Army Department 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In Accordance with 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), announcement is made of the forthcoming meeting.

The Vicksburg District, Corps of Engineers, is issuing this notice to advise the public that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the proposed Potable Water Supply Project for Washington Parish, Louisiana, is terminated. The original Notice of Intent for this EIS process was published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2008 (73 FR 16653).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (Corps) in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department (LAHD) is examining the feasibility of waterside terminal and transportation improvements at Berths 302-306 in the Port of Los Angeles. The Corps is considering the LAHD's application for a Department of the Army permit under section 10 of the River and Harbor Act and potentially section 404 of the Clean Water Act to construct wharf/docking facilities, perform dredging, construct container loading apparatus (i.e., cranes), and other ancillary improvements within 100 feet land side of the waters' edge associated with the Berths 302-306 [American President Lines (APL)] Container Terminal Project (proposed project). Dredging up to 75,000 cubic yards (cy) may be required for the proposed project, and any proposed offshore disposal at the LA-2 disposal site would also trigger review under section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA).

The Corps of Engineers is publishing the list of water resources projects deauthorized under the provisions of section 1001(b)(2) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, Public Law 99-662, as amended, (33 U.S.C 579a(b)(2)), and lists of projects removed from the deauthorization list due to obligations of funds, or deauthorized earlier.

The Commander of the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting applications to fill vacant stakeholder representative member positions on the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC). Members are sought to fill vacancies on a committee to represent various categories of interests within the Missouri River basin. The MRRIC was 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 established the MRRIC as required by the U.S. Congress through the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA), section 5018.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District (USACE) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) from The Sabine Mining Company (SMC) to construct, operate, and reclaim the South Hallsville No. 1 Lignite MineRusk Permit Area. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the USACE has determined that issuance of such a permit may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment and, therefore, requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersSacramento District (Corps) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Corps authorization actions for the proposed Revised Great Salt Lake Minerals Corporation Solar Evaporation Ponds Expansion project. The basic project purpose is potassium sulfate extraction/mining. The overall project purpose is to increase production/output of organically certified potassium sulfate to help meet the increasing demand for this type of fertilize. The applicant believes there is a need to increase production of potassium sulfate in order to maintain its market share over the next 50 years.

The location for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation Board of Visitors meeting scheduled for June 18, 2009 that was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 (74 FR 26378) has changed. The meeting will now be held at the Rayburn House Office Building, HR 2212, Washington, DC.

The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) is providing notice that it intends to publish its consolidated procurement requirements of commercial transportation services publication, the MFTURP No. 1, which governs the purchase of surface freight transportation in the Continental United States (CONUS) by DOD using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) exempt transportation service contracts. The purpose for this new procurement procedure is to streamline the transportation requirements to reflect the current needs of the DOD.

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:

The draft supplement no. 2 will be prepared in conjunction with a general reevaluation report (GRR) and will supplement the ``Final Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement, West Tennessee Tributaries Project (Obion-Forked Deer River Basin),'' filed with the Environmental Protection Agency on February 25, 1983. A general reevaluation study will be conducted for the entire WTT project area to determine if there is still a federal interest in pursuing a flood risk management project and, if so, recommend a plan of improvement. The GRR and draft supplement no. 2 to the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) will focus on methods that reduce flood risks within the Obion and Forked Deer watersheds by restoring natural floodplain functions and reducing sedimentation that could cause channel blockages.

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:

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Nashville District published its intention to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement relating to proposed dam powerhouse rehabilitations and possible operational changes at the Wolf Creek, Center Hill, and Dale Hollow Dams in Kentucky and Tennessee. Instead, the Corps has decided to evaluate impacts associated with Center Hill Dam powerhouse rehabilitation with an Environmental Assessment (EA). Separate EAs will also be prepared for powerhouse rehabilitations at Wolf Creek and Dale Hollow Dams in the future. Each of these rehabilitation projects are unconnected stand-alone projects that will occur at different times and in different geographic areas.

The Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers today withdraws its Notice of Intent (67 FR 65342, October 24, 2002) to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the St. Charles International Airport Project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (Regulatory Division), in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game, has completed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Newhall Ranch Resource Management and Development Plan and Spineflower Conservation Plan. The project proponent and landowner, The Newhall Land and Farming Company, requires a long-term Section 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers for permanent impacts to approximately 82.3 acres of waters of the United States, including 8.69 acres of wetlands, for the construction of various facilities in waters of the United States associated with the development of a new community composed of a broad range of residential, mixed-use and nonresidential land uses in the 12,000-acre project area located in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California.

The Department of the Army is proposing to add a system of records to 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 102-3.150, the Department of Defense announces that the following Federal advisory committee meeting will take place:

The U. S. Army intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze environmental and socioeconomic impacts connected with the proposed purchase and use of up to 100,000 additional acres of commercial and private lands for training adjacent to Fort Polk. This action will support the training requirements of the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and the training requirements of Fort Polk's current and future resident units. The EIS will analyze alternatives that are deemed feasible and meet the purpose and need for this Proposed Action.

