Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting for the Crystal Beach Wastewater Collection System, Galveston County, Texas, 18573-18575 [2014-07366]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 63 / Wednesday, April 2, 2014 / Notices
via email at uscisfrcomment@
uscis.dhs.gov. All submissions received
must include the agency name and the
OMB Control Number 1615–0099.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov,
and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore,
submitting this information makes it
public. You may wish to consider
limiting the amount of personal
information that you provide in any
voluntary submission you make to DHS.
For additional information please read
the Privacy Act notice that is available
via the link in the footer of https://
www.regulations.gov.
Note: The address listed in this notice
should only be used to submit comments
concerning this information collection.
Please do not submit requests for individual
case status inquiries to this address. If you
are seeking information about the status of
your individual case, please check ‘‘My Case
Status’’ online at: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/
Dashboard.do, or call the USCIS National
Customer Service Center at 1–800–375–5283.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Written comments and suggestions
from the public and affected agencies
should address one or more of the
following four points:
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Overview of This Information
Collection
(1) Type of Information Collection
Request: Extension, Without Change, of
a Currently Approved Collection.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection:
Application for T Nonimmigrant Status;
Application for Immediate Family
Member of T–1 Recipient; and
Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer
for Victim of Trafficking in Persons.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:01 Apr 01, 2014
Jkt 232001
(3) Agency form number, if any, and
the applicable component of the DHS
sponsoring the collection: Form I914
and Supplements A and B; USCIS.
(4) Affected public who will be asked
or required to respond, as well as a brief
abstract: Primary: Individuals or
households. Form I–914 permits victims
of severe forms of trafficking and their
immediate family members to
demonstrate that they qualify for
temporary nonimmigrant status
pursuant to the Victims of Trafficking
and Violence Protection Act of 2000
(VTVPA), and to receive temporary
immigration benefits.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
estimated for an average respondent to
respond: Form I–914, 500 responses at
2 hours and 15 minutes (2.25 hours) per
response; Supplement A, 500 responses
at 1 hour per response; Supplement B,
200 responses at 30 minutes (.50 hours)
per response.
(6) An estimate of the total public
burden (in hours) associated with the
collection: 1,725 annual burden hours.
If you need a copy of the information
collection instrument with
supplementary documents, or need
additional information, please visit
https://www.regulations.gov. We may
also be contacted at: USCIS, Office of
Policy and Strategy, Regulatory
Coordination Division, 20
Massachusetts Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20529–2140;
Telephone 202–272–8377.
Dated: March 27, 2014.
Laura Dawkins,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division,
Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2014–07312 Filed 4–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–97–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5782–N–01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting
for the Crystal Beach Wastewater
Collection System, Galveston County,
Texas
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an
EIS and to conduct Public Scoping
Meeting.
AGENCY:
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) gives
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00067
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18573
notice that Galveston County (County),
as the Responsible Entity in accordance
with 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7), and the Texas
General Land Office (GLO) intend to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the development of
a wastewater collection system and
treatment facility in the unincorporated
community of Crystal Beach on Bolivar
Peninsula, Galveston County, Texas.
Pursuant to the authority granted by
section 104(g) of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974
(HCD Act) in connection with the
Community Development Block Grant
Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) program,
Galveston County has assumed
responsibility for compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and will perform the
environmental review. This notice is in
accordance with regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality at 40
CFR parts 1500–1508.
A Draft EIS will be prepared for the
proposed action described herein.
Comments relating to the Draft EIS are
requested and will be accepted by the
contact person listed below. When the
Draft EIS is completed, a notice will be
sent to individuals and groups known to
have an interest in the Draft EIS and
particularly in the environmental
impact issues identified therein. Any
person or agency interested in receiving
a notice and making comment on the
Draft EIS should contact the person
listed below up to 30 days following
publication of this notice.
The EIS will be a NEPA document
intended to satisfy requirements of
federal environmental statutes. In
accordance with specific statutory
authority of Section 104(g) of the HCD
Act and HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR
part 58 (Environmental Review
Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD
Environmental Responsibilities) HUD
has provided for assumption of its
NEPA authority and NEPA lead agency
responsibility by the County.
The proposed project requires the
preparation of an EIS (under 24 CFR
58.37) because the project would
provide sewer capacity to support 2,500
or more housing units. Responses to this
notice will be used to: (1) Determine
significant environmental issues, (2)
identify data that the EIS should
address, and (3) identify agencies and
other parties that will participate in the
EIS process and the basis for their
involvement.
