Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers September 14, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The study is being conducted under the authority contained in the River and Harbor Act of 1946 (Pub. L. 79-525), as amended, which authorized the development of the Arkansas River and its tributaries for the purposes of navigation, flood control, hydropower, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife. Public Law 91-649 stated that the project would be known as the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation system. Additional authorization is included by the Flood Control Act of 1970, (Pub. L. 91-611), as amended, under Section 216 and under guidance provided in ER 1105-2-100. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the USACE, Little Rock District, will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Three Rivers Study. The EIS will evaluate potential impacts (beneficial and adverse) to the natural, physical, and human environment as a result of implementing any of the proposed project alternatives developed during the process.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is proposing to amend its regulations by revising an existing restricted area regulation and establishing a new restricted area along portions of the Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) facility shoreline that will be activated on a temporary basis. The duration of temporary restricted area activations will be limited to those periods where it is warranted or required by specific and credible security threats and will be inactive at all other times. The restricted area will be partitioned using 23 pairs of coordinates to facilitate quick geographic recognition. Tyndall AFB is surrounded on three sides by water with approximately 129 miles of unprotected coastline. This includes several areas where the lack of security or lack of restriction on access to these areas leaves Tyndall AFB personnel and resources vulnerable to unauthorized activities. This amendment is necessary to implement an enhanced threat security plan for Tyndall AFB which will allow temporary activation of one or more portions of the restricted area as necessary to provide the appropriate level of security required to address the specific and credible threat triggering the need for activation. This proposal is an amended version of the proposal published in the Federal Register on May 9, 2013 (78 FR 27126).