[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 1452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-770]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Ventura Harbor Sand Bypass System 
and Regional Beneficial Reuse Feasibility Study, Ventura, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Corps and the Ventura Port District propose to evaluate a 
sand bypassing system and other measures to improve maintenance of 
Federal harbors in the Ventura/Santa Barbara County area for more 
efficient operations and beneficial uses of the dredged material for 
storm damage protection and environmental restoration and enhancement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the scoping 
process or preparation of the EIS/EIR may be directed to Mr. Paul Rose, 
Chief, Environmental Resources Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, California, 90053-2325, (213) 452-3840.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

    For the Sand Bypassing component of the study, the purpose of the 
report shall focus on the alternatives for the sand bypassing system 
needed for accommodating the annual required dredge volume.
    For the Regional Beneficial Use component, the purpose is to 
provide beneficial uses of the material for the Ventura County region 
for a proposed sand bypassing system at Ventura Harbor, California. The 
report shall be based on the Ventura Harbor Sand Bypass Regional 
Beneficial Uses Reconnaissance Report (Los Angeles District, 1997), to 
modify the existing federal navigation project for the purpose of 
providing regional uses of the dredged material for storm damage 
protection, environmental restoration and enhancement, and other 
beneficial uses.
    Ventura Harbor is a small craft commercial and recreational harbor 
located approximately one hundred (100) kilometers northwest of the 
City of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles District currently maintains 
navigable channels by dredging an entrance channel and several sand 
traps outside of the harbor. The two (2) primary sand traps have a 
total capacity of approximately 640,000 m\3\ and are located at the 
seaward end of the entrance channel and adjacent to the upcoast side of 
the North Jetty. Presently the Los Angeles District maintenance project 
is designed to dredge every two (2) years at an estimated dredge 
quantity of 615,000 m\3\ per episode. Due to annual budgetary 
constraints, the Los Angeles District, in practice, maintains the 
entrance channel and sand traps on a yearly basis, removing on the 
average approximately 535,000 m\3\ of sand per dredging episode. Fiscal 
year 2000 dredging resulted in the removal of approximately 140,000 
m\3\ from the navigation channel and channel trap, and approximately 
320,000 m\3\ from sand trap adjacent to the North Jetty. The dredged 
sands have historically been placed directly onto McGrath State Beach, 
in the nearshore environment adjacent to McGrath State Beach, directly 
onto South Beach, or, on a few occasions, onto the upcoast groin field 
cell.

2. Alternatives

    Alternatives that may be considered include selection of various 
disposal sites as well as various sites and dredging methodologies for 
the dredging side of the bypass system, continued use of periodic 
dredging with beach/nearshore disposal, and no-project.

3. Scoping Process

    The Corps and the Ventura Port District are preparing a joint 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to 
address potential impacts associated with the proposed project. The 
Corps is the Lead Federal Agency for compliance with NEPA for the 
project, and the Ventura Port District is the Lead State Agency for 
compliance with the CEQA for the non-Federal aspects of the project. 
The Draft EIS/EIR (DEIS/EIR) document will incorporate public concerns 
in the analysis of impacts associated with the Proposed Action and 
associated project alternatives. The DEIS/EIR will be sent out for a 
45-day public review period, during which time both written and verbal 
comments will be solicited on the adequacy of the document. The Final 
EIS/EIR (FEIS/EIR) will address the comments received on the DEIS/EIR 
during public review, and will be furnished to all who commented on the 
DEIS/EIR, and is made available to anyone that requests a copy during 
the 30-day public comment period. The final step involves, for the 
federal EIS, preparing a Record of Decision (ROD) and, for the state 
EIR, certifying the EIR and adopting a Mitigation Monitoring and 
Reporting Plan. The ROD is a concise summary of the decisions made by 
the Corps from among the alternatives presented in the FEIS/EIR. The 
ROD can be published immediately after the FEIS public comment period 
ends. A certified EIR indicates that the environmental document 
adequately assesses the environmental impacts of the proposed project 
with respect to CEQA. A formal scoping meeting to solicit public 
comment and concerns on the proposed action and alternatives will be 
held on January 8, 2002, at 6:00 P.M., in the Channel Islands National 
Park Visitor Center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, California.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-770 Filed 1-10-02; 8:45 am]
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