[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 7353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3587]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Dredged Material Management Plan 
Feasibility Study, Los Angeles County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Port of Los 
Angeles, the City of Long Beach, and the County of Los Angeles propose 
to evaluate options for managing dredge materials in Los Angeles 
County.

DATES: A scoping meeting will be held on February 26, 2003, from 6:30 
to 8:30 p.m. at the Cesar Chavez Communitiy Center located at 401 
Golden Avenue in Long Beach, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the scoping 
process or preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) may be directed to Mr. Paul Rose, 
Chief, Environmental Resources Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA, 90053-2325, (213) 452-3840.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Proposed Action: The Corps estimates that, within the Los 
Angeles Region, approximately 5 million cubic meters (m\3\) of 
sediments deemed suitable for ocean disposal and 2.5 million m\3\ of 
sediments deemed unsuitable for ocean disposal will need to be dredged 
from the Ports and Harbors of Los Angeles County over the next 10 
years. However, there is currently a lack of readily available disposal 
options for the unsuitable sediments. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
L.A. District has determined that there is a federal interest to 
participate in a detailed feasibility study to develop a regional 
dredged material management plan.
    2. Alternatives: Alternatives that may be considered include: no 
action, upland disposal, aquatic capping, near shore confined disposal 
facility (California Department of Fish and Game), shallow water 
habitat creation, chemical stabilization, washing, blending, physical 
separation, thermal desorption, construction fill, landfill daily 
cover, reclamation fill, oil well injections, and geotextile 
encapsulation. These alternatives, and any additional, reasonable, 
alternatives recommended through the public scoping process, will be 
evaluated by the Corps of Engineers.
    3. Scoping Process: The Corps, the Port of Los Angeles, the City of 
Long Beach, and the County of Los Angeles are preparing a joint 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 
steps 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 respect to CEQA. A formal scoping meeting to solicit public 
comment and concerns on the proposed action and alternatives will be 
held on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 (see DATES).

    Dated: January 31, 2003.
Richard G. Thompson,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 03-3587 Filed 2-12-03; 8:45 am]
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