Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Dam Safety Modification Study Report for Center Hill Dam, DeKalb County, Tennessee, 17541-17542 [2018-08291]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 77 / Friday, April 20, 2018 / Notices
Annual Report to Congress on Future
Water Resources Development; and
• If the proposal was included in the
Annual Report table in a previous
Report to Congress on Future Water
Resources Development, then the
proposal is not eligible to be included
in the Annual Report table. If a proposal
was previously included in an appendix
it may be re-submitted.
5. If authorized, could be carried out
by the USACE.
• Whether following the USACE
Chief’s Report process or Section 7001
of WRRDA 2014, a proposal for a project
or a project modification would need a
current decision document to provide
updated information on the scope of the
potential project and demonstrate a
clear Federal interest. This
determination would include an
assessment of whether the proposal is:
—Technically sound, economically
viable and environmentally
acceptable.
—Compliant with environmental and
other laws including but not limited
to National Environmental Policy Act,
Endangered Species Act, Coastal Zone
Management Act, and the National
Historic Preservation Act.
—Compliant with statutes and
regulations related to water resources
development including various water
resources provisions related to the
authorized cost of projects, level of
detail, separable elements, fish and
wildlife mitigation, project
justification, matters to be addressed
in planning, and the 1958 Water
Supply Act.
Feasibility study proposals submitted
by non-Federal interests are for the
study only. If Congressional
authorization of a feasibility study
results from inclusion in the Annual
Report, it is anticipated that such
authorization would be for the study,
not for construction. Once a decision
document is completed in accordance
with Executive Branch policies and
procedures, the Secretary will
determine whether to recommend the
project for authorization.
All water resources development
projects must meet certain requirements
before proceeding to construction.
These requirements include: (1) That
the project is authorized for
construction by Congress; (2) that the
Secretary, or other appropriate official,
has approved a current decision
document; and, (3) that the funds for
project construction have been
appropriated and are available.
Section 902 of WRDA 1986
establishes a maximum authorized cost
for projects (902 limit). A Post
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17:44 Apr 19, 2018
Jkt 244001
Authorization Change Report (PACR) is
required to be completed to support
potential modifications, updates to
project costs, and an increase to the 902
limit. Authority to undertake a 902
study is inherent in the project
authority, so no authority is required to
proceed with the study. Since these
PACRs support project modifications,
they may be considered for inclusion in
the Annual Report if a report’s
recommendation requires Congressional
authorization.
The Secretary shall include in the
Annual Report to Congress on Future
Water Resources Development a
certification stating that each feasibility
report, proposed feasibility study, and
proposed modification to an authorized
water resources development project or
feasibility study included in the Annual
Report meets the criteria established in
Section 7001 of WRRDA 2014.
Please contact the appropriate district
office or use the contact information
above for assistance in researching and
identifying existing authorizations and
existing USACE decision documents.
Those proposals that do not meet the
criteria will be included in an appendix
table included in the Annual Report to
Congress on Future Water Resources
Development. Proposals in the appendix
table will include a description of why
those proposals did not meet the
criteria.
Dated: April 13, 2018.
James C. Dalton,
Director of Civil Works.
[FR Doc. 2018–08292 Filed 4–19–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Dam Safety Modification Study
Report for Center Hill Dam, DeKalb
County, Tennessee
AGENCY:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
DoD.
ACTION:
Notice of Intent.
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Nashville District (USACE)
is preparing a draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to support the
Dam Safety Modification Study Report
(DSMSR) for Center Hill Dam. The study
would evaluate the main dam spillway
gate operability, the saddle dam fuse
plug operation, and spillway additions
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
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17541
to the new Roller Compacted Concrete
(RCC) berm structure at the saddle dam,
all for the purpose of lowering risk at
Center Hill Dam, DeKalb County,
Tennessee.
DATES: Comments regarding the NOI
must be received by USACE within 30
days of publication of the NOI on or
before May 20, 2018.
ADDRESSES: USACE-Nashville District,
110 9th Avenue South, RM 405A,
Nashville, Tennessee 37203–3817.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please direct your comments to Joy
Broach, Aquatic Biologist, (615) 736–
7956; email: joy.i.broach@
usace.army.mil. Written comments can
be mailed to the address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1.
