Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Reformulation Study, 17729-17731 [2015-07580]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 2015 / Notices
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–xxxx.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(new information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations, not-for-profit
institutions, state, local or tribal
government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
70.
Estimated Time per Response: 10
hours (semi-annually).
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 1,400.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting
costs.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: March 30, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–07547 Filed 4–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE CODE 3510–JE–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Africa Partnership Forum (APF) Day;
Notice of Meeting
United States Africa Command
(USAFRICOM), DoD.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
The Headquarters, United
States Africa Command (USAFRTCOM),
plans to host an Africa Partnership
Forum (APF) Day, June 8–12, 2015. For
planning purposes, AFRICOM is
gathering information on potential
number or ‘‘head count’’ of business or
SUMMARY:
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commercial entities that may be
interested in participating in the Africa
Partnership Forum Day.
DATES:
June 8–12, 2015.
Stage Palladium Theater,
Plieninger Str. 102 70567 Stuttgart,
Germany.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested parties may send their intent
to participate to the following email
addresses: (1) AFRICOM Stuttgart ACJ95
Mailbox, africom.stuttgart.acj95.mbx.
ppp-branch@mail.mil; (2) https://
www.ncsi.com/africom/2015/index.php.
Please include your company name,
point of contact information, the
number of potential attendees, and
indicate whether U.S. or non-U.S.
business entity. State in the subject line:
‘‘USAFRICOM Africa Partnership
Forum (APF): June 8–12, 2015.’’
Please respond to this notice no later
than close-of-business on April 10,
2015. The three-day, USAFRICOM APF
8–12 will be held in Stuttgart, Germany.
Specific detail s of the event, including
a detailed schedule will be published at
a later date.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Monday, June 8, from 2 p.m. to 5
p.m., will focus on arrivals, registration,
networking, and a ‘No-Host’ social.
Tuesday, June 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Wednesday, June 10, from 8 a.m. to
4 p.m., will consist of focused topic
plenary presentations and facilitate
discussions to obtain greater mutual
situational understanding; develop new
concepts, approaches, insights, and
innovative solutions; and to capture
opportunities for shared cooperative
engagements.
Thursday, June 11, from 8 a.m. to 2
p.m., will focus on vendors’ expositions
showcasing/demonstrating available
products and capabilities and
networking to foster greater
relationships with commercial industry,
NGOs, academia, corporate social
foundations, international/private and
other organizational entities.
Friday, June 12 will focus on
departure of attendees and compiling of
comments and contributions of
participants.
Dated: March 30, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015–07575 Filed 4–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE CODE 5001–06–P
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17729
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway
Inlet and Jamaica Bay Reformulation
Study
AGENCY:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
DOD.
ACTION:
Notice of intent.
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, New York District (Corps)
with (New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation as local
sponsor) is preparing an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance
with Council on Environmental
Quality’s NEPA regulations; Corps’
principles and guidelines as defined in
Engineering Regulations (ER) 1105–2–
100, Planning Guidance Notebook, and
ER 200–2–2, Procedures for
Implementing NEPA; and other
applicable Federal and State
environmental laws for the proposed
Atlantic Coast of New York, East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and
Jamaica Bay Coastal Storm Risk
Management Feasibility Study. The
study is re-assessing the feasibility of
coastal storm risk management
alternatives to be implemented within
the congressionally authorized project
area. This overall study area includes
the entire Rockaway peninsula as well
as the back-bay communities
surrounding Jamaica Bay. During
Hurricane Sandy, both Rockaway and
Jamaica Bay communities were severely
affected with large areas subjected to
erosion, storm surge, and wave damage
along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and
flooding of communities within and
surrounding Jamaica Bay. Along the
Rockaways, the Atlantic Ocean surge
and waves exceeded the island height,
resulting in flow of water across the
peninsula, and contributing to the
flooding along the shoreline of the
interior of Jamaica Bay. Hurricane
Sandy illustrated the need to re-evaluate
the entire peninsula and back-bay area
as a system, when considering riskmanagement measures. Acknowledging
the amount of analyses required to
comprehensively reevaluate the study
area considering the influence of the
Atlantic Ocean shorefront conditions on
the back-bay system, a single Hurricane
Sandy General Reevaluation Report and
EIS (GRR/EIS) will be prepared. The
Corps will use a tiered process to
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
17730
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 2015 / Notices
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
facilitate project decision-making. The
EIS will build upon the extensive
Atlantic shoreline alternatives analysis
and environmental and technical
studies and outreach conducted to date.
