[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 54 (Monday, March 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 13782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6891]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Corps of Engineers; Scoping Meetings for Nationwide Permit 
Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Corps is initiating a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) for the entire Nationwide Permit Program (NWP) to be 
completed by December 2000. The overall purpose of the PEIS is to 
review and evaluate the NWP program as a whole, to ensure that the NWP 
program authorizes only those activities with minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse environmental effects on the aquatic environment. 
This notice is intended to provide other Federal agencies, States, 
Tribes and the public the opportunity to participate in the scoping of 
the PEIS. The Corps will hold three meetings to solicit comments on the 
scope of the PEIS. Comments may be submitted in person at the meeting 
or in writing to the address given below.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 4, 1999.
    The meeting dates are:
    1. May 4, 1999, at 1:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:00-10:00 p.m., Sacramento, 
CA.
    2. May 6, 1999, at 1:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:00-10:00 p.m., Fort Worth, 
TX.
    3. May 24, 1999, at 1:00-5:00 p.m., Washington, D.C.

ADDRESSES:
    The meeting locations are:
    1. Sacramento--Clarion Hotel, 700 Sixteenth Street, Sacramento, CA, 
95814
    2. Fort Worth (downtown)--Fritz G. Lanham Federal Building (Taylor 
Street Entrance, 1st floor), 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
    3. Washington, DC--National Guard Association Building, One 
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001.
    Send written comments to Mr. Robert Brumbaugh, CEWRC-IWR-P, Casey 
Building, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22315-3868.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brumbaugh, CEWRC-IWR-P, at 
(703) 428-6370.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 1, 1998, the Corps published a 
Notice document (63 FR 36040, July 1, 1998) containing a proposal to 
issue 6 new NWPs and modify 6 existing NWPs to replace NWP 26. Further 
modifications were proposed on October 14, 1998 (63 FR 55095, October 
14, 1998) which included withdrawing one of the proposed NWPs, the 
addition of restrictions on the use of certain NWPs, and extending the 
NWP process and the expiration of NWP 26 to September 15, 1999. On June 
23, 1998, the Corps issued a Finding of No Significant Impact for the 
NWP program which states that the NWP program does not have significant 
effects on the quality of the human environment and therefore the 
preparation of an EIS is not required by NEPA.
    Although the Corps determined that an EIS was not required by NEPA, 
it announced in the July 1, 1998 Notice document (63 FR 36040, July 1, 
1998) that it would prepare a PEIS for the entire NWP program. The 
overall purpose of the PEIS is to review and evaluate the NWP program 
as a whole, to ensure that the NWP program authorizes only those 
activities with minimal individual and cumulative adverse effects on 
the aquatic environment. The PEIS will provide a programmatic 
comprehensive and structured review of the effects of the NWP program 
on the environment. The intent of the PEIS is to evaluate the 
procedures and process associated with the NWP program and not to 
examine impacts associated with individual NWP authorizations.
    Some of the issues to be addressed in the PEIS include the 
following: programmatic and procedural alternatives to be evaluated; 
procedures to evaluate and ensure minimal effects; procedures to ensure 
protection of endangered species and historic and cultural resources; 
and evaluation and analysis of costs to the regulated public (including 
administrative, opportunity and delay costs) and benefits to the public 
(including navigation, water quality, wetlands, and other public 
interest benefits).
    The scoping meeting will focus on identifying programmatic and 
procedural alternatives (e.g., combination of Regional General Permits 
and NWPs), methods of collecting and analyzing NWP data, and other 
substantial environmental issues to be addressed in the PEIS.
    The Corps expects to complete preparation of the Draft PEIS by 
August 2000. The Final PEIS will be completed by December 2000. Public 
meetings to present preliminary study findings are planned to be held 
prior to publication of the Draft PEIS.

    Dated: March 17, 1999.
Charles M. Hess,
Chief, Operations Division, Directorate of Civil Works.
[FR Doc. 99-6891 Filed 3-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P