Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rebuild by Design Meadowlands Flood Protection Project in Bergen County, New Jersey, 39940-39943 [2016-14524]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 118 / Monday, June 20, 2016 / Notices
Notice of teleconference
meeting.
ACTION:
The National Maritime
Security Advisory Committee will meet
on July 5, 2016, via teleconference to
discuss various issues relating to
national maritime security. This
meeting will be open to the public.
DATES: The Committee will meet by
teleconference on Tuesday, July 5, 2016
from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time. This meeting may close early if
all business is finished. To join the
teleconference, contact the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to obtain the needed
information no later than 3 p.m. on July
1, 2016. The number of teleconference
lines is limited and will be available on
a first-come, first-served basis. Written
comments for distribution to Committee
members before the meeting must be
submitted no later than June 27, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
submitted to the docket for this notice,
USCG–2016–0499, using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. To facilitate
public participation, we are inviting
public comment on the issues to be
considered by the Committee as listed
in the ‘‘Agenda’’ section below. If you
encounter technical difficulties, contact
the individual in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
document for alternate instructions.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the words ‘‘Department of
Homeland Security’’ and the docket
number for this action. Comments
received will be posted without
alteration at https://regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided. You may review a Privacy Act
notice regarding the Federal Docket
Management system in the March 24,
2005, issue of the Federal Register (70
FR 15086).
Docket Search: For access to the
docket to read documents or comments
related to this notice, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, type USCG–2016–
0499 in the Search box, press Enter, and
then click on the item you wish to view.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Ryan Owens, Alternate Designated
Federal Official of the National
Maritime Security Advisory Committee,
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20593, Stop 7581,
Washington, DC 20593–7581; telephone
202–372–1108 or email ryan.f.owens@
uscg.mil.
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SUMMARY:
Notice of
this meeting via teleconference is in
compliance with the Federal Advisory
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Committee Act (Title 5, United States
Code, Appendix).
The National Maritime Security
Advisory Committee operates under the
authority of 46 U.S.C. 70112. The
National Maritime Security Advisory
Committee provides advice, consults
with, and makes recommendations to
the Secretary of Homeland Security, via
the Commandant of the Coast Guard, on
matters relating to national maritime
security.
Agenda of Meeting
The agenda for the July 5, 2016
teleconference is as follows:
(1) Coast Guard Cyber Security
Tasking. At their last public meeting,
the Committee was asked to provide
recommendations concerning a Cyber
Security Information Sharing and
Analysis Center. A copy of the tasking
can be found at https://
homeport.uscg.mil/nmsac. The National
Maritime Security Advisory Committee
will meet via teleconference to receive
the report of the working group and
provide recommendations. The public
will be provided an opportunity to
comment prior to any voting on this
issue.
(2) Transportation Worker
Identification Credential; Next
Generation Specifications. At the last
public meeting The Committee was
tasked with providing recommendations
on what the next generation of
Transportation Worker Credentials and
readers should incorporate. A copy of
the tasking can be found at https://
homeport.uscg.mil/nmsac. The National
Maritime Security Advisory Committee
will meet via teleconference to receive
the report of the working group and
provide recommendations. The public
will be provided an opportunity to
comment prior to any voting on this
issue.
(3) Extremely Hazardous Cargo
Strategy. The Committee will receive a
tasking to work with the Chemical
Transportation Advisory Committee in
developing an implementation strategy
for the Strategy.
During the July 5, 2016 meeting via
teleconference, a public comment will
be held from approximately 4:45 p.m. to
5 p.m. Speakers are requested to limit
their comments to three minutes. Please
note that this public comment period
may start before 4:45 p.m. if all other
agenda items have been covered and
may end before 5 p.m. if all those
wishing to comment have done so.
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Dated: June 15, 2016.
K.P. McAvoy,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director
of Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2016–14512 Filed 6–17–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5953–N–01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Rebuild by Design
Meadowlands Flood Protection Project
in Bergen County, New Jersey
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
EIS.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
gives notice that the State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
(NJDEP), on behalf of the State of New
Jersey through its Department of
Community Affairs (NJDCA), as the
recipient of U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) grant
funds, and as the ‘‘Responsible Entity,’’
as that term is defined by HUD
regulations at 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7)(i),
intends to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rebuild
by Design (RBD) Meadowlands Flood
Protection Project (the Proposed
Project). The State of New Jersey,
through NJDCA, has designated the
NJDEP as the Lead Agency to prepare
the EIS for the Proposed Project in
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
EIS will analyze the environmental
effects of alternatives for the
construction of flood risk reduction
measures within the Boroughs of Little
Ferry, Moonachie, Carlstadt, and
Teterboro, and the Township of South
Hackensack, all in Bergen County, New
Jersey (the Project Area). Such measures
will be designed to address the impacts
of coastal and riverine (fluvial) flooding
on the quality of the human
environment in the Project Area due to
both sea level rise and storm hazards,
including heavy rainfall events and
intense coastal storm events. The
approximate Project Area boundaries
are: Hackensack River to the east;
Paterson Plank Road and the southern
boundary of Carlstadt to the south; State
Route 17 to the west; and Interstate 80
and the northern boundary of the
Borough of Little Ferry to the north.
