Intent To Prepare a Draft Integrated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the New Jersey Back Bays (NJBB) Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study, 61276 [2017-27952]
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61276
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2017 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Integrated
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the New Jersey Back Bays (NJBB)
Coastal Storm Risk Management
(CSRM) Feasibility Study
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
The action being taken by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
is an evaluation of CSRM problems, and
an evaluation of alternative structural,
non-structural, and natural and naturebased feature (NNBF) measures to
address the CSRM problems in the
coastal communities of the New Jersey
Back Bays and Coastal Lakes in
Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic,
and Cape May Counties, New Jersey.
The purpose of any consequent work
would be to implement any one or a
number of recommended plans and/or
strategies that address CSRM problems
evaluated in the feasibility study and
integrated environmental impact
statement.
ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Philadelphia District,
CENAP–PL–E, 100 Penn Square East,
Wanamaker Building, Philadelphia, PA
19107–3390.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions, comments, and suggestions
regarding the Draft Integrated EIS
should be addressed to Mr. Steven D.
Allen at the above address; Phone: (215)
656–6559; email: steven.d.allen@
usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
1. Proposed Action
a. The NJBB CSRM Feasibility Study
area is one of 9 focus areas with
vulnerable coastal populations
identified in the North Atlantic Coast
Comprehensive Study (NACCS). The
NACCS was conducted in response to
Public Law 113–2 and the Water
Resource and Reform Development Act
(WRRDA) of 2014 following the
devastation in the wake of Hurricane
Sandy, which greatly affected the study
area in October of 2012. The purpose of
the NJBB CSRM Feasibility Study is to
identify comprehensive CSRM strategies
to increase coastal resilience, and to
reduce flooding risk from future storms
and impacts of sea level change. The
objective of the Study is to investigate
CSRM problems and solutions to reduce
damages from coastal flooding that
affect population, critical infrastructure,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:43 Dec 26, 2017
Jkt 244001
critical facilities, property, and
ecosystems.
b. The authority for the proposed
project is the resolution adopted by the
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Public Works and
Transportation and the U.S. Senate
Committee on Environment and Public
Works dated December 1987.
2. Alternatives
In addition to the no action
alternative, the alternatives considered
for CSRM will fall into structural, nonstructural, and NNBF categories. The
structural measures being evaluated for
CSRM include measures that would
provide barrier protection and/or
protection to the bays perimeters, which
include: inlet storm surge barriers,
interior flood gates, road/rail elevation,
levees, floodwalls, bulkheads, seawalls,
revetments, beach restoration,
breakwaters, storm system drainage
improvements or combinations thereof.
Non-structural elements under
consideration include building retrofit
(elevation and flood proofing), managed
coastal retreat, emergency evacuation
plans, early warning systems, public
education education/risk
communication, working with other
Federal, state and local government
agencies to incorporate National Flood
Insurance Program improvements into
the study recommendations, and
combinations thereof. NNBF
considerations include wetland
restoration, living shorelines, green
stormwater management, reefs, and
submerged aquatic vegetation. NNBF
features may be combined with other
proposed CSRM elements.
3. Scoping
a. Scoping is conducted in accordance
with Section 1501.7 of the National
Environmental Policy Act, and is
defined as an early and open process for
determining the scope of issues to be
addressed and for identifying the
significant issues related to a proposed
action. For the NJBB CSRM Feasibility
Study, the scoping process is on-going
and has involved preliminary
coordination with 2 stakeholder
meetings in June 2016, and the
distribution of scoping letters to
Federal, state, and local agencies, tribes
and other non-government
organizations. The general public and
other interested parties and
organizations were invited to participate
by means of a public notice and a public
workshop meeting held on December 1,
2016. Additional scoping meetings may
be announced at major study milestone
decision points. Agency and public
input are being solicited throughout the
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
study, and will help inform the
identification of a Tentatively Selected
Plan (TSP). The TSP milestone is
expected to be reached in December
2018.
b. Significant issues and concerns that
have been identified in addition to the
premise of the CSRM study (flood risks
associated with storms and sea level
rise) include, but are not limited to the
potential for impacts on aquatic biota,
fisheries, intertidal habitat, shallow
water habitat, endangered species, water
quality, hydrodynamics, flood plain
management, air quality, cultural
resources, sustainability, and socioeconomics.
c. The USACE is the lead Federal
agency, and the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection is the nonFederal sponsor. The USACE will be
inviting key resource agencies with
jurisdiction by law as a cooperating
and/or participating agency in
accordance with Section 1501.6 of Title
40 Code of Federal Regulations and
Section 1005 of the Water Resources
Reform and Development Act of 2014.
Federal agencies interested in
participating as a Cooperating Agency
are requested to submit a letter of intent
to Lieutenant Colonel Kristen Dahle,
District Engineer, at U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Philadelphia District, 100
Penn Square East, Wanamaker Building,
Philadelphia, PA 19107–3390.
