Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environment Impact Statement for the Proposed Mississippi River Reintroduction Into the Maurepas Swamp Diversion Project, Near Garyville, Louisiana, in St. John the Baptist, St. James, and Ascension Parishes, 64756-64758 [2014-25869]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
64756
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 211 / Friday, October 31, 2014 / Notices
their name, affiliation, and daytime
phone number seven business days
prior to the meeting to Mr. Lehman, via
electronic mail, the preferred mode of
submission, at the address listed in the
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section. Members of the public
attending the committee meetings will
not be permitted to present questions
from the floor or speak to any issue
under consideration by the committee.
Because the meeting of the committee
will be held in a Federal Government
facility on a military post, security
screening is required. A photo ID is
required to enter post. Please note that
security and gate guards have the right
to inspect vehicles and persons seeking
to enter and exit the installation. The
U.S. Army Center of Military History is
fully handicapped accessible.
Wheelchair access is available in front
at the main entrance of the building. For
additional information about public
access procedures, contact Mr. Lehman,
the committee’s Alternate Designated
Federal Officer, at the email address or
telephone number listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
Written Comments or Statements:
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.105(j) and
102–3.140 and section 10(a)(3) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, the
public or interested organizations may
submit written comments or statements
to the committee, in response to the
stated agenda of the open meeting or in
regard to the committee’s mission in
general. Written comments or
statements should be submitted to Mr.
Stephen W. Lehman, the committee
Alternate Designated Federal Officer,
via electronic mail, the preferred mode
of submission, at the address listed in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section. Each page of the comment or
statement must include the author’s
name, title or affiliation, address, and
daytime phone number. Written
comments or statements being
submitted in response to the agenda set
forth in this notice must be received by
the Alternate Designated Federal
Official at least seven business days
prior to the meeting to be considered by
the committee. The Alternate
Designated Federal Official will review
all timely submitted written comments
or statements with the committee
Chairperson, and ensure the comments
are provided to all members of the
committee before the meeting. Written
comments or statements received after
this date may not be provided to the
committee until its next meeting.
Members of the public will be permitted
to make verbal comments during the
Committee meeting only at the time and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:51 Oct 30, 2014
Jkt 235001
in the manner described below. If a
member of the public is interested in
making a verbal comment at the open
meeting, that individual must submit a
request, with a brief statement of the
subject matter to be addressed by the
comment, at least seven (7) days in
advance to the Committee’s Alternate
Designated Federal Official, via
electronic mail, the preferred mode of
submission, at the address listed in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section. The Alternate Designated
Federal Official will log each request, in
the order received, and in consultation
with the committee Chairperson
determine whether the subject matter of
each comment is relevant to the
Committee’s mission and/or the topics
to be addressed in this public meeting.
A 15-minute period near the end of the
meeting will be available for verbal
public comments. Members of the
public who have requested to make a
verbal comment and whose comments
have been deemed relevant under the
process described above, will be allotted
no more than three (3) minutes during
the period, and will be invited to speak
in the order in which their requests
were received by the Alternate
Designated Federal Official.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014–25787 Filed 10–30–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–08–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environment Impact Statement for the
Proposed Mississippi River
Reintroduction Into the Maurepas
Swamp Diversion Project, Near
Garyville, Louisiana, in St. John the
Baptist, St. James, and Ascension
Parishes
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), New Orleans
District intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to inform a decision on a Department of
the Army (DA) permit application
pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act, and
permissions request under 33 U.S.C.
408, submitted by the Coastal Protection
and Restoration Authority of Louisiana
(CPRA) for the Mississippi River
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Reintroduction into the Maurepas
Swamp (MRRMS) freshwater diversion
project (proposed project). The USACE
has determined the proposed project
will result in significant impacts to the
human environment, therefore an EIS is
necessary to ensure compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and as a basis for both the
permit decision and the Section 408
permissions.
The DA permit and the 408
permissions are two separate processes
with different authorities analyzed by
different mission areas (including
Regulatory and Civil Works) inside the
USACE. Under Section 404 of the CWA
and Section 10 of the Rivers and
Harbors Act, the District Engineer
permits the discharge of dredged or fill
material into the waters of the United
States as well as work, to include the
installation and maintenance of
structures, in navigable waters of the
U.S., if the discharge meets the
requirements of the Environmental
Protection Agency’s 404(b)(1)
guidelines, and the proposal is
determined to not be contrary to the
overall public interest. Under 33 U.S.C.
