Joint Notice of Availability for the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement, 54096-54097 [2018-23450]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
54096
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2018 / Notices
end of the meeting will be available for
verbal public comments. Members of
the public who have requested to make
a verbal comment and whose comments
have been deemed relevant under the
process described above, will be allotted
no more than three (3) minutes during
this period, and will be invited to speak
in the order in which their requests
were received by the DFO and ADFO.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–23448 Filed 10–25–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Joint Notice of Availability for the
Coastal Texas Protection and
Restoration Study Draft Integrated
Feasibility Report and Environmental
Impact Statement
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Galveston District (USACE) announces
the release of the Draft Integrated
Feasibility Report and Environmental
Impact Statement (DIFR–EIS) for the
Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) of the
Coastal Texas Protection and
Restoration Study, Texas. The DIFR–EIS
documents the existing condition of
environmental resources in and around
areas considered for development, and
potential impacts on those resources as
a result of implementing the
alternatives.
This public notice is also issued for
the purpose of advising all known
interested parties that there is pending
before the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) a
decision on water quality certification.
A copy of the public notice, with a
description of work, has been made
available for review in the TCEQ’s
Austin office.
DATES: USACE will accept written
public comments on the DIFR–EIS from
October 26, 2018 to January 9, 2019.
Comments on the DIFR–EIS must be
postmarked by January 9, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Public comments can be
mailed to: USACE, Galveston District,
Attn: Mrs. Jennifer Morgan,
Environmental Compliance Branch,
Regional Planning and Environmental
Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX
77553–1229 or emailed to
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:32 Oct 25, 2018
Jkt 247001
CoastalTexas@usace.army.mil. See
website: https://coastalstudy.texas.gov/
for additional information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.
Jennifer Morgan, (409) 766–3131.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The lead agency for this
proposed action is the USACE. This
study has been prepared under the
standing authority of Section 4091,
Water Resources Development Act of
2007, Public Law 110–114. The nonFederal sponsor is the Texas General
Land Office.
Background: This DIFR–EIS was
prepared as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to
present an evaluation of potential
impacts associated with the Coastal
Texas Protection and Restoration
Feasibility Study (Coastal Texas) TSP.
The USACE and the non-Federal
sponsor for the study, the Texas General
Land Office (GLO), have conducted this
study and prepared the DIFR–EIS.
The study area for the Coastal Texas
Study consists of the entire Texas Gulf
coast from the mouth of the Sabine
River to the mouth of the Rio Grande,
and includes the Gulf and tidal waters,
barrier islands, estuaries, coastal
wetlands, rivers and streams, borrow
sources, and adjacent areas that make
up the interrelated ecosystems along the
coast of Texas. The study area
encompasses 18 coastal counties along
the Gulf coast and bayfronts.
This report presents the proposed
alternatives that would reduce the risk
of storm damage to industries and
businesses critical to the Nation’s
economy and protect the health and
safety of Texas coastal communities.
The study analyzed alternatives that
involved structural and nonstructural
measures. Additionally, the report
discusses alternatives intended to
address critical coastal ecosystems in
need of restoration, including wetlands,
seagrass beds, sea turtle nesting habitat,
piping plover critical habitat, and bird
rookery islands, as well as numerous
Federal and State wildlife refuges.
Tentatively Selected Plan: The TSP
consists of the Coastal Barrier Coastal
Storm Risk Management (CSRM)
System, South Padre Island CSRM
measure, and a comprehensive set of
ecosystem restoration (ER) measures.
The Coastal Barrier is a risk reduction
system made up of the following
features: Floodwalls, floodgates, seawall
improvements, drainage structures,
pump stations, and surge barrier gates.
One fundamental feature of the TSP is
surge barrier structures that include
floating sector gates for navigation
traffic and environmental lift gates
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
across the span at Bolivar Roads
between Bolivar Peninsula and
Galveston Island. The alternative
includes four reaches: Eastern Tie-in
Reach, Bolivar Peninsula Reach,
Galveston Ring Levee/Floodwall Reach,
and West Galveston Island Reach in
addition to features located at Clear
Creek Channel and Dickinson Bayou.
