[Federal Register: August 9, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 153)]
[Notices]
[Page 45537-45539]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09au06-68]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program, Hancock, Harrison, and
Jackson Counties, MS
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps),
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to
address the potential impacts associated with actions to
comprehensively address hurricane and storm damage reduction,
prevention of saltwater intrusion, preservation of fish and wildlife,
prevention of erosion, and other related water resource purposes in
coastal Mississippi. These actions are related to the consequences of
hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005. The Corps will forward
recommendations to Congress
[[Page 45538]]
authorized by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub.
L. 109-148) dated December 30, 2005. The EIS will be used as a basis
for ensuring compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).
ADDRESSES: Questions about the proposed action and the DEIS should be
addressed to Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, Planning and Environmental
Division, Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 2288,
Mobile, AL 36628-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, (251) 694-4141
or e-mail at susan.i.rees@sam.usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi on August 29,2005
causing catastrophic damage to lives, property, and natural resources
throughout coastal Mississippi. In response, the U.S. Congress has
directed the Secretary of the Army through the Corps to conduct an
analysis and design for comprehensive improvements or modifications to
existing improvements in the coastal area of Mississippi in the
interest of hurricane and storm damage reduction, prevention of
saltwater intrusion, preservation of fish and wildlife, prevention of
erosion, and other related water resources purposes. Further, the Corps
was directed to provide interim recommendations for near term
improvements by June 30, 2006, with final recommendations provided by
December 30, 2007. This activity has been named the Mississippi Coastal
Improvements Program (MsCIP) and the required interim recommendations
for near term improvements have been submitted through Corps
Headquarters to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for submission to
Congress. Environmental impacts associated with implementation of 15
identified near term improvements were addressed in an Environmental
Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact was signed to Mobile
District Commander, Colonel Peter F. Taylor, Jr., on June 29, 2006.
2. The EIS will address potential impacts associated with MsCIP
proposed actions as part of the development of the comprehensive plan
of improvements to provide increased levels of protection within the
coastal area of Mississippi as directed by Congress. Alternatives to be
considered in the DEIS will include a comprehensive array of measures
to promote the recovery of coastal Mississippi from the hurricanes of
2005 and to provide for a reduction of future damages to the maximum
extent practicable. The EIS will evaluate multiple natural and
engineered alternatives to provide various measures for various levels
of protection for the Mississippi mainland coast. Development of this
overall damage reduction system will involve identifying potential
``Lines of Defense'' moving from offshore to nearshore, shoreline, and
along existing elevated features inland, to effectively reduce damage
from large hurricane and storm events. This will require analysis of
the barrier islands, nearshore features such as rubble and movable wall
breakwaters, beachfront measures such as dunes, berms, and seawalls,
coastal roadways and beach front property barriers such as elevation of
roadways and property, and various other inland features such as
installation of levees, elevated highway-topped levee systems, and
surge protection gates, for potential inclusion in the overall damage
reduction system. Additionally, consideration of ``non-structural
measures'', such as development of a ``Probable Maximum Hurricane
Inundation Boundary'' or other maximum event planning boundaries will
serve to identify hurricane and storm damage reduction planning
features. Other alternatives to be considered include restoration of
storm damaged habitats such as coastal marshes, beaches, forests,
oyster reefs, and submerged aquatic vegetation in Mississippi Sound;
restoration of historical water flows to coastal watersheds including
freshwater diversion from Louisiana; and watershed based drainage
modifications for flood damage reduction. The DEIS will identify,
screen, evaluate, prioritize, and ultimately optimize an array of
alternatives.
Combinations of the alternatives will be used to develop
recommendations for cost effective measures to reduce hurricane and
storm damages, interior flooding damages, and provide environmental
benefits while fully considering the environmental consequences of the
recommended actions. It is anticipated that alternatives will be
developed during scoping and evaluated during development of the DEIS.
Combinations of the alternatives will be used to maximize benefits
while reducing impacts.
3. Scoping: a. The Corps invites full public participation to
promote open communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All
Federal, State, and local agencies, and other persons or organizations
that have an interest are urged to participate in the NEPA scoping
process. In order to develop near-term recommendations for the interim
report, the Corps met with local government officials, Federal, State,
and local agencies, and interested members of the public to discuss
first hand, impacts of the storm, ongoing recovery efforts, conditions
on the coast, and present and future needs and opportunities for
improvements. A facilitated two-step public involvement process was
used that included ten workshop opportunities (2 in each coastal county
and 2 web casts) held between April 7 and May 4, 2006, and a Web site
was maintained as a repository of information and a vehicle to allow
public input while providing public information during the project
planning period. With this public input, the Corps began development of
a conceptual comprehensive plan of action that will serve as the basis
for development of an overall balanced natural and engineered solution
for hurricane and storm damage reduction. The Corps anticipates future
public meetings to gain further public input regarding information
gathered from ongoing modeling efforts to collaboratively identify
significant issues, associated risks, present and future needs, and
opportunities in development of the comprehensive plan. A Web site will
be established and used to disseminate information, receive public
input, and facilitate participation by persons interested in
development of the comprehensive plan including those still displaced
as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
b. The DEIS will analyze potential social, economic, and
environmental impacts and benefits associated with proposed projects
and alternatives. Specifically, the following major issues will be
analyzed in the DEIS: Hydrologic and hydraulic regimes, threatened and
endangered species, essential fish habitat and other marine habitat,
air quality, cultural resources, parks and protected lands, recreation,
watersheds, wetlands, transportation systems, alternatives, secondary
and cumulative impacts, socioeconomic impacts including effects on
children, minorities, and economically disadvantaged groups per
Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice) and Executive Order 13045
(Protection of Children).
c. The Corps will serve as the lead Federal agency during
preparation of the DEIS. The following agencies will be invited to
participate as cooperating agencies: U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; U.S. Department of Interior--Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of
Transportation--Federal Highway Administration; U.S.
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Department of Commerce--National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S.
Department of Homeland Security--Federal Emergency Management Agency;
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and Department of
Environmental Quality, and Mississippi Department of Archives and
History. Participation from other agencies, interest groups, and
individual citizens is being encouraged and sought.
5. The first scoping meeting is expected to be held in mid-
September in Biloxi, MS.
6. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for
public review in April 2007.
Curtis M. Flakes,
Chief, Planning and Environmental Division.
[FR Doc. 06-6794 Filed 8-8-06; 8:45 am]
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