[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36577-36578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13043]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
ACME Basin B Discharge Project

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Jacksonville 
District intends to prepare an integrated Project Implementation 
Report/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PIR/DEIS) for the ACME 
Basin B Discharge Project. The study is a cooperative effort between 
the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), 
which is also a cooperating agency for this DEIS. One of the 
recommendations of the final report of the Central & South Florida 
(C&SF) Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy) was the implementation of 
Other Project Elements (OPE) including the ACME Basin B Discharge 
Project. This project is intended to provide water quality treatment 
and possible temporary storage of stormwater for the Acme basin within 
the Village of Wellington prior to discharge to the Arthur R. Marshall 
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Excess water may be used to meet 
water supply demands in central and southern Palm Beach County. This 
project is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration 
Plan, a multi-year effort to restore the greater Everglades ecosystem 
while providing water supply and other water-related benefits to South 
Florida over many decades.

[[Page 36578]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brad Tarr, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Planning Division, Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, 
Jacksonville, FL, 32232-0019, by email [email protected], 
or by telephone at 904-232-3582.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Authorization: The authority for this project is contained 
within the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2000. The ``Design 
Agreement between the Department of the Army and the SFWMD for the 
Design of Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the Everglades and 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Project'' contains additional 
guidance.
    b. Study Area: The study are, including the wetland and/or chemical 
treatment area and/or storage impoundment area, includes the entire 
8,680-acre Acme Basin B, located adjacent to the Loxahatchee National 
Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County.
    c. Project Scope. The Acme Bsasin B project may include the 
construction of a wetland or chemical treatment area and a storage 
reservoir adjacent to the Refuge located in Palm Beach County. The 
final size, depth and configuration of these facilities will be 
determined through more detailed planning and design.
    The purpose of this feature is to provide water quality treatment 
and possible stormwater attenuation for runoff from Acme Basin B prior 
to discharge to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife 
Refuge or an alternative location. In the event that excess water 
(above the amount needed by the natural system) is available, an 
alternative discharge location will be determined.
    The study will evaluate alternatives based on their ability to 
improve water deliveries to the natural system, manage agricultural and 
urban water supplies, protect and conserve water resources, protect or 
restore fish and wildlife and their associated habitat, restore and 
manage wetland and associated upland ecosystems, sustain economic and 
natural resources, improve water quality, and other performance 
criteria being developed by the Project Delivery Team.
    d. Preliminary Alternatives: Formulation of alternative plans will 
involve the selection of the most suitable size, depth, and 
configuration of facilities through detailed planning and design.
    The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluation of the project 
will include an evaluation of adverse environmental impacts, including 
but not limited to, water quality, socio-economic, archaeological and 
biological. In addition to adverse impacts, the evaluation will also 
focus on how well the plans perform with regard to specific performance 
measures.
    e. Issues: The EIS will address the impacts of pumping stormwater 
runoff from ACME Basin B into a wetland treatment area, then into a 
storage reservoir prior to discharging into the Loxahatchee National 
Wildlife Refuge. If water quality treatment criteria is not met then 
water will be discharged into one of two alternative locations: the 
Palm Beach County Agricultural Reserve Reservoir or the combination 
above ground and in-ground reservoir area located adjacent to the L-8 
Borrow Canal and north of the C-51 Canal.
    The EIS will also address environmental issues, water quality; 
impacts to the estuaries; flood protection; aesthetics and recreation; 
fish and wildlife resources, including protected species; cultural 
resources; and other impacts identified through scoping, public 
involvement, and interagency coordination.
    f. Scoping: A scoping letter and public workshops will be used to 
invite comments on alternatives and issues from federal, State, and 
local agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and individuals. The next public workshop is scheduled 
for 22 May 2002; at the South Florida Water Management District 
headquarter, located at 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida. 
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m.
    Other public meetings will be held over the course of the study; 
the exact location, dates, and times will be announced in public 
notices and local newspapers.
    g. DEIS Preparation: The integrated draft PIR, which will include a 
DEIS, is currently scheduled for publication in May 2003.

    Dated: May 8, 2002.
George M. Strain,
Acting Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 02-13043 Filed 5-23-02; 8:45 am]
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