[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3169-3170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1649]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Environmental Restoration of Areas Adjacent to the Arlington and 
Garrows Bend Channels, Mobile Harbor Federal Navigation Project in 
Mobile County, Alabama.

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

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 removal, 
transportation, disposal, and/or remediation of contaminated sediments 
in and adjacent to the Arlington and the Garrows Bend Channels, Mobile 
Harbor Federal navigation project in Mobile County, Alabama. The DEIS 
will be used as a basis for evaluating various alternative plans to 
implement the authorized clean-up action 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 Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, Coastal 
Environment 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. A number of hydrological modifications 
made in the late 1920s have defined a rigid regime at the head of 
Mobile Bay, which significantly impacts the ecological health of the 
bay ecosystem. Human intervention at the mouth of the Mobile River over 
the last 60 to 70 years resulted in the formation of the Garrows Bend 
Basin. This basin has been the recipient of both urban and industrial 
runoff since the late 1930s. In the 1950s, Garrows Bend became a slack 
water tidal basin as a result of the causeway construction across the 
northern end of the basin linking McDuffie Island with the mainland. 
Major pollutant loading continued until the 1970s when a principle 
source was contained by the installation of an improved sewage 
treatment system; however, historical pollutant residuals and captured 
urban storm water runoff continue to flow into the basin. This resulted 
in water bottoms that, although not contaminated by specific 
concentrated pollutants, exhibit a condition that is not 
environmentally acceptable. To ensure adequate evaluation of cumulative 
impacts resulting from the extent of contaminated sediments and the 
clean-up effort, especially in those areas considered to be sensitive 
from an environmental standpoint, the Mobile District has decided to 
undertake a comprehensive environmental impact analysis of options to 
either remove, transport, dispose, and/or remediate contaminated 
sediments in and adjacent to the Arlington and Garrows Bend Channels. 
The extent of geographical coverage for this environmental analysis 
will include the areas west of the Mobile Ship Channel in the Garrows

[[Page 3170]]

Bend Basin. The analysis process will: evaluate the vertical and 
horizontal extent of contaminated sediments in the region identified in 
the DEIS; identify various alternatives to either remove, transport, 
dispose or remediate contaminated sediments in the area; and evaluate 
the impact of likely environmental enhancement.
    2. Alternative scenarios which may be considered include the ``No 
action'' alternative; removal of contaminated sediments with disposal 
at various locations; capping of the contaminated materials in place; 
and remediation of contaminated sediments by either chemical or 
biological methods.
    3. Scoping:
    a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open 
communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All Federal, 
State, tribal governments 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 alternative restoration methods 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 proposed future 
environmental restoration efforts. Specifically, the following major 
issues will be analyzed in depth in the DEIS: hydrologic and hydraulic 
regimes, threatened and endangered species, essential fish habitat and 
other marine habitat, air quality, cultural resources, storm water 
runoff, secondary and cumulative impacts, socioeconomic impacts, 
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, Alabama Department of 
Environmental Management, Alabama Department of Conservation and 
Natural Resources, Alabama State Port Authority, Alabama State Historic 
Preservation Officer, City of Mobile, and Mobile Bay National Estuary 
Program.
    4. The first scoping meeting will be held in conjunction with a 
public scooping meeting concerning the initiation of an impact analysis 
associated with the Alabama State Port Authority Department of the Army 
permit request for port related development in the Choctaw--Garrows 
Bend area. This meeting will be held in Federal 2002 in the local area. 
Actual time and place for the meeting and subsequent meetings or 
workshops will be announced by the Mobile District by issuance of a 
Public Notice and/or notices in the local media.
    5. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for 
public review in October 2002.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-1649 Filed 1-22-02; 8:45 am]
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