SUMMARY:
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The State of New Jersey through
NJDCA is the Grantee of HUD
Community Development Block Grant
Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) funds
that have been appropriated under the
Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of
2013 (Pub. L. 113–2, approved January
29, 2013) related to disaster relief, longterm recovery, restoration of
infrastructure and housing, and
economic revitalization in the most
impacted and distressed areas resulting
from a major disaster that was declared
pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act of 1974 (Stafford Act) in
calendar year 2012 for Hurricane Sandy.
The Proposed Project was developed
and selected as a winning concept
through HUD’s and the Hurricane Sandy
Rebuilding Task Force’s RBD
competition. The RBD competition
promotes the development of innovative
resilience projects in the Sandy-affected
region. HUD has allocated $150 million
in CDBG–DR funds for the planning,
design, and implementation of this
Project. Receipt of CDBG–DR funding
requires compliance with NEPA.
This Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS
is, therefore, being published in
accordance with NEPA, the Council of
Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA
Regulations found at 40 CFR parts
1500–1508, HUD implementing
regulations at 24 CFR part 58, and
HUD’s additional environmental review
requirements for the Project published
in a Federal Register notice on October
16, 2014 (79 FR 62182). This Notice of
Intent to prepare a EIS (as defined at 40
CFR 1508.22) is in accordance with CEQ
Regulations, and represents the
beginning of the public scoping process
as outlined in 40 CFR 1501.7.
A Draft Public Scoping Document, or
Draft Scope of Work to prepare an EIS
(Draft Scope of Work), for the Proposed
Project is available at www.rbdmeadowlands.nj.gov. The Draft Scope of
Work outlines the Proposed Project’s
purpose and need, initial range of
alternatives, resource areas to be
addressed in the EIS, proposed
analytical methodologies, and other
elements associated with the Project and
this NEPA process as known at this
early stage.
Following the public scoping process,
a Draft EIS will be prepared that
analyzes the Proposed Project. Once the
Draft EIS is certified as complete, a
notice will then be sent to appropriate
government agencies, groups, and
individuals known to have an
involvement or interest in the Draft EIS
and particularly in the environmental
impact issues identified therein. A
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS
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will be published in the Federal
Register and local media outlets at that
time in accordance with HUD and CEQ
Regulations. Any person or agency
interested in receiving notice and
commenting on the Draft Scope of Work
or Draft EIS should contact the
individual named in this notice under
the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT no later than July 20, 2016.
DATES: Comments on the Draft Scope of
Work are requested by this notice and
will be accepted until July 20, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft
Scope of Work are requested by this
notice and will be accepted by the
individuals named in this notice under
the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Comments may also be submitted: (1)
Online to the NJDCA Web site at https://
www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/
sandyrecovery/review/; or (2) U.S. Mail
to: Ms. Laura Shea, Assistant
Commissioner, Sandy Recovery
Division, New Jersey Department of
Community Affairs, 101 South Broad
Street, P.O. Box 800, Trenton, NJ 08625–
0800.
Comments will also be accepted at the
NEPA scoping meeting to be held on
July 6, 2016. All comments received by
July 20, 2016 will be considered prior to
the acceptance, certification, and
distribution of the Final Scope of Work,
which will reflect substantive comments
received during the public scoping
period and used as input into the
development of the Draft EIS.
Commenters are also requested to
submit: (a) Any information related to
reports or other environmental studies
planned or completed in the Project
Area; (b) major issues that the Draft EIS
should consider; and (c) any
recommended mitigation measures and
alternatives associated with the
Proposed Project.
Federal agencies having jurisdiction
by law, special expertise, or other
special interest should report their
interest and indicate their readiness to
aid in the EIS effort as a ‘‘Cooperating
Agency.’’ Written requests of
individuals and organizations to
participate as Section 106 Consulting
Parties under the National Historic
Preservation Act may also be made to
the individual named in this notice
under the heading FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
The public and agencies will also be
offered an opportunity to comment on
the purpose and need, range of
alternatives, level of detail,
methodologies, and other elements of
the Draft Scope of Work through public
and agency outreach that will consist of:
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A public scoping meeting (described
herein); scheduled community advisory
group meetings associated with the
preparation of the EIS; meetings with
the applicable cooperating, involved,
and interested agencies, as necessary;
and meetings with Section 106
consulting parties, including federally
recognized Indian tribes. Once
completed and released, the Draft EIS
will be available for public and agency
review and comment.
