[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 3 (Friday, January 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 569-570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-129]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Sand and 
Gravel Dredging on the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, Pennsylvania

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

[[Page 570]]


ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District (Corps), 
will prepare and circulate a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and 40 CFR 1500 
through 1508. The overall purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the 
environmental, economic, and social consequences related to the 
issuance of Section 10 and 404 Permits for Commercial Sand and Gravel 
Dredging in the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers in Pennsylvania. The action 
area studied includes River Miles 0 to 69.5 on the Allegheny River and 
River Miles 0 to 40 on the Ohio River. The Corps and Pennsylvania 
Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) issue permits for 
commercial dredging activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please address questions or comments 
regarding this notice to Mr. Albert H. Rogalla, CELRP-OR-F, Pittsburgh 
District, Corps of Engineers, William S. Moorhead Federal Building, 
1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186. Submit electronic 
comments to [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. The commercial dredging companies seek 
extensions of their Corps Dredging Permits and PADEP Water Obstruction 
and Encroachment Permits, and PADEP Sand and Gravel License Agreements. 
These permits may be issued, suspended or modified pending completion 
of the NEPA process.
    b. The purpose of this action is the issuance of permits to extract 
sand and gravel from the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers for commercial sale. 
This material supports diverse infrastructure and construction 
requirements for a variety of customers in the region.
    c. Alternatives to be assessed are the complete cessation of 
commercial river dredging within the study area following denial of 
permit extensions and the expiration of existing permits held by the 
applicants; obtaining sand and gravel from the Allegheny and Ohio 
Rivers by commercial dredging by granting and extending the Department 
of the Army Section 10 and 404 permits to commercial sand and gravel 
companies for the removal of sand and gravel between river miles 0-69.5 
on the Allegheny River and between river miles 0-40 on the Ohio River; 
and using land-based operations or importation of sand and gravel from 
other locations to meet the regional need for this material, implying 
complete cessation of commercial river dredging (other than for 
navigational purposes) and denial to extend existing permits held by 
the applicants.
    d. The Corps has held numerous Stakeholder meetings between 1996 
and 2000 in which the scope and direction of the study were discussed. 
State agencies; federal agencies; a public interest organization; and 
sand and gravel companies directly impacted by the permit request 
participated in these discussions.
    e. Interested parties are encouraged to send written or electronic 
comments concerning issues to be addressed, required studies, 
alternatives, procedures or other related matters or requests for 
information regarding the proposed study process to the point-of-
contact above. All comments and information requests should be 
postmarked no later than 30 days after this Notice of Intent is 
published in the Federal Register.
    f. The EIS will assess the impacts of sand and gravel dredging on 
various ecological resources including aquatic resources (fish, 
mussels, threatened and endangered species, and water quality), 
hydrology, noise, and cultural resources.
    g. Appendix B, 33 CFR Part 325, provides that the Corps District 
Engineer may require the Permit Applicant and/or his/her consultant to 
provide relevant information for the Corps use in preparing an EIS. The 
applicants are collecting information to provide to the Corps. Prior to 
preparation of the Draft EIS, however, the Corps is required to solicit 
public input into the process.
    h. The Corps will schedule a public hearing after the Draft EIS is 
issued.
    i. The Draft EIS is expected to be available to the public no later 
than June 2002.

Raymond K. Scrocco,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 02-129 Filed 1-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3701-85-M