Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity General Re-Evaluation Report, Louisiana, 12598-12599 [2019-06354]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 2, 2019 / Notices
Decision (ROD) and issue all necessary
authorizations within 90 days thereafter,
subject to limited exceptions. An
essential element of the OFD framework
is the development of a schedule,
referred to the ‘‘Permitting Timetable,’’
including key milestones critical to
completion of the environmental review
and issuance of a ROD. Cooperating
agencies required by law to develop
schedules for environmental review or
authorization processes should transmit
a summary of such schedules to the lead
agency for integration into the
Permitting Timetable.
To ensure timely completion of the
environmental review and issuance of
necessary authorizations, OMB and CEQ
recommend the Permitting Timetable
for major infrastructure projects provide
for environmental review according to
the following schedule:
(1) Formal scoping and preparation of
a Draft EIS (DEIS) within 14 months,
beginning on the date of publication of
the NOI to publish an EIS and ending
on the date of the Notice of Availability
of the DEIS;
(2) Completion of the formal public
comment period and development of
the Final EIS (FEIS) within eight months
of the date of the Notice of Availability
of the DEIS; and
(3) Publication of the final ROD
within two months of the publication of
the Notice of Availability of the FEIS.
While the actual schedule for any given
project may vary based upon the
circumstances of the project and
applicable law, agencies should
endeavor to meet the two-year goal
established in E.O. 13807.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) will assist in documenting
existing conditions and assessing effects
of project alternatives through the Fish
and Wildlife Start Coordination Act
consultation procedures. Other
environmental review and consultation
requirements for the proposed project
include the need for Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality
Clean Water Act Section 401 water
quality. In addition, because the
proposed project may affect federally
listed species, the USACE will consult
with the Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in
accordance with Endangered Species
Act, Section 7. The NMFS will be
consulted regarding the effects of this
proposed project on Essential Fish
Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
The USACE will also be consulting with
the State Historic Preservation Officer
under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act concerning
properties listed, or potentially eligible
for listing. The USACE will also be
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:19 Apr 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
coordinating with the Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources for
Coastal Zone Management Consistency
per the Coastal Zone Management Act.
7. Availability: The Draft EIS (DEIS) is
expected to be available for public
comment and review no sooner than
December 2019. At that time, a 45-day
public review period will be provided
for individuals and agencies to review
and comment on the DEIS. All
interested parties are encouraged to
respond to this notice and provide a
current address if they wish to be
notified of the DEIS circulation.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019–06359 Filed 4–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity
General Re-Evaluation Report,
Louisiana
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New
Orleans District (USACE) intends to
prepare a Draft Integrated General Reevaluation Report and Environmental
Impact Statement (DGRR–EIS) for the
Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Coastal
Storm Risk Management Project. The
study seeks to determine if the work
necessary to sustain the 1% level of
hurricane storm damage risk reduction
is technically feasible, environmentally
acceptable, and economically justified.
ADDRESSES: Questions or comments
about the proposed action or requests to
be added to the project mailing list
should be directed to Mr. Bradley
Drouant, P.E., CEMVN–PMO–L, Room
361, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans,
LA 70118; CEMVN-LPVGRR@
usace.army.mil. For additional
information, please visit the following
website: https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/
Projects/BBA-2018/studies/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Bradley Drouant, (504) 862–1516.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead
agency for this proposed action is the
USACE. The Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority
(CPRA) is the non-Federal sponsor.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing
the DGRR–EIS under the authority of
Section 3017 of WRRDA 2014. Public
Law 115–123 (Bipartisan Budget Act of
2018) funded the study as a new start.
The study phase is 100% federal
funding.
2. Background. The devastation to
New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita included
the loss of over 1,800 lives, it
temporarily and permanently displaced
many thousands of residents, and
resulted in estimated property damages
in excess of $40 billion in New Orleans
and as much as $100 billion along the
Gulf Coast.