With NJDEP serving as the Lead
Agency, the EIS will be prepared in
accordance with NEPA, CEQ regulations
found at 40 CFR parts 1500–1508, and
HUD regulations found at 24 CFR part
58. In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 5304(g)
and HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR part 58
(entitled, ‘‘Environmental Review
Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD
Environmental Responsibilities’’), HUD
has provided for assumption of its
NEPA authority by the State of New
Jersey through the NJDCA, with NJDCA
delegating NEPA Lead Agency
responsibility to the NJDEP for the
administration of the Proposed Project.
The EIS will also comply, as
necessary, with Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, the
Clean Water Act, Executive Order 12898
‘‘Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income
Populations,’’ Executive Order 11990
‘‘Protection of Wetlands,’’ Executive
Order 11988 ‘‘Floodplain Management,’’
Executive Order 13690 ‘‘Establishing a
Federal Flood Risk Management
Standard and a Process for Further
Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder
Input,’’ and other applicable Federal,
State, and local laws and regulations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, to request a copy of
the Draft Scope of Work, to comment on
the Draft Scope of Work, and/or to
address questions concerning the
Proposed Project, please contact NJDEP
via (1) email at rbd-meadowlands@
dep.nj.gov; or (2) U.S. Mail to Mr.
Dennis Reinknecht, RBD Program
Manager, Engineering and Construction,
Office of Flood Hazard Risk Reduction
Measures, 501 East State Street, Mail
Code 501–01A, P.O. Box 420, Trenton,
NJ 08625–0420.
Persons may also view the Draft
Scope of Work by visiting the Rebuild
by Design-Meadowlands Web site at
www.rbd-meadowlands.nj.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Project Background
HUD launched the RBD competition
in the summer of 2013 (July 29, 2013,
78 FR 45551) to develop ideas to
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improve physical, ecological, economic,
and social resilience in regions affected
by Hurricane Sandy. The competition
sought to promote innovation by
developing flexible solutions that would
increase regional resilience. The
Proposed Project was one of the
competition’s winning concepts; it was
developed with the primary goal of
reducing flood risk in the Project Area.
HUD awarded $150 million to the State
of New Jersey for the Proposed Project.
The EIS will analyze potential impacts
of certain alternatives involving
construction of flood risk reduction
measures designed to address the
impacts of coastal and riverine (fluvial)
flooding in the Project Area, stemming
from the award-winning RBD design.
The Project Area is vulnerable to both
inland and coastal flooding. Hurricane
Sandy exposed the vulnerabilities
within the Project Area after low-lying
areas were inundated by coastal storm
surges. Within the Project Area, rainfallinduced flooding is more common and
happens more frequently than coastal
storm surge flooding. However, during
Hurricane Sandy the impacts of rainfall
flooding were considerably less than
those from coastal storm surge flooding.
If Hurricane Sandy had been a
substantial rainfall event as well as a
storm surge event, the Project Area’s
past history of flooding during heavy
rainfall events indicates that the storm
could have further increased flood
levels and property damages.
Hurricane Sandy significantly
impacted the Project Area, highlighting
existing deficiencies in the Project
Area’s resiliency and ability to
adequately protect vulnerable
populations and critical infrastructure
from flooding during major storm
events. These impacts included
extensive inland flooding due to major
tidal surges, with significant damage to
residential and commercial properties,
impacts to critical health care facilities,
and the failure of critical power,
transportation, and water and sewer
infrastructure. Approximately 1,600
homes, 600 rental properties, and 1,900
businesses within the Project Area were
damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Loss of
income, loss of property taxes, and other
Sandy-related property damage were
estimated to be in excess of $40 million
within the Project Area, including over
$20 million in property damages alone.
The average amount of property damage
to each structure in the Project Area
ranged from approximately $1,000 to
$12,000. Nearly 30 percent of the
structures damaged within the Project
Area were renter-occupied; finding
affordable replacement housing for
renters within the Project Area was one
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of the immediate challenges following
the hurricane. The goal of the Proposed
Project is to reduce such damages,
impacts, and losses during future events
by decreasing the flooding risk in the
Project Area.
B. Purpose of and Need for the
Proposed Project
The Proposed Project includes the
construction of flood risk reduction
measures designed to address the
impacts of coastal and riverine (fluvial)
flooding on the quality of the human
environment due to both storm hazards
and sea level rise within the Project
Area. The purpose of the Proposed
Project is to reduce flood risk in the
Project Area, thereby protecting critical
infrastructure, residences, and
businesses from the more frequent and
intense flood events anticipated in the
future.
The Proposed Project is needed to
address: (1) Systemic inland flooding
from high-intensity rainfall/runoff
events, and (2) coastal flooding from
storm surges and abnormally high tides.
In addition to reducing flooding in the
Project Area, the Proposed Project is
needed to directly protect life, public
health, and property in the Project Area,
reduce flood insurance rates and claims
from future events, and potentially
restore property values to the extent
possible with the available funding. The
Proposed Project is needed to increase
community resiliency, including
protecting accessibility to, and on-going
operations of, critical health care
services, emergency services, and
transportation and utility infrastructure.