408, the Chief of Engineers grants
permission to alter, modify, or impair an
existing USACE project if it is not
injurious to the public interest and does
not impair the usefulness of such work.
The proposed project involves structural
crossings of the Federal Mississippi
River and Tributaries (MR&T) Levee and
could potentially impact the Mississippi
River Navigation Channel, the future
footprint of the Federal West Shore Lake
Pontchartrain Hurricane and Storm
Damage Risk Reduction System levee
project as well as other Federal projects.
USACE Regulatory and Civil Works will
coordinate on all aspects of the
production of the EIS.
ADDRESSES: Please send written
comments to Kenny Blanke, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
District, Regulatory Branch (CEMVN–
OD–SC), P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans,
LA 70160 or by email at CEMVNMaurepas@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the DA permit, project
and EIS should be directed to: Mr.
Kenny Blanke at (504) 862–1217, or the
email above. Questions on the 408
permissions should be directed to: Mr.
Nathan Dayan at (504) 862–2530 or at
the email above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority: Section 10 of the Rivers
and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403);
Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act
of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 408); Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344);
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 211 / Friday, October 31, 2014 / Notices
and, Section 102 of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4332).
2. Proposed Project. The USACE will
prepare an EIS to analyze the impacts of
diverting sediment/nutrient laden
Mississippi River water into the
southern Maurepas Swamp. CPRA has
stated that the proposed project purpose
is to restore portions of the southern
Maurepas Swamp that are degrading
due to cypress-tupelo stress and loss by
addressing the existing conditions of
subsidence, permanent flooding, salt
stress, and sediment/nutrient starvation.
The proposed project is located along
the left descending bank of the
Mississippi River at approximate river
mile 144, in St. John the Baptist Parish,
LA. The proposed project entails the
construction of an intake channel that
would be excavated in the Mississippi
River batture, a gated structure to be
built through the Mississippi River
federal levee, and three (3) 10-foot x 10foot culverts to be installed to convey
river water under the levee and LA
Highway 44. The culverts would then
discharge into a sand settling basin,
connected to an approximate 5.5-mile
long banked conveyance channel which
would divert flow northerly to Hope
Canal and into the Maurepas Swamp.
The diversion channel has proposed
culvert crossings at its intersection with
the existing Canadian National Railway
and the Kansas City Southern Railway,
as well as US Highway 61. North of US
Highway 61, the channel would then
follow the existing Hope Canal
alignment to finally distribute the
diverted water into the forested
wetlands approximately 1,000 feet north
of Interstate 10. Other ancillary features
of this project include the construction
of a drainage pumping station at the
confluence of Hope Canal and Bourgeois
Canals to maintain the existing storm
water drainage capacity for the
community of Garyville, Louisiana, the
relocation/construction of a new Hope
Canal public boat launch, the
installation of rock weirs at the Blind
River, Bourgeois Canal, Bayou Secret,
the creation of five (5) cuts in the
abandoned railroad embankment north
of Interstate 10 and east of the Blind
River, and the installation of ten (10)
check valves along the north side of
Interstate 10 on the existing culverts
under the interstate. Four (4) lateral
relief valves are proposed to be
constructed off the water conveyance
channel, north of the proposed pumping
station and south of Interstate 10, each
having two (2) 24-inch metal pipes with
24-inch knife gate valves to divert water
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:51 Oct 30, 2014
Jkt 235001
to the west and east of the proposed
channel into the Maurepas Swamp.
USACE Regulatory prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) that
documented potential direct, secondary,
and cumulative effects the proposed
project would have on the social,
physical, and natural environments of
the project area. Information used in the
preparation of the EA was developed by
the applicant and/or independently by
the USACE. In summary, the proposed
project would have the potential for
direct adverse impacts of approximately
±140 acres of jurisdictional wetlands
and ±20 acres of jurisdictional ‘‘Other
Waters of the U.S.’’ In addition, CPRA
has stated that the proposed project
would provide a direct restoration
benefit to approximately 36,120 acres of
forested freshwater swamp habitat as a
result of project implementation.
USACE Regulatory concluded that the
proposed project will result in
significant impacts to the human
environment. The National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requires the preparation of an EIS for
proposals that are subject to federal
funding, control, responsibility, and
permitting, and which have the
potential for significant impacts.