Background Information. Center Hill
Dam was designed in the 1930s,
constructed in the 1940s, and
impounded in the early 1950s. The dam
was built on karst geology using
accepted engineering practices of the
day. Center Hill Dam consists of a 248′
high by 1,400′ long combination earthen
embankment and concrete main dam,
and a 125′ high by 800′ long earthen
embankment auxiliary dam referred to
as the saddle dam. The main dam has
eight 34′ x 57′ spillway gates that rotate
upward to safely pass flow during and
after large rainfall events. To comply
with updated design flood guidance, a
self-eroding fuse plug section was
retrofitted into the top of the saddle dam
in 1992 to serve as an emergency
spillway. The fuse plug operation
almost doubles Center Hill’s total
spillway capacity to keep the main dam
from overtopping during an extreme
flood event. A Dam Safety Modification
Study to reduce the risk of a foundation
seepage dam failure was approved in
late 2006 and consisted of three major
construction contracts beginning in
2008. The first contract injected
concrete grout into the foundation of the
main dam embankment (soil portion of
the dam) and was completed in 2010.
The second contract installed a concrete
barrier wall into the main dam
embankment and was completed in
2015. This concrete barrier wall is the
permanent seepage barrier protection for
the main dam embankment. The third
major contract for construction of a
Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) berm
below the saddle dam began in
September 2016 and is on-going. The
purpose of the RCC berm is to reduce
the risk of saddle dam failure caused by
under-seepage or overtopping during an
extreme flood event. A Post
Implementation Evaluation (PIE) was
completed in 2017 to assess the
effectiveness of the above construction
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sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
17542
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 77 / Friday, April 20, 2018 / Notices
efforts to reduce the risk of dam failure.
During the PIE, additional risk issues
were noted concerning the 70-year old
main dam spillway gates. Electrical,
mechanical and structural operability
issues affect the reliability of controlled
spillway releases. If the spillway gates
do not reliably operate during an
extreme flood event, the reservoir would
raise and potentially result in a
premature fuse plug operation. The fuse
plug is designed to discharge
approximately 400,000 cubic feet per
second within 30 minutes. The
consequences of premature discharge of
an enormous volume of flood water are
estimated to be above the Corps of
Engineer’s tolerable risk limit. The draft
EIS would address the findings of the
PIE and assess effectiveness of potential
alternatives to further reduce risk and
increase dam safety. The dam seepage
repair construction contracts noted
previously, have increased dam safety
and were covered under previous NEPA
documents.
2. Potential Alternatives. The draft
EIS would address an array of
alternatives that could reduce the risk of
life loss, extensive downstream damage,
functional loss of the project, and the
loss of project benefits. The nature and
extent of the alternatives would be
determined based on the results of ongoing engineering studies, public and
agency input during the scoping period,
and preparation of the draft EIS.
Alternatives, either individually or in
combination, that have potential to
affect structures or operations of the
dam may include the following:
a. Replacement of the current gate
machinery with hydraulic machinery
that can operate under water;
b. Addition of equipment to the
current spillway gates to keep them
open if the operating machinery is
underwater;
c. Modification of the spillway gates
or gate machinery to allow operation
from the top of the dam;
d. Relocation of the gate operating
machinery to the road level, which
would require raising or relocating
Highway 96 which currently crosses
over the dam;
e. Removal of the existing fuse plug at
the saddle dam and installation of
spillway additions on top of the newly
constructed RCC Berm to discharge
flood water down the valley;
f. Modification of the emergency
operations plan in the water control
manual that determines how to manage
floods at Center Hill Dam; and
g. Other alternatives as identified by
on-going engineering studies, the
public, and agencies.
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3. Issues To Be Addressed. USACE is
evaluating ways of raising, modifying,
and/or replacing existing spillway gates
and operating equipment to address
spillway gate reliability for all range of
possible flood events, especially large
and more extreme flood events. The
DSMSR and draft EIS would evaluate
the Center Hill Dam Water Control
Manual emergency operating
procedures and potential alternative
spillway options to determine if changes
are warranted to minimize overall dam
safety risk. The draft EIS would include,
but is not limited to identification and
evaluation of effects to aquatic and
terrestrial habitats, cultural resources,
state and federally listed species,
socioeconomics, public safety,
structures, hydrology and hydraulics,
recreation, water supply, water quality,
flood storage, hydropower production,
land use, visual and aesthetic resources,
and dam safety risk reduction at Center
Hill Dam as a result of the proposed
alternatives.
