[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58459-58460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29150]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environment Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Royal D'Iberville Casino and Hotel, Located in D'Iberville, 
Harrison County, MS

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (Corps), 
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to 
address the potential impacts associated with the construction of the 
proposed Royal D'Iberville Casino and Hotel located on the Back Bay of 
Biloxi, in D'Iberville, 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 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. William R. Bunkley, Regulatory 
Branch, phone (251) 694-3780 or e-mail at 
[email protected], or Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, 
Coastal Environmental Team, phone (251) 694-4141 or e-mail at 
[email protected], Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The permit applicant is proposing to construct a casino 
development on the northern shore of the Bank Bay of Biloxi consisting 
on the following: A casino mooring facility to accommodate a 100,000 
square foot floating casino barge, a concrete access pier, 450 linear 
feet of steel sheet pile bulkhead, four (4) 35-foot diameter steel, 
concrete filled, mooring caissons and connection apparatus that will 
withstand 155 m.p.h. wind speeds. Associated landside work includes the 
construction of any entry porte cochere, a 2500 space multi-level 
parking garage, and a 500-room hotel. Road improvements would include 
I-110/Rodriquez Street interchange, Boney Avenue, and Bay Shore Drive 
along the width of the project site. Additional would include a sewer 
lift station and a 6-inch force main from the casino to the D'Iberville 
sewage treatment facility, a new 700-gallon per minute (gpm) water 
well, and a new 300,000-gallon elevated water tank. Minimal impacts to 
vegetated wetlands are proposed. No other wetlands or ``special aquatic 
sites'' will be excavated or filled. Approximately 9 acres of uplands 
will be impacted by the proposed development.
    2. Alternatives to the applicant's proposal may exist which would 
reduce the impacts to the Back Bay of Biloxi. These could include 
alternate sites, alternative site 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

[[Page 58460]]

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 December 11, 2001 at the 
D'Iberville City Hall, Council Room, 10383 Automall Parkway, 
D'Iberville, MS beginning at 6:30 p.m.
    5. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for 
public review in spring 2001.

Luz D. Ortiz
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-29150 Filed 11-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-P