3. Alternatives. The EIS will include
an evaluation of a reasonable range of
alternatives. Currently, the following
alternatives are expected to be analyzed
in detail: The ‘‘no-build’’ alternative (no
permit issued), the applicant’s preferred
project (proposed project), and other
alternatives that will address an array of
conveyance and delivery of fresh water,
nutrients, and sediment from the
Mississippi River to help reverse and
improve the viability of the southern
Maurepas Swamp. Some alternatives
may be brought forward from existing
studies and projects including the
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection
and Restoration Act (CWPPRA)
Program, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)
Ecosystem Restoration Study, the 2012
Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, and
other alternatives may be developed
through the NEPA scoping process.
4. Scoping. Scoping is the process
utilized for determining the range of
alternatives and significant issues to be
addressed in the EIS. The USACE
invites full public participation to
promote open communication on the
issues surrounding the proposed
project. All Federal, state, and local
agencies, NGOs, and other persons or
organizations that have an interest are
urged to participate in the NEPA
scoping process. A public meeting will
be held to present information to the
public, to help identify significant
issues and to receive public input and
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
64757
comment into the scoping process.
Public scoping meetings for both
processes will be conducted jointly. The
date, time and location of the scoping
meeting have not been determined. The
public will be notified of the scoping
meeting information by separate public
notice posted on the New Orleans
District Web page (listed below). The
dates, times and locations of the scoping
meeting will be determined in
conjunction with CPRA at a later date
and announced through local media
channels as well as the Regulatory
public notice Web site: https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/
Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. The
USACE’ scoping process for the EIS
includes a public involvement program
with several opportunities to provide
oral and written comments. In addition
to public meetings and notifications in
the Federal Register, the USACE will
issue public notices when the draft and
final EISs are available. Affected federal,
state, and local agencies, Native
American tribes, and other interested
private organizations and parties are
invited to participate.
5. Significant issues. The EIS will
analyze the potential social, economic,
and natural environmental impacts to
the local area resulting from the
proposed project. Important resources
and issues that will be evaluated in the
EIS could include, but would not be
limited to, effects on wetlands and other
waters of the U.S.; aquatic resources;
drainage patterns; air quality; water
quality; suspended particulates/
turbidity; flood control functions;
special aquatic sites; fish and wildlife
habitat; threatened and endangered
species and critical habitat; biological
availability of possible contaminants;
floodplain use; aesthetics; traffic/
transportation patterns; land use
changes; public safety; economics;
noise; consideration of private property;
commercial and recreational fisheries;
cultural resources; alternatives;
secondary and cumulative impacts; and
environmental justice (effect on
minorities and low income
populations). Socioeconomic issues
include: Navigation; induced flooding;
land use; property values; tax revenues;
population and housing, community
and regional growth; community
cohesion; public services, recreation,
utilities and community service systems
and cumulative effects of related
projects in the study area.
6. Environmental Consultation and
Review. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) will assist in
documenting existing conditions and
assessing effects of project alternatives
through the Fish and Wildlife
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
64758
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 211 / Friday, October 31, 2014 / Notices
Coordination Act consultation
procedures. Other environmental review
and consulation requirements for the
proposed project include the need for
the applicant to obtain water quality
certification under Section 401 of the
Clean Water Act from the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality.
In addition, because the proposed
project may affect federally listed
species, the USACE will consult with
the Service and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) in accordance
with Section 7 of the Federal
Endangered Species Act. The NMFS
will be consulted regarding the effects of
this proposed project on Essential Fish
Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
The USACE will also be consulting with
the State Historic Preservation Officer
under 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act concerning properties
listed, or potentially eligible for listing.
The USACE will serve as the lead
Federal agency in the preparation of the
EIS. Other federal and/or state agencies
may participate as cooperating and/or
commenting agencies throughout the
EIS process.
The USACE will use a ‘‘third party
contractor’’ to prepare all or part of the
EIS or to obtain required information
(40 CFR 1500–1508). ‘‘Third party
contract’’ refers to the preparation of the
EIS by a contractor paid by the
applicant but who is selected and
supervised directly by the district
engineer. Contractor election by the
USACE for a Regulatory Program EIS
will be as follows: The USACE will
select from the applicant’s list the first
contractor that is fully acceptable to the
USACE, using the applicant’s order of
preference; this selection is finalized by
the applicant’s selection of the same
contractor. The procedures outlined in
40 CFR 1500–1508 and CEQ’s forty
questions must be followed.
Furthermore, the USACE is responsible
for final acceptance of the draft and
final EIS.