4. Availability
It is estimated that the Draft Integrated
EIS and Feasibility Study will be made
available to the public in January 2019.
Peter R. Blum,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2017–27952 Filed 12–26–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED–2017–ICCD–0132]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and approval; Comment Request; DC
School Choice Incentive Program
Office of Innovation and
Improvement (OII), Department of
Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is
proposing an extension of an existing
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before January
26, 2018.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27952]
[[Page 61276]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Integrated Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the New Jersey Back Bays (NJBB) Coastal Storm Risk
Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The action being taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) is an evaluation of CSRM problems, and an evaluation of
alternative structural, non-structural, and natural and nature-based
feature (NNBF) measures to address the CSRM problems in the coastal
communities of the New Jersey Back Bays and Coastal Lakes in Monmouth,
Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, and Cape May Counties, New Jersey. The
purpose of any consequent work would be to implement any one or a
number of recommended plans and/or strategies that address CSRM
problems evaluated in the feasibility study and integrated
environmental impact statement.
ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, CENAP-
PL-E, 100 Penn Square East, Wanamaker Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107-
3390.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions, comments, and suggestions
regarding the Draft Integrated EIS should be addressed to Mr. Steven D.
Allen at the above address; Phone: (215) 656-6559; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Proposed Action
a. The NJBB CSRM Feasibility Study area is one of 9 focus areas
with vulnerable coastal populations identified in the North Atlantic
Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS). The NACCS was conducted in response
to Public Law 113-2 and the Water Resource and Reform Development Act
(WRRDA) of 2014 following the devastation in the wake of Hurricane
Sandy, which greatly affected the study area in October of 2012. The
purpose of the NJBB CSRM Feasibility Study is to identify comprehensive
CSRM strategies to increase coastal resilience, and to reduce flooding
risk from future storms and impacts of sea level change. The objective
of the Study is to investigate CSRM problems and solutions to reduce
damages from coastal flooding that affect population, critical
infrastructure, critical facilities, property, and ecosystems.
b. The authority for the proposed project is the resolution adopted
by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Public Works and
Transportation and the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public
Works dated December 1987.
2. Alternatives
In addition to the no action alternative, the alternatives
considered for CSRM will fall into structural, non-structural, and NNBF
categories. The structural measures being evaluated for CSRM include
measures that would provide barrier protection and/or protection to the
bays perimeters, which include: inlet storm surge barriers, interior
flood gates, road/rail elevation, levees, floodwalls, bulkheads,
seawalls, revetments, beach restoration, breakwaters, storm system
drainage improvements or combinations thereof. Non-structural elements
under consideration include building retrofit (elevation and flood
proofing), managed coastal retreat, emergency evacuation plans, early
warning systems, public education education/risk communication, working
with other Federal, state and local government agencies to incorporate
National Flood Insurance Program improvements into the study
recommendations, and combinations thereof. NNBF considerations include
wetland restoration, living shorelines, green stormwater management,
reefs, and submerged aquatic vegetation. NNBF features may be combined
with other proposed CSRM elements.
3. Scoping
a. Scoping is conducted in accordance with Section 1501.7 of the
National Environmental Policy Act, and is defined as an early and open
process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for
identifying the significant issues related to a proposed action. For
the NJBB CSRM Feasibility Study, the scoping process is on-going and
has involved preliminary coordination with 2 stakeholder meetings in
June 2016, and the distribution of scoping letters to Federal, state,
and local agencies, tribes and other non-government organizations. The
general public and other interested parties and organizations were
invited to participate by means of a public notice and a public
workshop meeting held on December 1, 2016. Additional scoping meetings
may be announced at major study milestone decision points. Agency and
public input are being solicited throughout the study, and will help
inform the identification of a Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP). The TSP
milestone is expected to be reached in December 2018.
b. Significant issues and concerns that have been identified in
addition to the premise of the CSRM study (flood risks associated with
storms and sea level rise) include, but are not limited to the
potential for impacts on aquatic biota, fisheries, intertidal habitat,
shallow water habitat, endangered species, water quality,
hydrodynamics, flood plain management, air quality, cultural resources,
sustainability, and socio-economics.
c. The USACE is the lead Federal agency, and the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection is the non-Federal sponsor. The
USACE will be inviting key resource agencies with jurisdiction by law
as a cooperating and/or participating agency in accordance with Section
1501.6 of Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations and Section 1005 of the
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. Federal agencies
interested in participating as a Cooperating Agency are requested to
submit a letter of intent to Lieutenant Colonel Kristen Dahle, District
Engineer, at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, 100
Penn Square East, Wanamaker Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3390.
4. Availability
It is estimated that the Draft Integrated EIS and Feasibility Study
will be made available to the public in January 2019.
Peter R. Blum,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-27952 Filed 12-26-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
