[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25311-25312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11841]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers


Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Destination Broadwater Resort Facility, Located in Biloxi, 
Mississippi

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), 
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to 
address the potential impacts associated with the construction of the 
proposed Destination Broadwater resort facility to be located on the 
Mississippi Sound, in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Corps will be evaluating 
a permit application for the work under the authority of Section 10 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act and section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The 
EIS will be used as a basis for the permit decision and to ensure 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and the DEIS should be addressed to 
Mr. Bill Bunkley, Regulatory Branch, phone (334) 694-3780, or Dr. Susan 
Rees, Coastal Environment Section, phone (334) 694-4141, Mobile 
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, PO Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. The permit applicant is proposing to 
construct a resort complex which includes a mixture of 6 dockside 
casinos, 12 hotels, various retail establishments, entertainment 
facilities, golf course, and 400-slip marina. The project is to be 
located at the existing Broadwater Resorts and President Casino site on 
Beach Boulevard (U.S. Highway 90) in Biloxi, Mississippi. The overall 
project site consists of approximately 325 acres which can be divided 
into two distinct functional areas: waterside development south of 
Highway 90 which will be used for dockside gaming and water-dependent 
activities, and landside development north of Highway 90 which will 
accommodate the non-gaming related activities. The waterside 
development encompasses an area of 134 acres extending approximately 
4,100 feet into the Mississippi Sound. A man-made peninsula will be 
constructed to accommodate six floating casinos arranged around an 
embayment. Adjacent to each dockside casino will be a 500-room hotel 
and parking garage. A 400-slip marina is planned on the southernmost 
end of the project. The proposed landside development is located on 
approximately 47 acres north of Highway 90 currently occupied by the 
Broadwater Beach Resort and Broadwater Resort East hotels. The proposed 
redevelopment of this area includes the construction of 6 convention-
oriented hotels (up to 3,250 rooms), a water recreation and amusement 
park, entertainment and retail areas. The existing 206-acre golf course 
will be redesigned and upgraded. The proposed work includes the 
placement of 684,000 cubic yards of dredged and fill material into the 
Mississippi Sound in order to convert 38.4 acres of water bottoms into 
land. Approximately 582,000 cubic yards of material will be dredged 
from the Mississippi Sound from an area covering approximately 52 
acres. The proposed project will result in the filling or permanent 
shading of 66 acres of water bottoms, and filling 3.6 acres of isolated 
wetlands.
    2. Alternatives to the applicant's proposal may exist which would 
reduce the impacts to the Mississippi Sound. These could include 
reducing the fill and dredge requirements by locating all non-water 
dependent facilities such as hotels to the landside development area, 
reducing the number of dockside casinos, alternate site layouts which 
may have less protrusion into the Sound, and possible alternate site 
locations.
    3. Scoping:
    a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open

[[Page 25312]]

communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All Federal, 
State, and local agencies, and other persons or organizations that have 
an interest are urged to participate in the NEPA scoping process. 
Public meetings will be held to help identify significant issues and to 
receive public input and comment.
    b. The DEIS will analyze the potential social, economic, and 
environmental impacts to the local area resulting from the proposed 
project. Specifically, the following major issues will be analyzed in 
depth in the DEIS: hydrologic and hydraulic regimes, essential fish 
habitat and other marine habitat, air quality, cultural resources, 
wastewater treatment capacities and discharges, transportation systems, 
alternatives, secondary and cumulative impacts, socioeconomics, 
environmental justice (effect on minorities and low-income groups), and 
protection of children (Executive Order 13045).
    c. The Corps will serve as the lead Federal agency in the 
preparation of the DEIS. It is anticipated that the following agencies 
will be invited and will accept cooperating agency status for the 
preparation of the DEIS: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. 
Department of the Interior-Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department 
of Commerce--National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of 
Transportation--Federal Highway Administration.
    4. It is anticipated that the first scoping meeting will be held in 
the late May/early June time frame in the local area. Actual time and 
place for the meeting and subsequent meetings or workshops will be 
announced by the Mobile District by issuance of a Public Notice and/or 
local media.
    5. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for 
public review in August 1999.
Ronald A. Krizman,
Chief, Regulatory Branch.
[FR Doc. 99-11841 Filed 5-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-M