[Federal Register: February 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 24)]
[Notices]
[Page 6423-6424]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07fe05-65]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for an Environmental Dredging Project on the Mahoning River
in Ohio
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
[[Page 6424]]
1969, as amended, the Pittsburgh District (District), U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, intends to develop a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
The Draft EIS will consider Federal actions associated with the
District's proposal to restore the aquatic ecosystem of the lower
Mahoning River in Ohio through (1) Dredging contaminated sediments
lining the river; (2) bioremediating sediments in the bank and river
where applicable; (3) capping contaminants in the bank; and (4)
removing low-head dams along the river; or a combination of all four
actions. The lower Mahoning River's ecosystem has been severely
impacted by contamination from industries that once lined the valley
and by several low-head dams that disrupt the river's natural
hydrology. The proposed project will improve the lower Mahoning River's
ecosystem to a level found at a model reach located just upstream of
the project area.
ADDRESSES: Submit questions or comments regarding the environmental
dredging project to Mr. Curtis N. Meeder, Chief, Planning and
Environmental Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mahoning
Environmental Dredging Project, 1000 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA
15222-4186, telephone (412) 395-7228 or e-mail:
lrp.mahdredge@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments regarding this
notice can be directed to Mr. Larry Moskovitz, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186, Telephone:
(412) 395-7205, e-mail: lrp.mahdredge@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The District is evaluating alternative
strategies to restore, through environmental dredging, 31 miles of the
lower Mahoning River that extends from Warren, Ohio to the
Pennsylvania-Ohio state line. Through this project reach, the Mahoning
River is considered a navigable waterway of the United States. The
river sediment was contaminated from the heavy industrial use of the
Mahoning River Valley through the early and mid 20th Century. Low head
dams were constructed at that time to assure water supplies needed by
industry. These dams have significantly altered the natural riverine
habitat, and sediments in the river's bottom and banks were
contaminated by decades of unregulated industrial waste disposal. The
sediment contamination has severely impacted the aquatic life in this
river and has led the Ohio Department of Health to issue two advisories
against recreation on the Mahoning River from Warren, Ohio to the
Pennsylvania state line, one limiting fish consumption due to elevated
levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs) and another
advising against coming in contact with sediments due to elevated
levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). At the end of the 20th
Century, many of the industrial facilities along the Mahoning River
closed down, and the remaining companies improved their wastewater
treatment facilities resulting in a marked improvement in river water
quality. Despite this improvement, recent studies of the lower Mahoning
River's ecosystem [including the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
(OEPA's) 1994 Water Quality Study] suggest that the ecology of the
Mahoning River will not be restored unless the contaminated sediments
are removed, remediated, or capped and some or all of the dams are
removed.
The project is being undertaken pursuant to the authority of
Section 312 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1990 (Pub.
L. 101-640), as amended by Section 205 of the WRDA of 1996 (Pub. L.
104-303) and Section 224 of the WRDA of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-53). Section
312 provides for the removal (dredging) of contaminated sediments
within navigable waters for the purpose of ecosystem restoration and
specifically identifies the Mahoning River in Ohio and Pennsylvania,
due to the severity of contamination, as one of five rivers in the
nation given top priority for removal and remediation of contaminated
sediments. The District will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement assessing the environmental impacts of the recommended and
alternative plans.
Proposed Action: The Mahoning Environmental Dredging Project is
designed to restore the ecosystem of the Mahoning River by removing
contaminated sediment and low-head dams throughout a 31-mile stretch of
the river (from Warren, Ohio to the Ohio-Pennsylvania border).
The Proposed Action involves removing contaminated sediments from
the river utilizing mechanical or hydraulic dredging techniques and
disposing of the material in an approved manner. Contaminated sediment
located in the banks may be treated through hydraulic dredging,
bioremediation, capping, or a combination of these three actions. Low-
head dams that are no longer being used for water supply will be
considered for removal.
Reasonable Alternatives: The District will evaluate a Future
Without Project (No Action) Alternative and Future With Project
Alternatives. The exact nature and extent of the alternatives will be
determined as part of the preparation of the Draft EIS. To facilitate
scoping of the environmental effects of the project, the public may
initially base comments upon a combination of possible actions that
result in the removal of contaminated sediments from the riverbed and
riverbank and the removal of unused low-head dams.
The primary issues to be analyzed in depth during the NEPA process
will be the environmental impacts of proposed actions on the Mahoning
River and cumulative impacts of this proposed Federal action in
conjunction with reasonably foreseeable future actions by others. The
analysis will include impacts to biological resources, cultural
resources, socioeconomic resources, air quality, noise, and recreation.
In addition to the public notice, a notice will be mailed to each
address on the Mahoning Environmental Dredging mailing list.
Coordination throughout the project will be maintained with the
appropriate local, state, and Federal agencies. Interested parties are
encouraged to provide written comments relevant to issues to be
addressed in the Draft EIS. The District requests that comments or
requests for information be directed to the following study contact:
Mr. Curtis N. Meeder, Chief, Planning and Environmental Branch (see
ADDRESSES above).
Curtis N. Meeder,
Chief, Planning and Environmental.
[FR Doc. 05-2265 Filed 2-4-05; 8:45 am]
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