[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38077-38078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13687]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Hillsboro Aquifer Storage & Recovery Pilot Project adjacent to the 
Hillsboro Canal, Palm Beach County, FL

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps), intends to prepare an integrated Pilot Project Design Report 
and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Hillsboro 
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Pilot 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 Hillsboro ASR Pilot Project. This project will determine the 
feasibility of using ASR technology for water storage, and the capacity 
and treatment capabilities of the impoundment and horizontal wells. It 
will also collect scientific data to address the uncertainties 
associated with the ASR technology and for future optimization and 
design studies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rebecca Weiss, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Planning Division, Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, 
Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019, or by telephone at 904-899-5025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. Authorization: Section 101(a)(16) of the 
Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (WRDA 1999) (Pub. L. 106-53) 
authorized construction of the two pilot projects, Lake Okeechobee 
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and Hillsboro ASR. Although these 
two pilot projects were authorized separate from the Central and 
Southern Florida Project, they are also integral elements of the 
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) as authorized in Title 
VI or WRDA 2000 (Pub. L. 105-541, Section 601). Therefore, these two 
projects were included in the CERP Design Agreement between the USACE 
and the local sponsor, the South Florida Water Management District 
(SFWMD) and required design studies are now proceeding.
    b. Project Scope: The Pilot project will determine the feasibility 
of ASR technology for water storage at the site, the water quality 
characteristics of source waters, native subsurface waters and 
recovered waters and appropriate water treatment requirements, the 
efficiency of horizontal collection wells technology, and recommend 
operational goals for a full scale ASR project at the Hillsboro site. 
The pilot project includes the construction of 3 ASR wells into the 
upper Floridian Aquifer with design capacities of 5 million gallons a 
day per well, a 50-acre impoundment structure with a subsurface 
horizontal well seepage and groundwater collection system, pre-
injection and post recovery water treatment facilities, and other 
associated piping, treatment systems, and monitoring wells between the 
surface collection and discharge sites.
    Operational plans for the test pilot are to collect surface water 
from horizontal wells under the 50-acre impoundment, treat collected 
water to drinking water standards, and inject water into the

[[Page 38078]]

Floridan Aquifer System for a minimum of two cycle tests. Each cycle 
test includes a period of water storage followed by a period of 
recovery and discharge. Recovered water will be monitored and treated, 
if needed, to insure compliance with appropriate water quality 
standards prior to discharge into surface water or canal.
    c. Preliminary Alternatives: Formulation of alternative plans will 
involve the selection of the most suitable site for the ASR wells, 
impoundment depth and configuration, collection well configuration, 
water treatment technologies, investigation of intake and discharge 
sites, and investigation of best configuration of surface facilities of 
the project.
    The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluation of the pilot 
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 technologic performance measures.
    d. Issues: The EIS will consider impacts on water quality, 
ecosystem habitat, threatened and endangered species, health and 
safety, aesthetics and recreation, fish and wildlife resources, 
cultural resources, water availability, flood protection, and other 
potential impacts identified through scoping, public involvement, and 
interagency coordination.
    e. Scoping: Initial project scoping began in January 2001 at a 
public meeting in Palm Beach County. Additional workshops have been 
held in West Palm Beach on January 2002 to identify additional public 
concerns related to ASR and regional implementation. A scoping letter 
will be issued in May 2002 to interested parties. In addition, all 
parties are invited to participate in the scoping process by 
identifying any additional concerns on issues, studies needed, 
alternatives, procedures, and other matters related to the scoping 
process. At this time, there is no plan for a public scoping meeting.
    f. Public Involvement: We invite the participation of affected 
Federal, state and local agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other 
interested private organizations and parties.
    g. Coordination: The proposed action is being coordinated with the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries 
Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, with the FWS 
under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and with the State 
Historic Preservation Officer.
    h. Other Environmental Review and Consultation: The proposed action 
would involve evaluation for compliance with guidelines pursuant to 
Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act; application (to the State of 
Florida) for Water Quality Certification pursuant to Section 401 of the 
Clean Water Act; certification of state lands, easements and right of 
ways, and determination of Coastal Zone Management Act consistency.
    i. Agency Role: As cooperation agency, non-Federal sponsor, and 
leading local expert, SFWMD will provide information and assistance on 
the resources to be impacted and alternatives.
    j. DEIS Preparation: The integrated Pilot Project Design Report, 
including a DEIS, is currently estimated for publication in June 2003.

    Dated: May 15, 2002.
James C. Duck,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 02-13687 Filed 5-30-02; 8:45 am]
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