The proposed tiering approach will
allow the study to focus on both broad
overall Jamaica Bay-wide issues while
simultaneously assessing site specific
impacts, costs and mitigation measures
for the shorefront and back-bay
alternatives. The scope of analysis in the
Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be appropriate to
the level of detail necessary for those
documents and will receive input from
the public and reviewing agencies. The
Tier 1 shoreline analysis will provide
the basis for the alternatives to problems
associated with erosion, storm surge,
and wave damage along the Atlantic
Ocean shoreline the relationship of the
shoreline with the back-bay. The Tier 2
analysis will specifically address the
flooding of communities within and
surrounding Jamaica Bay.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and
suggestions concerning the scope of
issues to be evaluated within the EIS to
Robert Smith, Project Biologist/NEPA
Coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, New York District, Planning
Division, Environmental, 26 Federal
Plaza, New York, NY 10279–0090;
Phone: (917) 790–8729; email: robert.j.
smith@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the overall East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and
Jamaica Bay Coastal Storm Risk
Management Reformulation Study
should be directed to Daniel T. Falt,
Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, New York District, Programs
and Project Management Division, Civil
Works Programs Branch, 26 Federal
Plaza, Room 2127, New York, NY
10279–0090; Phone: (917) 790–8614;
email: daniel.t.falt@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in
partnership with the New York State
Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC), is undertaking
this study. The original multiple
purpose (coastal erosion control and
coastal flooding protection) project for
East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet
and Jamaica Bay, New York was
authorized by the Flood Control Act of
1965 (Pub. L. 89–298). The authorized
project provided for the restoration of a
protective beach along 6.2 miles of
Rockaway Beach, between Beach 19th
Street and Beach 149th Street. The
beach erosion control features of the
authorized project on the Rockaway
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:52 Apr 01, 2015
Jkt 235001
Peninsula consists of a 100-foot berm
width (i.e., beach) at an elevation of +10
foot NGVD (approximately 8.9 feet
NAVD88) over the peninsula’s entire
project length.
The 1965 authorized project also
included measures to provide hurricane
damage risk reduction within Jamaica
Bay by constructing a hurricane barrier
and closure structure across the
entrance to Jamaica Bay (Rockaway
Inlet). This original project authority
was modified by Section 72 of the Water
Resources Development Act of 1974 to
provide for the separate construction of
the beach erosion control on the oceanfront of the Rockaway Peninsula
independently from the hurricane
barrier addressing Jamaica Bay. For
more than 30 years, the ocean-front
portion of the authorized project has
been maintained; the hurricane barrier
portion of the originally authorized
project was never constructed and was
subsequently de-authorized by the
Water Resources Development Act of
1986.
In the early 2000s, the Corps began a
reformulation effort to examine possible
changes to the originally authorized East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and
Jamaica Bay Project. The constructed
shorefront features of the Atlantic
Coastline (East Rockaway Inlet to
Rockaway Inlet) were being
reformulated with the goal of: Reducing
coastal storm vulnerability to erosion,
waves, and surge; identifying measures
to reduce long-term re-nourishment
costs; and extending federal
participation in the project for up to 50
years. The reformulation effort was
exclusively examining shorefront
features as stand-alone alternatives for
addressing shorefront damages. The
Corps developed shorefront alternatives
with the NYSDEC and the resource
agency and public coordination of the
shorefront alternatives was ongoing
prior to Hurricane Sandy. The
reformulation for the Jamaica Bay
portion of the study area (i.e., the backbay communities) had not been
advanced prior to Hurricane Sandy due
to funding constraints.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy
made landfall with a combination of
massive storm surge, rising water levels
and reshaping of local geography. In
response to the damages and
vulnerability of communities and
ecosystems along the Atlantic Coast, the
U.S. Congress passed the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act of 2013 (Pub. L.
113–2). In part, directing the Corps of
Engineers to ‘‘. . . reduce future flood
risk in ways that will support the longterm sustainability of the coastal
ecosystem and communities and reduce
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the economic costs and risks associated
with large-scale flood and storm events
in areas along the Atlantic Coast within
the boundaries of the North Atlantic
Division of the Corps that were affected
by Hurricane Sandy.’’ In partial
fulfillment of the requirements detailed
within the Act, the USACE identified
authorized USACE projects for reducing
flooding and storm risks that have been
constructed or are under construction
that could be re-evaluated under the
new guidelines; the existing East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and
Jamaica Bay, NY project met the criteria
for re-evaluation.
