[Federal Register: November 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 64280-64281]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04no04-32]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Joint Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Port of Los
Angeles Channel Deepening Project Additional Disposal Capacity; Los
Angeles County, CA
AGENCY: Department of the Army; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
[[Page 64281]]
ACTION: Notice of intent/notice of preparation.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is currently
constructing the Channel Deepening Project. Disposal sites developed
for the Channel Deepening Project have proven to be inadequate to
provide disposal capacity for all sediments that require removal as
part of the Channel Deepening Project. In addition, as identified in
the project Feasibility Study, various berths located throughout the
Port of Los Angeles (POLA) require dredging in order to accommodate
deeper draft vessels that the Channel Deepening Project will allow to
navigate the Main Channel.
DATES: A formal scoping meeting to solicit public comment and concerns
on the proposed action and alternatives will be held on November 30,
2004, at 6 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting location is in the Bannings Landing Community
Center; 100 East Water Street; Wilmington, CA 90748. Telephone: (310)
522-2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Mr.
Larry Smith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, CESPL-
PD-RN, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325; phone (213) 452-
3846; or E-mail: lawrence.j.smith@spl.usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authorization: The study was authorized by the Water Resources
Development Act of 2000.
2. Background: The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/
Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) supplements the
Port of Los Angeles Channel Deepening Project SEIS/SEIR (SEPT 2000)
that supplemented the Deep Draft Navigation Improvements, Los Angeles
and Long Beach Harbors, San Pedro Bay, California Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEPT 1992) and the Channel
Deepening Project Port of Los Angeles Environmental Impact Report (JAN
1998).
3. Proposed Action: The Corps is currently constructing the Channel
Deepening Project. Disposal sites developed for the Channel Deepening
Project have proven to be inadequate to provide disposal capacity for
all sediments that require removal as part of the Channel Deepening
Project. In addition, as identified in the project Feasibility Study,
various berths located throughout the POLA require dredging in order to
accommodate deeper draft vessels that the Channel Deepening Project
will allow to navigate the Main Channel. The following plan has been
identified to provide additional disposal capacity and to mitigate
impacts: (1) Expand the Pier 300 expansion site by up to 40 acres; (2)
mitigate for loss of eelgrass by building an eelgrass restoration site
of approximately 20 acres in the Seaplane Lagoon or Seaplane Anchorage;
(3) expand the Cabrillo Shallow Water Habitat by approximately 35 acres
to mitigate for loss of shallow water habitat; (4) cap the Consolidated
Slip; and (5) construct a 15-acre land area within the existing
Cabrillo shallow water habitat at the San Pedro Breakwater for future
use as a migratory bird nesting area.
4. Alternatives: Alternative disposal sites being considered are:
(1) No action; (2) offshore disposal at LA-2 of suitable fine-grained
materials that have no beneficial use; (3) disposal in the Pier 400
submerged material storage site reducing water depth from--15' MLLW to-
12' MLLW; (4) disposal in the Pier 400 submerged material storage site
creating up to 40 acres of new land; (5) fill two existing slips at
Berths 243-245; (6) disposal in the West Channel from an existing depth
of--30 to-35' MLLW to-15' MLLW or (7) fill the northwest slip located
in the West Basin between Berths 129-136. A combination of sites may be
selected based on dredge material volume, and potential impacts from
the use of each disposal site. The proposed plan, viable project
alternatives, and the ``no action'' plan will be carried forward for
detailed analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, as amended) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 (Public Resources Code,
Sections 21000-21177).
5. Scoping Process: a. Potential impacts associated with the
proposed action will be fully evaluated. Resource categories that will
be analyzed are: Biology, air quality, water quality, cultural
resources, land use, geology, recreational, aesthetics, ground and
vessel transportation, noise, public health and safety, and utilities.
b. The Corps and the POLA are preparing a joint SEIS/SEIR to
address potential impacts associated with the proposed project. The
Corps is the Lead Federal Agency for compliance with NEPA for the
project, and the POLA is the Lead State Agency for compliance with the
CEQA for the non-Federal aspects of the project. The Draft SEIS/SEIR
(DSEIS/SEIR) document will incorporate public concerns in the analysis
of impacts associated with the Proposed Action and associated project
alternatives. The DSEIS/SEIR will be sent out for a 45-day public
review period, during which time both written and verbal comments will
be solicited on the adequacy of the document. The Final SEIS/SEIR
(FSEIS/SEIR) will address the comments received on the DSEIS/SEIR
during public review, and will be furnished to all who commented on the
DSEIS/SEIR, and is made available to anyone that requests a copy during
the 30-day public comment period. The final step involves, for the
federal SEIS, preparing a Record of Decision (ROD) and, for the state
SEIR, certifying the SEIR and adopting a Mitigation Monitoring and
Reporting Plan. The ROD is a concise summary of the decisions made by
the Corps from among the alternatives presented in the FSEIS/SEIR. The
ROD can be published immediately after the FSEIS public comment period
ends. A certified SEIR indicates that the environmental document
adequately assesses the environmental impacts of the proposed project
with respect to CEQA.
c. The public, as well as Federal, State, and local agencies are
encouraged to participate in the scoping process by attending the
scoping meeting and/or submitting data, information, and comments
identifying relevant environmental and socioeconomic issues to be
addressed in the environmental analysis. Useful information includes
other environmental studies, published and unpublished data, historical
photos of the area, alternatives that should be addressed in the
analysis, and potential environmental enhancement and restoration
opportunities that exist along the Main Channel and San Pedro Bay.
Individuals and agencies may offer information or data relevant to the
proposed study and provide comments by attending the public scoping
meeting, or by mailing the information to Mr. Larry Smith before
December 13, 2004. Requests to be placed on the mailing list for
announcements and the DSEIS/SEIR should also be sent to Mr. Larry
Smith.
Dated: October 28, 2004.
John V. Guenther,
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, Acting District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 04-24639 Filed 11-3-04; 8:45 am]