Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction Project Proposed by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Zone District, Lewis County, WA, 49075-49077 [2018-21154]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49075-49077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21154]


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

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Chehalis 
River Basin Flood Damage Reduction Project Proposed by the Chehalis 
River Basin Flood Control Zone District, Lewis County, WA

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Seattle District 
received a permit application from the Chehalis River Basin Flood 
Control Zone District (applicant) for the construction of a flood 
retention structure on the upper Chehalis River and the raising of 
levees at the Centralia-Chehalis Airport. A Department of the Army (DA) 
permit is required for the project pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean 
Water Act. The Corps has determined the proposed project may have 
significant individual and/or cumulative impacts on the human 
environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared 
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 
Preparation of the EIS will support the Corps' eventual decision to 
either issue, issue with modification or deny the DA permit for the 
proposed action. The EIS will assess the potential social, economic, 
and environmental impacts of the projects and is intended to be 
sufficient in scope to address Federal, State, and local requirements, 
environmental and socio-economic

[[Page 49076]]

issues concerning the proposed action, and permit reviews. The EIS 
process begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent. The EIS 
will be prepared according to the Corps' procedures for implementing 
NEPA, and consistent with the Corps' policy to facilitate public 
understanding and review of agency proposals. The Corps will serve as 
the lead federal agency for this EIS pursuant to the requirements of 
NEPA. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) will serve 
as the lead agency for the separate EIS pursuant to the requirements of 
the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The Corps and Ecology have 
agreed to participate in joint scoping to simplify the public comment 
process for the two separate EISs.

