Department of Defense July 18, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (USACE) and the Los Angeles Harbor Department (Port) have prepared a joint Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) for the Port of Los Angeles Channel Deepening Project, Los Angeles, California. This Draft SEIS/SEIR describes the affected resources and evaluates the potential impacts to those resources as a result of the Proposed Action and alternatives. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to dispose of approximately 3.0 million cubic yards of dredge material required to complete the Channel Deepening Project and to beneficially reuse the dredge material within the Port of Los Angeles. Three Alternatives have been analyzed in the Draft SEIS/SEIR, including No Action. Alternative 1, Port Development and Environmental Enhancement was developed with a focus on using dredge material for port development and environmental enhancement and would involve use and development of the following disposal sites: Berths 243-245, the Northwest Slip, CSWH Expansion, the Eelgrass Habitat Area, and LA-2. Alternative 2, Environmental Enhancement and Ocean Disposal was developed with a focus on environmental enhancement related uses of the remaining material and does not include any disposal options associated with port development. Under Alternative 2, dredge material would be disposed at the CSWH Expansion, Eelgrass Habitat Area, LA-2 and the Anchorage Road Soil Storage Site. Under Alternative 3, the No Action Alternative, no further dredging would take place and the Channel Deepening Project would not be completed. This Notice also serves as the Public Notice/Notice of Availability for the Section 404 Permit under Clean Water Act (CWA). A preliminary application has been received for a Department of the Army permit for the activity described herein. The Corps is considering an application submitted by the Port for a permit, in accordance with Section 404 of the CWA and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, to complete dredging activities outside of the Federal Channel and placement of the dredge material in waters of the United States in the Port of Los Angeles. This SEIS/SEIR would be used by the Corps as part of their application review process. The Corps and the Port independently determined under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), respectively, that there are potential significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, and an Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report are required.

The Commander of the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting applications for stakeholder representative membership on the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC). Members are sought to participate on a committee to represent various categories of interests within the Missouri River basin. The MRRIC is being formed to advise the Corps on a study of the Missouri River and its tributaries and to provide guidance to the Corps with respect to the Missouri River recovery and mitigation activities currently underway. The Corps is required to establish the MRRIC by the U.S. Congress through the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA), Section 5018.

The study is being conducted in response to the authority contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008. Pertinent text is quoted below:

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is proposing to amend a system of records notice to its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Sunshine in the Government Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 41 CFR 102- 3.150, announcement is made of the following committee meeting of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services (hereafter referred to as the Task Force).

The Department of the Army is proposing to alter a system of records in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.65, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Missile Defense Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee). The Committee is a discretionary federal advisory committee established by the Secretary of Defense to provide the Department of Defense and the Director, Missile Defense Agency independent advice and recommendations on all matters relating to missile defense, including system development, technology, program maturity and readiness of configurations of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Committee, in accomplishing its mission: (a) Conducted an assessment of the MDA's Capabilities-Based Acquisition approach; (b) made recommendations in the areas of Approach, Transition to Production and Sustainment, Block Names, and MDA-Managed Systems; (c) assessed the U.S. ballistic missile defense capabilities against a certain potential level of threat; and (d) set forth recommendation in the areas of Deterrence, Research and Development, and Combatant Commands and Services. The Committee shall be composed of not more than 10 members, who are distinguished authorities in the field of national defense policy, acquisition and technical areas relating to Ballistic Missile Defense System Programs. Committee members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not federal officers or employees, shall be appointed as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109 and with the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, shall serve without compensation, unless otherwise authorized by the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense shall renew the appointments of these Special Government Employees on an annual basis. The Committee shall select the Chairperson from the total Committee membership. The Committee shall be authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission, and these subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976, and other appropriate federal regulations. Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of the chartered Committee, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Committee for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Committee nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any federal officers or employees who are not Committee members.