The Proposed Project will also deliver
co-benefits, potentially integrating the
flood hazard risk reduction strategy
with civic, cultural, and recreational
values to incorporate active and passive
recreational uses, multi-use facilities,
public spaces, and other design
elements that integrate the Proposed
Project into the fabric of the community
to the extent practical with the available
funding.
To address these needs, the Proposed
Project would combine hard
infrastructure (such as bulkheads or
floodwalls), soft landscaping features
(such as berms and/or levees), and/or a
series of drainage improvements that
would reduce flooding in the Project
Area, with freshwater basins and the
Meadowlands wetlands themselves
increasing flood storage capacity and
flood protection. The Proposed Project
would connect to and potentially
expand existing and future marshland
restoration efforts by the New Jersey
Sports and Exhibition Authority. Urban
design features integrated into the
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proposed flood protection system would
also provide ancillary benefits by
enhancing natural areas and allowing
public access to open spaces and
increased recreational opportunities
along the Hackensack River. The EIS
will examine alternatives that best meet
the purpose and need of the Proposed
Project.
C. Project Alternatives
The EIS will examine three build
alternatives, as well as a No Action
Alternative. Each of the three build
alternatives will seek to reduce the flood
risk within the Project Area. These
alternatives vary by the type of
infrastructure that is proposed.
Alternative 1 will analyze the use of
levees, berms, barriers, or floodwalls to
reduce flood risk. Alternative 2 will
analyze the impacts of substantial
drainage improvements achieved
through a series of local projects within
the Project Area to reduce flood risk,
Alternative 3, a hybrid of Alternatives 1
and 2, will analyze the impacts of
blending new infrastructure and
drainage improvements to reduce flood
risk in the Project Area.
Each alternative is being evaluated
through the ongoing engineering
feasibility analysis and application of
preliminary screening criteria. These
alternatives will be further developed
and modified as the EIS process
proceeds. Each alternative must be
implementable within the limits of the
CDBG–DR funding available at the latest
by September 30, 2022. The three build
alternatives, as currently proposed, are
summarized below.
Alternative 1 or the Structural Flood
Reduction Alternative. Alternative 1
will analyze various structural,
infrastructure-based solutions that
would be constructed to provide
protection from both fluvial and tidal/
storm surge flooding. This alternative, to
the extent practical, would provide a
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) Certifiable level of flood
protection to a portion of the Project
Area. This alternative may consist of a
range of structures, including levees,
berms, barriers, drainage structures,
pump stations, floodgates, and/or other
hard and soft infrastructure to achieve
the required level of flood protection.
Different routing alignments and
different levels of flood protection are
also being considered.
Alternative 2 or the Fluvial/Rain
Event Drainage Improvement
Alternative. Alternative 2 will analyze a
series of storm water drainage projects
aimed at reducing the occurrence of
higher frequency, small- to mediumscale flooding events that impact the
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communities located in the Project
Area. Together, these interventions
would provide a system of improved
storm water management, and may
include both local drainage
improvements and wetlands restoration
to protect communities located in the
Project Area and address day-to-day
water management challenges. These
interventions may include: Drainage
ditches, pipes, and pump stations at
strategic locations; increased roadway
elevations; new green infrastructure
(e.g., wetland drainage basins,
bioswales), water storage areas, and
water control structures; cleaning and
de-snagging of existing waterways; and
increasing and enhancing public open
space.
Alternative 3 or the Hybrid
Alternative. Alternative 3 will analyze a
strategic, synergistic blend of new
infrastructure and local drainage
improvements to reduce flood risk in
the Project Area. Components of
Alternatives 1 and 2 will be combined
to provide an integrated, hybrid solution
that employs a combination of
appropriate levees, berms, drainage
structures, pump stations, and/or
floodgates, coupled with local drainage
improvement projects, to achieve the
maximum amount of flood protection
within the boundaries of the Project
Area.
No Action Alternative. The No Action
Alternative will also be evaluated in
accordance with CEQ Regulations at 40
CFR 1502.14(d). The No Action
Alternative represents the status quo or
baseline conditions without
implementation of any of the
improvements associated with the
Proposed Project.
The alternatives analysis will consist
of a comparison of the four alternatives’
impacts on the human environment
pursuant to 24 CFR part 58, as well as
how well each alternative meets the
Purpose of and Need for the Proposed
Project. This process, which will be
described in detail in the Draft EIS, will
lead to the designation of a Preferred
Alternative.
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D. Need for the EIS
The Proposed Project described above
has the potential to significantly affect
the quality of the human environment.
An EIS will therefore be prepared in
accordance with NEPA requirements.
Responses to this notice will be used to:
(1) Determine significant environmental
issues; (2) assist in developing a range
of alternatives to be considered; (3)
identify issues that the EIS should
address; and (4) identify agencies and
other parties that will participate in the
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EIS process and the basis for their
involvement.
