Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers December 22, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The responsible lead agency is the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersNew York District (District). The Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) project area is in the Port of New York/New Jersey and includes the New York Bight Apex, the Lower Bay Complex (Lower Bay, Raritian and Sandy Hook Bays), the Upper Bay Complex (Hudson and East Rivers, Kill Van Kull, and Newark Bay), and the lands contiguous to these water bodies for a radius of approximately 20 miles. The study area approximates the boundaries of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ). The Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that was listed in the October 31, 2008 Federal Register (73 FR 64944) completed the NEPA process, laying out the goals and generic impacts of the alternatives considered in preparing the overall DMMP. This finalized PEIS includes Appendix (D) which lists the comments received during the draft PEIS comment period. Comments, if warranted, were incorporated into the main text of the final PEIS as well. It should be noted that the DMMP outlines a series of goals and an overall master plan on meeting the dredged material needs of the Port through 2062. Its alternatives analysis is, as of necessity, generic in nature, identifying potential concerns, generic impacts and overall issues to be considered in greater site-specific detail before implementing any alternative in a given location. As such, it does not recommend or prioritize any site-specific alternative, but clearly sets out the process to be followed should any of the alternatives be implemented. Since no sustentative changes or addition of new alternatives to the DMMP have been identified that would alter the discussion or conclusion of generic impacts in the FPEIS, a supplemental PEIS was not deemed warranted. However, separate 2005 and 2008 DMMP Update reports are available tracking the progress in meeting the DMMP goals and a copy of the latest update is included with the Final PEIS as Appendix A. As individual site-specific projects are initiated to implement various DMMP goals individual NEPA and/or permit documents will continue to be prepared by the implementing agencies.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)Louisiana, Medium Diversion at White's Ditch restoration project. This restoration project will provide additional freshwater, nutrients, and fine sediment to the area between the Mississippi River and River aux Chenes ridges. This area is currently isolated from the beneficial effects of the Caernarvon freshwater diversion. The introduction of additional freshwater would facilitate organic sediment deposition, improve biological productivity, and prevent further deterioration of the marshes. This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study, November 2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS was signed on November 18, 2005.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)Louisiana, Amite River Diversion Canal Modification restoration project. This restoration project will introduce additional nutrients and sediment into the western Maurepas Swamp to facilitate organic deposition in the swamp, improve biological productivity and prevent further swamp deterioration. This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study, November 2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS was signed on November 18, 2005.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District, in partnership with the City of Dallas recommends the incorporation of various flood risk management measures, ecosystem restoration features, and recreational enhancements to the Dallas Floodway, located along the Trinity River in Dallas County, Dallas, TX. The Balanced Vision Plan (BVP) project aims to achieve the designed Standard Project Flood protection, maximize ecosystem restoration outputs for priority resource categories, and optimize recreational opportunities, to include providing trail connectivity to other regional visions/plans. The USACE is preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in response to the authority contained in the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Resolution dated April 22, 1988, and Section 5141 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007. The USACE must determine the technical soundness and environmental acceptability of the authorized project. Thus, in accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as implemented by the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508 and USACE Engineering Regulation 200-2-2), the USACE will prepare the DEIS to evaluate and compare flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, and recreation alternatives along the Trinity River within and adjacent to the existing Dallas Floodway, Dallas, TX. The BVP project study area is located within the Dallas Floodway along the Trinity River, in Dallas, TX. The study area is bounded on the upstream by the Loop 12 crossings of the West and Elm Forks and at the downstream end by the existing terminus of the Dallas Floodway approximated by the existing Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Bridge. Of the 22.6 miles of levees within the study area, the East Levee is 11.7 miles in length and the West Levee is 10.9 miles in length. In addition to the levees, the Floodway includes the modified channel, six pumping plants and seven pressure conduits. There are approximately 1,422 acres of land in the study area.