The South Padre Island CSRM measure
consists of approximately 2.2 miles of
dune and beach restoration along the
barrier island on the Gulf, including
renourishment cycles. The ER
component of the TSP has been
formulated to address the habitat loss
and degradation from coastal processes.
ER measures restore and create habitat
and support structural CSRM efforts by
providing a natural buffer from coastal
storms. ER measures proposed in this
study include a combination of features
formulated in specific geographic
locations to restore diverse habitats and
coastal features that provide multiple
lines of defense against coastal storms
and long term coastal processes.
Restoration measures include beach and
dune complexes, oyster reefs, bird
rookery islands, wetland and marsh
complexes, and protection of submerged
aquatic vegetation.
A final decision will be made
following the reviews and higher-level
coordination within the USACE to
select a plan for feasibility-level design
and recommendation for
implementation. The decision will be
documented in the Final Integrated
Feasibility Report (FIFR)–EIS.
Coordination with the natural resource
agencies will continue throughout the
study process.
Project Impacts and Environmental
Compliance: Preliminary studies
indicate that the recommended plan’s
surge barrier gates (proposed as features
of the Coastal Barrier) may alter wetland
functions by constricting tidal exchange
and associated sediment transport,
altering hydrosalinity gradients,
reducing flow into and out of Galveston
Bay, and increasing velocities near the
gate openings at specific times. The TSP
was formulated to reduce the risk of
damages from coastal storms as well as
avoid disturbance to environmentally
significant resources. Where impacts
could not be avoided, they were
quantified, and a conceptual mitigation
plan was formulated. Impacts would be
fully compensated with the restoration
of palustrine and estuarine emergent
marsh in the amount determined during
final feasibility planning. The Coastal
Barrier would provide a level of
protection to tidal and freshwater
wetlands north of the barrier location by
serving as a physical barrier against
E:\FR\FM\26OCN1.SGM
26OCN1
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2018 / Notices
storm surge during coastal storms. The
South Padre Island CSRM feature would
restore the beach and dune complex;
therefore, providing reduced risk to the
area while sustaining and increasing
beach habitat, and helping preserve
existing wetland habitat on the bayside
of the measure. Ecosystem restoration
measures would restore the natural
features of the Texas coast that provide
habitat for many Federally threatened
and endangered species and State
species of concern. These measures will
also maintain a natural buffer for upland
areas from coastal processes, relative sea
level rise (RSLR), and storm surge,
while stabilizing the coastline by
absorbing energy from waves and vessel
wakes.
The DIFR–EIS presents an evaluation
of the potential impacts to soils,
waterbottoms, water quality, protected
wildlife species, benthic organisms,
essential fish habitat, coastal barrier
resources, air quality, and noise.
Additionally, potential impacts to
floodplains, flood control, protected/
managed lands, and minority or lowincome populations have been
evaluated. Steps would be taken to
avoid, minimize, and mitigate any
potential impacts to the best extent
practicable. The USACE is proposing to
execute a Programmatic Agreement
among USACE, the Texas State Historic
Preservation Office, and any NFS, in
coordination with the Advisory Council
on Historic Preservation and Tribal
Nations, to address the identification
and discovery of cultural resources that
may occur during the construction and
maintenance of proposed or existing
facilities.
Solicitation of Comments: The
USACE is soliciting comments from the
public, Federal, State, and local
agencies, elected officials, Tribal
Nations, and other interested parties in
order to consider and evaluate the
impacts of this proposed activity.
Comments will be used in preparation
of the FIFR–EIS. Any comments
concerning water quality certification
may be submitted to the TCEQ, 401
Coordinator, MSC–150, P.O. Box 13087,
Austin, Texas 78711–3087.
