Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dam Safety Modification Report, Bluestone Dam, Hinton, Summers County, WV, 21202-21203 [2017-09146]

Download as PDF 21202 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 86 / Friday, May 5, 2017 / Notices Written Statements: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.140 and section 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the public or interested organizations may submit written comments to the Panel about its mission and topics pertaining to this public session. Written comments must be received by the JPP at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date so that they may be made available to the Judicial Proceedings Panel for their consideration prior to the meeting. Written comments should be submitted via email to the Judicial Proceedings Panel at whs.pentagon.em.mbx.judicialpanel@mail.mil in the following formats: Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word. Please note that since the Judicial Proceedings Panel operates under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, all written comments will be treated as public documents and will be made available for public inspection. If members of the public are interested in making an oral statement pertaining to the agenda for the public meeting, a written statement must be submitted as above along with a request to provide an oral statement. After reviewing the written comments and the oral statement, the Chair and the Designated Federal Official will determine who will be permitted to make an oral presentation of their issue during the public comment portion of this meeting. This determination is at the sole discretion of the Chair and Designated Federal Official, will depend on the time available and relevance to the Panel’s activities for that meeting, and will be on a first-come basis. When approved in advance, oral presentations by members of the public will be permitted from 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on May 19, 2017, in front of the Panel members. Dated: May 1, 2017. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2017–09071 Filed 5–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SRADOVICH on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES Office of the Secretary National Security Education Board; Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee meeting. AGENCY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:43 May 04, 2017 Jkt 241001 The Department of Defense (DoD) is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the National Security Education Board will take place. DATES: The meeting will last one day in duration, Thursday, June 8, 2017 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and adjourning at 4:15 p.m. ADDRESSES: Institute of International Education, 1400 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Nugent, (571) 256–0702 (Voice), (703) 692–2615 (Facsimile), michael.a.nugent22.civ@mail.mil (Email). Mailing address is National Security Education Program, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Suite 08F09–02, Alexandria, VA 22350–7000. Web site: https://www.nsep.gov/content/nationalsecurity-education-board. The most upto-date changes to the meeting agenda can be found on the Web site. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This meeting is being held under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) 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 102–3.140 and 102–3.150. Committee’s Point of Contact: Alison Patz, Alternate Designated Federal Official, (571) 256–0771, Alison.m.patz.civ@mail.mil. 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.—Welcome and Chair Opening Remarks. 9:00 a.m.—NSEP Programmatic Updates. 9:30 a.m.—Retrospective: A Decade of Executing the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap. 11:00 a.m.—Break. 11:15 a.m.—10 Years of Project GO: Opportunities, Achievements, and the Next 10 Years. 12:15 p.m.—Working Lunch 1:00 p.m.—Class of 2017 Boren Scholars and Fellows. 1:30 p.m.—Intelligence Community Engagement: Reflections from Interagency Chief Human Capital Officers. 3:00 p.m.—National Language Service Corps. 3:15 p.m.—Board Discussion. 4:15 p.m.—Adjourn. Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b and 41 CFR 102–3.140 SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 through 102–3.165, and the availability of space, this meeting is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come basis. Written Statements: 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:// facadatabase.gov/. Statements being submitted in response to the agenda mentioned in this notice must be received by the Designated Federal Official at the address listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least five calendar days prior to the meeting that is the subject of this notice. Written statements received after this date may not be provided to or considered by the National Security Education Board until its next meeting. The Designated Federal Official will review all timely submissions with the National Security Education Board and ensure they are provided to all members of the National Security Education Board before the meeting that is the subject of this notice. Dated: May 1, 2017. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2017–09057 Filed 5–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dam Safety Modification Report, Bluestone Dam, Hinton, Summers County, WV Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement— Public and agency comment period. AGENCY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Huntington District has prepared a SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM 05MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 86 / Friday, May 5, 2017 / Notices Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) to disclose potential impacts to the natural, physical, and human environment resulting from modifications to Bluestone Dam. The original EIS was published in 1998 and a Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in 1999 concluding the NEPA process allowing the Corps to initiate implementation of the Bluestone Dam Safety Assurance (DSA) Project. When completed, the current modifications under construction will strengthen the dam’s stability and allow for increased discharge capacity through the use of hydropower penstocks substantially