7. Availability. The Draft EIS (DEIS) is
expected to be available for public
comment and review no sooner than the
spring of 2016. At that time, a 45-day
public review period will be provided
for individuals and agencies to review
and comment on the DEIS. All
interested parties are encouraged to
respond to this notice and provide a
current address if they wish to be
notified of the DEIS circulation.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014–25869 Filed 10–30–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:51 Oct 30, 2014
Jkt 235001
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. RD14–11–000]
Proposed Agency Information
Collection
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Comment request.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is submitting the information
collection in Docket No. RD14–11–000
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review of the information
collection requirements. Any interested
person may file comments directly with
OMB and should address a copy of
those comments to the Commission as
explained below. The Commission
issued a Notice in the Federal Register
(79 FR 46781, 8/11/2014) requesting
public comments. FERC received no
comments in response to that notice and
has made this notation in its submission
to OMB.
DATES: Comments on the collection of
information are due by December 1,
2014.
SUMMARY:
Comments filed with OMB,
regarding FERC–725A (OMB Control
Number 1902–0244) and FERC–725X
(OMB Control Number TBD), should be
sent via email to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs:
oira_submission@omb.gov. Attention:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also
be reached via telephone at 202–395–
4718.
A copy of the comments should also
be sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, identified by the Docket
No. RD14–11–000, by either of the
following methods:
• eFiling at Commission’s Web site:
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp.
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: All submissions must be
formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: https://
www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact
FERC Online Support by email at
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone
at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202)
502–8659 for TTY.
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Docket: Users interested in receiving
automatic notification of activity in this
docket or in viewing/downloading
comments and issuances in this docket
may do so at https://www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Brown may be reached by email
at DataClearance@FERC.gov, by
telephone at (202) 502–8663, and by fax
at (202) 273–0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
proposed information collection
changes in Docket No. RD14–11–000
relate to the proposed Reliability
Standards VAR–001–4 (Voltage and
Reactive Control) and VAR–002–3
(Generator Operation for Maintaining
Network Voltage Schedules), developed
by the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC), and
submitted to the Commission for
approval. The Commission received
NERC’s petition to approve the
proposed Reliability Standards on June
9, 2014.
NERC summarizes the VAR group of
standards as follows:
The Voltage and Reactive (‘‘VAR’’) group of
Reliability Standards, which consists of two
continent-wide Reliability Standards, VAR–
001–3 and VAR–002–2b, is designed to
maintain voltage stability on the Bulk-Power
System, protect transmission, generation,
distribution, and customer equipment, and
support the reliable operation of the BulkPower System.1
In its petition, NERC also summarizes
the proposed Reliability Standards’
applicability and requirements:
In general, proposed Reliability Standard
VAR–001–4 sets forth the requirements
applicable to Transmission Operators for
scheduling, monitoring, and controlling
Reactive Power resources in the Real-time
Operations, Same-day Operations, and
Operational Planning time horizons to
regulate voltage and Reactive Power flows for
the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power
System. Proposed Reliability Standard VAR–
002–3 sets forth the requirements applicable
to Generator Operators and Generator
Owners for providing the necessary reactive
support and voltage control necessary to
maintain reliable operations. Generators are
the largest and most reliable Reactive Power
resource and play an integral role in
maintaining voltage stability on the BulkPower System. Collectively, the proposed
Reliability Standards are designed to prevent
voltage instability and voltage collapse on the
Bulk-Power System.2
Finally, NERC also states that the
proposed Reliability Standards improve
reliability, clarify requirement language
and eliminate redundant or unnecessary
requirements.3
1 NERC
Petition at 3.
at 4.
3 Id. at 15.
2 Id.
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 211 (Friday, October 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64756-64758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25869]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environment Impact Statement for
the Proposed Mississippi River Reintroduction Into the Maurepas Swamp
Diversion Project, Near Garyville, Louisiana, in St. John the Baptist,
St. James, and Ascension Parishes
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New Orleans District
intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform a
decision on a Department of the Army (DA) permit application pursuant
to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act, and permissions request under 33 U.S.C. 408,
submitted by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of
Louisiana (CPRA) for the Mississippi River Reintroduction into the
Maurepas Swamp (MRRMS) freshwater diversion project (proposed project).
The USACE has determined the proposed project will result in
significant impacts to the human environment, therefore an EIS is
necessary to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and as a basis for both the permit decision and the Section
408 permissions.