Meetings: The Galveston District will
hold public meetings at 5:30 p.m. for the
DIFR–EIS on the following dates and
locations: November 27, 2018 at Bauer
Community Center, 2300 TX–35, Port
Lavaca, TX 77979; November 28, 2018
at Harte Research Institute at Texas
A&M Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr.,
Corpus Christi, TX 78412; November 29,
2018 at Port Isabel Event & Cultural
Center, 309 Railroad Ave., Port Isabel,
TX 78578; December 11, 2018 at Winnie
Community Building, 335 South Park
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:32 Oct 25, 2018
Jkt 247001
St., Winnie, TX 77665; December 12,
2018 at Galveston Island Convention
Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston,
TX 77551; and December 18, 2018 at
Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E
NASA Parkway, Seabrook, TX 77586.
Document Availability: Compact disc
copies of the DIFR–EIS are available for
viewing at county libraries throughout
the 18 county study area. The document
can also be viewed and downloaded
from the Galveston District website:
https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/
Business-With-Us/PlanningEnvironmental-Branch/Documents-forPublic-Review/.
Lars N. Zetterstrom,
Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2018–23450 Filed 10–25–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
54097
Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA
23508–1278.
Dated: October 23, 2018.
Meredith Steingold Werner,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate
General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–23488 Filed 10–25–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FE Docket No. 18–144–LNG]
Energı´a Costa Azul S. de R.L. de C.V;
Application for Long-Term, MultiContract Authorization To Export
Natural Gas to Mexico and To Export
Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free
Trade Agreement Nations
Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.
Notice of application.
AGENCY:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ACTION:
Department of the Navy
SUMMARY:
Notice of Availability of Record of
Decision for the Atlantic Fleet Training
and Testing Final Environmental
Impact Statement/Overseas
Environmental Impact Statement
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The United States Department
of the Navy (DoN), announces its
decision to conduct training and testing
in the Atlantic Fleet study area as
described in Alternative 1 of the
Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact
Statement (AFTT FEIS/OEIS). Under
Alternative 1, the DoN will be able to
meet current and future DoN training
and testing requirements.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Alternative 1 is the DoN’s preferred
alternative, and is representative of
training to account for the natural
fluctuations of training cycles,
deployment schedules, and use of
synthetic training opportunities.
Alternative 1 also includes an annual
level of testing that reflects the
fluctuations in DoN testing programs.
The complete text of the Record of
Decision (ROD) for the AFTT FEIS/OEIS
is available on the project website at
https://aftteis.com, along with the
September 2018 AFTT FEIS/OEIS, dated
September 2018 and supporting
documents. Single copies of the ROD
are available upon request by
contacting: Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Atlantic, Attn: Code EV22
(AFTT EIS/OEIS project manager), 6506
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The Office of Fossil Energy
(FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE)
gives notice of receipt of an application
(Application), filed on September 27,
2018, by Energı´a Costa Azul S. de R.L.
de C.V (Energı´a Costa Azul), a
subsidiary of Infrastructura Energetica
Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) and
IEnova’s subsidiaries. A majority of the
ownership interests in IEnova (66.43%)
is held by indirect, wholly-owned
subsidiaries of Sempra Energy, a
publicly traded California corporation.
The Application requests long-term,
multi-contract authorization to export
domestically produced natural gas to
Mexico in a volume up to 182 billion
cubic feet (Bcf) per year (Bcf/yr) (0.5 Bcf
per day), and to re-export a portion of
this natural gas as liquefied natural gas
(LNG) in a volume equivalent to 161
Bcf/yr of natural gas (0.44 Bcf per day).
