[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 55824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22190]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Federal Flood Control Project for Hunting Bayou, 
Harris County, TX

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action to be addressed in the Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) is the reformulation and 
implementation of a new flood damage reduction plan for the Hunting 
Bayou Watershed. The project plan reformulation includes a re-analysis 
of all engineering, economic, and environmental aspects using 
Department of the Army criteria and guidelines, as well as local 
engineering and analytical criteria. These studies are being conducted 
by the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the local sponsor, 
in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as 
authorized by Section 211 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 
of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-303).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and draft SEIS can be answered by Mr. Enrique Villagomez at (409) 766-
3173 or by mail at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 1229, 
Galveston, TX 77553-1229.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Purpose and Need for Action--An authorized plan (authorized as 
part of WRDA 1990) exists to resolve many of the flooding problems 
along the bayou; however, the local sponsor (HCFCD) no longer supports 
the previously authorized plan because of the magnitude of the impacts 
identified adjacent to the channel through Herman Brown Park and 
downstream. HCFCD believes less intrusive options are available that 
can selectively address the critical areas of flooding. The purpose of 
the proposed action is to develop an alternative flood damage reduction 
plan to the plan authorized in WRDA 1990. The need for the proposed 
action is to reduce flooding along Hunting Bayou in a manner that is 
less disruptive to the existing environment versus the authorized plan 
adjacent to the channel through Herman Brown Park and downstream; that 
is effective, affordable, and sensitive to the aesthetics of the area; 
and that is compatible with parks located along the bayou.
    2. Alternatives--The draft SEIS will address a combination of 
alternative flood reduction plans, including structural and non-
structural measures, and the no action alternative. Mitigation measures 
for any significant adverse effects on the environment will be 
identified and incorporated into the alternatives in compliance with 
various federal and state statutes.
    3. Scoping--A public scoping meeting was held on June 11, 1998, at 
the Houston Public Library, Kashmere Gardens Branch. The announcement 
for the scoping meeting was published in the Houston Chronicle on May 
12 and 27, 1998. Meeting notices were also mailed to 74 elected 
officials, government agencies, local organizations, civic groups, the 
media, businesses, and interested citizens. The purpose of the meeting 
was to invite and encourage members of the public and jurisdictional 
government agencies to aid in determining the scope of significant 
issues to be examined in the proposed SEIS for reformulation of the 
flood damage reduction plans for the Hunting Bayou Watershed.
    4. Public Involvement During the Project Planning Process--In 
addition to the scoping process, several public information meetings 
have been held to keep the public updated on the studies progress. 
These meetings consisted of a presentation by HCFCD updating the 
various activities or plans being considered followed by a question and 
answer period.
    5. Issues that will be addressed in the draft SEIS include 
potential effects on vegetation and wildlife, water quality, air 
quality, socioeconomic resources, physical resources, and cultural 
resources. Other issues may include soils, topography, noise, 
aesthetics, and recreation.
    6. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide the Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act Report.
    7. A 45-day review period will be allowed for all interested 
agencies and individuals to review and comment on the draft SEIS. All 
interested persons are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide 
a current address if they wish to be contacted about the draft SEIS.
    8. Availability--The draft SEIS is scheduled to be available for 
public review in December 2002.

Carolyn E. Murphy,
Chief, Environmental Section.
[FR Doc. 02-22190 Filed 8-29-02; 8:45 am]
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