[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 43590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16380]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
L-31N Seepage Management Pilot Project

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

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 
(PPDR) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the L-3IN 
Seepage Management Pilot Project. The project is a cooperative effort 
between the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District 
(SFWMD), which is also a cooperating agency for this DEIS. L-31N is a 
levee-canal system running north-south and is located south of the 
Tamiami Canal in Miami-Dade County. One of the environmentally 
detrimental effects resulting from the construction of the Central and 
South Florida Project is extensive water seepage from Everglades 
National Park (ENP). This project will investigate seepage management 
technologies to control seepage from ENP. The pilot project will 
provide necessary information to determine the appropriate amount of 
wet season groundwater flow to return to ENP while minimizing potential 
impacts to Miami-Dade County's West Wellfield and freshwater flows to 
Biscayne Bay; results of the pilot project will be used in the full-
scale project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning 
Division, Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL, 32232-
0019; Attn: Ms. Janet Cushing or by telephone at 904-232-2259 or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. Authorization: Section 601 of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-541) authorized the 
implementation of the L-31N Pilot Project.
    b. Study Area: The study area is along a portion of L-31N north of 
structure G-211, and the southern portion of L-30 just north of C-4 
(Tamiami Canal), in Miami-Dade County.
    c. Project Scope: The scope is to investigate seepage management 
technologies to control seepage from ENP and use the resulting data in 
the full-scale implementation of the proposed project features along 
the entire length of L-31N. The evaluation of alternatives and 
selection of a recommended plan will be documented in the PPDR and EIS.
    d. Preliminary Alternatives: Technologies to be tested may include 
reducing levee seepage flow across L-31N via a levee cutoff wall and 
reducing groundwater flows during the wet season by capturing the 
groundwater with a series of wells adjacent to L-31N, then back-pumping 
the water to ENP.
    e. Issues: The EIS will address the following issues; the relation 
between this project and related projects including Modified Water 
Deliveries to ENP; impacts to Miami-Dade West Wellfield and Biscayne 
Bay, impacts to aquatic and wetland habitats; water flows; hazardous 
and toxic waste; water quality; flood protection; the impacts of land 
acquisition on the tax base; 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 worksop is scheduled for 
July 2002; more information about the workshop will be in the scoping 
letter.
    g. DEIS Preparation: The integrated draft PPDR, including a DEIS, 
is currently scheduled for publication in November 2004.

    Dated: June 18, 2002.
James C. Duck,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 02-16380 Filed 6-27-02; 8:45 am]
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