Because the reformulation for the
Jamaica Bay portion of the study area
had not been advanced prior to
Hurricane Sandy, the Corps accelerated
the reformulation effort for the back-bay
portion of the study. The Corps is
currently integrating the advanced plan
formulation effort for the shorefront
with the relatively recent planning effort
for the back-bay into a single
comprehensive document to address the
entire system. Acknowledging the
amount of analyses required to
comprehensively reevaluate the study
area considering the influence of the
Atlantic Ocean shorefront conditions on
the back-bay system, a single Hurricane
Sandy General Reevaluation Report and
EIS (GRR/EIS) will be prepared. The
Corps will use a tiered process to
facilitate project decision-making. The
EIS will build upon the extensive
Atlantic shoreline alternatives analysis
and environmental and technical
studies and outreach conducted to date.
The proposed tiering approach will
allow the study to focus on both broad
overall Jamaica Bay-wide issues while
simultaneously assessing site specific
impacts, costs and mitigation measures
for the shorefront and back-bay
alternatives. The scope of analysis in the
Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be appropriate to
the level of detail necessary for those
documents and will receive input from
the public and reviewing agencies. The
Tier 1 shoreline analysis will provide
the basis for the alternatives to problems
associated with erosion, storm surge,
and wave damage along the Atlantic
Ocean shoreline and the Tier 2 analysis
will address the flooding of
communities within and surrounding
Jamaica Bay.
2. Study Area
The study area encompasses the
Atlantic Coast of New York City
between East Rockaway Inlet and
Rockaway Inlet, and the water and lands
within and surrounding Jamaica Bay,
New York. The southern extent of the
study area is the Atlantic Ocean and
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 2015 / Notices
shorefront along the Rockaway
Peninsula which separates the Atlantic
Ocean from Jamaica Bay immediately to
the north.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
3. USACE Decision Making
Developing the alternatives
formulation, engineering design and
environmental consequences
assessment into a single GRR/EIS allows
the New York District to
comprehensively evaluate the project as
a system. However, the USACE
acknowledges that the shorefront and
back-bay segments may not
concurrently be ready for a
recommendation. The shorefront
portion of the project has undergone
extensive alternatives analysis, while
the back-bay re-evaluation process is in
its earlier stages. Additionally, the
shorefront measures being evaluated
have been the subject of considerable
public and agency coordination while
these essential coordination efforts have
not been completed for the back-bay
alternatives.
As a result, the Corps will develop the
HSGRR/EIS evaluating the entire area,
but will tier the decisions (i.e., issue
separate records of decision) on the
respective areas. This decision making
approach will allow time to address
agency policy issues and build
consensus among cooperating agencies
and the public. This option to issue
multiple records of decision based on a
single EIS is available to the USACE
because of the flexibility in the NEPA
process as described in the President’s
Council on Environmental Quality’s
(CEQ) NEPA-Implementing Regulations.
4. Public Participation
The USACE invites public comment
on the scope of the issues and
alternatives to be addressed in the draft
EIS. Input will be received through
public meetings with both oral and
written comments being provided;
written comments may be submitted at
any time during the process. The New
York District will host a series of three
public scoping meetings to receive
comments on the proposed scope of
issues to be evaluated in the draft
environmental impact statement. Each
of the public meetings will begin with
an informal open house from 5:00 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m. followed by the formal
meeting from 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Two public meetings have been
scheduled with a third TBD. The first
will be held at the Knights of Columbus
(333 Beach 90th Street, Rockaway
Beach, NY 11693) on April 22, 2015
between 6:30–9:30 p.m. The second is
scheduled at the Ryan Visitor Center (50
Aviator Road Brooklyn, NY 11234) for
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18:52 Apr 01, 2015
Jkt 235001
Wednesday, April 29 from 6:00–8:00
p.m.
5. Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
the lead federal agency for the
preparation of the environmental impact
statement (EIS) and meeting the
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act and the NEPA
Implementing Regulations of the
President’s Council on Environmental
Quality (40 CFR parts 1500–1508).