Comments relating to the
scope of the EIS are requested and will
be accepted by the contact person listed
below until July 10, 2014. Comments
will also be accepted at the scoping
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
18574
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 63 / Wednesday, April 2, 2014 / Notices
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
meeting on June 26, 2014 described
below. All interested Federal, state, and
local agencies, Indian tribes, groups,
and the public are invited to submit
written comments on the project named
in this notice and on the scope of the
EIS to the contact person shown in this
notice. The office of the contact person
should receive comments and all
comments so received will be
considered prior to the preparation and
distribution of the Draft EIS. Particularly
solicited is information on reports or
other environmental studies planned or
completed in the project area, major
issues that the EIS should consider,
recommended mitigation measures, and
alternatives associated with the
proposed action. Federal agencies
having jurisdiction by law, special
expertise, or other special interests
should report their interest and indicate
their readiness to aid in the EIS effort as
a ‘‘Cooperating Agency.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicholas Foster, CDBG Project
Coordinator, Galveston County, 722
Moody, 3rd Floor, Galveston, TX 77550;
email: Nicholas.Foster@
co.galveston.tx.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Galveston County, acting under the
authority of Section 104(g) of the
Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(g)) and
HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR part 58, in
cooperation with other interested
agencies, will prepare an EIS under the
National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. 4321) to analyze potential
impacts of the Crystal Beach Wastewater
Collection System Project.
Current wastewater treatment services
in Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula in
Galveston County are primarily
individual, private, and on-site septic
systems. While there is a small privately
owned wastewater treatment facility on
the Peninsula, no public sanitary sewer
is provided. The Galveston County
Health District has processes in place
for permitting new and replacement
private septic systems, but no
inspections or processes are in place for
determining system failures.
As a result of Hurricane Ike on
September 13, 2008, Galveston County
experienced vast infrastructure failure;
specific to this project was the failure of
wastewater facilities due to salt water
contamination and inundation. The
failure of these facilities threatened
public health, safety and welfare due to
the build-up of untreated sewage.
Galveston County has received special
funding under the 2008 Texas
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:01 Apr 01, 2014
Jkt 232001
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) Disaster Recovery Program to
address failures associated with
Hurricane Ike and/or Hurricane Dolly.
According to a 2008 study
commissioned by the Bolivar Peninsula
Special Utility District (BPSUD), most of
the private septic systems in use on the
Peninsula are over 20 years old while
the average life-span of a system is 15
to 20 years. Additional concerns relating
to the capacity of private septic systems
have arisen. Typically private septic
systems are sized according to soil
conditions and the number of residents
in a household. While most of the
residences on the Peninsula are vacation
homes, the number of people inhabiting
the residence may exceed the number of
people used to design the capacity of
the system. This over use causes
untreated sewage to be discharged into
the groundwater as overflow from the
treatment tank, contributing to the
nonpoint source pollution in the
watershed.
Bolivar Peninsula is located on one of
the most cyclonically active parts of the
globe where some of the most
destructive hurricanes in history have
occurred. The most infamous hurricane
to affect the region was the Great
Galveston Hurricane of 1900 in which
an estimated 8,000 people residing on
Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula
died. Following a similar path,
Hurricane Ike destroyed an estimated 80
percent of the homes on Bolivar
Peninsula, and caused the deaths of 34
people. Most of the coastline of the
Bolivar Peninsula experienced shoreline
erosion, and consequently, entire
neighborhoods were left with nothing
remaining other than piles and
foundation slabs. Experts have
concluded that Hurricane Ike ranks as
one of the most severe natural disasters
in the recorded history of the Bolivar
Peninsula.
Bolivar Peninsula is located within
coastal areas with a one percent or
greater chance of flooding and an
additional hazard associated with storm
waves. Several parts of the peninsula
are designated as Coastal Barrier
Resource Areas. Fifty percent of the
land area of Bolivar Peninsula is
covered with wetlands and other
sensitive ecosystems. The following
species protected under Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act as listed in
Galveston County and potential habitat
may be on Bolivar Peninsula: Attwater’s
greater prairie-chicken, Eskimo curlew,
West Indian manatee, Hawksbill sea
turtle, Leatherback sea turtle, Kemp’s
ridley sea turtle, Piping Plover, Green
sea turtle, and the Loggerhead sea turtle.
