[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 131 (Friday, July 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 39523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16773]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-8991-4]
Notice of Intent: Designation of an Ocean Dredged Material
Disposal Site (ODMDS) Off the Mouth of the St. Johns River, FL
AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the designation of an ODMDS off the mouth of the St. Johns
River, Florida.
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Purpose: EPA has the authority to designate ODMDSs under Section
102 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33
U.S.C. 1401 et seq.). It is EPA's policy to prepare a voluntary
National Environmental Policy document for all ODMDS designations (63
FR 58045, October 1998).
For Further Information, to Submit Comments, and to be Placed On
the Project Mailing List Contact: Mr. Christopher McArthur, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta,
Georgia 30303, phone 404-562-9391, e-mail:
[email protected].
SUMMARY: EPA in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville District (USACE) intends to prepare an EIS to designate a
new ODMDS offshore the mouth of the St. Johns River. The EIS will
provide the information necessary to evaluate the potential
environmental impacts associated with ODMDS alternatives and identify a
preferred alternative that meets EPA's site selection criteria at 40
CFR 228.5 and 228.6.
Need for Action: The USACE has requested that EPA designate an
additional ODMDS, 4 square nautical miles in size, offshore the mouth
of the St. Johns River for the disposal of dredged material from the
Jacksonville Harbor Federal Navigation Project and from Naval Station
Mayport. The need for an additional ODMDS is based on observed mounding
at the existing Jacksonville ODMDS, capacity computer modeling results,
and estimates of future proposed projects.
Alternatives: The following proposed alternatives have been
tentatively defined.
1. No action. The no action alternative is defined as not
designating an additional ocean disposal site. The existing
Jacksonville ODMDS would reach capacity in 8 to 10 years.
2. Expansion of the existing Jacksonville ODMDS. Expand the
existing Jacksonville ODMDS to the south and east.
3. South Alternative ODMDS. Designate an ODMDS 5.8 to 8.6 nautical
miles southeast of St. Johns River entrance.
4. North Alternative ODMDS. Designate an ODMDS 4.1 to 7.1 nautical
miles northeast of St. Johns River entrance.
Scoping: EPA is requesting written comments from federal, state,
and local governments, industry, non-governmental organizations, and
the general public on the range of alternatives considered, specific
environmental issues to be evaluated in the EIS, and the potential
impacts of the alternatives for an ODMDS designated offshore the mouth
of the St. Johns River. Scoping comments will be accepted for 60 days,
beginning with the date of this Notice. A public scoping meeting will
be held in the Jacksonville, Florida area in August of 2010.
Estimated Date of Draft EIS Release: September 2011.
Responsible Official: A. Stanley Meiburg, Acting Regional
Administrator, Region 4.
Dated: July 1, 2010.
Susan E. Bromm,
Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 2010-16773 Filed 7-8-10; 8:45 am]
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