[Federal Register: December 5, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 235)]
[Notices]
[Page 74150-74152]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05de08-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
West Shore-Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Hurricane and Storm Damage
Risk Reduction Feasibility Study
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: This notice of intent (NOI) supersedes the NOI published in
the Federal Register June 23, 1998 (63 FR 34151). The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the West Shore-Lake
Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction
Feasibility Study. This study will determine the feasibility and assess
the environmental impacts of providing hurricane and storm damage risk
reduction measures in the study area. The study area is bounded by the
Bonnet Carre Spillway to the east, the Mississippi River to the south,
Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas to the north, and St. James Parish/
Ascension Parish line to the west.
[[Page 74151]]
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for scoping meeting dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the feasibility
study should be directed to Mr. Durund Elzey, Sr., CEMVN-PM-W, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA, 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-1674; fax:
(504) 862-2089; or by e-mail at: durund.elzey@usace.army.mil. Questions
regarding the EIS should be directed to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr.,
CEMVN-PD-RS, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA, 70160-0267; telephone:
(504) 862-2540; fax: (504) 862-1583; or by e-mail at:
william.p.klein.jr@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This study is authorized by a resolution adopted on
July 29, 1971, by the Committee on Public Works of the U.S. House of
Representatives; and by a resolution adopted on September 20, 1974, by
the Committee on Public Works of the U.S. Senate.
2. Background. On June 23, 1998, a NOI was published in the Federal
Register (63 FR 34151) for preparing an EIS for the West Shore-Lake
Pontchartrain, LA, Hurricane Protection Feasibility Study.
Concurrently, the USACE and the project sponsor, the Pontchartrain
Levee District (PLD), began evaluating various potential measures to
reduce the risk of hurricane-induced flooding in the study area. In
2001, USACE advanced the study to a point where a federally-preferred
alternative was tentatively identified. Discussions between USACE, PLD,
and St. John the Baptist Parish from 2001 to 2003 evaluated the
technical and environmental merits of this and other alternatives.
Although USACE, PLD, and St. John the Baptist Parish agreed on the
importance of providing protection for the area, a consensus could not
be reached on how this objective should be achieved at that time. In
2006 and 2007 USACE and PLD renewed their discussion of providing
hurricane and storm damage reduction measures in light of the critical
lessons learned following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These
discussions led to an agreement between USACE and PLD to re-initiate
and complete the feasibility study and prepare a Feasibility Report and
EIS for the project.
3. Proposed Action. The USACE proposes to investigate the
feasibility of providing hurricane and storm damage risk reduction to
residents living in the area west of the Bonnet Carre Spillway between
the Mississippi River and Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas. The study
area is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River and includes
portions of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James Parishes.
Feasibility study evaluations performed since 1998 have identified four
preliminary levee alignments. In general, each preliminary levee
alignment system would extend protection from the west guide levee of
the Bonnet Carre Spillway to the vicinity of the Hope Canal. One
preliminary alignment would extend the levee into Ascension Parish to
tie into an existing non-federal levee. The EIS will document the
process of identifying and assessing the environmental impacts of the
proposed action and reasonable alternatives, including the
identification of measures that would avoid or minimize adverse effects
on the quality of the natural and human environment. Specifically, the
EIS will analyze the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
of providing hurricane and storm damage risk reduction for portions of
St. John the Baptist, St. James, and St. Charles Parishes. The Draft
EIS will consider reasonable alternatives for providing hurricane and
storm damage risk reduction, including alternatives developed under
previous efforts, as well other recommendations from the public and
interested parties.
4. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
EIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences of
the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal,
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the
EIS process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally,
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable EIS. Public
involvement will include but is not limited to: information
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities;
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the EIS and
supporting information readily available in conveniently located
places, such as libraries and on the internet.
5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be
addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected public
and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will be examined
in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by
helping to ensure that the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant
issues. A public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday January 21,
2009, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. in LaPlace, LA. Announcements through
local media as well as a scoping meeting public notice announcing the
locations, dates and times of the scoping meeting will be mailed to all
interested parties in December 2008. Interested parties are encouraged
to express their views throughout the entire study process. Scoping
comments will be welcomed at the public scoping meeting. In addition,
written comments will also be accepted during the scoping comment
period which will extend 30 days from the date of the scoping meeting
public notice.
6. Interagency Coordination and Cooperation. The USACE and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have formally committed to work
together to conserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife resources
while ensuring environmental sustainability of our Nation's water
resources under the January 22, 2003, Partnership Agreement for Water
Resources and Fish and Wildlife. The USFWS will provide a Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act Report. Coordination will be maintained with
the USFWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding
threatened and endangered species under their respective jurisdictional
responsibilities. Coordination will be maintained with the NMFS
regarding Essential Fish Habitat. Coordination will be maintained with
the Natural Resources Conservation Service regarding prime and unique
farmlands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be consulted
regarding the ``Swampbuster'' provisions of the Food Security Act.
Coordination will be maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic
Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Officer. The Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources will be consulted regarding consistency
with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries will be consulted concerning potential impacts
to Natural and Scenic Streams. Coordination will be maintained with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with
Executive Order 12898, ``Federal Action
[[Page 74152]]
to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations.''
7. Availability of EIS. It is anticipated that the draft EIS will
be available for public review during the spring of 2010. The draft EIS
or a notice of availability will be provided during the 45-day review
period to affected Federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes,
and other interested parties.
Dated: November 26, 2008.
Mark D. Jernigan,
Major (P), U.S. Army, Deputy District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-28823 Filed 12-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P