4. Public Involvement and Scoping.
This NOI serves as the initial step to
involve Federal and state agencies,
Indian Tribes, local governments, and
the public in an early and transparent
process in accordance with NEPA
requirements. The draft EIS would
address impacts to the human
environment due to the proposed
alternatives. Concerns would be
identified based on public and agency
input during the scoping process and
during preparation of the draft EIS. All
interested parties are encouraged to
submit their name and email address to
the address noted above, to be placed on
the project mailing list to receive fact
sheets, newsletters and related public
notices. All interested parties are
invited to identify issues that should be
addressed in the draft EIS. A scoping
meeting is scheduled for May 3, 2018
from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at The Buffalo
Valley Community Center, 2717 Buffalo
Valley School Road, Buffalo Valley,
Tennessee. The purpose of the public
scoping meeting is to present
information to the public regarding
potential alternatives that would be
addressed in the draft EIS, receive
public comments, and to solicit input
regarding dam safety concerns,
alternatives to consider, and
environmental or social issues of
concern to the public.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS.
USACE intends to circulate the draft EIS
in the late 2018/early 2019 time frame.
USACE will announce availability of the
draft EIS in the Federal Register and
other media, and will provide interested
parties an opportunity to submit
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comments to be addressed in the final
EIS.
Dated: April 13, 2018.
Angela E. Dunn,
Project Planning Branch Chief, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Nashville District.
[FR Doc. 2018–08291 Filed 4–19–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Melvin R. Sampson Hatchery, Yakima
Basin Coho Project
Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Record of Decision (ROD).
AGENCY:
The Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA) has decided to
implement the Proposed Action as
described in the Melvin R. Sampson
Hatchery, Yakima Basin Coho Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) (DOE/EIS–0522, November 27,
2017). Under the Proposed Action, BPA
will fund the construction and
operation of the Melvin R. Sampson
Hatchery (MRS Hatchery) in the Yakima
Basin in central Washington. Operation
of the MRS Hatchery will involve
production of up to 700,000 coho
salmon for release in the Yakima River
and its subbasin, the Naches River. The
hatchery will be owned and operated by
the Confederated Tribes and Bands of
the Yakama Nation (Yakama Nation)
and will be constructed on land owned
by the Yakama Nation northwest of
Ellensburg in Kittitas County,
Washington.
ADDRESSES: This ROD will be available
to all interested parties and affected
persons and agencies. It is being sent to
all stakeholders who requested a copy.
Copies of the Melvin R. Sampson
Hatchery, Yakima Basin Coho Project
Draft and Final EISs and additional
copies of this ROD are available from
BPA’s Public Information Center, P.O.
Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208.
Copies of these documents may also be
obtained by using BPA’s nationwide
toll-free document request line: 1–800–
622–4520, or by accessing the project
website at www.bpa.gov/goto/Melvin
SampsonHatchery.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Goodman, Bonneville Power
Administration—ECF–4, P.O. Box 3621,
Portland, Oregon, 97208–3621; toll-free
telephone number 1–800–622–4519; fax
number 503–230–5699; or email
jdgoodman@bpa.gov.
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 77 (Friday, April 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17541-17542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08291]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Dam Safety Modification Study Report for Center Hill Dam, DeKalb
County, Tennessee
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District
(USACE) is preparing a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to
support the Dam Safety Modification Study Report (DSMSR) for Center
Hill Dam. The study would evaluate the main dam spillway gate
operability, the saddle dam fuse plug operation, and spillway additions
to the new Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) berm structure at the saddle
dam, all for the purpose of lowering risk at Center Hill Dam, DeKalb
County, Tennessee.
DATES: Comments regarding the NOI must be received by USACE within 30
days of publication of the NOI on or before May 20, 2018.
ADDRESSES: USACE-Nashville District, 110 9th Avenue South, RM 405A,
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3817.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct your comments to Joy
Broach, Aquatic Biologist, (615) 736-7956; email:
[email protected]. Written comments can be mailed to the
address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Background Information. Center Hill Dam
was designed in the 1930s, constructed in the 1940s, and impounded in
the early 1950s. The dam was built on karst geology using accepted
engineering practices of the day. Center Hill Dam consists of a 248'
high by 1,400' long combination earthen embankment and concrete main
dam, and a 125' high by 800' long earthen embankment auxiliary dam
referred to as the saddle dam. The main dam has eight 34' x 57'
spillway gates that rotate upward to safely pass flow during and after
large rainfall events. To comply with updated design flood guidance, a
self-eroding fuse plug section was retrofitted into the top of the
saddle dam in 1992 to serve as an emergency spillway. The fuse plug
operation almost doubles Center Hill's total spillway capacity to keep
the main dam from overtopping during an extreme flood event. A Dam
Safety Modification Study to reduce the risk of a foundation seepage
dam failure was approved in late 2006 and consisted of three major
construction contracts beginning in 2008. The first contract injected
concrete grout into the foundation of the main dam embankment (soil
portion of the dam) and was completed in 2010. The second contract
installed a concrete barrier wall into the main dam embankment and was
completed in 2015. This concrete barrier wall is the permanent seepage
barrier protection for the main dam embankment. The third major
contract for construction of a Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) berm
below the saddle dam began in September 2016 and is on-going. The
purpose of the RCC berm is to reduce the risk of saddle dam failure
caused by under-seepage or overtopping during an extreme flood event. A
Post Implementation Evaluation (PIE) was completed in 2017 to assess
the effectiveness of the above construction
[[Page 17542]]
efforts to reduce the risk of dam failure. During the PIE, additional
risk issues were noted concerning the 70-year old main dam spillway
gates. Electrical, mechanical and structural operability issues affect
the reliability of controlled spillway releases. If the spillway gates
do not reliably operate during an extreme flood event, the reservoir
would raise and potentially result in a premature fuse plug operation.
