Army Department June 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, is initiating this study under the authority provided by the resolutions adopted by the Committees on Public Works of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, dated April 19, 1967 and October 19, 1967, respectively, an expansion of the authority created under section 3 of the River and Harbor Act approved June 13, 1902. The Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program will optimize the use of dredged material resulting from the maintenance of federally maintained navigational channels to (1) restore formerly existing coastal wetlands; (2) reduce, halt or reverse the loss of existing coastal wetlands; (3) create coastal wetlands where none existed previously; or (4) provide protection to any of the above wetland situations or other coastal landscape features within the study placement area. The LCA Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Program costs are those costs incurred above and beyond the ordinary costs incurred with USACE Operations and Maintenance dredging and disposal operations in accordance with their established base plan for maintenance dredging activities. The base plan is determined by applying the Federal Standard which requires maintenance dredging and disposal activities to be conducted in the most cost effective, environmentally acceptable manner. The study area is Louisiana's coastal area from Mississippi to Texas. Louisiana parishes included in the study area include Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Vermilion. The following seven navigation channels represent an initial list of areas with the most significant opportunities (1) Calcasieu River and Pass; (2) Houma Navigation Canal; (3) Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf, and Black; (4) Bayou Lafourche; (5) Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, Head of Passes and Southwest Pass; (6) Barataria Bay Waterway; and (7) Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (although this channel is not currently funded for O&M dredging).

In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), announcement is made of the following committee meeting: Name of Committee: Chief of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board (EAB). Date of Meeting: July 19, 2006. Place: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180- 6199. Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), announcement is made of the following committee meeting: Name of Committee: Board of Visitors, United States Military Academy. Date: Monday, July 17, 2006. Place of Meeting: Superintendent's Conference Room, Taylor Hall, 2nd Floor, Bldg. 600, West Point, NY. Start Time of Meeting: Approximately 9 a.m.

In accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed construction of a dredged material containment facility (DMCF) by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). This DEIS was prepared as part of the submission of MPA's application for a Department of the Army permit to construct the facility in the Patapsco River, Baltimore City, MD. This application will be evaluated pursuant to Section 10 or the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The preferred alternative is for the construction of a stone, sand, and cofferdam structure that would impact approximately 131 acres of waters of the United States, including jurisdictional wetlands. The structure would be initially constructed to 10 feet above the mean lowe low water (MLLW) elevation, with a future temporary elevation to 42 feet above MLLW, and an ultimate elevation of 36 feet above MLLW. The project would also include mechanical dredging of approximately 1.7 million cubic yards of overburden material within the footprint of the proposed disposal site, and the placement of this material at the Hart Miller Island disposal site, Baltimore County, MD. On-site and off-site borrow material would be used for the construction of the containment facility. This proposal was advertised in the Federal Register on May 19, 2006 (71 FR 29128). The need to prepare a Supplement is due to the applicant's proposal to change the source of borrow material for the proposed construction of the preferred alternative. The applicant wishes to use suitable material dredged from the channel at the Seagirt Marine Terminal for the construction of a portion of the containment structure. Approximately 0.5 to 0.8 million cubic yards of sand and gravel obtained from dredging to a maximum of 54 feet below mean low water at Seagirt Marine Terminal would be used at the proposed Masonville DMCF. Detailed description of the proposed modifications and effects to the human environment are discussed in the supplement to the DEIS for the Masonville DMCF.

In accordance with 37 CFR Part 404.6, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of U.S. Patent No. US 7,056,675 B2 entitled ``Method of Forming an Electrically Conductive Connection Utilizing a Polynucleotide/Conductive Polymer Complex'' issued June 6, 2006. This patent has been assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army.

The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), intends to prepare a Draft Supplement to the Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) to address the potential impacts associated with construction of authorized improvements to the Federal Pascagoula Harbor Navigation Project in Jackson County, MS. The DSEIS will be used as a basis for ensuring compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and evaluating the following two alternative plans: ``No Action'' and widening and deepening to the authorized project dimensions. Construction of some of the authorized improvements was completed in 1999. Remaining authorized elements which will be evaluated include widening the Gulf Entrance channel from 450 feet to 550 feet wide and deepening the Upper Pascagoula channel from 38 feet to 42 feet deep.

The comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Floyd County, KY (Levisa Fork Basin), Section 202 Project published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 5, 2006 (71 FR 26478), required comments be submitted 45 days (June 19, 2006) following publication in the Federal Register. The comment period has been extended to 60 days (July 5, 2006).

The purpose of the Supplement to the Final Environmental Statement (SFES) is to address alternatives and modifications to the authorized plan for chloride control at Area VI on the Elm Fork of the North Fork of the Red River, OK.

The duties of the Task Force are to prepare and approve a plan for the use of the funds made available under Title VII to promote conservation practices in the Missouri River watershed, control and remove the sediment from the Missouri River, protect recreation on the Missouri River from sedimentation and protect Indian and non-Indian historical and cultural sites along the Missouri River from erosion.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of the Army announces the extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Little Rock District, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed implementation of the White River Minimum Flow, Arkansas. This DEIS is being made available for a 45-day public comment period.