Within the study area, the National Park
Service (NPS) manages the over 19,000acre Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway
National Recreation Area. Many of the
actions evaluated within the EIS could
occur within the National Recreation
Area. Federal agencies interested in
participating as a Cooperating Agency
are requested to submit a letter of intent
to Colonel Paul E. Owen, District
Engineer (see ADDRESSES). The
preparation of the EIS will be
coordinated with New York State and
New York City agencies with
discretionary authority relative to the
proposed actions. The Draft EIS is
currently scheduled for distribution to
the public November 2015.
Dated: March 26, 2015.
Peter M. Weppler,
Chief, Environmental Analysis Branch,
Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2015–07580 Filed 4–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
National Security Education Board;
Notice of Federal Advisory Committee
Meeting
The Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness, Defense Language and
National Security Education Office
(DLNSEO), DoD.
ACTION: Meeting notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Defense is
publishing this notice to announce that
the following Federal advisory
committee meeting of the National
Security Education Board will take
place. This meeting is open to the
public.
DATES: Tuesday, May 5, 2015, from 8:30
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: 1101 Wilson Boulevard,
Suite 1210, Arlington, VA 22209.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alison Patz, telephone: (571) 256–0771,
Alison.m.patz.civ@mail.mil, fax: (703)
692–2615.
SUMMARY:
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17731
This
meeting is being held under the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C.,
Appendix, as amended), the
Government in the Sunshine Act of
1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and
41 CFR 102–3.150.
Purpose of the Meeting: The purpose
of the meeting is to review and make
recommendations to the Secretary of
Defense concerning requirements
established by the David L. Boren
National Security Education Act, Title
VII of Public Law 102–183, as amended.
Agenda:
8:30 a.m.—Opening Remarks and Key
Updates.
9:15 a.m.—Programmatic Updates.
10:00 a.m.—Class of 2015 Boren
Scholars and Fellows.
10:45 a.m.—Break.
11:00 a.m.—Strategic National Security
Hiring Needs.
11:30 a.m.—Read Out From NSEB
Working Group on
Communications.
12:15 p.m.—Working Lunch.
1:00 p.m.—Full Board Discussion on
NSEP Strategic Communications
and Branding.
2:30 p.m.—Break.
2:45 p.m.—New NSEP Initiatives.
3:15 p.m.—Board Discussion.
4:00 p.m.—Adjourn.
Public’s Accessibility to the Meeting:
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b and 41 CFR
102–3.140 through 102–3.165, and the
availability of space, this meeting is
open to the public. Seating is on a firstcome basis.
Committee’s Point of Contact: Alison
Patz, Alternate Designated Federal
Official, (571) 256–0771,
Alison.m.patz.civ@mail.mil.
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.140 and
sections 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972, the public or
interested organizations may submit
written statements to the Department of
Defense National Security Education
Board about its mission and functions.
Written statements may be submitted at
any time or in response to the stated
agenda of the planned meeting.
All written statements shall be
submitted to the Designated Federal
Official for the National Security
Education Board, and this individual
will ensure that the written statements
are provided to the membership for
their consideration. Contact information
for the Designated Federal Official can
be obtained from the GSA’s FACA
Database—https://
www.facadatabase.gov/.
Statements being submitted in
response to the agenda mentioned in
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17729-17731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07580]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Reformulation
Study
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District (Corps)
with (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as local
sponsor) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in
accordance with Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations;
Corps' principles and guidelines as defined in Engineering Regulations
(ER) 1105-2-100, Planning Guidance Notebook, and ER 200-2-2, Procedures
for Implementing NEPA; and other applicable Federal and State
environmental laws for the proposed Atlantic Coast of New York, East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Coastal Storm Risk
Management Feasibility Study. The study is re-assessing the feasibility
of coastal storm risk management alternatives to be implemented within
the congressionally authorized project area. This overall study area
includes the entire Rockaway peninsula as well as the back-bay
communities surrounding Jamaica Bay. During Hurricane Sandy, both
Rockaway and Jamaica Bay communities were severely affected with large
areas subjected to erosion, storm surge, and wave damage along the
Atlantic Ocean shoreline and flooding of communities within and
surrounding Jamaica Bay. Along the Rockaways, the Atlantic Ocean surge
and waves exceeded the island height, resulting in flow of water across
the peninsula, and contributing to the flooding along the shoreline of
the interior of Jamaica Bay. Hurricane Sandy illustrated the need to
re-evaluate the entire peninsula and back-bay area as a system, when
considering risk-management measures. Acknowledging the amount of
analyses required to comprehensively reevaluate the study area