After the devastation of the 2005
hurricane season, the U.S. embarked on
one of the largest civil works projects
ever undertaken, at an estimated cost of
$14 billion. The project included
restoration, accelerated construction,
improvements, and enhancements of
various risk reduction projects within
southeastern Louisiana, including the
Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity,
Louisiana Project (LPV) and the West
Bank and Vicinity, Louisiana Project
(WBV), jointly referred to as the Greater
New Orleans Hurricane and Storm
Damage Risk Reduction System
(HSDRRS). The completion of the
levees, floodwalls, gates, and pumps
that together form the HSDRRS brought
100-year level of hurricane and storm
damage risk reduction to the areas
within LPV and WBV.
Southeast Louisiana, including the
Greater New Orleans area, is generally
characterized by weak soils, general
subsidence, and the global incidence of
sea level rise that will cause levees to
require future lifts to sustain
performance of the HSDRRS. The
HSDRRS project authority did not
provide for future lifts. Engineering
analysis indicates the HSDRRS will no
longer provide 1% level of risk
reduction as early as 2023. Absent
future levee lifts to offset consolidation,
settlement, subsidence, and sea level
rise, risk to life and property in the
Greater New Orleans area will
progressively increase. USACE will
notify FEMA once the system no longer
provides the 1% level of risk reduction,
which may result in the loss of
accreditation required for participation
in the National Flood Insurance
Program.
The DGRR–EIS seeks to determine if
the work necessary to sustain the 1%
level of risk reduction is technically
feasible, environmentally acceptable,
and economically justified. The study
will also consider other levels of risk
reduction. A positive determination
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 2, 2019 / Notices
would make construction of future levee
lifts eligible for future budget requests.
The significant issues that are likely
to be analyzed in depth in the DGRR–
EIS include: Climate; relative sea level
rise; levee consolidation and
compaction; annual probability of
failure; life loss; economic damages;
geology and soils; hydrology and
hydraulics; water resources; forest and
wetland resources; uplands; fisheries;
essential fish habitat; wildlife; invasive
species; threatened and endangered
species; cultural and historical
resources; scenic and aesthetic
resources; recreation; air quality; noise;
transportation; population and housing;
employment, business, and industrial
activity; public facilities and services;
community and regional growth; tax
revenue and property values;
community cohesion; environmental
justice; and hazardous, toxic, and
radioactive waste.
3. Alternatives. The USACE will
evaluate a range of alternatives for the
proposed action including structural
and nonstructural measures. The
USACE will fully evaluate reasonable
and practicable alternatives, including
the no action alternative. Alternatives
may result in avoidance, minimization,
and mitigation measures to reduce or
offset any impacts.
4. Public Involvement. Public
involvement, an essential part of the
NEPA process, is integral to assessing
the environmental consequences of the
proposed action and improving the
quality of the environmental decision
making. The public includes affected
and interested Federal, state, and local
agencies, Indian tribes, concerned
citizens, stakeholders, and other
interested parties. Public participation
in the NEPA process will be strongly
encouraged, both formally and
informally, to enhance the probability of
a more technically accurate,
economically feasible, and socially
acceptable EIS. Public involvement will
include, but is not limited to:
Information dissemination;
identification of problems, needs, and
opportunities; idea generation; public
education; problem solving; providing
feedback on proposals; evaluation of
alternatives; conflict resolution; public
and scoping notices and meetings;
public, stakeholder, and advisory
groups consultation and meetings; and
making the EIS and supporting
information readily available in
conveniently located places, such as
libraries and on the world wide web.
5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and
open process for identifying the scope of
significant issues related to the
proposed action to be addressed in the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:19 Apr 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the
affected public and agency concerns; (b)
facilitate an efficient EIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and
alternatives that will be examined in
detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in
the overall process by helping to ensure
that the draft EIS adequately addresses
relevant issues.
A Scoping Meeting Notice
announcing the locations, dates and
times for scoping meetings is
anticipated to be posted on the project
website, https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/
Projects/BBA-2018/studies/ and through
various advertising avenues widely
available to the public no later than 15
days prior to the meeting dates.