E. Scoping
A public scoping meeting on the Draft
Scope of Work will be held on July 6,
2016, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the
Robert J. Craig School, located at 20
West Park Street, Moonachie, NJ 07074.
The public meeting facility will be
handicapped-accessible to the mobilityimpaired. Interpreter services will be
made available for persons who are
hearing or visually impaired, upon
advance request. Interpreter services
will also be made available for persons
with Limited English Proficiency
through a language access service, upon
advance request. The EIS scoping
meeting will provide an opportunity for
the public to learn more about the
Project and provide input on the EIS
and the NEPA process.
During the meeting, an overview of
the Proposed Project will be provided,
as well as details on the early
development of alternatives. The public
scoping meeting will also provide an
opportunity for the public to provide
comment on the Draft Scope of Work.
The Draft Scope of Work will be made
available to the public for review and
comment at the scoping meeting. An
electronic version of the Draft Scope of
Work is available at www.rbdmeadowlands.nj.gov.
Comments on the Draft Scope of Work
may be provided during the scoping
meeting, or via the methods specified in
this notice under the heading FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comments on the Draft Scope of Work
are requested by this notice and will be
accepted and considered until July 20,
2016.
F. Probable Environmental Effects
The following areas have been
identified for analysis in the EIS: Land
use and land use planning; visual
quality and aesthetics; socioeconomics
and community/population and
housing; environmental justice; cultural
and historic resources; transportation,
traffic, and circulation, including airport
operations; noise and vibration; air
quality; greenhouse gas emissions;
global climate change; recreation;
utilities and service systems; public
services; biological resources, including
threatened and endangered species;
geology and soils; hydrology and
flooding, including floodplain
management; water resources, water
quality, and waters of the United States,
including wetlands; coastal zone
management; hazards and hazardous
materials; and cumulative impacts.
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Dated: June 10, 2016.
Harriet Tregoning,
Principal Deputy Assistant, Secretary for
Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 2016–14524 Filed 6–17–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5910–N–09]
60-Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: OneCPD Technical
Assistance Needs Assessment
Office of Community Planning
and Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
HUD is seeking approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for the information collection
described below. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is
requesting comment from all interested
parties on the proposed collection of
information. The purpose of this notice
is to allow for 60 days of public
comment.
SUMMARY:
DATES:
Comments Due Date: August 19,
2016.
Interested persons are
invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to
the proposal by name and/or OMB
Control Number and should be sent to:
Colette Pollard, Reports Management
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, 451 7th Street
SW., Room 4186, Washington, DC
20410–5000; telephone (202) 402–3400
(this is not a toll-free number) or email
at Colette.Pollard@hud.gov for a copy of
the proposed forms or other available
information. Persons with hearing or
speech impairments may access this
number through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–
8339.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kenneth Rogers, Senior CPD Specialist,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room
7218, Washington, DC 20410–5000;
email me at Kenneth.W.Rogers@hud.gov
or telephone (202) 402–4396. This is not
a toll-free number. Persons with hearing
or speech impairments may access this
number through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–
8339. Copies of available documents
submitted to OMB may be obtained
from Ms. Pollard.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice informs the public that HUD is
seeking approval from OMB for the
ADDRESSES:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 118 (Monday, June 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39940-39943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14524]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5953-N-01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Rebuild by Design Meadowlands Flood Protection
Project in Bergen County, New Jersey
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
gives notice that the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP), on behalf of the State of New Jersey through its
Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA), as the recipient of U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds, and as
the ``Responsible Entity,'' as that term is defined by HUD regulations
at 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7)(i), intends to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Rebuild by Design (RBD) Meadowlands Flood
Protection Project (the Proposed Project). The State of New Jersey,
through NJDCA, has designated the NJDEP as the Lead Agency to prepare
the EIS for the Proposed Project in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will analyze the environmental
effects of alternatives for the construction of flood risk reduction
measures within the Boroughs of Little Ferry, Moonachie, Carlstadt, and
Teterboro, and the Township of South Hackensack, all in Bergen County,
New Jersey (the Project Area). Such measures will be designed to
address the impacts of coastal and riverine (fluvial) flooding on the
quality of the human environment in the Project Area due to both sea
level rise and storm hazards, including heavy rainfall events and
intense coastal storm events. The approximate Project Area boundaries
are: Hackensack River to the east; Paterson Plank Road and the southern
boundary of Carlstadt to the south; State Route 17 to the west; and
Interstate 80 and the northern boundary of the Borough of Little Ferry
to the north.
[[Page 39941]]
The State of New Jersey through NJDCA is the Grantee of HUD
Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds
that have been appropriated under the Disaster Relief Appropriations
Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-2, approved January 29, 2013) related to
disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and
housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and
distressed areas resulting from a major disaster that was declared
pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act of 1974 (Stafford Act) in calendar year 2012 for
Hurricane Sandy. The Proposed Project was developed and selected as a
winning concept through HUD's and the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task
Force's RBD competition. The RBD competition promotes the development
of innovative resilience projects in the Sandy-affected region. HUD has
allocated $150 million in CDBG-DR funds for the planning, design, and
implementation of this Project. Receipt of CDBG-DR funding requires
compliance with NEPA.
This Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS is, therefore, being
published in accordance with NEPA, the Council of Environmental Quality
(CEQ) NEPA Regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, HUD
implementing regulations at 24 CFR part 58, and HUD's additional
environmental review requirements for the Project published in a
Federal Register notice on October 16, 2014 (79 FR 62182). This Notice
of Intent to prepare a EIS (as defined at 40 CFR 1508.22) is in
accordance with CEQ Regulations, and represents the beginning of the
public scoping process as outlined in 40 CFR 1501.7.
A Draft Public Scoping Document, or Draft Scope of Work to prepare
an EIS (Draft Scope of Work), for the Proposed Project is available at
www.rbd-meadowlands.nj.gov. The Draft Scope of Work outlines the
Proposed Project's purpose and need, initial range of alternatives,
resource areas to be addressed in the EIS, proposed analytical
methodologies, and other elements associated with the Project and this
NEPA process as known at this early stage.
Following the public scoping process, a Draft EIS will be prepared
that analyzes the Proposed Project. Once the Draft EIS is certified as
complete, a notice will then be sent to appropriate government
agencies, groups, and individuals known to have an involvement or
interest in the Draft EIS and particularly in the environmental impact
issues identified therein. A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS
will be published in the Federal Register and local media outlets at
that time in accordance with HUD and CEQ Regulations. Any person or
agency interested in receiving notice and commenting on the Draft Scope
of Work or Draft EIS should contact the individual named in this notice
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT no later than July
20, 2016.
DATES: Comments on the Draft Scope of Work are requested by this notice
and will be accepted until July 20, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft Scope of Work are requested by this
notice and will be accepted by the individuals named in this notice
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comments may also be submitted: (1) Online to the NJDCA Web site at
https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/sandyrecovery/review/; or (2) U.S. Mail
to: Ms. Laura Shea, Assistant Commissioner, Sandy Recovery Division,
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, 101 South Broad Street,
P.O. Box 800, Trenton, NJ 08625-0800.
Comments will also be accepted at the NEPA scoping meeting to be
held on July 6, 2016. All comments received by July 20, 2016 will be
considered prior to the acceptance, certification, and distribution of
the Final Scope of Work, which will reflect substantive comments
received during the public scoping period and used as input into the
development of the Draft EIS. Commenters are also requested to submit:
(a) Any information related to reports or other environmental studies
planned or completed in the Project Area; (b) major issues that the
Draft EIS should consider; and (c) any recommended mitigation measures
and alternatives associated with the Proposed Project.
Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or
other special interest should report their interest and indicate their
readiness to aid in the EIS effort as a ``Cooperating Agency.'' Written
requests of individuals and organizations to participate as Section 106
Consulting Parties under the National Historic Preservation Act may
also be made to the individual named in this notice under the heading
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The public and agencies will also be offered an opportunity to
comment on the purpose and need, range of alternatives, level of
detail, methodologies, and other elements of the Draft Scope of Work
through public and agency outreach that will consist of: A public
scoping meeting (described herein); scheduled community advisory group
meetings associated with the preparation of the EIS; meetings with the
applicable cooperating, involved, and interested agencies, as
necessary; and meetings with Section 106 consulting parties, including
federally recognized Indian tribes. Once completed and released, the
Draft EIS will be available for public and agency review and comment.
With NJDEP serving as the Lead Agency, the EIS will be prepared in
accordance with NEPA, CEQ regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508,
and HUD regulations found at 24 CFR part 58. In accordance with 42
U.S.C. 5304(g) and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR part 58 (entitled,
``Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD
Environmental Responsibilities''), HUD has provided for assumption of
its NEPA authority by the State of New Jersey through the NJDCA, with
NJDCA delegating NEPA Lead Agency responsibility to the NJDEP for the
administration of the Proposed Project.
The EIS will also comply, as necessary, with Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act, Executive
Order 12898 ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,'' Executive Order
11990 ``Protection of Wetlands,'' Executive Order 11988 ``Floodplain
Management,'' Executive Order 13690 ``Establishing a Federal Flood Risk
Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and
Considering Stakeholder Input,'' and other applicable Federal, State,
and local laws and regulations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, to request a
copy of the Draft Scope of Work, to comment on the Draft Scope of Work,
and/or to address questions concerning the Proposed Project, please
contact NJDEP via (1) email at rbd-meadowlands@dep.nj.gov; or (2) U.S.
Mail to Mr. Dennis Reinknecht, RBD Program Manager, Engineering and
Construction, Office of Flood Hazard Risk Reduction Measures, 501 East
State Street, Mail Code 501-01A, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420.
