[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57080-57081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27637]


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

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Army Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) for Proposed Hurricane and Wetland Protection in 
Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, LA, a Component of the Morganza, LA, 
to the Gulf of Mexico Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(COE) will prepare a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS) to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative beneficial and 
adverse impacts of implementing a hurricane protection project in 
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The purposes of the proposed action are 
to provide protection to existing development from tropical storm and 
hurricane-induced tidal flooding such as that which occurred during 
Hurricane Andrew and to protect coastal wetlands from hurricane surges 
in a portion of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The proposed action would 
consist of: (1) Upgrading many existing forced drainage system levees; 
(2) using permitted and/or installed flood-control features (e.g., 
floodgates); (3) constructing some new levees and water-control 
structures; and, (4) closing the water-control structures and flood 
gates in a coordinated manner in the event of tropical storm or 
hurricane-induced tidal surges.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the PEIS may be 
directed to Mr. Robert Martinson, CEMVN-PM-RS, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, Louisiana 70160-0267, 
telephone: (504) 862-2582.
    Questions regarding the proposed action may be directed to Mr. 
Rodney Greenup, CEMVN-PM-W, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 
60267, New Orleans, Louisiana 70160-0267, telephone: (504) 862-2613.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A hurricane protection plan was proposed by 
the South Terrebonne Tidewater Management and Conservation District 
(STTMCD). A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the STTMCD plan, 
under the COE Regulatory Program, was issued on April 7, 1993 (Volume 
58, Number 65, pp. 18084-18085). Subsequent to this, the COE was 
authorized to begin a study of a similar plan. Because the underlying 
purposes of the plans were the same and in the interest of cost 
effectiveness, the COE decided to prepare one EIS to address both 
initiatives, rather than two separate EISs. A Notice of Intent, 
announcing this decision, was issued in the Federal Register on 
September 8, 1995.
    The COE and its cost-share partner, the Louisiana Department of 
Transportation and Development, have determined that a full accounting 
of all the details on the proposed hurricane protection system, in the 
feasibility phase of project planning, will be extremely difficult. The 
COE came to this conclusion because of the study area's large size, its 
remote location, and the hydraulic complexity of developing a hurricane 
protection system with numerous openings for navigation and the natural 
environment. Therefore, the COE has decided, in conjunction with its 
cost-share partner, to address a hurricane protection system, 
programmatically, and to determine if the construction of the entire 
system is feasible. If such a system is deemed feasible, then as the 
details for each component (e.g., Houma Navigation Canal lock, levee 
alignment/placement) of the system become definitive during the 
detailed design phase, additional NEPA compliance would be achieved for 
each component. Each of the component NEPA documents would be presented 
in the context of the PEIS, which will provide an evaluation of the 
overall environmental impacts of such a system and present a mitigation 
plan for unavoidable impacts of the entire system.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would consist of: (1) Upgrading many existing 
forced-drainage system levees from near Larose at the eastern end of 
Theriot on the western end; (2) using permitted and/or installed flood-
control features (e.g., floodgates) in the area; (3) constructing new 
levees and environmental water-control structures; and, (4) closing the 
water-control structures and flood gates, in a coordinated manner, in 
the event of tropical storm or hurricane-induced tidal surges. The 
flood gates and water-control structures would normally be left open 
for navigational and tidal ingress and egress. Several communities, 
including the City of Houma, Dulac, Cauvin, and Montegut, would receive 
protection from the proposed action.

[[Page 57081]]

Alternatives

    The no-action alternative must be evaluated. Additionally, several 
levee alignments around the Lake Beudreaux area will be evaluated, 
including the STTMCD plan. Non-structural solutions for protecting 
existing development also will be evaluated.
    On May 12, 1993, the COE held a formal NEPA scoping meeting at 
Houma, Louisiana, for the previously-announced regulatory EIS. Fifty-
two individuals registered at the meeting. Questions and issues of 
concern were solicited at the meeting, and a summary of the results was 
made available to participants on April 12, 1994. One of the main areas 
of concern brought out during the 1993 scoping meeting was potential 
impacts to Lake Boudreaux, its surrounding marshes, and the associated 
marine organisms. Additional meetings will be held, with local 
interests from the various bayou areas, and with the various affected 
Federal and state agencies.
    The COE does not plan to hold additional formal NEPA scoping 
meetings, but meetings will continue to be held throughout the planning 
process, as discussed above.
    A draft PEIS is scheduled to be available for public review during 
March 2000.
Thomas F. Julich,
Colonel, U.S. Army District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 99-27637 Filed 10-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-84-M