[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 196 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52699-52700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26798]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers


Public Notice of Availability for the Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement and General Reevaluation Report of the 
Green Brook Flood Control Project in the Green Brook Sub-Basin of the 
Raritan River Basin, Middlesex, Union and Somerset Counties in the 
State of New Jersey

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Army Corps of Engineers, New York District (NYDCOE), in 
coordination with the project sponsor, the New Jersey Department of 
Environmental Protection (NJDEP), has conducted a General Reevaluation 
Study and prepared a Supplemental Impact Statement for an authorized 
flood protection project in the Green Brook Sub-Basin of the Raritan 
River in New Jersey. A Final Environmental Impact Statement and a 
Record of Decision were prepared for the project in 1980. This report 
has been prepared in association with the Reevaluation Study and is a 
supplement to the 1980 Final Environmental Impact Statement.
    The project proposes to provide flood protection to residents in 
Somerset, Middlesex and Union Counties through the use of levees, 
flood-proofing, flood walls, detention basins and stream 
channelization. The plan also provides for a mitigation plan for 
environmental impacts. The project is divided into three separate 
portions of the Sub-basin: the upper portion, the lower portion and the 
Stony Brook portion. The proposed flood protection measures which were 
described in the DSEIS for the upper portion of the Sub-basin have been 
deferred at the request of the local sponsor, pending further study.
    The Draft Supplement Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) was 
filed on January 6, 1997. The DSEIS was released for public review from 
January 6, 1997 through March 7, 1997. This review period included four 
formal public meetings and numerous informal information sessions with 
various groups. The public coordination process confirmed the need for 
the project. However, the coordination process identified concerns with 
the proposed construction of the detentions basins in the upper portion 
of the basin in the Boroughs of Berkeley Heights, Watchung, and Scotch 
Plains. The local sponsor, NJDEP, has asked the NYDCOE to defer 
construction of the upper portion of the project at this time but to 
continue work on the lower and Stony Brook portions of the project. 
Accordingly, this final document is considered a decision document for 
construction implementation of the lower and Stony Brook portions of 
the basin only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Bill Richardson, ATTN: CENAN-PL-ES, Army Corps of Engineers, New 
York District, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278-0090, Tel. (212) 
264-2199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Green Brook Sub-basin is a component of the Raritan River 
drainage basin in north central New Jersey. The Green Brook Sub-Basin 
has a 65 square mile watershed. The Sub-Basin is located between the 
Watchung Mountains and the Raritan River in Middlesex, Somerset, and 
Union Counties.
    In response to resolutions of the United States Senate Public Works 
Committee adopted 15 September 1955 and 10 July 1972 to adopt 
recommendations for flood control, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
New York District prepared a feasibility report and a final 
environmental impact statement in August 1980. A project similar to 
``Plan A'' as described in the 1980 feasibility study was authorized 
for construction under the Water Resources Development Act of 1986.
    The flood problems of the Green Brook Sub-Basin result from a 
combination of natural hydrologic and hydraulic features coupled with 
dense development within the floodplains. The Green Brook flows 
southwest from the slopes of the Watchung Mountains. The path of the 
streams within the sub-basin flow from relatively undeveloped mountains 
through a broad flat floodplain which is largely suburban and 
industrialized. Streams included in the study are: Ambrose Brook, Bound 
Brook, Bonygutt Brook, Municipal Brook, Stony Brook, Blue Brook, Cedar 
Brook, and Middle Brook. Flood damages in the tri-county basin are 
quite severe due to the level of development within the sub-basin. 
Notable storms which have caused flood conditions in the sub-basin 
occurred in May 1968, August 1971, August 1973, July 1975, September 
1979, July 1984, and October 1996.
    The Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) 
describes in the impacts of the proposed project on environmental and 
cultural resources in the study area. The FSEIS also applies guidelines 
issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, under the authority of 
the Clean Water Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 96-217). An evaluation for the 
purposed actions on the waters of the United States was performed 
pursuant to the guidelines of the Administrator, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, under authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water 
Act. The results of the evaluation are presented in the SEIS.
    This Notice of Availability is being sent to organizations and 
individuals known to have an interest in the project.

[[Page 52700]]

Please bring this notice to the attention of any other individuals with 
an interest in this matter. Copies of the FSEIS and General 
Reevaluation Report are available upon request for review at the 
following locations:

Berkeley Heights Public Library, 290 Plainfield Avenue, Berkley 
Heights, New Jersey.
Bound Brook Public Library, 402 Ease High Street, Bound Brook, New 
Jersey.
Bridgewater Public Library, Box 6700, Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Dunellen Public Library, New Market Road, Dunellen, New Jersey.
Fanwood Public Library, North Avenue and Tillotson Road, Fanwood, New 
Jersey.
Middlesex Public Library, 1300 Mountain Avenue, Middlesex, New Jersey.
North Plainfield Public Library, 6 Rockview Avenue, North Plainfield, 
New Jersey.
Piscataway Public Library, 500 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Plainfield Public Library, 8th and Park Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey.
Scotch Plains Public Library, 1927 Bartle Avenue, Scotch Plains, New 
Jersey.
South Plainfield Public Library, 2840 Plainfield Avenue, South 
Plainfield, New Jersey.
Summit Public Library, 75 Maple Street, Summit, New Jersey.
Watchung Public Library, 12 Stirling Road, Watchung, New Jersey.
John Sassi, P.E.,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 97-26798 Filed 10-8-97; 8:45 am]
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