[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 199 (Friday, October 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63447-63448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25987]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Louisiana Coastal Area--Plaquemines Parish, LA, Medium Diversion With
Dedicated Dredging at Myrtle Grove Feasibility Study
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
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Louisiana Coastal
Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove with Dedicated
Dredging project. The proposed restoration feature consists of a
diversion, coupled with dedicated dredging, that would allow the
reintroduction of freshwater, sediment and nutrients into the
critically effected area of the Barataria Basin, which is located in
the Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines,
St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes, Louisiana.
This particular combination of restoration features would allow for
rapid creation of wetland acreage and enable long-term stability. This
EIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the LCA 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 EIS
[[Page 63448]]
should be addressed to Patricia S. Leroux, CEMVN-PDR-RS, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-1544; fax:
(504) 862-2088; or by e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authority. This EIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS
for the LCA 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 facilitates the implementation
of critical restoration features and essential science and technology
demonstration projects, increasing the beneficial use of dredged
material and determining the need for modifications 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(c)(1) authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out
the five specifically named near-term projects substantially in
accordance with the restoration plan set out in the Chief's Report
dated January 31, 2005. The five elements are: (1) Mississippi River
Gulf Outlet Environmental Restoration, (2) Small Diversion at Hope
Canal, (3) Barataria Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, (4) Small
Bayou Lafourche Reintroduction, and (5) Medium Diversion at Myrtle
Grove with Dedicated Dredging. The Congressional authorization further
states that before the Secretary may begin construction of any project
under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report documenting
any modification to the project, including cost changes, 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. As recommended in the 2005 Chief's Report, the
restoration feature consists of a freshwater diversion ranging from
2,500 to 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) coupled with dedicated
dredging for the creation of up to 19,700 acres of new wetlands. The
project would allow the reintroduction of freshwater, sediment and
nutrients into the critically effected area of the Barataria Basin in a
manner similar to the rise and fall of the river's hydrological cycle.
This combination would allow for rapid creation of wetland acreage and
long-term stability. It is also expected to maximize the amount of
acreage created per yard of sediment placed by capitalizing on
incremental accretion of diverted sediment.
3. 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 would 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 would 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 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 EIS, would 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 would 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 Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and
times for scoping meetings will be mailed to all interested parties in
October 2011.
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.
6. Availability of Draft EIS. The earliest that the draft EIS would
be available for public review would be in October of 2012. The draft
EIS or a notice of availability will be distributed to affected
Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested
parties.
Edward R. Fleming,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2010-25987 Filed 10-14-10; 8:45 am]
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