reducing risk. However, physical modeling and expert analysis conducted during project construction indicated the downstream bedrock is vulnerable to an unacceptable degree of erosion during high flow events. The Corps has also recognized potential for unacceptable erosion associated with overtopping of areas of the dam not designed to be overtopped. After a full consideration of alternatives to achieve acceptable risk levels, this SFEIS recommends implementing modifications to the existing stilling basin to prevent scour that could result in spillway instability and thus dam failure. Proposed modifications include alteration to the existing stilling basin to include installation of a protective concrete apron and larger baffles among other features described in the SFEIS. This SFEIS also addresses the impacts associated with prolonged construction duration of modification features described in the original EIS and ROD. The review period will be open from May 1, 2017 to May 30, 2017. DATES: Send written comments concerning this proposed project to Rebecca Rutherford, Chief, Environmental Analysis Section, Planning Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, 502 Eighth Street, Huntington, WV 25701– 2070. Telephone: 304–399–5924. Electronic mail: BluestoneDamDSA@ usace.army.mil. Requests to be placed on the mailing list should also be sent to this address. ADDRESSES: SRADOVICH on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authority: Bluestone Dam and Reservoir was authorized by Executive Order (EO) 7183 in 1935 and the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938 for the purposes of flood control, low flow augmentation, and hydroelectric power development. The purposes were later expanded to include recreational activities under the Flood Control Act of 1944 and fish and wildlife enhancement VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:43 May 04, 2017 Jkt 241001 under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA) of 1958. 2. Background: a. Guidance for this study is provided in USACE Engineer Regulation (ER) 1110–2–1156 (October 2011). This guidance details agency policy and procedures for the study and implementation process addressing dam safety issues. b. Bluestone Lake is a multipurpose component of the Kanawha River basin system which provides for flood control, recreation, hydropower development, low flow augmentation, and fish and wildlife enhancement. The project began operation in 1949 and helps control a 4,600 square mile drainage area. c. The ROD, signed in 1999, completed the NEPA process for the DSA project permitting the Huntington District to begin detailed design and subsequent construction of the recommended alternative which included a 13 foot cantilever wall on top of the dam, an additional concrete monolith on the east abutment, a floodgate closure across WV Rt. 20, removable closures at each end of the spillway, high strength anchors placed into the dam itself, massive concrete blocks placed against the downstream face of the dam, and a pavement for scour protection downstream of the hydropower penstocks. The majority of the ongoing construction on these measures will continue through the year 2019. The ROD for this work anticipated construction would be completed 2005. d. Physical modeling and expert analysis conducted during project construction has shown the downstream bedrock is vulnerable to erosion during high flow events as a result of deficiencies with the current stilling basin configuration. This potential erosion creates an unacceptable level of risk according to guidelines established in ER 1110–2–1156, under which this study is being conducted. e. The SFEIS and Dam Safety Modification report (DSMR) have considered the structural integrity of the dam, its ability to accommodate flood waters as well as transportation, noise, terrestrial, aquatic, economic, environmental justice and cultural resource issues associated with the performance of the dam. The SFEIS and DSMR has recommended any modifications necessary to ensure the long-term safe performance of the structure as originally intended. f. Modifications to meet current acceptable risk guidelines per ER 1110– 2–1156 proposed include, alteration to the existing stilling basin to include installation of a protective concrete apron and larger baffles among other PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 21203 features described in the SFEIS. The No Action alternative will also be considered. As required by NEPA and Corps planning guidance, the No Action alternative will form a benchmark from which alternatives are evaluated and compared. 3. Public Participation: a. The SFEIS will be made available to the public for thirty (30) days for review and comment. A Notice of Availability will be advertised in affected area newspapers informing the general public about the SFEIS public review period. The SFEIS and draft final ROD can be viewed at: https:// www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/ PublicReview.aspx. Copies of the SFEIS and draft final ROD may be obtained by contacting the Huntington District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at (304) 399–5924 (See ADDRESSES). All persons and organizations that have an interest in the Bluestone Dam Project are urged to participate in this SFEIS review and comment period. Upon the close of the comment period, USACE will consider all comments. 4. Schedule: The Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement is scheduled to be released for public review and comment on or about May 1, 2017. Rebecca A. Rutherford, Chief, Environmental Analysis Section, Planning Branch. [FR Doc. 2017–09146 Filed 5–4–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket No. ED–2017–ICCD–0061] Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Department of Education (ED). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 5, 2017. SUMMARY: To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED– 2017–ICCD–0061. Comments submitted ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\05MYN1.SGM 05MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 86 (Friday, May 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21202-21203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09146]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dam 
Safety Modification Report, Bluestone Dam, Hinton, Summers County, WV