The DA permit and the 408 permissions are two separate processes
with different authorities analyzed by different mission areas
(including Regulatory and Civil Works) inside the USACE. Under Section
404 of the CWA and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, the
District Engineer permits the discharge of dredged or fill material
into the waters of the United States as well as work, to include the
installation and maintenance of structures, in navigable waters of the
U.S., if the discharge meets the requirements of the Environmental
Protection Agency's 404(b)(1) guidelines, and the proposal is
determined to not be contrary to the overall public interest. Under 33
U.S.C. 408, the Chief of Engineers grants permission to alter, modify,
or impair an existing USACE project if it is not injurious to the
public interest and does not impair the usefulness of such work. The
proposed project involves structural crossings of the Federal
Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) Levee and could potentially
impact the Mississippi River Navigation Channel, the future footprint
of the Federal West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane and Storm Damage
Risk Reduction System levee project as well as other Federal projects.
USACE Regulatory and Civil Works will coordinate on all aspects of the
production of the EIS.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Kenny Blanke, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Regulatory Branch (CEMVN-OD-
SC), P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA 70160 or by email at CEMVN-Maurepas@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the DA permit, project
and EIS should be directed to: Mr. Kenny Blanke at (504) 862-1217, or
the email above. Questions on the 408 permissions should be directed
to: Mr. Nathan Dayan at (504) 862-2530 or at the email above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority: Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33
U.S.C. 403); Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33
U.S.C. 408); Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344);
[[Page 64757]]
and, Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4332).
2. Proposed Project. The USACE will prepare an EIS to analyze the
impacts of diverting sediment/nutrient laden Mississippi River water
into the southern Maurepas Swamp. CPRA has stated that the proposed
project purpose is to restore portions of the southern Maurepas Swamp
that are degrading due to cypress-tupelo stress and loss by addressing
the existing conditions of subsidence, permanent flooding, salt stress,
and sediment/nutrient starvation. The proposed project is located along
the left descending bank of the Mississippi River at approximate river
mile 144, in St. John the Baptist Parish, LA. The proposed project
entails the construction of an intake channel that would be excavated
in the Mississippi River batture, a gated structure to be built through
the Mississippi River federal levee, and three (3) 10-foot x 10-foot
culverts to be installed to convey river water under the levee and LA
Highway 44. The culverts would then discharge into a sand settling
basin, connected to an approximate 5.5-mile long banked conveyance
channel which would divert flow northerly to Hope Canal and into the
Maurepas Swamp. The diversion channel has proposed culvert crossings at
its intersection with the existing Canadian National Railway and the
Kansas City Southern Railway, as well as US Highway 61. North of US
Highway 61, the channel would then follow the existing Hope Canal
alignment to finally distribute the diverted water into the forested
wetlands approximately 1,000 feet north of Interstate 10. Other
ancillary features of this project include the construction of a
drainage pumping station at the confluence of Hope Canal and Bourgeois
Canals to maintain the existing storm water drainage capacity for the
community of Garyville, Louisiana, the relocation/construction of a new
Hope Canal public boat launch, the installation of rock weirs at the
Blind River, Bourgeois Canal, Bayou Secret, the creation of five (5)
cuts in the abandoned railroad embankment north of Interstate 10 and
east of the Blind River, and the installation of ten (10) check valves
along the north side of Interstate 10 on the existing culverts under
the interstate. Four (4) lateral relief valves are proposed to be
constructed off the water conveyance channel, north of the proposed
pumping station and south of Interstate 10, each having two (2) 24-inch
metal pipes with 24-inch knife gate valves to divert water to the west
and east of the proposed channel into the Maurepas Swamp.
USACE Regulatory prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) that
documented potential direct, secondary, and cumulative effects the
proposed project would have on the social, physical, and natural
environments of the project area. Information used in the preparation
of the EA was developed by the applicant and/or independently by the
USACE. In summary, the proposed project would have the potential for
direct adverse impacts of approximately 140 acres of
jurisdictional wetlands and 20 acres of jurisdictional
``Other Waters of the U.S.'' In addition, CPRA has stated that the
proposed project would provide a direct restoration benefit to
approximately 36,120 acres of forested freshwater swamp habitat as a
result of project implementation. USACE Regulatory concluded that the
proposed project will result in significant impacts to the human
environment. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
preparation of an EIS for proposals that are subject to federal
funding, control, responsibility, and permitting, and which have the
potential for significant impacts.