Bolivar Peninsula is home of various
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
wildlife sanctuaries west of the
proposed project area on the east side of
the Peninsula.
The proposed action includes
analyzing wastewater collection system
alternatives, wastewater treatment plant
alternatives and wastewater treatment
plant location (site) alternatives to
service Crystal Beach residents.
Currently 180 customer accounts are
connected to the existing system. The
maximum number of customer accounts
that potentially could be connected to a
new system is approximately 5,000. The
proposed project area is approximately
8,100 acres in size. The west project
area boundary is the western property
line of parcels adjacent to Monkhouse
Drive. The east project area boundary is
the eastern property line of parcels
along Pompano Drive (north of Highway
87) and eastern property line of parcels
along Sailfish Drive (south of Highway
87). The north project area is bound by
the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway and the
south project area boundary is the
southern property line of parcels
adjacent to the shoreline of Gulf of
Mexico.
B. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Alternatives to the proposed action
will be analyzed in the EIS. Typically
the alternatives section in an EIS
examines development options that
would tend to reduce project-related
impacts. The full range of alternatives
for the wastewater collection system
alternatives, wastewater treatment plant
alternatives, and wastewater treatment
plant site alternatives will be defined
when the full extent of the proposed
project’s impacts is identified, but at
this time, it is anticipated that they will
include the following:
1. Wastewater Collection System
Alternatives
Alternative 1—No Action Alternative
The No Action Alternative would
analyze the continuation of use of
individual on-site septic systems and
existing limited pressure system;
therefore, existing private septic and
existing limited systems would remain
within the project area and no new
system or additional system would be
implemented.
Alternative 2—Pressure System
Alternative 2 would evaluate the
construction of a pressure collection
system at proposed location in Crystal
Beach. A pressure collection system
includes use of an individual grinder
pump at each facility connection to
pressurize the wastewater through a
pressurized pipe grid. The wastewater
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 63 / Wednesday, April 2, 2014 / Notices
would be pumped through the network
with the aid of strategically located
small lift stations to the wastewater
treatment plant. Typically, pipes
installed for a pressure system can be
located shallower in the ground (2 to 4
feet below surface) because slope is not
as important to the function of the
system.
Alternative 3—Gravity System
Alternative 3 would evaluate the
construction of a gravity collection
system at proposed location in Crystal
Beach. In this system, wastewater would
flow by gravity through most of the
network. Pipes would need to be
installed deeper to allow for the
necessary slope to maintain flow. Lift
stations would still be required to pump
wastewater short distances.
Alternative 4—Vacuum System
Alternative 4 would evaluate the
construction of a vacuum system at
proposed location in Crystal Beach. A
vacuum system conveys waste from
homes to a vacuum valve pit then to a
vacuum station. The piping for this type
of system is similar to a pressure system
and constructed in shallow trenches.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
2. Wastewater Treatment Plant
Alternatives
Two types of wastewater treatment
plants would be considered for the
Crystal Beach facility, including a
packaged treatment plant and a
conventionally constructed wastewater
treatment plant. Packaged wastewater
treatment plants are pre-fabricated and
modular and built off-site to be later
installed at site. The conventional
wastewater treatment plant consists of
modular construction and concrete
walls/basins and built on-site.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Site
Alternatives
Six potential site locations were
preliminarily reviewed during initial
planning of preliminary engineering.
Four sites (Site Alternatives C, D, E and
F) will be carried forward and evaluated
in this EIS for the location of the
wastewater treatment plant in Crystal
Beach. The site alternatives are located
north of State Highway 87 between
Whispering Palms to the west and
Guppy Drive to the east. It is anticipated
that the footprint of the wastewater
treatment plant would be about 2 acres
and be elevated above the 500-year
floodplain.
C. Scoping
A public EIS scoping meeting will be
held on June 26, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the
Galveston County Annex, 946 Noble
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:01 Apr 01, 2014
Jkt 232001
Carl Drive, Crystal Beach, Texas. The
EIS scoping meeting will provide an
opportunity for the public to learn more
about the project and provide input to
the environmental process. At the
meeting, an overview of the project will
be presented and members of the public
will be invited to comment on the
proposed project and the scope of work
for the environmental analyses in the
EIS. Written comments and testimony
concerning the scope of the EIS will be
accepted at this meeting. In accordance
with 40 CFR 1501.7, affected Federal,
state, and local agencies, any affected
Indian tribe, and other interested parties
will be sent a scoping notice. In
accordance with 24 CFR 58.59, the
scoping hearing will be preceded by a
notice of public hearing published in
the local news media at least 15 days
before the hearing date. Information
about the proposed project will be
provided at the scoping meeting.