DATES: The scoping period will start on September 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the project and requests to be 
included on the EIS notification mailing list should be submitted to:
    Anchor QEA, Care of: Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Zone 
District EIS, 720 Olive Way, Suite 1900, Seattle, Washington 98101.
    Written comments regarding the scope of the EIS--including the 
environmental analysis, range of alternatives, and potential mitigation 
actions--should be received at this address or submitted by 
electronically at www.chehalisbasinstrategy.com/eis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Ms. Janelle Leeson via email at: 
[email protected], or at (206) 550-1425.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Proposed Action. The construction of a new flood retention 
facility within the upper Chehalis River and the raising of levees at 
the Centralia-Chehalis Airport. The Corps is preparing an EIS to 
analyze the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts 
associated with authorizing the actions.
    2. Project Description. The proposal involves the construction of a 
water retention facility at a site in the Chehalis River (River Mile 
[RM] 108.5) near the Town of Pe Ell, in Lewis County, Washington and 
the raising of levees at the Centralia-Chehalis Airport in the City of 
Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington to reduce damage from major flood 
events in the Chehalis Basin, Washington.
    The applicant, funded by the Washington State capitol budget, is 
proposing construction of a flood retention expandable (FRE) facility 
and associated infrastructure on the main-stem Chehalis River south of 
the Town of Pe Ell. The facility would have capacity to provide 65,000 
acre-feet of temporary flood storage during major floods; the Chehalis 
River would flow normally during regular conditions or small flood 
events. The top of the dam structure would be 1,220 feet long with a 
maximum structural height of up to 254 feet including 3 to 5 feet of 
freeboard for safety. The FRE facility is proposed to include a 210-
foot-wide emergency spillway, discharging into a 70-foot-wide and 230-
foot-long stilling basin.
    The FRE facility would be constructed with a foundation and 
hydraulic structure extents capable of supporting future construction 
of a larger dam with up to 130,000 acre feet of storage. An expansion 
of the facility would be subject to a separate NEPA and SEPA process 
and permitting if proposed.
    Construction of the flood retention structure would include the 
installation of a temporary diversion tunnel to accommodate fish 
passage during construction. Permanent fish passage would be 
accomplished primarily through five openings installed along the river 
bottom at the base of the flood retention structure. The openings would 
be 230 feet in length. They are anticipated to replicate the stream 
discharge and velocity rating curves exhibited by the natural channel 
at the dam site (through which fish currently pass without the dam), up 
through river discharges of 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). When 
water is impounded behind the dam during high-flow events, the low-
level outlet would be closed. Fish passage would be provided via a 
collection, handling, transport, and release (CHTR) facility during the 
high-flow, short-term periods of time when the dam outlets are closed.
    The applicant also proposes to raise the elevation of the 
Centralia-Chehalis Airport levee in Chehalis, Washington. The existing 
9,511-foot-long-levee would be raised 4 to 7 feet, along with raising 
Airport Road 1,700 feet along the southern extent of the airport.
    Potential impacts of the proposal have not been determined at this 
time. Mitigation for proposed unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. 
will be required to comply with the Corps' 2008 mitigation rule.
    A full project description as provided by the applicant can be 
accessed electrically at www.chehalisbasinstrategy.com/eis.
    3. Alternatives. The EIS will address an array of alternatives for 
providing alternatives suitable for reducing flood damage within the 
Chehalis River Basin, including a no action alternative. Mitigation 
measures may include, but are not limited to, avoidance of sensitive 
areas and creation, restoration, or enhancement of wetlands.
    4. Scoping Process. The scoping period will continue for 31 days 
after publication of this Notice of Intent and will close on October 
29, 2018. During the scoping period, the Corps invites Federal 
agencies, State and local governments, Native American Tribes, and the 
public to participate in the scoping process either by providing 
written comments or by attending the public scoping meetings scheduled 
at the time and location indicated below. Written comments will be 
considered in the preparation of the Draft EIS. Comments postmarked or 
received electronically after the specified date will be considered to 
the extent feasible.
    The purpose of scoping is to assist the Corps in defining issues, 
public concerns, and alternatives and the depth to which they will be 
evaluated in the EIS. The Corps has prepared project information 
documents to familiarize agencies, Tribes, the public, and interested 
organizations with the proposed projects and potential environmental 
issues. Copies of the documents will be available at the public meeting 
and at the website www.chehalisbasinstrategy.com/eis or can be 
requested by contacting the Corps, Seattle District, as described 
above. Corps' representatives will answer scope-related questions and 
accept comments at public scoping meetings.
    a. Public scoping meetings will be held to present an overview of 
the project and to afford all parties an opportunity to provide 
comments regarding the range of actions, alternatives, and potential 
impacts. The public scoping meetings will be held as follows:
    At Montesano City Hall, Banquet Room, 112 North Main Street, 
Montesano, Washington 98563 on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. 
to 8:00 p.m.
    At Centralia College, Bowman Rotary Banquet Rooms A and B, 600 
Centralia College Boulevard, Centralia, Washington 98531 on Wednesday, 
October 17, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    During the scoping period, continuous access to the scoping meeting 
presentation will be hosted on the EIS website at 
www.chehalisbasinstrategy.com/eis.
    b. Potentially significant issues to be analyzed in the EIS include 
but are not limited to project-specific and cumulative effects on water 
resources; cultural, historic, and archaeological resources; 
geomorphology; geology including landslides and earthquakes;

[[Page 49077]]

wetland and riparian habitat and wildlife; climate change; 
transportation; recreation; land use; Tribal resources, including 
Tribal treaty rights; environmental health and safety, and public 
services and utilities.
    c. The Corps will serve as the lead agency for compliance with 
NEPA. The Corps has invited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
the Chehalis Tribe, and the Quinault Indian Nation to serve as 
cooperating agencies under NEPA. The Corps will consult with the 
Washington State Historic Preservation Officer and applicable Tribes to 
comply with the National Historic Preservation Act; and applicable 
Tribes to comply with treaty provisions.
    d. Development of the draft EIS will begin after the close of the 
scoping period. The draft EIS is currently scheduled to be available 
for public review and comment in early 2020.
    e. A 31-day public review period will be provided for all 
interested parties, individuals, and agencies to review and comment on 
the draft EIS. All interested parties are encouraged to respond to this 
notice and provide a current address if they wish to be notified when 
the draft EIS is issued.
    f. All comments received will become part of the administrative 
record and are subject to public release, as appropriate, in their 
entirety, including any personally identifiable information such as 
names, phone numbers, and addresses if included in the comment.

    Dated: September 19, 2018.
Ryan A. Baum,
Major, Corps of Engineers, Acting Commander.
[FR Doc. 2018-21154 Filed 9-27-18; 8:45 a.m.]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P