Army Department – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and Public Law 102-484 Section 2834, as amended by Public Law 104-106 Section 2867, the Department of the Army hereby gives notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the subject Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP). The Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be the lead agency in preparing the EIS. The EIS will consider Federal actions associated with the development of a DMMP for the Federal navigation channel in the city of Portland, Multnomah County, OR. The DMMP is a study conducted to develop a long-term (20-year) strategy for providing viable dredged material placement alternatives that would meet the needs of maintaining the Federal channel at Portland Harbor. The overall goal of the DMMP is to develop a long-term plan for continued maintenance of the federal navigation channel that supports commercial navigation within Portland Harbor and to conduct dredged material placement in the most economically and environmentally sound manner and to maximize the use of dredged material as a beneficial source.

In Accordance with 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), announcements is made of the forthcoming meeting. Name of Committee: Inland Waterways Users Board (Board). Date: November 17, 2006. Location: Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, 107 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (412-562-1200). Time: Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 1 p.m. Agenda: The Board will hear briefings on the status of both the funding for inland navigation projects and studies, and the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and be provided updates of various inland waterways projects.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of a Draft Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) identifying the potential environmental effects of changing land and airspace use at Fort Bliss to support evolving changes in missions and units and support Army Transformation, Integrated Global Presence and Basing Strategy, Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC), the Army Campaign Plan and other Army initiatives. The SEIS will supplement the Fort Bliss, Texas and New Mexico, Mission Master Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), for which a Record of Decision was signed in 2001.

The U.S. Army announces the availability of a DEIS that evaluates implementing transformational activities at Fort Carson, a military installation located south of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Actions associated with these transformational activities include restationing of troops; construction, demolition, and renovation of facilities at the Cantonment and range areas; and increased use of training lands.

SDDC intends to modify SDDC Policy TR-12. SDDC intends to implement the modified policy 90 (ninety) days from publication in the Federal Register. Modifications include the following: 1. SDDC will no longer pay a Fuel Related Adjustment (FRA) or fuel surcharge on movements based on what is known as a ``Spot Bid'' tender. 2. SDDC will no longer pay an FRA for any type of rail shipment. 3. SDDC will pay an FRA based on an updated baseline of $2.50 rather than a baseline of $1.30.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received an amendment to the 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 North Topsail Beach to nourish approximately 7.25 miles of shoreline. The modification will include an additional 3.85 miles of beachfront to protect residential homes and town infrastructures located along the south section of the Town limits. The proposed sources of material for the addition will be dredged from the same offshore borrow area as described in the original 7.25 mile plan. The placement of beach fill along the Town's southern shoreline would result in the initial widening of the beach 75 to 1590 feet seaward, depending on the final design volume and foreshore slopes that the fill assumes during construction. The 3.85 miles of shoreline are located at the southern end of North Topsail Beach. Unlike the original 7.25 miles of proposed nourishment, the additional section is outside the Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS) designation; therefore, it is not subject to the expenditure of Federal funding restrictions associated with the Coastal Barrier Resource Act of 1982 and the coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990. This south section, or stretch, of shoreline is currently being considered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a federal shoreline protection project. Due to delays to complete the federal plan formulation process, the North Topsail Beach Board of Alderman voted to include the 3.85 mile section in the non-federal 7.25 mile section that is currently under review pursuant to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) procedures. The decision to include the south section in the present EIS process is intended to act as interim or emergency beach fill by preserving existing development and infrastructure along the 3.85 miles of shoreline while the federal plan formulation continues. The original Notice of Intent was published on May 19, 2005 (70 FR 28924) with a commenting deadline of June 21, 2005.

The U.S. Army corps of Engineers (Corps) Jacksonville District intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to evaluate potential impacts of further rock mining within wetlands in western Miami-date county, FL. The original EIS, The Rock Mining- Freshwater Lakebelt Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, issued in May 2000 focused on the potential impacts of a 50-year mining plan within the Lake Belt area. After evaluating the EIS, the Corps issued a Record of Decision and permits that allowed mining within a smaller, 10-year plan in April 2002. The Corps decision was challenged in United States District Court and the Court's Order on Motions for Summary Judgement was issued on March 22, 2006 as part of Case No. 03- 23427-CIV-HOEVELER, United States District Court Southern District of Florida. The decision instructed the Corps to engage in additional analyses of rock mining in the Lake Belt region. Accordingly, the Corps is preparing this SEIS.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of a DEIS which evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with realignment actions directed by the BRAC Commission and Army Modular Force (AMF) transformation activities at Fort Sam Houston (FSH), Texas and Camp Bullis, Texas.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is seeking public comment on the environmental scope of an upcoming study, named the ``Upper Ohio Navigation Study, Pennsylvania.'' This study will consider and evaluate the feasibility of alternatives for maintaining commercial navigation on the Pennsylvania portion of the Ohio River, and also consider and evaluate the feasibility of ecosystem restoration opportunities. The focus of the upper Ohio River navigation feasibility study is to develop the best plan for maintaining safe, environmentally sustainable, and reliable navigation on the upper 40 miles of the Ohio River in Pennsylvania. Navigation is currently provided through three old lock and dam facilitiesEmsworth, Dashields and Montgomery locks and damsdating from the 1920s. The study will consider a 60-year period from 2010 to 2070. Navigation alternatives will consider facility operation and maintenance, rehabilitation, and new construction needs and opportunities. In order to facilitate early public involvement in the planning process, the Corps will be conducting two environmental scoping meetings open to the public in the study area. The public is invited to attend these meetings to hear an overview of the study, and assist in the identification of significant issues to be considered during the study process. (See DATES).