Additional information for the scoping
meeting may be obtained by contacting,
Nicholas Foster, CDBG Project
Coordinator, Galveston County, 722
Moody, 3rd Floor, Galveston, TX 77550;
email: Nicholas.Foster@
co.galveston.tx.us.
D. Probable Environmental Effects
The EIS will analyze impacts to the
following resources that may be
associated with this proposed project,
but not limited to:
• Floodplains
• Wetlands
• Endangered Species
• Migratory Birds
• Coastal Management Zones
• Pollution of Water Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Public health
• Community Impacts
• Indirect and Cumulative Impacts
• Sustainability
Questions may be directed to the
individual named in this notice under
the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18575
Dated: March 27, 2014.
Mark Johnston,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning
and, Development (Acting).
[FR Doc. 2014–07366 Filed 4–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–IA–2014–N057;
FXIA16710900000–145–FF09A30000]
Endangered Species; Receipt of
Applications for Permit
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications
for permit.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, invite the public to
comment on the following applications
to conduct certain activities with
endangered species. With some
exceptions, the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) prohibits activities with listed
species unless Federal authorization is
acquired that allows such activities.
DATES: We must receive comments or
requests for documents on or before
May 2, 2014.
´
ADDRESSES: Shaunta Nichols, Division
of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax
Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203;
fax (703) 358–2280; or email DMAFR@
fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
´
Shaunta Nichols, (703) 358–2104
(telephone); (703) 358–2280 (fax);
DMAFR@fws.gov (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Public Comment Procedures
A. How do I request copies of
applications or comment on submitted
applications?
Send your request for copies of
applications or comments and materials
concerning any of the applications to
the contact listed under ADDRESSES.
Please include the Federal Register
notice publication date, the PRTnumber, and the name of the applicant
in your request or submission. We will
not consider requests or comments sent
to an email or address not listed under
ADDRESSES. If you provide an email
address in your request for copies of
applications, we will attempt to respond
to your request electronically.
Please make your requests or
comments as specific as possible. Please
confine your comments to issues for
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18573-18575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07366]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5782-N-01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting for the Crystal Beach
Wastewater Collection System, Galveston County, Texas
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS and to conduct Public
Scoping Meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives
notice that Galveston County (County), as the Responsible Entity in
accordance with 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7), and the Texas General Land Office
(GLO) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
development of a wastewater collection system and treatment facility in
the unincorporated community of Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula,
Galveston County, Texas. Pursuant to the authority granted by section
104(g) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (HCD Act)
in connection with the Community Development Block Grant Disaster
Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, Galveston County has assumed responsibility
for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
will perform the environmental review. This notice is in accordance
with regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality at 40 CFR
parts 1500-1508.
A Draft EIS will be prepared for the proposed action described
herein. Comments relating to the Draft EIS are requested and will be
accepted by the contact person listed below. When the Draft EIS is
completed, a notice will be sent to individuals and groups known to
have an interest in the Draft EIS and particularly in the environmental
impact issues identified therein. Any person or agency interested in
receiving a notice and making comment on the Draft EIS should contact
the person listed below up to 30 days following publication of this
notice.
The EIS will be a NEPA document intended to satisfy requirements of
federal environmental statutes. In accordance with specific statutory
authority of Section 104(g) of the HCD Act and HUD's regulations at 24
CFR part 58 (Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD
Environmental Responsibilities) HUD has provided for assumption of its
NEPA authority and NEPA lead agency responsibility by the County.
The proposed project requires the preparation of an EIS (under 24
CFR 58.37) because the project would provide sewer capacity to support
2,500 or more housing units. Responses to this notice will be used to:
(1) Determine significant environmental issues, (2) identify data that
the EIS should address, and (3) identify agencies and other parties
that will participate in the EIS process and the basis for their
involvement.
ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the scope of the EIS are requested and
will be accepted by the contact person listed below until July 10,
2014. Comments will also be accepted at the scoping
[[Page 18574]]
meeting on June 26, 2014 described below. All interested Federal,
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, groups, and the public are
invited to submit written comments on the project named in this notice
and on the scope of the EIS to the contact person shown in this notice.
