[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8334-8335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3986]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of Draft Decision Document and 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Plot and 
Green Ridge Local Flood Protection Projects Within the City of 
Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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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 45-day public review and comment period of the draft SEIS 
for the Plot and Green Ridge Flood Protection Project. The SEIS was 
prepared to (1) supplemental 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 identifies existing conditions, identifies, any 
changed environmental conditions, re-examines previously collected data 
in light of new or updated methodologies, collects a new environmental 
data, and evaluates the feasibility of both new and previously 
considered potential project actions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and the draft 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 evaluate 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, Albright Avenue area in Scranton, and not for the 
Plot and Green Ridge areas within Scranton. In 1996 the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers was directed under the 1996 Water Resources Development 
Act (WRDA) to conduct a reevaluation of flood protection for the Plot 
and Green Ridge areas. Therefore, the Corps of Engineers, Baltimore 
District, is now conducting a reevaluation and preparing a Decision 
Document and a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for 
the Plot and Green Ridge Flood Protection project.
    2. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is initiating a 45-day 
public review and comment period for the combined Decision Document and 
SEIS for the proposed flood protection project for the Plot and Green 
Ridge areas, located in the City of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The purpose 
of the project is to provide 100-year flood protection to the 
communities, consistent with the 100-year flood protection previously 
approved for the adjacent Park Place (Alright Avenue) community. In the 
Plot community, the proposed levee will be 5,690 linear feet with 210 
linear feet of this being a combination levee and floodwall. In the 
Green Ridge community, the levee will be 7,830 linear feet with 535 
linear feet of this being a combination of levee and floodwall. Other 
project components for each area include closure structures, interior 
drainage structures, realignment of utilities, minor realignment of 
roads, and acquisition of real estate.
    3. The project is to be constructed under the authority of Section 
101 of the Water Resources Development Act (ERDA) of 1992, Section 342 
of WRDA 1996, and the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts 
of 1998 and 1999. The City of Scranton is the non-Federal sponsor of 
the project. The proposed project has an estimated cost of $14,672,000 
for the Plot area and $19,853,000 for the Green Ridge area. A project 
cost-sharing agreement for the Albright Avenue project was signed in 
May 1998. For the current reevaluation, the Corps of Engineers' portion 
is estimated to be $6,858,400 for Plot and $11,364,350 for Green Ridge, 
and the City of Scranton's portion is estimated to be $7,813,600 for 
Plot and $8,488,650 for Green Ridge.
    4. The Baltimore District has prepared a SEIS, which evaluates the 
potential impacts associated with the proposed project. Potential 
impacts were assessed with regard to the physical, chemical, and 
biological characteristics of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem, 
endangered and threatened species, hazardous, toxic and radioactive 
substances, aesthetics and recreation, cultural resources, and the 
general needs and welfare of the public. The proposed action is in full 
compliance with NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1500-1508, Corps of Engineers 
Regulation 200-2-2, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, 
and all other applicable laws and regulations.
    5. Any person who has an interest in the project is welcome to 
provide comments within 45 days of the date of publication of this 
notice to the address in the following paragraph. Written comments 
should be submitted by Monday, April 5, 1999. Comments must clearly set 
forth the interest that may be affected by this proposed action and the 
manner in which the interest may be affected.
    6. Individuals who want to review the combined Draft Decision 
Document and SEIS may examine a copy at the Scranton Main Public 
Library, located on Vine Street at N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, 
Pennsylvania, and are welcome to provide input. The document has also 
been distributed to Federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, 
known interested organizations, and the Plot and Green Ridge community 
associations. Individuals may obtain a copy of the

[[Page 8335]]

document by writing to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore 
District, ATTN: CENAB-PL-P (Ms. Maria de la Torre), P.O. Box 1715, 
Baltimore, MD 21203-1715, or by telephone at (410) 962-2911 or 1-800-
295-1610. Written comments or inquiries may also be sent by fax to Ms. 
de la Torre at (410) 962-4698 or by electronic mail to cenab-pl-
[email protected]. The combined Decision Document and SEIS is also 
available on the Baltimore District's Internet website as an Adobe 
Acrobat file at www.nab.usace.army.mil/pbriefs/scranton/seis299.
    7. A Public Meeting for the Plot community is scheduled for 
Wednesday, March 10, 1999, at 7 p.m., at St. Joseph's Lithuanian Church 
(corner of Main Avenue and Theodore Street), Scranton, Pennsylvania. A 
Public Meeting for the Green Ridge community is scheduled for Thursday, 
March 11, 1999, at 7 p.m., also at St. Joseph's Lithuanian Church. The 
purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the status of the 
reevaluation and related issues, and to address any comments, 
questions, and suggestions from the public.
Robert F. Gore,
Acting Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 99-3986 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-41-M