[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49781-49782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23933]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Daniel Island Terminal Located in the City of 
Charleston, Berkeley County, South Carolina and Notice of Public 
Hearing

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Public Hearing.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statment (DEIS) for the proposed 
Daniel Island Terminal that will be located in the City of Charleston, 
Berkeley County, South Carolina. A public hearing will be held to 
receive oral and written comments on the DEIS. Federal, state and local 
agencies and interested parties are invited to be present at the 
hearing.

DATES: The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 17, 1999. 
The time and place will be advertised locally via public notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or 
questions about the proposed action and DEIS, please contact Ms. Tina 
Hadden, Project Manager, telephone (843) 727-4330 or 1-800-208-2054, 
CESAC-TS-RP, 334 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
the Charleston District has prepared a DEIS on the proposed marine 
cargo terminal on Daniel Island which is located in the City of 
Charleston, Berkeley County, South Carolina. This project is proposed 
by the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SPA).

1. Description of Proposed Project

    The proposed project is the creation by the South Carolina State 
Ports Authority (SCSPA) of a marine cargo terminal compex at Daniel 
Island in the City of Charleston, Berkeley County, South Carolina, 
which includes the following components: approximately 1,300 acres of 
port terminal development at the south end of Daniel Island to include 
cargo marshaling areas, cargo processing areas, cargo-handling 
facilities, intermodal rail facilities, and related terminal operating 
facilities; approximately 7,000 feet of wharf and berthing area on the 
Cooper River and approximately 5,000 feet of wharf and berthing area of 
the Wando River; approximately 37 acres of dredged berthing area; 
associated improvements to the Wando River Federal Channel; 
approximately 2.5 miles of multi-lane roadway construction between the 
proposed terminal site and Interstate I-526; approximately 13 miles of 
rail connecting the proposed terminal facilities to the East Cooper and 
Berkeley Railroad; and a rail bridge and road bridge over Beresford 
Creek.

2. Alternatives

    The following alternatives were evaluated in the DEIS: No Action; 
the Proposed Project; a combination of the Wando River side of Daniel 
Island and a portion of the former Naval Base; a combination of the 
Cooper River side of Daniel Island, a portion of the Naval Base, and 
the existing Columbus Street Terminal. Multiple alternative road and 
rail corridors to serve the alternative terminal locations were also 
evaluated, as were design alternatives for each of the facilities.

3. Scoping and Public Involvement Process

    Two scoping meetings were held on June 24, 1997, in order to gather 
information on the subjects to be studied in detail in the DEIS, one 
specifically for the Federal and State agencies with regulatory 
responsibilities and one for the general public. Four public 
information meetings were held in order to provide an arena for the 
exchange of information regarding the proposed project and the EIS. 
These meetings were held in September 1997, December 1997, March 1998 
and September 1998. Five community outreach meetings were held. These 
meetings were held at the request of the community to address specific 
issues and concerns.

4. Significant Issues

    Issues associated with the proposed facilities which received a 
significant level of analysis in the DEIS include, but are not limited 
to, the potential impacts of the proposed dredging, placement of fill, 
construction and operation of the proposed terminal and surface 
transportation facilities, and of induced developments on: wetland 
resources; upland and aquatic biotic communities; water quality; fish 
and wildlife values including threatened and endangered species; noise 
and light levels in areas adjoining the proposed facilities; air 
quality; land forms and geologic resources; community cohesion; 
environmental justice; roadway traffic; socioeconomic environment; 
archaeological and cultural resources; recreation and recreational 
resources; Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) properties (parks and/or sites 
of cultural significance); public infrastructure and services; energy 
supply and natural resources; hazardous wastes and materials; land use; 
aesthetics; public health and safety; parklands; prime farmlands; 
ecologically critical areas; navigation;

[[Page 49782]]

flood plain values; shoreline erosion and accretion; Essential Fish 
Habitat; and the needs and welfare of the people.

5. Cooperating Agencies

    The U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
the Surface Transportation Board, and the U.S. Coast Guard were 
cooperating agencies in the development of the DEIS.

6. Additional Review and Consultation

    Additional review and consultation which was incorporated into the 
DEIS includes: compliance with the South Carolina Coastal Zone 
Management Act; protection of cultural resources under Section 106 of 
the Historic Preservation Act; protection of water quality under 
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act; coordination under Section 103 of 
the Marine Protection, Resource, and Sanctuaries Act; and protection of 
endangered and threatened species under Section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act.

7. Availability of the DEIS

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be available on 
September 17, 1999.
Mark S. Held,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 99-23933 Filed 9-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CH-M