Energı´a Costa Azul seeks to export this
LNG from the proposed Energı´a Costa
Azul Mid-Scale Project, which consists
of certain liquefaction and export
terminal facilities located on the site of
Energı´a Costa Azul’s existing LNG
import terminal north of Ensenada, Baja
California, Mexico. The volumes for
which Energı´a Costa Azul seeks
authorization in this Application would
be additive to the volumes for which
Energı´a Costa Azul seeks authorization
in its application in FE Docket No. 18–
145–LNG. Energı´a Costa Azul requests
authorization to export this LNG to: (i)
Countries with which the United States
has entered into a free trade agreement
(FTA) requiring national treatment for
trade in natural gas (FTA countries) and
(ii) any other countries with which trade
is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy
(non-FTA countries). Energı´a Costa Azul
E:\FR\FM\26OCN1.SGM
26OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 208 (Friday, October 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54096-54097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23450]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Joint Notice of Availability for the Coastal Texas Protection and
Restoration Study Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District (USACE) announces the
release of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental
Impact Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) of
the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study, Texas. The DIFR-EIS
documents the existing condition of environmental resources in and
around areas considered for development, and potential impacts on those
resources as a result of implementing the alternatives.
This public notice is also issued for the purpose of advising all
known interested parties that there is pending before the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) a decision on water quality
certification. A copy of the public notice, with a description of work,
has been made available for review in the TCEQ's Austin office.
DATES: USACE will accept written public comments on the DIFR-EIS from
October 26, 2018 to January 9, 2019. Comments on the DIFR-EIS must be
postmarked by January 9, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Public comments can be mailed to: USACE, Galveston District,
Attn: Mrs. Jennifer Morgan, Environmental Compliance Branch, Regional
Planning and Environmental Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553-
1229 or emailed to [email protected]. See website: https://coastalstudy.texas.gov/ for additional information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Jennifer Morgan, (409) 766-3131.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The lead agency for this proposed action is the USACE.
This study has been prepared under the standing authority of Section
4091, Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Public Law 110-114. The
non-Federal sponsor is the Texas General Land Office.
Background: This DIFR-EIS was prepared as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to present an evaluation of potential
impacts associated with the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration
Feasibility Study (Coastal Texas) TSP. The USACE and the non-Federal
sponsor for the study, the Texas General Land Office (GLO), have
conducted this study and prepared the DIFR-EIS.
The study area for the Coastal Texas Study consists of the entire
Texas Gulf coast from the mouth of the Sabine River to the mouth of the
Rio Grande, and includes the Gulf and tidal waters, barrier islands,
estuaries, coastal wetlands, rivers and streams, borrow sources, and
adjacent areas that make up the interrelated ecosystems along the coast
of Texas. The study area encompasses 18 coastal counties along the Gulf
coast and bayfronts.
This report presents the proposed alternatives that would reduce
the risk of storm damage to industries and businesses critical to the
Nation's economy and protect the health and safety of Texas coastal
communities. The study analyzed alternatives that involved structural
and nonstructural measures. Additionally, the report discusses
alternatives intended to address critical coastal ecosystems in need of
restoration, including wetlands, seagrass beds, sea turtle nesting
habitat, piping plover critical habitat, and bird rookery islands, as
well as numerous Federal and State wildlife refuges.
Tentatively Selected Plan: The TSP consists of the Coastal Barrier
Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) System, South Padre Island CSRM
measure, and a comprehensive set of ecosystem restoration (ER)
measures. The Coastal Barrier is a risk reduction system made up of the
following features: Floodwalls, floodgates, seawall improvements,
drainage structures, pump stations, and surge barrier gates. One
fundamental feature of the TSP is surge barrier structures that include
floating sector gates for navigation traffic and environmental lift
gates across the span at Bolivar Roads between Bolivar Peninsula and
Galveston Island. The alternative includes four reaches: Eastern Tie-in
Reach, Bolivar Peninsula Reach, Galveston Ring Levee/Floodwall Reach,
and West Galveston Island Reach in addition to features located at
Clear Creek Channel and Dickinson Bayou. The South Padre Island CSRM
measure consists of approximately 2.2 miles of dune and beach
restoration along the barrier island on the Gulf, including
renourishment cycles. The ER component of the TSP has been formulated
to address the habitat loss and degradation from coastal processes. ER
measures restore and create habitat and support structural CSRM efforts
by providing a natural buffer from coastal storms. ER measures proposed
in this study include a combination of features formulated in specific
geographic locations to restore diverse habitats and coastal features
that provide multiple lines of defense against coastal storms and long
term coastal processes. Restoration measures include beach and dune
complexes, oyster reefs, bird rookery islands, wetland and marsh
complexes, and protection of submerged aquatic vegetation.
