies. The
public scoping meeting place, date, and time will be advertised in
advance in local newspapers, and meeting announcement letters will be
sent to interested parties.
[[Page 76289]]
5. Availability of the Draft EIS. The Corps intends to issue the
draft EIS in the 2015/2016 time frame. The Corps will announce
availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register and other media,
and will provide the public, organizations, and agencies with an
opportunity to submit comments to be addressed in the final EIS.
Dated: December 4, 2013.
John Palensky,
Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2013-29984 Filed 12-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