6. Environmental Consultation and
Review. The USACE will serve as the
lead Federal agency in the preparation
of the DGRR–EIS. Other Federal and/or
state agencies may participate as
cooperating and/or commenting
agencies throughout the study process.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) will assist in documenting
existing conditions and assessing effects
of project alternatives through the Fish
and Wildlife Coordination Act
consultation procedures. In addition,
because the proposed project may affect
federally listed species, the USACE will
consult with the USFWS and the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) in accordance with the
Endangered Species Act, Section 7. The
USACE will consult the NMFS
regarding the effects of the project on
Essential Fish Habitat per the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. The
USACE will also consult with affected
Federally Recognized Tribes. Other
environmental review and consultation
requirements for the proposed project
include the need for Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality
Clean Water Act Section 401 water
quality certification and Clean Air Act
coordination. The USACE will also
consult with the State Historic
Preservation Officer under Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act
concerning properties listed or
potentially eligible for listing. The
USACE will also coordinate with the
Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources for coastal zone management
consistency per the Coastal Zone
Management Act.
7. Availability. The USACE currently
estimates that the DGRR–EIS will be
available for public review and
comment in December 2019. At that
time, the USACE will provide a 45-day
public review period for individuals
and agencies to review and comment.
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12599
The USACE will notify all interested
agencies, organizations, and individuals
of the availability of the draft document
at that time.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019–06354 Filed 4–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the West Bank and Vicinity General Reevaluation Report, Louisiana
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New
Orleans District (USACE) intends to
prepare a Draft Integrated General Reevaluation Report and Environmental
Impact Statement (DGRR–EIS) for the
West Bank and Vicinity Coastal Storm
Risk Management Project. The study
seeks to determine if the work necessary
to sustain the 1% level of hurricane
storm damage risk reduction is
technically feasible, environmentally
acceptable, and economically justified.
ADDRESSES: Questions or comments
about the proposed action or requests to
be added to the project mailing list
should be directed to Mr. Bradley
Drouant, P.E., CEMVN–PMO–L, Room
361, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans,
LA 70118; CEMVN-WBVGRR@
usace.army.mil. For additional
information, please visit the following
website: https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/
Projects/BBA-2018/studies/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Bradley Drouant, (504) 862–1516.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead
agency for this proposed action is the
USACE. The Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority
(CPRA) is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing
the DGRR–EIS under the authority of
Section 3017 of WRRDA 2014. Public
Law 115–123 (Bipartisan Budget Act of
2018) funded the study as a new start.
The study phase is 100% federal
funding.
2. Background. The devastation to
New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita included
the loss of over 1,800 lives, it
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12598-12599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06354]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity General Re-Evaluation
Report, Louisiana
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) intends to
prepare a Draft Integrated General Re-evaluation Report and
Environmental Impact Statement (DGRR-EIS) for the Lake Pontchartrain
and Vicinity Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The study seeks to
determine if the work necessary to sustain the 1% level of hurricane
storm damage risk reduction is technically feasible, environmentally
acceptable, and economically justified.
ADDRESSES: Questions or comments about the proposed action or requests
to be added to the project mailing list should be directed to Mr.
Bradley Drouant, P.E., CEMVN-PMO-L, Room 361, 7400 Leake Avenue, New
Orleans, LA 70118; [email protected]. For additional
information, please visit the following website: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bradley Drouant, (504) 862-1516.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead agency for this proposed action is
the USACE. The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
(CPRA) is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing the DGRR-EIS under the
authority of Section 3017 of WRRDA 2014. Public Law 115-123 (Bipartisan
Budget Act of 2018) funded the study as a new start. The study phase is
100% federal funding.
2. Background. The devastation to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita included the loss of over 1,800 lives,
it temporarily and permanently displaced many thousands of residents,
and resulted in estimated property damages in excess of $40 billion in
New Orleans and as much as $100 billion along the Gulf Coast.
After the devastation of the 2005 hurricane season, the U.S.
embarked on one of the largest civil works projects ever undertaken, at
an estimated cost of $14 billion. The project included restoration,
accelerated construction, improvements, and enhancements of various
risk reduction projects within southeastern Louisiana, including the
Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana Project (LPV) and the West
Bank and Vicinity, Louisiana Project (WBV), jointly referred to as the
Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System
(HSDRRS). The completion of the levees, floodwalls, gates, and pumps
that together form the HSDRRS brought 100-year level of hurricane and
storm damage risk reduction to the areas within LPV and WBV.