A final decision will be made following the reviews and higher-
level coordination within the USACE to select a plan for feasibility-
level design and recommendation for implementation. The decision will
be documented in the Final Integrated Feasibility Report (FIFR)-EIS.
Coordination with the natural resource agencies will continue
throughout the study process.
Project Impacts and Environmental Compliance: Preliminary studies
indicate that the recommended plan's surge barrier gates (proposed as
features of the Coastal Barrier) may alter wetland functions by
constricting tidal exchange and associated sediment transport, altering
hydrosalinity gradients, reducing flow into and out of Galveston Bay,
and increasing velocities near the gate openings at specific times. The
TSP was formulated to reduce the risk of damages from coastal storms as
well as avoid disturbance to environmentally significant resources.
Where impacts could not be avoided, they were quantified, and a
conceptual mitigation plan was formulated. Impacts would be fully
compensated with the restoration of palustrine and estuarine emergent
marsh in the amount determined during final feasibility planning. The
Coastal Barrier would provide a level of protection to tidal and
freshwater wetlands north of the barrier location by serving as a
physical barrier against
[[Page 54097]]
storm surge during coastal storms. The South Padre Island CSRM feature
would restore the beach and dune complex; therefore, providing reduced
risk to the area while sustaining and increasing beach habitat, and
helping preserve existing wetland habitat on the bayside of the
measure. Ecosystem restoration measures would restore the natural
features of the Texas coast that provide habitat for many Federally
threatened and endangered species and State species of concern. These
measures will also maintain a natural buffer for upland areas from
coastal processes, relative sea level rise (RSLR), and storm surge,
while stabilizing the coastline by absorbing energy from waves and
vessel wakes.
The DIFR-EIS presents an evaluation of the potential impacts to
soils, waterbottoms, water quality, protected wildlife species, benthic
organisms, essential fish habitat, coastal barrier resources, air
quality, and noise. Additionally, potential impacts to floodplains,
flood control, protected/managed lands, and minority or low-income
populations have been evaluated. Steps would be taken to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate any potential impacts to the best extent
practicable. The USACE is proposing to execute a Programmatic Agreement
among USACE, the Texas State Historic Preservation Office, and any NFS,
in coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and
Tribal Nations, to address the identification and discovery of cultural
resources that may occur during the construction and maintenance of
proposed or existing facilities.
Solicitation of Comments: The USACE is soliciting comments from the
public, Federal, State, and local agencies, elected officials, Tribal
Nations, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate
the impacts of this proposed activity. Comments will be used in
preparation of the FIFR-EIS. Any comments concerning water quality
certification may be submitted to the TCEQ, 401 Coordinator, MSC-150,
P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.
Meetings: The Galveston District will hold public meetings at 5:30
p.m. for the DIFR-EIS on the following dates and locations: November
27, 2018 at Bauer Community Center, 2300 TX-35, Port Lavaca, TX 77979;
November 28, 2018 at Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M Corpus
Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412; November 29, 2018 at
Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center, 309 Railroad Ave., Port Isabel, TX
78578; December 11, 2018 at Winnie Community Building, 335 South Park
St., Winnie, TX 77665; December 12, 2018 at Galveston Island Convention
Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551; and December 18, 2018
at Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E NASA Parkway, Seabrook, TX 77586.
Document Availability: Compact disc copies of the DIFR-EIS are
available for viewing at county libraries throughout the 18 county
study area. The document can also be viewed and downloaded from the
Galveston District website: https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Planning-Environmental-Branch/Documents-for-Public-Review/.
Lars N. Zetterstrom,
Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2018-23450 Filed 10-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