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement--Public and 
agency comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Huntington District has prepared 
a

[[Page 21203]]

Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) to disclose 
potential impacts to the natural, physical, and human environment 
resulting from modifications to Bluestone Dam. The original EIS was 
published in 1998 and a Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in 1999 
concluding the NEPA process allowing the Corps to initiate 
implementation of the Bluestone Dam Safety Assurance (DSA) Project. 
When completed, the current modifications under construction will 
strengthen the dam's stability and allow for increased discharge 
capacity through the use of hydropower penstocks substantially reducing 
risk. However, physical modeling and expert analysis conducted during 
project construction indicated the downstream bedrock is vulnerable to 
an unacceptable degree of erosion during high flow events. The Corps 
has also recognized potential for unacceptable erosion associated with 
overtopping of areas of the dam not designed to be overtopped. After a 
full consideration of alternatives to achieve acceptable risk levels, 
this SFEIS recommends implementing modifications to the existing 
stilling basin to prevent scour that could result in spillway 
instability and thus dam failure. Proposed modifications include 
alteration to the existing stilling basin to include installation of a 
protective concrete apron and larger baffles among other features 
described in the SFEIS. This SFEIS also addresses the impacts 
associated with prolonged construction duration of modification 
features described in the original EIS and ROD.

DATES: The review period will be open from May 1, 2017 to May 30, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments concerning this proposed project to 
Rebecca Rutherford, Chief, Environmental Analysis Section, Planning 
Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, 502 Eighth 
Street, Huntington, WV 25701-2070. Telephone: 304-399-5924. Electronic 
mail: BluestoneDamDSA@usace.army.mil. Requests to be placed on the 
mailing list should also be sent to this address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Authority: Bluestone Dam and Reservoir was authorized by 
Executive Order (EO) 7183 in 1935 and the Flood Control Acts of 1936 
and 1938 for the purposes of flood control, low flow augmentation, and 
hydroelectric power development. The purposes were later expanded to 
include recreational activities under the Flood Control Act of 1944 and 
fish and wildlife enhancement under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination 
Act (FWCA) of 1958.
    2. Background: a. Guidance for this study is provided in USACE 
Engineer Regulation (ER) 1110-2-1156 (October 2011). This guidance 
details agency policy and procedures for the study and implementation 
process addressing dam safety issues.
    b. Bluestone Lake is a multipurpose component of the Kanawha River 
basin system which provides for flood control, recreation, hydropower 
development, low flow augmentation, and fish and wildlife enhancement. 
The project began operation in 1949 and helps control a 4,600 square 
mile drainage area.
    c. The ROD, signed in 1999, completed the NEPA process for the DSA 
project permitting the Huntington District to begin detailed design and 
subsequent construction of the recommended alternative which included a 
13 foot cantilever wall on top of the dam, an additional concrete 
monolith on the east abutment, a floodgate closure across WV Rt. 20, 
removable closures at each end of the spillway, high strength anchors 
placed into the dam itself, massive concrete blocks placed against the 
downstream face of the dam, and a pavement for scour protection 
downstream of the hydropower penstocks. The majority of the ongoing 
construction on these measures will continue through the year 2019. The 
ROD for this work anticipated construction would be completed 2005.
    d. Physical modeling and expert analysis conducted during project 
construction has shown the downstream bedrock is vulnerable to erosion 
during high flow events as a result of deficiencies with the current 
stilling basin configuration. This potential erosion creates an 
unacceptable level of risk according to guidelines established in ER 
1110-2-1156, under which this study is being conducted.
    e. The SFEIS and Dam Safety Modification report (DSMR) have 
considered the structural integrity of the dam, its ability to 
accommodate flood waters as well as transportation, noise, terrestrial, 
aquatic, economic, environmental justice and cultural resource issues 
associated with the performance of the dam. The SFEIS and DSMR has 
recommended any modifications necessary to ensure the long-term safe 
performance of the structure as originally intended.
    f. Modifications to meet current acceptable risk guidelines per ER 
1110-2-1156 proposed include, alteration to the existing stilling basin 
to include installation of a protective concrete apron and larger 
baffles among other features described in the SFEIS. The No Action 
alternative will also be considered. As required by NEPA and Corps 
planning guidance, the No Action alternative will form a benchmark from 
which alternatives are evaluated and compared.
    3. Public Participation: a. The SFEIS will be made available to the 
public for thirty (30) days for review and comment. A Notice of 
Availability will be advertised in affected area newspapers informing 
the general public about the SFEIS public review period. The SFEIS and 
draft final ROD can be viewed at: https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicReview.aspx. Copies of the SFEIS and draft final ROD may 
be obtained by contacting the Huntington District Office of the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers at (304) 399-5924 (See ADDRESSES). All persons 
and organizations that have an interest in the Bluestone Dam Project 
are urged to participate in this SFEIS review and comment period. Upon 
the close of the comment period, USACE will consider all comments.
    4. Schedule: The Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement 
is scheduled to be released for public review and comment on or about 
May 1, 2017.

Rebecca A. Rutherford,
Chief, Environmental Analysis Section, Planning Branch.
[FR Doc. 2017-09146 Filed 5-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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