considering the influence of the Atlantic Ocean shorefront conditions
on the back-bay system, a single Hurricane Sandy General Reevaluation
Report and EIS (GRR/EIS) will be prepared. The Corps will use a tiered
process to
[[Page 17730]]
facilitate project decision-making. The EIS will build upon the
extensive Atlantic shoreline alternatives analysis and environmental
and technical studies and outreach conducted to date. The proposed
tiering approach will allow the study to focus on both broad overall
Jamaica Bay-wide issues while simultaneously assessing site specific
impacts, costs and mitigation measures for the shorefront and back-bay
alternatives. The scope of analysis in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be
appropriate to the level of detail necessary for those documents and
will receive input from the public and reviewing agencies. The Tier 1
shoreline analysis will provide the basis for the alternatives to
problems associated with erosion, storm surge, and wave damage along
the Atlantic Ocean shoreline the relationship of the shoreline with the
back-bay. The Tier 2 analysis will specifically address the flooding of
communities within and surrounding Jamaica Bay.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the scope
of issues to be evaluated within the EIS to Robert Smith, Project
Biologist/NEPA Coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York
District, Planning Division, Environmental, 26 Federal Plaza, New York,
NY 10279-0090; Phone: (917) 790-8729; email:
robert.j.smith@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the overall East
Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Coastal Storm Risk
Management Reformulation Study should be directed to Daniel T. Falt,
Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District,
Programs and Project Management Division, Civil Works Programs Branch,
26 Federal Plaza, Room 2127, New York, NY 10279-0090; Phone: (917) 790-
8614; email: daniel.t.falt@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), is undertaking
this study. The original multiple purpose (coastal erosion control and
coastal flooding protection) project for East Rockaway Inlet to
Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay, New York was authorized by the Flood
Control Act of 1965 (Pub. L. 89-298). The authorized project provided
for the restoration of a protective beach along 6.2 miles of Rockaway
Beach, between Beach 19th Street and Beach 149th Street. The beach
erosion control features of the authorized project on the Rockaway
Peninsula consists of a 100-foot berm width (i.e., beach) at an
elevation of +10 foot NGVD (approximately 8.9 feet NAVD88) over the
peninsula's entire project length.
The 1965 authorized project also included measures to provide
hurricane damage risk reduction within Jamaica Bay by constructing a
hurricane barrier and closure structure across the entrance to Jamaica
Bay (Rockaway Inlet). This original project authority was modified by
Section 72 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 to provide
for the separate construction of the beach erosion control on the
ocean-front of the Rockaway Peninsula independently from the hurricane
barrier addressing Jamaica Bay. For more than 30 years, the ocean-front
portion of the authorized project has been maintained; the hurricane
barrier portion of the originally authorized project was never
constructed and was subsequently de-authorized by the Water Resources
Development Act of 1986.
In the early 2000s, the Corps began a reformulation effort to
examine possible changes to the originally authorized East Rockaway
Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Project. The constructed
shorefront features of the Atlantic Coastline (East Rockaway Inlet to
Rockaway Inlet) were being reformulated with the goal of: Reducing
coastal storm vulnerability to erosion, waves, and surge; identifying
measures to reduce long-term re-nourishment costs; and extending
federal participation in the project for up to 50 years. The
reformulation effort was exclusively examining shorefront features as
stand-alone alternatives for addressing shorefront damages. The Corps
developed shorefront alternatives with the NYSDEC and the resource
agency and public coordination of the shorefront alternatives was
ongoing prior to Hurricane Sandy. The reformulation for the Jamaica Bay
portion of the study area (i.e., the back-bay communities) had not been
advanced prior to Hurricane Sandy due to funding constraints.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall with a combination
of massive storm surge, rising water levels and reshaping of local
geography. In response to the damages and vulnerability of communities
and ecosystems along the Atlantic Coast, the U.S. Congress passed the
Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-2). In part,
directing the Corps of Engineers to ``. . . reduce future flood risk in
ways that will support the long-term sustainability of the coastal
ecosystem and communities and reduce the economic costs and risks
associated with large-scale flood and storm events in areas along the
Atlantic Coast within the boundaries of the North Atlantic Division of
the Corps that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.'' In partial
fulfillment of the requirements detailed within the Act, the USACE
identified authorized USACE projects for reducing flooding and storm
risks that have been constructed or are under construction that could
be re-evaluated under the new guidelines; the existing East Rockaway
Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay, NY project met the criteria
for re-evaluation.