Southeast Louisiana, including the Greater New Orleans area, is
generally characterized by weak soils, general subsidence, and the
global incidence of sea level rise that will cause levees to require
future lifts to sustain performance of the HSDRRS. The HSDRRS project
authority did not provide for future lifts. Engineering analysis
indicates the HSDRRS will no longer provide 1% level of risk reduction
as early as 2023. Absent future levee lifts to offset consolidation,
settlement, subsidence, and sea level rise, risk to life and property
in the Greater New Orleans area will progressively increase. USACE will
notify FEMA once the system no longer provides the 1% level of risk
reduction, which may result in the loss of accreditation required for
participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
The DGRR-EIS seeks to determine if the work necessary to sustain
the 1% level of risk reduction is technically feasible, environmentally
acceptable, and economically justified. The study will also consider
other levels of risk reduction. A positive determination
[[Page 12599]]
would make construction of future levee lifts eligible for future
budget requests.
The significant issues that are likely to be analyzed in depth in
the DGRR-EIS include: Climate; relative sea level rise; levee
consolidation and compaction; annual probability of failure; life loss;
economic damages; geology and soils; hydrology and hydraulics; water
resources; forest and wetland resources; uplands; fisheries; essential
fish habitat; wildlife; invasive species; threatened and endangered
species; cultural and historical resources; scenic and aesthetic
resources; recreation; air quality; noise; transportation; population
and housing; employment, business, and industrial activity; public
facilities and services; community and regional growth; tax revenue and
property values; community cohesion; environmental justice; and
hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste.
3. Alternatives. The USACE will evaluate a range of alternatives
for the proposed action including structural and nonstructural
measures. The USACE will fully evaluate reasonable and practicable
alternatives, including the no action alternative. Alternatives may
result in avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures to reduce or
offset any impacts.
4. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
NEPA process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences
of the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal,
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the
NEPA process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally,
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically
feasible, and socially acceptable EIS. Public involvement will include,
but is not limited to: Information dissemination; identification of
problems, needs, and opportunities; idea generation; public education;
problem solving; providing feedback on proposals; evaluation of
alternatives; conflict resolution; public and scoping notices and
meetings; public, stakeholder, and advisory groups consultation and
meetings; and making the EIS and supporting information readily
available in conveniently located places, such as libraries and on the
world wide web.
5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be
addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected public
and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will be examined
in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by
helping to ensure that the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant
issues.
A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and times
for scoping meetings is anticipated to be posted on the project
website, https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/ and through various advertising avenues widely available to
the public no later than 15 days prior to the meeting dates.
6. Environmental Consultation and Review. The USACE will serve as
the lead Federal agency in the preparation of the DGRR-EIS. Other
Federal and/or state agencies may participate as cooperating and/or
commenting agencies throughout the study process. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) will assist in documenting existing conditions
and assessing effects of project alternatives through the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act consultation procedures. In addition, because
the proposed project may affect federally listed species, the USACE
will consult with the USFWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) in accordance with the Endangered Species Act, Section 7. The
USACE will consult the NMFS regarding the effects of the project on
Essential Fish Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act. The USACE will also consult with affected Federally
Recognized Tribes. Other environmental review and consultation
requirements for the proposed project include the need for Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality Clean Water Act Section 401 water
quality certification and Clean Air Act coordination. The USACE will
also consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer under Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act concerning properties
listed or potentially eligible for listing. The USACE will also
coordinate with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for
coastal zone management consistency per the Coastal Zone Management
Act.
7. Availability. The USACE currently estimates that the DGRR-EIS
will be available for public review and comment in December 2019. At
that time, the USACE will provide a 45-day public review period for
individuals and agencies to review and comment. The USACE will notify
all interested agencies, organizations, and individuals of the
availability of the draft document at that time.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-06354 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
