[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3170-3171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1650]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Choctaw Point and Monroe Park Development Project, Located 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 Alabama State Port 
Authority's (ASPA) construction of a marine container terminal facility 
and associated intermodal distribution facilities on existing property 
owned by the ASPA in the Choctaw Point and Monroe Park area on Mobile 
Bay in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. 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 DEIS 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 B. McFadyen, Regulatory 
Branch, phone (251) 690-3261 or e-mail at 
[email protected], or 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. The permit applicant (Department of Army 
permit number AL01-0469-U) is proposing to construct container 
terminals, a rail intermodal yard, and distribution warehouses on 
existing property owned by the ASPA in the Choctaw Point and Monroe 
Park area of Mobile Bay, Mobile County, Alabama. The terminals will 
consist of piers, bulkheads, and necessary appurtenances to berth two 
(2) container ships up to 850 feet in length. Each dock will be 
equipped with cranes for loading and unloading containers. These cranes 
will be supported on rails laid on the dock structures. Entrance and 
exit gates and an administrative building will be constructed to 
facilitate the movement of the containers between ship, rail, and 
trucks. In addition to these gates, a grade separation will be provided 
to separate the movement of traffic between the container terminal yard 
and the new rail intermodal yard (to be constructed west of Choctaw 
Point) over the rail tracks to and from McDuffie Island. The 
construction of the container terminals would include about 77 acres of 
filled uplands and 17 acres of filled open water on the Mobile River 
channel. About 3,000 linear feet of bulkhead would be placed along this 
shoreline area. The rail intermodal yard and distribution center would 
be constructed upon about 187 acres of existing uplands along the north 
side of the Garrows Bend Basin. Over 91 acres of the uplands would be 
raised to elevation +12 feet NGVD. The remaining 96 acres of existing 
uplands would possibly require minor excavation and grading to meet 
this desired elevation. Additionally, fill would be placed in 44 acres 
of existing wetlands and 42 acres of existing open water. This fill 
will be placed behind a containment dike.
    2. Alternatives to the applicant's proposal may exist which would 
reduce the impacts to the Choctaw Point and Monroe Park area of Mobile 
Bay. 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, 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

[[Page 3171]]

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, 
recreation, wastewater treatment capacities and discharges, 
transportation systems, alternatives, secondary and cumulative impacts, 
socioeconomic, 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, Alabama Department of Transportation and the City 
of Mobile.
    4. The first scoping meeting will be held in conjunction with the 
DEIS for the restoration of areas adjacent to the Arlington and Garrows 
Bend Channels scoping meeting in February 2002 in the local area. 
Actual time and place for the meeting and subsequent meetings or 
workshops will be announced by the Mobil 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. 02-1650 Filed 1-22-02; 8:45 am]
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