Because the reformulation for the Jamaica Bay portion of the study
area had not been advanced prior to Hurricane Sandy, the Corps
accelerated the reformulation effort for the back-bay portion of the
study. The Corps is currently integrating the advanced plan formulation
effort for the shorefront with the relatively recent planning effort
for the back-bay into a single comprehensive document to address the
entire system. Acknowledging the amount of analyses required to
comprehensively reevaluate the study area considering the influence of
the Atlantic Ocean shorefront conditions on the back-bay system, a
single Hurricane Sandy General Reevaluation Report and EIS (GRR/EIS)
will be prepared. The Corps will use a tiered process to facilitate
project decision-making. The EIS will build upon the extensive Atlantic
shoreline alternatives analysis and environmental and technical studies
and outreach conducted to date. The proposed tiering approach will
allow the study to focus on both broad overall Jamaica Bay-wide issues
while simultaneously assessing site specific impacts, costs and
mitigation measures for the shorefront and back-bay alternatives. The
scope of analysis in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be appropriate to the
level of detail necessary for those documents and will receive input
from the public and reviewing agencies. The Tier 1 shoreline analysis
will provide the basis for the alternatives to problems associated with
erosion, storm surge, and wave damage along the Atlantic Ocean
shoreline and the Tier 2 analysis will address the flooding of
communities within and surrounding Jamaica Bay.
2. Study Area
The study area encompasses the Atlantic Coast of New York City
between East Rockaway Inlet and Rockaway Inlet, and the water and lands
within and surrounding Jamaica Bay, New York. The southern extent of
the study area is the Atlantic Ocean and
[[Page 17731]]
shorefront along the Rockaway Peninsula which separates the Atlantic
Ocean from Jamaica Bay immediately to the north.
3. USACE Decision Making
Developing the alternatives formulation, engineering design and
environmental consequences assessment into a single GRR/EIS allows the
New York District to comprehensively evaluate the project as a system.
However, the USACE acknowledges that the shorefront and back-bay
segments may not concurrently be ready for a recommendation. The
shorefront portion of the project has undergone extensive alternatives
analysis, while the back-bay re-evaluation process is in its earlier
stages. Additionally, the shorefront measures being evaluated have been
the subject of considerable public and agency coordination while these
essential coordination efforts have not been completed for the back-bay
alternatives.
As a result, the Corps will develop the HSGRR/EIS evaluating the
entire area, but will tier the decisions (i.e., issue separate records
of decision) on the respective areas. This decision making approach
will allow time to address agency policy issues and build consensus
among cooperating agencies and the public. This option to issue
multiple records of decision based on a single EIS is available to the
USACE because of the flexibility in the NEPA process as described in
the President's Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) NEPA-
Implementing Regulations.
4. Public Participation
The USACE invites public comment on the scope of the issues and
alternatives to be addressed in the draft EIS. Input will be received
through public meetings with both oral and written comments being
provided; written comments may be submitted at any time during the
process. The New York District will host a series of three public
scoping meetings to receive comments on the proposed scope of issues to
be evaluated in the draft environmental impact statement. Each of the
public meetings will begin with an informal open house from 5:00 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m. followed by the formal meeting from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Two public meetings have been scheduled with a third TBD. The first
will be held at the Knights of Columbus (333 Beach 90th Street,
Rockaway Beach, NY 11693) on April 22, 2015 between 6:30-9:30 p.m. The
second is scheduled at the Ryan Visitor Center (50 Aviator Road
Brooklyn, NY 11234) for Wednesday, April 29 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
5. Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead federal agency for the
preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) and meeting the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the NEPA
Implementing Regulations of the President's Council on Environmental
Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). Within the study area, the National
Park Service (NPS) manages the over 19,000-acre Jamaica Bay Unit of the
Gateway National Recreation Area. Many of the actions evaluated within
the EIS could occur within the National Recreation Area. Federal
agencies interested in participating as a Cooperating Agency are
requested to submit a letter of intent to Colonel Paul E. Owen,
District Engineer (see ADDRESSES). The preparation of the EIS will be
coordinated with New York State and New York City agencies with
discretionary authority relative to the proposed actions. The Draft EIS
is currently scheduled for distribution to the public November 2015.
Dated: March 26, 2015.
Peter M. Weppler,
Chief, Environmental Analysis Branch, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2015-07580 Filed 4-1-15; 8:45 am]
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