Engineers Corps September 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division (Corps) has made a Final General Conformity Determination (GCD) and executed a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/ EIR) and a Section 404 Permit under the Clean Water Act for the Newhall Ranch Resource Management and Development Plan, Santa Clarita, California. This Notice serves as the Public Notice/Notice of Availability for the Final EIS/EIR ROD and the Final GCD. The Record of Decision for the Final EIS/EIR was signed on 31 August 2011. In June 2010, the Corps, in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), completed and published a joint Final EIS/EIR and Draft GCD, pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act. The identified least environmentally damaging practicable alternative (LEDPA) in the ROD includes permanent impacts to 47.9 acres of waters of the United States, including 5.1 acres of wetlands, associated with discharges of fill material for bank protection to protect land development projects along water courses (including buried soil cement, buried gunite, grouted riprap, ungrouted riprap, and gunite lining); drainage facilities such as storm drains or outlets and partially lined open channels; grade control structures; bridges and drainage crossings; building pads; and water quality control facilities (sedimentation control, flood control, debris, and water quality basins). The LEDPA also includes temporary impacts to 35.3 acres of waters of the United States, including 11.8 acres of wetlands, associated with the construction of bank protection to protect land development projects along water courses (including buried soil cement, buried gunite, grouted riprap, ungrouted riprap, and gunite lining); utility crossings; activities associated with construction of a Water Reclamation Plant adjacent to the Santa Clara River and required bank protection; water quality control facilities (sedimentation control, flood debris, and water quality basins); regular and ongoing maintenance of all flood, drainage, and water quality protection structures and facilities on the RMDP site (such activities would include periodic inspection of structures and monitoring of vegetation growth and sediment buildup to ensure that the integrity of the structures is maintained and that planned conveyance capacity is present, routine repairs and maintenance of bridges and bank protection, and emergency maintenance activities); and temporary haul routes for grading equipment and geotechnical survey activities. As a Federal agency, the Corps prepared the Final GCD in compliance with Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act and for the issuance of a Corps Section 404 Permit for the discharges of fill material into waters of the United States. Direct and indirect air emissions for all pollutants related to the Federal action are not below specified de minimis Federal thresholds (40 CFR 93.153(b)). On 31 August 2011, the Corps completed its environmental review and finalized the GCD, executed the ROD, and issued a provisional Section 404 Standard Individual Permit for the LEDPA. The Corps considered and responded to all comments received in finalizing the EIS/EIR, Final GCD, ROD, and issuing the provisional permit. The public can request copies of the Final General Conformity Determination document or the ROD from the Corps at the address listed below. In addition, copies of the Final General Conformity Determination document are available for review during the next 30 days at the following libraries: County of Los Angeles Newhall Branch, Castaic Branch, Sylmar Branch, Valencia Branch, and the County of Ventura Fillmore Branch.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Division is issuing this notice to advise the public that a State of North Carolina funded Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been prepared describing proposed improvements to the transportation system starting at Military Cutoff Road in New Hanover County to north of Hampstead along US 17, Pender County, NC (TIP Projects U-4751 and R-3300).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Mobile District Regulatory Division announces its intent to prepare an EIS to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with widening the existing Pascagoula Lower Sound/Bayou Casotte Federal Channel segment of Pascagoula Harbor (the Project). The proposed Project is a 100-foot- widening of the Lower Sound and Bayou Casotte Legs of the Pascagoula Harbor Channel, as well as limited widening of the northern portion of the Horn Island Pass Channel to facilitate the transition between the two channel segments. The Corps is considering the Jackson County Port Authority/Port of Pascagoula (Port) application for a Department of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. A joint public notice for the Section 10 permit (SAM-2011-00389-PAH) was issued by the Corps on April 15, 2011.

In 2008, the Cordova Hills Ownership Group (applicant) submitted a Department of the Army permit application for the proposed Cordova Hills project. On June 18, 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District (Corps) determined that the proposed project may result in significant impacts to the environment, and that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary. A revised permit application was submitted by the applicant on March 15, 2011. The applicant proposes to implement a large-scale, mixed-use, mixed-density master planned community with an integrated university, neighborhood and regional commercial and residential uses and associated infrastructure. The proposed project consists of approximately: 1,000 acres of residential uses ranging from one dwelling unit per acre to 40 dwelling units per acres; 1,380,000 square feet of retail and commercial uses; 240 acres of private university campus; 635 acres of recreation areas, parks, natural avoided areas and open space corridors; 538 acres for on-site wetland and habitat avoidance, and; 18 miles of off-street/multi-use trails. The project site is approximately 2,688 acres and contains 89.106 acres of waters of the United States. The proposed project would involve the discharge of fill material into approximately 39.630 acres of waters of the United States, including vernal pools, seasonal wetlands, seeps, intermittent drainages, and stock ponds. The proposed project may also have have indirect impacts on other waters of the U.S.

This announces the availability of the Proposed Report of the Chief of Engineers and the Final Joint Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/R) which analyzes the potential environmental effects associated with the proposed action and alternatives for providing shoreline protection to approximately 3,412 feet ([ft], 1,040 meters [m]) of the San Clemente shoreline from coastal storms. Maintaining the beach is needed to prevent the beach erosion that results from winter storms and to prevent damage to adjacent commuter and national defense rail line that runs along the beach through the City. In addition, the loss of sand at the beach would have an impact on City beachfront structures and beach recreation, which contributes to the local economy, and would reduce the ecological functioning of the sand beach/littoral zone.