The office of the contact person should receive comments and all
comments so received will be considered prior to the preparation and
distribution of the Draft EIS. Particularly solicited is information on
reports or other environmental studies planned or completed in the
project area, major issues that the EIS should consider, recommended
mitigation measures, and alternatives associated with the proposed
action. Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise,
or other special interests should report their interest and indicate
their readiness to aid in the EIS effort as a ``Cooperating Agency.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas Foster, CDBG Project
Coordinator, Galveston County, 722 Moody, 3rd Floor, Galveston, TX
77550; email: Nicholas.Foster@co.galveston.tx.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Galveston County, acting under the authority of Section 104(g) of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(g))
and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR part 58, in cooperation with other
interested agencies, will prepare an EIS under the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321) to analyze potential impacts
of the Crystal Beach Wastewater Collection System Project.
Current wastewater treatment services in Crystal Beach on Bolivar
Peninsula in Galveston County are primarily individual, private, and
on-site septic systems. While there is a small privately owned
wastewater treatment facility on the Peninsula, no public sanitary
sewer is provided. The Galveston County Health District has processes
in place for permitting new and replacement private septic systems, but
no inspections or processes are in place for determining system
failures.
As a result of Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008, Galveston
County experienced vast infrastructure failure; specific to this
project was the failure of wastewater facilities due to salt water
contamination and inundation. The failure of these facilities
threatened public health, safety and welfare due to the build-up of
untreated sewage. Galveston County has received special funding under
the 2008 Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster
Recovery Program to address failures associated with Hurricane Ike and/
or Hurricane Dolly. According to a 2008 study commissioned by the
Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District (BPSUD), most of the private
septic systems in use on the Peninsula are over 20 years old while the
average life-span of a system is 15 to 20 years. Additional concerns
relating to the capacity of private septic systems have arisen.
Typically private septic systems are sized according to soil conditions
and the number of residents in a household. While most of the
residences on the Peninsula are vacation homes, the number of people
inhabiting the residence may exceed the number of people used to design
the capacity of the system. This over use causes untreated sewage to be
discharged into the groundwater as overflow from the treatment tank,
contributing to the nonpoint source pollution in the watershed.
Bolivar Peninsula is located on one of the most cyclonically active
parts of the globe where some of the most destructive hurricanes in
history have occurred. The most infamous hurricane to affect the region
was the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 in which an estimated 8,000
people residing on Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula died.
Following a similar path, Hurricane Ike destroyed an estimated 80
percent of the homes on Bolivar Peninsula, and caused the deaths of 34
people. Most of the coastline of the Bolivar Peninsula experienced
shoreline erosion, and consequently, entire neighborhoods were left
with nothing remaining other than piles and foundation slabs. Experts
have concluded that Hurricane Ike ranks as one of the most severe
natural disasters in the recorded history of the Bolivar Peninsula.
Bolivar Peninsula is located within coastal areas with a one
percent or greater chance of flooding and an additional hazard
associated with storm waves. Several parts of the peninsula are
designated as Coastal Barrier Resource Areas. Fifty percent of the land
area of Bolivar Peninsula is covered with wetlands and other sensitive
ecosystems. The following species protected under Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act as listed in Galveston County and potential
habitat may be on Bolivar Peninsula: Attwater's greater prairie-
chicken, Eskimo curlew, West Indian manatee, Hawksbill sea turtle,
Leatherback sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Piping Plover, Green
sea turtle, and the Loggerhead sea turtle. Bolivar Peninsula is home of
various wildlife sanctuaries west of the proposed project area on the
east side of the Peninsula.
The proposed action includes analyzing wastewater collection system
alternatives, wastewater treatment plant alternatives and wastewater
treatment plant location (site) alternatives to service Crystal Beach
residents. Currently 180 customer accounts are connected to the
existing system. The maximum number of customer accounts that
potentially could be connected to a new system is approximately 5,000.
The proposed project area is approximately 8,100 acres in size. The
west project area boundary is the western property line of parcels
adjacent to Monkhouse Drive. The east project area boundary is the
eastern property line of parcels along Pompano Drive (north of Highway
87) and eastern property line of parcels along Sailfish Drive (south of
Highway 87). The north project area is bound by the Gulf Intercoastal
Waterway and the south project area boundary is the southern property
line of parcels adjacent to the shoreline of Gulf of Mexico.
B. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Alternatives to the proposed action will be analyzed in the EIS.
Typically the alternatives section in an EIS examines development
options that would tend to reduce project-related impacts. The full
range of alternatives for the wastewater collection system
alternatives, wastewater treatment plant alternatives, and wastewater
treatment plant site alternatives will be defined when the full extent
of the proposed project's impacts is identified, but at this time, it
is anticipated that they will include the following:
1. Wastewater Collection System Alternatives
Alternative 1--No Action Alternative
The No Action Alternative would analyze the continuation of use of
individual on-site septic systems and existing limited pressure system;
therefore, existing private septic and existing limited systems would
remain within the project area and no new system or additional system
would be implemented.
Alternative 2--Pressure System
Alternative 2 would evaluate the construction of a pressure
collection system at proposed location in Crystal Beach. A pressure
collection system includes use of an individual grinder pump at each
facility connection to pressurize the wastewater through a pressurized
pipe grid. The wastewater
[[Page 18575]]
would be pumped through the network with the aid of strategically
located small lift stations to the wastewater treatment plant.
Typically, pipes installed for a pressure system can be located
shallower in the ground (2 to 4 feet below surface) because slope is
not as important to the function of the system.
Alternative 3--Gravity System
Alternative 3 would evaluate the construction of a gravity
collection system at proposed location in Crystal Beach. In this
system, wastewater would flow by gravity through most of the network.
Pipes would need to be installed deeper to allow for the necessary
slope to maintain flow. Lift stations would still be required to pump
wastewater short distances.
Alternative 4--Vacuum System
Alternative 4 would evaluate the construction of a vacuum system at
proposed location in Crystal Beach. A vacuum system conveys waste from
homes to a vacuum valve pit then to a vacuum station. The piping for
this type of system is similar to a pressure system and constructed in
shallow trenches.
2. Wastewater Treatment Plant Alternatives
Two types of wastewater treatment plants would be considered for
the Crystal Beach facility, including a packaged treatment plant and a
conventionally constructed wastewater treatment plant. Packaged
wastewater treatment plants are pre-fabricated and modular and built
off-site to be later installed at site. The conventional wastewater
treatment plant consists of modular construction and concrete walls/
basins and built on-site.
3. Wastewater Treatment Plant Site Alternatives
Six potential site locations were preliminarily reviewed during
initial planning of preliminary engineering. Four sites (Site
Alternatives C, D, E and F) will be carried forward and evaluated in
this EIS for the location of the wastewater treatment plant in Crystal
Beach. The site alternatives are located north of State Highway 87
between Whispering Palms to the west and Guppy Drive to the east. It is
anticipated that the footprint of the wastewater treatment plant would
be about 2 acres and be elevated above the 500-year floodplain.
C. Scoping
A public EIS scoping meeting will be held on June 26, 2014 at 7:00
p.m. at the Galveston County Annex, 946 Noble Carl Drive, Crystal
Beach, Texas. The EIS scoping meeting will provide an opportunity for
the public to learn more about the project and provide input to the
environmental process. At the meeting, an overview of the project will
be presented and members of the public will be invited to comment on
the proposed project and the scope of work for the environmental
analyses in the EIS. Written comments and testimony concerning the
scope of the EIS will be accepted at this meeting. In accordance with
40 CFR 1501.7, affected Federal, state, and local agencies, any
affected Indian tribe, and other interested parties will be sent a
scoping notice. In accordance with 24 CFR 58.59, the scoping hearing
will be preceded by a notice of public hearing published in the local
news media at least 15 days before the hearing date. Information about
the proposed project will be provided at the scoping meeting.
Additional information for the scoping meeting may be obtained by
contacting, Nicholas Foster, CDBG Project Coordinator, Galveston
County, 722 Moody, 3rd Floor, Galveston, TX 77550; email:
Nicholas.Foster@co.galveston.tx.us.
D. Probable Environmental Effects
The EIS will analyze impacts to the following resources that may be
associated with this proposed project, but not limited to:
Floodplains
Wetlands
Endangered Species
Migratory Birds
Coastal Management Zones
Pollution of Water Resources
Cultural Resources
Public health
Community Impacts
Indirect and Cumulative Impacts
Sustainability
Questions may be directed to the individual named in this notice
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: March 27, 2014.
Mark Johnston,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and, Development (Acting).
[FR Doc. 2014-07366 Filed 4-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
