Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers August 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Herbert Hoover Dike is the levee and water control system that provides flood protection to communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee. The purpose of this project is to evaluate rehabilitation solutions for Reaches 2 and 3 of the dike so that the authorized level of flood protection can be provided to reduce the risk of a catastrophic failure or breach of the embankment. Reaches 2 and 3 of the HHD extend for approximately 27 miles between an area west of Belle Glade, Palm Beach County to east of Moore Haven, Glades County, FL. On July 8 2005, the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the Major Rehabilitation actions proposed for Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD), Reach 1. On September 23, 2005, a Record of Decision was signed adopting the preferred alternative as the Selected Plan for Reach 1.

The U.S. Navy (USN) requested that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) disestablish the restricted area at the former Naval Station Pascagoula in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The restricted area was established on November 9, 1992. The purpose of the restricted area was to reduce safety hazards and security risks and protect persons and property from dangers encountered in the area. As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, the Naval Station was closed on June 1, 2007, and the property transferred to the State of Mississippi. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of Federal Register, we are publishing the restricted area disestablishment as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view this as a non-controversial adjustment to our restricted area regulations and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for this approval in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this rule and it will go into effect. If we receive adverse comment, we will withdraw the direct final rule

In the July 15, 2009, issue of the Federal Register (74 FR 34311) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a proposal to take two actions concerning Nationwide Permit 21, which authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States for surface coal mining activities. The two proposed actions are to suspend NWP 21 to prohibit its use to authorize surface coal mining activities in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and then to modify NWP 21 to make that prohibition permanent until NWP 21 expires on March 18, 2012. The July 15, 2009, notice stated that public comments and any requests for a public hearing must be received by August 14, 2009. We have received several requests to extend the comment period. We are extending the comment period to September 14, 2009.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, in cooperation with the New Orleans District and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (the non-Federal sponsor), are undertaking studies to develop and evaluate possible alternatives to improve the storm damage reduction capability of the Federal levee system, Plaquemines Parish, LA.