[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11874-11875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6207]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(SEIS) for the Plot and Green Ridge Local Flood Protection Projects 
Within the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is 
initiating a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the 
Plot and Green Ridge Flood Protection Projects. The SEIS will be 
prepared to (1) Supplement the previously completed Final Environmental 
Impact Statement prepared for the Scranton, Pennsylvania, Flood 
Protection Feasibility Study in January 1992; (2) to identify potential 
environmental impacts associated with the various project alternatives; 
and (3) to document compliance with NEPA requirements. Specifically, 
the SEIS will identify existing conditions, identify any changed 
environmental conditions, re-examine previously collected data in light 
of new or updated methodologies, collect new environmental data, and 
evaluate the feasibility of both new and previously considered 
potential project actions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and SEIS can be addressed to Ms. Maria De La Torre, Baltimore District, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN:.CENAB-PL-P, P.O. Box 1715, 
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, telephone (410) 962-2911 or 1-800-295-
1610, E-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. A study of the Lackawanna River was originally authorized 
October 1, 1986, by resolution of the House of Representatives 
Committee on Public Works and Transportation (House Document 702). An 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared by the Corps of 
Engineers and was completed in January 1992. This EIS evaluated the 
feasibility of proposed alternative solutions for providing flood 
protection along the Lackawanna River in Scranton, Pennsylvania. At 
that time, the 1992 EIS recommended structural flood protection for 
only the right bank,

[[Page 11875]]

Park Place area in Scranton, and not for the Plot and Green Ridge areas 
within Scranton. In 1996 the Corps of Engineers was directed by the 
1996 Water Resources Development Act to carry out flood control for the 
Plot and Green Ridge areas. Therefore, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Baltimore District, is now preparing a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Plot and Green Ridge 
Flood Protection Projects.
    2. Specific authorization for the Plot and Green Ridge Flood 
Protection Projects are from Section 342 of the Water Resources Act of 
1996 which directs the Corps of Engineers ``* * * to carry out the 
project for flood control for the Plot and Green Ridge sections of the 
[Lackawanna] project.''
    3. The Plot and Green Ridge Flood Protection study areas are 
located in northeastern Pennsylvania in the city of Scranton. They 
encompass an estimated area of 400 acres adjacent to the Lackawanna 
River and extend for a distance of approximately 2\1/2\ miles. The 
Green Ridge area is located on the left descending bank of the river, 
directly across the river from Albright Avenue, and the Plot area is 
located on the right descending bank, immediately upstream of the Green 
Ridge area. The upstream limit of the Plot area extends to 
approximately the confluence of the Lackawanna River and Leggetts 
Creek. The downstream limit of the proposed Green Ridge area will be 
the Lackawanna tributary of Meadow Brook.
    4. The investigation of local flood protection projects for the 
Plot and Green Ridge areas is in response to problems and opportunities 
associated with the Federal objectives and specific state and local 
concerns. Federally, the investigation is based on the objective to 
contribute to the national economic development while protecting the 
nation's environment pursuant to the national environmental statutes, 
applicable executive orders, and other Federal planning requirements. 
Considerations are also given to the benefits of the plan and 
expenditures necessary to construct and maintain the plan. The plan 
must be engineeringly and institutionally implementable and consistent 
with certain environmental statutes and Executive Orders. The desires 
of the non-Federal sponsors for a particular project are additional 
criteria for plan development and evaluation. Specific solutions that 
will be evaluated with these criteria include both structural and non-
structural solutions such as levees and floodwalls, channel dredging 
and enlargements, channel improvements, modifications to buildings, 
roads, and structures, flood emergency preparedness, and building 
relocation.
    5. The decision to implement these actions will be based on an 
evaluation of the probable impact of the proposed activities on the 
public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for 
both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit 
that may be expected to accrue from the proposal will be balanced 
against its reasonable foreseeable impacts. The Baltimore District is 
preparing an SEIS that will describe the impacts of the proposed 
projects on environmental and cultural resources in the study area and 
the overall public interest. The SEIS will be in accordance with NEPA 
and will document all factors that may be relevant to the proposal, 
including the cumulative effects thereof. Among these factors are 
resource conservation, socio-economics considerations, economic 
benefits, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, 
cultural concerns, fish and wildlife concerns, flood hazards, 
floodplain values, land use, recreation, water supply, water quality, 
project implementation costs, energy needs, safety, and the general 
needs and welfare of the people. If applicable, the SEIS will also 
apply guidelines issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, under 
the authority of Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act of 1977 
(Public Law 95-217).
    6. The public involvement program will include workshops, meetings, 
and other coordination with interested private individuals and 
organizations, as well as with concerned Federal, state, and local 
agencies. Coordination letters have been sent to appropriate agencies, 
organizations, and individuals on an extensive mailing list. Additional 
public information will be provided through print media, mailings, and 
radio and television announcements.
    7. In addition to the Corps, other participants who will be 
involved in the study and SEIS process include, but are not limited to, 
the following: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Geological Survey; National 
Resource Conservation Service; U.S. National Park Service, Commonwealth 
of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the City of 
Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Baltimore District invites potentially 
affected Federal, state, and local agencies, and other organizations 
and entities to participate in this study.
    8. The SEIS is tentatively scheduled to be available for public 
review in August 1998.
James F. Johnson,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 98-6207 Filed 3-10-98; 8:45 am]
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