Persons may also view the Draft Scope of Work by visiting the
Rebuild by Design-Meadowlands Web site at www.rbd-meadowlands.nj.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Project Background
HUD launched the RBD competition in the summer of 2013 (July 29,
2013, 78 FR 45551) to develop ideas to
[[Page 39942]]
improve physical, ecological, economic, and social resilience in
regions affected by Hurricane Sandy. The competition sought to promote
innovation by developing flexible solutions that would increase
regional resilience. The Proposed Project was one of the competition's
winning concepts; it was developed with the primary goal of reducing
flood risk in the Project Area. HUD awarded $150 million to the State
of New Jersey for the Proposed Project. The EIS will analyze potential
impacts of certain alternatives involving construction of flood risk
reduction measures designed to address the impacts of coastal and
riverine (fluvial) flooding in the Project Area, stemming from the
award-winning RBD design.
The Project Area is vulnerable to both inland and coastal flooding.
Hurricane Sandy exposed the vulnerabilities within the Project Area
after low-lying areas were inundated by coastal storm surges. Within
the Project Area, rainfall-induced flooding is more common and happens
more frequently than coastal storm surge flooding. However, during
Hurricane Sandy the impacts of rainfall flooding were considerably less
than those from coastal storm surge flooding. If Hurricane Sandy had
been a substantial rainfall event as well as a storm surge event, the
Project Area's past history of flooding during heavy rainfall events
indicates that the storm could have further increased flood levels and
property damages.
Hurricane Sandy significantly impacted the Project Area,
highlighting existing deficiencies in the Project Area's resiliency and
ability to adequately protect vulnerable populations and critical
infrastructure from flooding during major storm events. These impacts
included extensive inland flooding due to major tidal surges, with
significant damage to residential and commercial properties, impacts to
critical health care facilities, and the failure of critical power,
transportation, and water and sewer infrastructure. Approximately 1,600
homes, 600 rental properties, and 1,900 businesses within the Project
Area were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Loss of income, loss of property
taxes, and other Sandy-related property damage were estimated to be in
excess of $40 million within the Project Area, including over $20
million in property damages alone. The average amount of property
damage to each structure in the Project Area ranged from approximately
$1,000 to $12,000. Nearly 30 percent of the structures damaged within
the Project Area were renter-occupied; finding affordable replacement
housing for renters within the Project Area was one of the immediate
challenges following the hurricane. The goal of the Proposed Project is
to reduce such damages, impacts, and losses during future events by
decreasing the flooding risk in the Project Area.
B. Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Project
The Proposed Project includes the construction of flood risk
reduction measures designed to address the impacts of coastal and
riverine (fluvial) flooding on the quality of the human environment due
to both storm hazards and sea level rise within the Project Area. The
purpose of the Proposed Project is to reduce flood risk in the Project
Area, thereby protecting critical infrastructure, residences, and
businesses from the more frequent and intense flood events anticipated
in the future.
The Proposed Project is needed to address: (1) Systemic inland
flooding from high-intensity rainfall/runoff events, and (2) coastal
flooding from storm surges and abnormally high tides. In addition to
reducing flooding in the Project Area, the Proposed Project is needed
to directly protect life, public health, and property in the Project
Area, reduce flood insurance rates and claims from future events, and
potentially restore property values to the extent possible with the
available funding. The Proposed Project is needed to increase community
resiliency, including protecting accessibility to, and on-going
operations of, critical health care services, emergency services, and
transportation and utility infrastructure. The Proposed Project will
also deliver co-benefits, potentially integrating the flood hazard risk
reduction strategy with civic, cultural, and recreational values to
incorporate active and passive recreational uses, multi-use facilities,
public spaces, and other design elements that integrate the Proposed
Project into the fabric of the community to the extent practical with
the available funding.
To address these needs, the Proposed Project would combine hard
infrastructure (such as bulkheads or floodwalls), soft landscaping
features (such as berms and/or levees), and/or a series of drainage
improvements that would reduce flooding in the Project Area, with
freshwater basins and the Meadowlands wetlands themselves increasing
flood storage capacity and flood protection. The Proposed Project would
connect to and potentially expand existing and future marshland
restoration efforts by the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority.
Urban design features integrated into the proposed flood protection
system would also provide ancillary benefits by enhancing natural areas
and allowing public access to open spaces and increased recreational
opportunities along the Hackensack River. The EIS will examine
alternatives that best meet the purpose and need of the Proposed
Project.
C. Project Alternatives
The EIS will examine three build alternatives, as well as a No
Action Alternative. Each of the three build alternatives will seek to
reduce the flood risk within the Project Area. These alternatives vary
by the type of infrastructure that is proposed. Alternative 1 will
analyze the use of levees, berms, barriers, or floodwalls to reduce
flood risk. Alternative 2 will analyze the impacts of substantial
drainage improvements achieved through a series of local projects
within the Project Area to reduce flood risk, Alternative 3, a hybrid
of Alternatives 1 and 2, will analyze the impacts of blending new
infrastructure and drainage improvements to reduce flood risk in the
Project Area.