On Monday, January 26, 2009, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Kansas City and Omaha Districts, issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the preparation of the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (74 FR 4382). Pursuant to Subsection (a) of Section 5018 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must study actions required to mitigate habitat losses of aquatic and terrestrial habitat, recover federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act and restore ecosystem functions to prevent further declines among other native species. As part of this effort, the Kansas City and Omaha District offices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are hosting public scoping meetings. The first official phase of public scoping will occur from May 1, 2009

In response to a memorandum opinion issued on March 26, 2008, in litigation relating to Nationwide Permit (NWP) 46, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is removing a sentence in the preamble that was published in the March 12, 2007, final notice for the reissuance of the Nationwide Permits and replacing that sentence and providing additional clarification. The preamble language at issue concerns when a pre-construction notification is required in connection with NWP 46, and we are soliciting comments on the removed sentence, the replacement sentences, and the additional clarification provided in this notice. The Corps is not proposing any changes to the terms and conditions of NWP 46.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate an approximately 7- mile reach of the Aliso Creek and 1,000 feet of the Wood Canyon tributary to Aliso Creek located in Orange County in the Cities of Laguna Beach, Laguna Nigel, and Aliso Viejo, CA and unincorporated Orange County. Much of the 7-mile reach is located within the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, which is owned and managed by Orange County. The focus of the project will be on watershed improvements to restore the creek's dynamic function and habitat for endangered species by developing alternatives for ecosystem restoration for impacted reaches of the creek. The restoration project will focus on revitalization of the riparian vegetation community; establishment of an environmental corridor to benefit wildlife and sensitive species;

The Executive Director of the Army's Installation Management Command has reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EElS) for Implementation of Fort Carson Grow the Army Stationing Decisions and has made the decision to proceed with all facets of the Proposed Action, with the exception that the Army has decided not to station a Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) at Fort Carson at this time. Implementation of the Proposed Action involves the stationing of approximately 3,900 additional Soldiers at Fort Carson, the construction of new Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) facilities at the Operational Readiness Training Center site, demolition of old facilities and construction of new facilities in Fort Carson's cantonment area, and additional training at Fort Carson and the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). This alternative is summarized in the Army's ROD and described fully in Chapter 2 of the FEIS.

On May 19, 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division (Corps) in coordination with the Port of Long Beach (POLB) completed and published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project (Project) in the Port of Long Beach. The Corps and POLB considered all comments received in preparing the Final EIS/EIR, which is available for a 30-day review (April 3, 2009 through May 3, 2009). The Final EIS/EIR includes a draft general conformity determination (see Appendix A-4), pursuant to Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act. A general conformity determination is necessary because Project construction would require Federal action (i.e., issuance of a Corps permit for activities proposed in navigable waters and waters of the U.S.) and not all the Federal action's direct and indirect emissions would be below specified de minimis thresholds (40 CFR 93.153(b)). Pursuant to the general conformity regulations (40 CFR part 93, subpart B), general conformity determinations do not have to be included in the EIS and can be separately noticed, but the draft general conformity determination for the Federal action associated with the Project is being included in the Final EIS/EIR in this case.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received a request for Department of the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, from the Town of Topsail Beach to conduct a one-time interim beach fill project to protect oceanfront development and infrastructure until such time that a Federally authorized shore protection project can be implemented. The Corps has prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This FSEIS was developed as a supplement to the West Onslow Beach and New River Inlet (Topsail Beach), NC, General Reevaluation Report (GRR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (USACE, 2008) prepared by the Wilmington District Corps of Engineers (USACE or the Corps) to evaluate resources and environmental considerations involved with the proposed Federal Beach nourishment project. The purpose of this supplement is to fully evaluate the potential impacts of the private action proposed as an addition to the Federal Project and to evaluate alternatives to the proposed action. The private action is proposed to respond to current, substantial erosion occurring along the oceanfront shoreline of the Town of Topsail Beach, NC. While Federal budget priorities have made it difficult to obtain funds for civil works projects in general and beach protection projects in particular, the projected earliest construction date for the Federal project is 2012. State and agency review and comment on Final GRR and EIS were completed in summer 2008. The Recommended Plan outlined in the Final GRR and EIS includes use of all the identified borrow sites over the next 50 years pending further investigations during the development of detailed plans and specifications. Given the current status of the GRR-EIS and the need for Congressional authorization, funding, preparation of plans and specifications, and right-of-way acquisition, the Federal project may not be implemented until Fiscal Year 2012, or possibly later. Accordingly, the Town of Topsail Beach would like to construct an interim beach fill project to protect its development and infrastructure during the period between now and the time the Federal project is constructed. In order to account for any possible delays in the construction of the Federal project, a construction date of 2016 was used in the development of the alternatives and economic analysis for the interim project. This would maintain the baseline conditions described in the Final GRR and FSEIS.