[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 81249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32499]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for a Proposed Flood Risk Management Project on the Red River 
of the North in Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (St. 
Paul District) will prepare a Supplement to the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement and Feasibility Study (EIS/FS) for a Proposed Fargo-
Moorhead Flood Risk Management Project on the Red River of the North in 
Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN (Proposed Fargo-Moorhead Project). On May 
5, 2009, the St. Paul District published a notice of intent to prepare 
a Draft EIS/FS for a Proposed Fargo-Moorhead Project. On June 11, 2010, 
the St. Paul District published a notice of availability of the Draft 
EIS/FS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has now decided to prepare a 
Supplemental Draft EIS/FS to further evaluate impacts of a Proposed 
Fargo-Moorhead Project and potential measures to mitigate for those 
impacts. The Supplemental Draft EIS/FS should be available for public 
review and comment in the spring of 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and Supplemental Draft EIS/FS may be directed to: Mr. Terry J. 
Birkenstock, Chief, Environmental and GIS Branch, 180 Fifth Street 
East, Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 55101-1678, telephone: (651) 290-5264.

DATES: As described below, additional scoping will not be conducted; 
however, the St. Paul District will consider comments related to the 
scope of the Supplemental Draft EIS/FS that are received before January 
26, 2011.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, 
Minnesota, are on the west and east banks, respectively, of the Red 
River of the North approximately 150 miles south of the Canada/United 
States border. In addition to the Red River, the Wild Rice, Sheyenne, 
Maple, Rush and Lower Rush Rivers in North Dakota and the Buffalo River 
in Minnesota also cross the study area.
    Subsequent to the publication of the notice of availability of the 
Draft EIS/FS in June 2010, hydraulic modeling indicated downstream 
impacts from the Proposed Fargo-Moorhead Project that were greater than 
those anticipated and presented in the Draft EIS/FS. In addition, 
public and agency comments on the Draft EIS/FS raised additional 
issues. The purpose of the Supplemental Draft EIS/FS is to develop and 
evaluate additional information related to downstream impacts and other 
issues raised and to evaluate potential alternatives for the Project.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to act as the lead 
agency for the Supplemental Draft EIS/FS and the cities of Fargo and 
Moorhead will act as cooperating partners.
    Additional scoping meetings will not be held for the Supplemental 
Draft EIS/FS. A significant volume of comments were received during the 
public comment period on the Draft EIS/FS regarding potential 
downstream impacts and proposed alternatives that might serve to 
mitigate these impacts. These comments, as well as the extensive 
scoping and partnering accomplished in the course of preparation of the 
Draft EIS/FS, provide information to determine the appropriate scope 
for the Supplemental Draft EIS/FS. Further, the St. Paul District will 
consider comments related to the scope of the Supplemental Draft EIS/FS 
that are received before January 26, 2011.

    Dated: December 15, 2010.
Terry J. Birkenstock,
Chief, Environmental and GIS Branch.
[FR Doc. 2010-32499 Filed 12-23-10; 8:45 am]
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