Each alternative is being evaluated through the ongoing engineering
feasibility analysis and application of preliminary screening criteria.
These alternatives will be further developed and modified as the EIS
process proceeds. Each alternative must be implementable within the
limits of the CDBG-DR funding available at the latest by September 30,
2022. The three build alternatives, as currently proposed, are
summarized below.
Alternative 1 or the Structural Flood Reduction Alternative.
Alternative 1 will analyze various structural, infrastructure-based
solutions that would be constructed to provide protection from both
fluvial and tidal/storm surge flooding. This alternative, to the extent
practical, would provide a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Certifiable level of flood protection to a portion of the Project Area.
This alternative may consist of a range of structures, including
levees, berms, barriers, drainage structures, pump stations,
floodgates, and/or other hard and soft infrastructure to achieve the
required level of flood protection. Different routing alignments and
different levels of flood protection are also being considered.
Alternative 2 or the Fluvial/Rain Event Drainage Improvement
Alternative. Alternative 2 will analyze a series of storm water
drainage projects aimed at reducing the occurrence of higher frequency,
small- to medium-scale flooding events that impact the
[[Page 39943]]
communities located in the Project Area. Together, these interventions
would provide a system of improved storm water management, and may
include both local drainage improvements and wetlands restoration to
protect communities located in the Project Area and address day-to-day
water management challenges. These interventions may include: Drainage
ditches, pipes, and pump stations at strategic locations; increased
roadway elevations; new green infrastructure (e.g., wetland drainage
basins, bioswales), water storage areas, and water control structures;
cleaning and de-snagging of existing waterways; and increasing and
enhancing public open space.
Alternative 3 or the Hybrid Alternative. Alternative 3 will analyze
a strategic, synergistic blend of new infrastructure and local drainage
improvements to reduce flood risk in the Project Area. Components of
Alternatives 1 and 2 will be combined to provide an integrated, hybrid
solution that employs a combination of appropriate levees, berms,
drainage structures, pump stations, and/or floodgates, coupled with
local drainage improvement projects, to achieve the maximum amount of
flood protection within the boundaries of the Project Area.
No Action Alternative. The No Action Alternative will also be
evaluated in accordance with CEQ Regulations at 40 CFR 1502.14(d). The
No Action Alternative represents the status quo or baseline conditions
without implementation of any of the improvements associated with the
Proposed Project.
The alternatives analysis will consist of a comparison of the four
alternatives' impacts on the human environment pursuant to 24 CFR part
58, as well as how well each alternative meets the Purpose of and Need
for the Proposed Project. This process, which will be described in
detail in the Draft EIS, will lead to the designation of a Preferred
Alternative.
D. Need for the EIS
The Proposed Project described above has the potential to
significantly affect the quality of the human environment. An EIS will
therefore be prepared in accordance with NEPA requirements. Responses
to this notice will be used to: (1) Determine significant environmental
issues; (2) assist in developing a range of alternatives to be
considered; (3) identify issues that the EIS should address; and (4)
identify agencies and other parties that will participate in the EIS
process and the basis for their involvement.
E. Scoping
A public scoping meeting on the Draft Scope of Work will be held on
July 6, 2016, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the Robert J. Craig School,
located at 20 West Park Street, Moonachie, NJ 07074. The public meeting
facility will be handicapped-accessible to the mobility-impaired.
Interpreter services will be made available for persons who are hearing
or visually impaired, upon advance request. Interpreter services will
also be made available for persons with Limited English Proficiency
through a language access service, upon advance request. The EIS
scoping meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn
more about the Project and provide input on the EIS and the NEPA
process.
During the meeting, an overview of the Proposed Project will be
provided, as well as details on the early development of alternatives.
The public scoping meeting will also provide an opportunity for the
public to provide comment on the Draft Scope of Work. The Draft Scope
of Work will be made available to the public for review and comment at
the scoping meeting. An electronic version of the Draft Scope of Work
is available at www.rbd-meadowlands.nj.gov.
Comments on the Draft Scope of Work may be provided during the
scoping meeting, or via the methods specified in this notice under the
heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comments on the Draft Scope of Work are requested by this notice
and will be accepted and considered until July 20, 2016.
F. Probable Environmental Effects
The following areas have been identified for analysis in the EIS:
Land use and land use planning; visual quality and aesthetics;
socioeconomics and community/population and housing; environmental
justice; cultural and historic resources; transportation, traffic, and
circulation, including airport operations; noise and vibration; air
quality; greenhouse gas emissions; global climate change; recreation;
utilities and service systems; public services; biological resources,
including threatened and endangered species; geology and soils;
hydrology and flooding, including floodplain management; water
resources, water quality, and waters of the United States, including
wetlands; coastal zone management; hazards and hazardous materials; and
cumulative impacts.
Dated: June 10, 2016.
Harriet Tregoning,
Principal Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Community Planning and
Development.
[FR Doc. 2016-14524 Filed 6-17-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