In accordance with 37 CFR Part 404.6, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of U.S. Patent No. US 7,109,136 B2 entitled ``Conductive (Electrical, Ionic, and Photoelectric) Polymer Membrane Articles, and Method for Producing Same'' Issued September 19, 2006. This patent has been assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting comments for the reissuance of the existing nationwide permits (NWPs), general conditions, and definitions, with some modifications. The Corps is also proposing to issue six new NWPs and one new general condition. The reissuance process starts with today's publication of the proposed NWPs in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period. The purpose of this Federal Register notice is to solicit comments on the proposed new and modified NWPs, as well as the NWP general conditions and definitions. Shortly after the publication of this Federal Register notice, each Corps district will publish a public notice to solicit comments on their proposed regional conditions for the new and modified NWPs. The comment period for these district public notices will be 45 days.

In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Huntington District has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). This FEIS evaluates potential impacts to the natural, physical and human environment as a result of the proposed mining activities associated with the Mingo Logan's proposed Spruce No. 1 Mine. The USACE regulates this proposed project pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The proposed activity would involve the discharge of dredged and fill material into waters of the United States associated with the proposed construction and operation of a bituminous coal mine. The document was prepared following a public review and a 60-day comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), during which time a public hearing meeting was held on May 1, 2006. The meeting was held at the Earl Ray Tomlin Convention Center in Chapmanville, Logan County, WV.

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: Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee. Date: October 26, 2006. Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Place: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Collins Hall, Building 35, 103 Third Avenue, Fort McNair, DC 20319-5058. Proposed Agenda: Review and discussion of the status of historical activities in the United States Army.

The DoD Task Force on Mental Health meeting on September 20, 2006 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and September 21, 2006 from 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. published in the Federal Register on August 18, 2006 (71 FR 47782) has changed venues. The previous location was Howze Auditorium, Bldg 33009, 7500 761st Tank Battalion Ave., Fort Hood, TX 76544-5008. The new location is The Plaza Hotel, 1721 East Central Texas Expressway, Killeen, TX 7641-9144.

The Department of the Army is proposing to alter 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.

The Corps of Engineers, Nashville District intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a regional water supply project in Cumberland County, TN. This DEIS is necessary to provide National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) coverage for a proposed regional water supply system capable of providing the county a reliable water supply for 50 years. The county is currently served by six water systems and development of individual water sources has been problematic from an environmental perspective. The county's current water supply capacity is approximately ten million gallons per day. A regional approach has been recommended to allow more efficient planning to develop future water supplies in an environmentally acceptable manner.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (Regulatory Branch), in coordination with the Port of Los Angeles, has completed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Berth 97-109 Container Terminal Project. The Port of Los Angeles requires authorization pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for wharf and terminal development (142 acres) in three phases, dredging up to 41,000 cubic yards of sediment, construction of two new concrete pile-supported wharves (for a total of 2,500 feet), new terminal buildings and two new terminal bridges.

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of Public Law 92-463, The Federal Advisory Committee Act, announcement is made of the following meeting:

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of Public Law 92-463, The Federal Advisory Committee Act, announcement is made of the following meeting:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Seattle District is the permitting agency and lead Federal agency for this action. The U.S Coast Guard (USCG) is cooperating agency. The Corps is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will support the Corps' permit evaluation process under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for the BP Cherry Point marine pier extension.

The Department of the Army proposes to amend its regulation to reflect a substantial revision of AR 27-20, an Army publication which governs the processing of claims worldwide. The purpose of this revision is to make AR 27-20 clearer and easier to use, after years of piecemeal amendments. This rewrite also ensures that AR 27-20 is in keeping with current statutes, legal opinions and Department of Justice guidance pertaining to claims processing. This updated rule will expedite payment of meritorious claims throughout the world. AR 27-20 includes rules for processing affirmative claims, i.e., recovery actions on behalf of the United States.

The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to address the potential impacts associated with actions to comprehensively address hurricane and storm damage reduction, prevention of saltwater intrusion, preservation of fish and wildlife, prevention of erosion, and other related water resource purposes in coastal Mississippi. These actions are related to the consequences of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005. The Corps will forward recommendations to Congress authorized by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-148) dated December 30, 2005. The EIS will be used as a basis for ensuring compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).