Record of Decision for Final Supplement I to the Final Environmental Statement, Mississippi River Between the Ohio and Missouri Rivers (Regulating Works), Missouri and Illinois, 45008-45009 [2017-20672]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45008-45009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20672]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Record of Decision for Final Supplement I to the Final 
Environmental Statement, Mississippi River Between the Ohio and 
Missouri Rivers (Regulating Works), Missouri and Illinois

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

ACTION: Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), St. Louis District, 
is issuing this notice to advise Federal, state, and local government 
agencies, affected Tribes, and the public that USACE has signed a 
Record of Decision (ROD) for Final Supplement I to the Final 
Environmental Statement, Mississippi River between the Ohio and 
Missouri Rivers (Regulating Works). The ROD was rendered to declare 
that, after careful consideration of the purpose of and need for the 
Regulating Works Project, the analysis contained in Final Supplement I, 
input from the public, affected Tribes, state and Federal agencies, and 
other interested parties, and based on the Regulating Works Project's 
Congressional authority and continued benefit of remaining 
construction, USACE has determined that the public interest will best 
be served by implementing the Continue Construction Alternative 
(hereafter, the Selected Plan).

DATES: The USACE Mississippi Valley Division Commander, Major General 
Michael C. Wehr, signed the ROD on August 31, 2017.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Planning and 
Environmental Division North, CEMVP-PD-P (Attn: Mr. Kip Runyon), 1222 
Spruce St., St. Louis, MO 63103-2833.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kip Runyon, Environmental Planner, 
Regional Planning and Environmental Division North, at 314-331-8396 or 
by email at RegWorksSEIS@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USACE is charged with obtaining and 
maintaining a navigation channel on the Middle Mississippi River (MMR) 
that is nine feet deep and 300 feet wide with additional width in bends 
as necessary (commonly called the Regulating Works Project). As 
authorized by Congress, the Regulating Works Project is obtained by 
construction of revetment, rock removal, and river training structures 
to maintain bank stability and ensure adequate, reliable navigation 
depth and width. The Regulating Works Project is maintained through 
dredging and any needed maintenance to constructed features. The long-
term goal of the Regulating Works Project, as authorized by Congress, 
is to obtain and maintain a navigation channel at the authorized 
dimensions and to reduce federal expenditures by alleviating the amount 
of annual maintenance dredging through the construction of river 
training structures. The Selected Plan consists of continuing with 
construction of new river training structures and revetment for 
navigation purposes until such time as the costs of placing more 
structures, including costs for any mitigation, are no longer justified 
by the resultant reduction in repetitive dredging quantities and 
associated costs. The Selected Plan also involves continuing to dredge 
as necessary, completing known bankline stabilization work to reduce 
the risk of a channel cutoff, placing additional revetment, and 
continuing to maintain existing structures.
    The remaining construction associated with the Selected Plan is 
currently estimated from programmatic analysis to require approximately 
4.4 million tons (2.9 million cubic yards) of rock. Dredge quantities 
are expected to decrease from their current average annual quantity of 
approximately 4 million cubic yards to approximately 2.4 million cubic 
yards after construction of new river training

[[Page 45009]]

structures and any compensatory mitigation is complete. These estimates 
are based on assumptions of Congressional funding levels, rock prices, 
dredging costs, sediment loads, mitigation costs, etc. Because these 
assumptions are uncertain, the estimated quantity of construction could 
differ from actual implementation.
    Environmental impacts of the work associated with the Selected Plan 
will continue to be avoided and minimized to the extent practicable. 
Placement of river training structures is expected to increase the 
acreage of low-velocity habitat that is considered important habitat 
for many MMR fish species. However, placement of river training 
structures is also expected to reduce shallow to moderate-depth, 
moderate-to high-velocity habitat that is important for some MMR fish 
guilds. Analysis of the impacts of the Selected Plan to main channel 
border habitat suggests that future construction of river training 
structures will result in the consideration of compensatory mitigation 
measures. The specific impacts of each work area and any necessary 
compensatory mitigation measures will be covered in Tier II Site 
Specific Environmental Assessments, as appropriate.
    The ROD, Final Supplement I, and supporting documentation are 
available at: https://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/SEIS/Library.aspx.

Brian L. Johnson,
Chief, Environmental Compliance Branch, Regional Planning and 
Environmental Division North.
[FR Doc. 2017-20672 Filed 9-26-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P