[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38075-38076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13688]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Marina del Rey and Ballona Creek 
Sediment Control Management Plan Feasibility Study, Marina del Rey, Los 
Angeles County, CA

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) and the County of Los 
Angeles propose to prepare a sediment control management plan to reduce 
the sedimentation and contamination within Marina del Rey's navigation 
channels that result from Ballona Creek discharges. The Ballona Creek 
sediment control management plan is intended to act as a long-term 
solution to Marina del Rey's contaminated dredged material problem.

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

[[Page 38076]]

532711, Los Angeles, CA, 90053-2325, (213) 452-3840.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Proposed Action: Measures to control sediment discharges from 
Ballona Creek are needed because the Marina del Rey entrance channel 
suffers from sediment accretion, which inhibits navigation and makes 
periodic maintenance dredging necessary. The deposited sediment is 
contaminated with pollutants that originate from the Ballona Creek 
watershed. The elevated contaminant levels in entrance channel 
sediments make the disposal of dredge sediments problematic and 
expensive. The Corps has found it difficult to dredge the south 
entrance channel because of a lack of suitable disposal sites for the 
contaminated material. Because of the difficulty of properly 
maintaining the entrance channel, navigation safety may be threatened. 
Furthermore, resuspension of these sediments during dredging operations 
raises concerns of environmental impacts.
    Control of contaminated sediments from Ballona Creek would help 
alleviate the problem of contaminated sediment dredging in the Marina 
del Rey Harbor entrance channel. A substantial reduction or elimination 
of the need to dispose of contaminated sediments would provide such 
benefits as improved water quality, decrease in maintenance dredging 
costs, and increased beach nourishment from the disposal of clean 
dredged sediments.
    2. Alternatives: Alternatives that may be considered include 
selection of various sediment control measures including in-steam 
sediment basins, construction of a jetty extension, a combined in-steam 
sediment basin and jetty extension, and no-project.
    3. Scoping Process; The Corps and the County of Los Angeles 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 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the project, and the 
County of Los Angeles is the Lead State Agency for compliance with the 
California Environmental Quality Act (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 the respect to CEQA. A formal scoping meeting to solicit public 
comment and concerns on the proposed action and alternatives will be 
held on June 4, 2002, at 10:00 A.M., in the Burton Chace Community 
Center, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, California.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Office.
[FR Doc. 02-13688 Filed 5-30-02; 8:45 am]
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