[Federal Register: December 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 246)]
[Notices]
[Page 78339-78340]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22de08-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River Project
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project. This restoration project involves a small
diversion (less than 5,000 cubic feet per second [cfs]) from the
Mississippi River into the Blind River through a new control structure.
This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the Louisiana
Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration Study, November
2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS was signed on
November 18, 2005.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for scoping meeting dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the draft SEIS
should be addressed to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr., CEMVN-PM-RS, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-2540; fax:
(504) 862-1583; or by e-mail: william.p.klein.jr@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This SEIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS
for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration
Study, November 2004. The record of decision for the programmatic EIS
was signed on November 18, 2005. The Water Resources Development Act of
2007 (WRDA 2007) authorized the LCA program. The authority includes
requirements for comprehensive planning, program governance,
implementation, and other program components. The LCA restoration
program will facilitate the implementation of critical restoration
features and essential science and technology demonstration projects,
increase the beneficial use of dredged material and determine the need
for modification of selected existing projects to support coastal
restoration objectives. The LCA near-term plan includes fifteen
elements authorized for implementation contingent upon meeting certain
reporting requirements. Specifically, Section 7006(e)(3) instructs the
Secretary of the Army to submit feasibility reports to Congress on six
elements of the LCA near-term restoration plan by December 31, 2008.
The six elements are: (1) Multipurpose Operation of Houma Navigation
Lock, (2) Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, (3) Small
Diversion at Convent/Blind River, (4) Amite River Diversion Canal
Modification, (5) Medium Diversion at Whites Ditch, and (6) Convey
Atchafalaya River Water to
[[Page 78340]]
Northern Terrebonne Marshes. The Congressional language further
authorizes construction of these six elements contingent upon
completion of a favorable report of the Chief of Engineers, no later
than December 31, 2010, and subsequent submission to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
2. Proposed Action. The Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River
restoration project proposes the construction of a small diversion
(less than 5,000 cfs) from the Mississippi River into Blind River
through a new control structure. The objective of this restoration
project is to introduce sediments and nutrients into the southeast
portion of Maurepas Swamp. This project is intended to operate in
conjunction with the Hope Canal diversion to facilitate organic
deposition in the swamp, improve biological productivity and prevent
further swamp deterioration.
3. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
SEIS 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
SEIS 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 SEIS. 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 SEIS and
supporting information readily available in conveniently located
places, such as libraries and on the World Wide Web.
4. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be
addressed in the SEIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected
public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient SEIS
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will
be examined in detail in the SEIS; and (d) save time in the overall
process by helping to ensure that the draft SEIS adequately addresses
relevant issues. A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations,
dates and times for scoping meetings will be mailed to all interested
parties in January 2009.
5. Coordination. 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 U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with Executive
Order 12898, ``Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.'' 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.
5. Availability of Draft SEIS. The earliest that the draft SEIS
will be available for public review would be in spring of 2010. The
draft SEIS or a notice of availability will be distributed to affected
Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested
parties.
Dated: December 11, 2008.
Mark D. Jernigan,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Deputy District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-30356 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]
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