[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 209 (Friday, October 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64433-64434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27647]


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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 Pine Hills Casino and Resort, Located in Harrison County, 
Mississippi

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

[[Page 64434]]


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 Pine Hills Casino and Resort located on the Bay of St. Louis, 
in Harrison County, 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. John McFadyen, Regulatory 
Branch, phone (334) 690-3261, or Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, Coastal 
Environment Team, phone (334) 694-4141, Mobile District, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The permit applicant is proposing to construct a casino 
development on the northern shore of the Bay of St. Louis consisting of 
the following: A casino mooring facility consisting of breasting 
dolphins and a 520-foot-long by 330-foot-wide low water sediment 
control structure. The control structure will consist of 1,250 linear 
feet of sheet pile and a water aeration system. The 3.9-acre basin 
within the control structure will be mechanically excavated to minus 
7.0 feet, mean low water. The 32,000 cubic yards of excavated material 
will be deposited at a 15-acre upland disposal site. A 500-foot-long by 
300-foot-wide casino barge will be moored in the basin. A 450-foot-long 
bulkhead will be installed along the shoreline fronting the casino. A 
700-foot-long by 8-foot-wide pier and 24-inch diameter water intake/
transmission line will be constructed east of the casino. Related 
upland development includes a 30 story, 1,400-room hotel; an access 
road from the Interstate Highway 10 Kiln-DeLisle exit; parking 
facilities for 3,500 vehicles; stormwater detention ponds; and three 
entrance road bridges spanning non-tidal wetlands. Water and sewer 
facilities will be constructed by Pine Hills Development Partnership 
and turned over to Harrison County for operation and maintenance. The 
proposed project will result in the dredging of approximately 3.2 acres 
of shallow water bottoms for the casino mooring basin. Approximately 
0.033 acre of marsh vegetation at the casino basin site has been 
relocated to an adjacent 0.1 acre site. No other wetlands or ``special 
aquatic sites'' will be excavated or filled. Upland development 
associated with the project will cover up to 63 acres of primarily pine 
plantation.
    2. Alternatives to the applicant's proposal may exist which would 
reduce the impacts to the Bay of St. Louis. These could include 
alternate sites, or alternative sites layouts, or alternative 
operational methods.
    3. Scoping: a. The Corps invites full public participation to 
promote open 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. A public meeting 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. The scoping meeting will be held on November 21, 2000 at the 
DeLisle Elementary School in DeLisle, Mississippi beginning at 6:30 
p.m.
    5. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for 
public review in summer 2001.

Ronald A. Krizman,
Chief, Regulatory Branch.
[FR Doc. 00-27647 Filed 10-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-M