The fuse plug is designed to discharge approximately 400,000 cubic feet
per second within 30 minutes. The consequences of premature discharge
of an enormous volume of flood water are estimated to be above the
Corps of Engineer's tolerable risk limit. The draft EIS would address
the findings of the PIE and assess effectiveness of potential
alternatives to further reduce risk and increase dam safety. The dam
seepage repair construction contracts noted previously, have increased
dam safety and were covered under previous NEPA documents.
2. Potential Alternatives. The draft EIS would address an array of
alternatives that could reduce the risk of life loss, extensive
downstream damage, functional loss of the project, and the loss of
project benefits. The nature and extent of the alternatives would be
determined based on the results of on-going engineering studies, public
and agency input during the scoping period, and preparation of the
draft EIS. Alternatives, either individually or in combination, that
have potential to affect structures or operations of the dam may
include the following:
a. Replacement of the current gate machinery with hydraulic
machinery that can operate under water;
b. Addition of equipment to the current spillway gates to keep them
open if the operating machinery is underwater;
c. Modification of the spillway gates or gate machinery to allow
operation from the top of the dam;
d. Relocation of the gate operating machinery to the road level,
which would require raising or relocating Highway 96 which currently
crosses over the dam;
e. Removal of the existing fuse plug at the saddle dam and
installation of spillway additions on top of the newly constructed RCC
Berm to discharge flood water down the valley;
f. Modification of the emergency operations plan in the water
control manual that determines how to manage floods at Center Hill Dam;
and
g. Other alternatives as identified by on-going engineering
studies, the public, and agencies.
3. Issues To Be Addressed. USACE is evaluating ways of raising,
modifying, and/or replacing existing spillway gates and operating
equipment to address spillway gate reliability for all range of
possible flood events, especially large and more extreme flood events.
The DSMSR and draft EIS would evaluate the Center Hill Dam Water
Control Manual emergency operating procedures and potential alternative
spillway options to determine if changes are warranted to minimize
overall dam safety risk. The draft EIS would include, but is not
limited to identification and evaluation of effects to aquatic and
terrestrial habitats, cultural resources, state and federally listed
species, socioeconomics, public safety, structures, hydrology and
hydraulics, recreation, water supply, water quality, flood storage,
hydropower production, land use, visual and aesthetic resources, and
dam safety risk reduction at Center Hill Dam as a result of the
proposed alternatives.
4. Public Involvement and Scoping. This NOI serves as the initial
step to involve Federal and state agencies, Indian Tribes, local
governments, and the public in an early and transparent process in
accordance with NEPA requirements. The draft EIS would address impacts
to the human environment due to the proposed alternatives. Concerns
would be identified based on public and agency input during the scoping
process and during preparation of the draft EIS. All interested parties
are encouraged to submit their name and email address to the address
noted above, to be placed on the project mailing list to receive fact
sheets, newsletters and related public notices. All interested parties
are invited to identify issues that should be addressed in the draft
EIS. A scoping meeting is scheduled for May 3, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
at The Buffalo Valley Community Center, 2717 Buffalo Valley School
Road, Buffalo Valley, Tennessee. The purpose of the public scoping
meeting is to present information to the public regarding potential
alternatives that would be addressed in the draft EIS, receive public
comments, and to solicit input regarding dam safety concerns,
alternatives to consider, and environmental or social issues of concern
to the public.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS. USACE intends to circulate the
draft EIS in the late 2018/early 2019 time frame. USACE will announce
availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register and other media,
and will provide interested parties an opportunity to submit comments
to be addressed in the final EIS.
Dated: April 13, 2018.
Angela E. Dunn,
Project Planning Branch Chief, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville
District.
[FR Doc. 2018-08291 Filed 4-19-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