3. Alternatives. The EIS will include an evaluation of a reasonable
range of alternatives. Currently, the following alternatives are
expected to be analyzed in detail: The ``no-build'' alternative (no
permit issued), the applicant's preferred project (proposed project),
and other alternatives that will address an array of conveyance and
delivery of fresh water, nutrients, and sediment from the Mississippi
River to help reverse and improve the viability of the southern
Maurepas Swamp. Some alternatives may be brought forward from existing
studies and projects including the Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Program, Louisiana Coastal Area
(LCA) Ecosystem Restoration Study, the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master
Plan, and other alternatives may be developed through the NEPA scoping
process.
4. Scoping. Scoping is the process utilized for determining the
range of alternatives and significant issues to be addressed in the
EIS. The USACE invites full public participation to promote open
communication on the issues surrounding the proposed project. All
Federal, state, and local agencies, NGOs, and other persons or
organizations that have an interest are urged to participate in the
NEPA scoping process. A public meeting will be held to present
information to the public, to help identify significant issues and to
receive public input and comment into the scoping process. Public
scoping meetings for both processes will be conducted jointly. The
date, time and location of the scoping meeting have not been
determined. The public will be notified of the scoping meeting
information by separate public notice posted on the New Orleans
District Web page (listed below). The dates, times and locations of the
scoping meeting will be determined in conjunction with CPRA at a later
date and announced through local media channels as well as the
Regulatory public notice Web site: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. The USACE' scoping process for
the EIS includes a public involvement program with several
opportunities to provide oral and written comments. In addition to
public meetings and notifications in the Federal Register, the USACE
will issue public notices when the draft and final EISs are available.
Affected federal, state, and local agencies, Native American tribes,
and other interested private organizations and parties are invited to
participate.
5. Significant issues. The EIS will analyze the potential social,
economic, and natural environmental impacts to the local area resulting
from the proposed project. Important resources and issues that will be
evaluated in the EIS could include, but would not be limited to,
effects on wetlands and other waters of the U.S.; aquatic resources;
drainage patterns; air quality; water quality; suspended particulates/
turbidity; flood control functions; special aquatic sites; fish and
wildlife habitat; threatened and endangered species and critical
habitat; biological availability of possible contaminants; floodplain
use; aesthetics; traffic/transportation patterns; land use changes;
public safety; economics; noise; consideration of private property;
commercial and recreational fisheries; cultural resources;
alternatives; secondary and cumulative impacts; and environmental
justice (effect on minorities and low income populations).
Socioeconomic issues include: Navigation; induced flooding; land use;
property values; tax revenues; population and housing, community and
regional growth; community cohesion; public services, recreation,
utilities and community service systems and cumulative effects of
related projects in the study area.
6. Environmental Consultation and Review. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) will assist in documenting existing
conditions and assessing effects of project alternatives through the
Fish and Wildlife
[[Page 64758]]
Coordination Act consultation procedures. Other environmental review
and consulation requirements for the proposed project include the need
for the applicant to obtain water quality certification under Section
401 of the Clean Water Act from the Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality. In addition, because the proposed project may
affect federally listed species, the USACE will consult with the
Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in accordance
with Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act. The NMFS will be
consulted regarding the effects of this proposed project on Essential
Fish Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The USACE will also be
consulting with the State Historic Preservation Officer under 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act concerning properties listed, or
potentially eligible for listing.
The USACE will serve as the lead Federal agency in the preparation
of the EIS. Other federal and/or state agencies may participate as
cooperating and/or commenting agencies throughout the EIS process.
The USACE will use a ``third party contractor'' to prepare all or
part of the EIS or to obtain required information (40 CFR 1500-1508).
``Third party contract'' refers to the preparation of the EIS by a
contractor paid by the applicant but who is selected and supervised
directly by the district engineer. Contractor election by the USACE for
a Regulatory Program EIS will be as follows: The USACE will select from
the applicant's list the first contractor that is fully acceptable to
the USACE, using the applicant's order of preference; this selection is
finalized by the applicant's selection of the same contractor. The
procedures outlined in 40 CFR 1500-1508 and CEQ's forty questions must
be followed. Furthermore, the USACE is responsible for final acceptance
of the draft and final EIS.
7. Availability. The Draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be available
for public comment and review no sooner than the spring of 2016. At
that time, a 45-day public review period will be provided for
individuals and agencies to review and comment on the DEIS. All
interested parties are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide
a current address if they wish to be notified of the DEIS circulation.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-25869 Filed 10-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
