[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 74 (Thursday, April 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18970-18971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9467]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Coastal Storm Damage Reduction, Barrow, AK

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 Engineer District, Alaska, intends to prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the construction of 
coastal storm damage reduction measures at

[[Page 18971]]

Barrow, AK. The city of Barrow is an isolated community on the Arctic 
Ocean at the northern tip of Alaska. Barrow is the economic center for 
the North Slope Borough with a population of 4,400 residents, the 
majority of which are Inupiat Eskimo. The community infrastructure at 
risk from storm damage, shoreline erosion, and flooding consists of 
roads, a utilidor, a sewage lagoon, and a landfill site.
    The utilidor stretches more than 3 miles and contains sewage, 
water, and power lines, and communication facilities for the community. 
Beach erosion threatens over 1 mile of the utilidor and a low-lying 
beach road that separates Barrow's sewage lagoon and an old landfill 
from the sea.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lizette Boyer (907) 753-2637, Alaska 
District, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Environmental Resources Section 
(CEPOA-EN-CW-ER), P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-6898. E-mail: 
[email protected]army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS will consider alternatives 
including the placement of sands and gravels suitable for beach 
nourishment along approximately 5 miles of beach, elevation of coastal 
roadways, and other structural and non-structural alternatives 
identified during scoping. The initial nourishment would require a 
large quantity of material. Viable borrow sources have not been 
identified. However, nearby Elson Lagoon could have suitable material 
and will be investigated as a borrow alternative. Excavation of borrow 
material from Elson Lagoon may have a dual purpose of creating a needed 
navigation channel for lightering barges and harboring local boats. 
Other borrow alternatives will be investigated.
    Issues: Construction and gravel extraction for beach nourishment 
and other alternatives could affect protected wildlife. One of the 
structural constraints in developing storm damage reduction measures 
for Barrow is the need to identify an adequate source of sand and 
gravel (about 4 million cubic yards) within an economic transport range 
of the project site. The DEIS will consider the needs of the community 
to protect their infrastructure and the need to avoid significant 
adverse impacts to critical arctic environmental and traditional 
subsistence activities. The Barrow area is one of the remaining areas 
in Alaska where the threatened Steller's eider and spectacled eider sea 
ducks are known to nest. Elson Lagoon is highly productive for fish and 
waterfowl. Polar bears, seals, walruses, and beluga and bowhead whales 
are found in near shore waters at different times of the year. One 
known archeological site is along Elson Lagoon, but the Chukchi Seas 
coastline has many archeological artifacts that continue to be 
uncovered. The DEIS will consider impacts to marine intertidal and 
subtidal communities, fish and wildlife, wetlands, threatened and 
endangered species, essential fish habitat, water quality, cultural 
resources, socio-economic resources, justifiable and practicable 
mitigation, and other resources and concerns identified through 
scoping, public involvement, and interagency coordination.
    Scoping: A copy of this notice and additional public information 
will be sent to interested parties to initiate scoping. All parties are 
invited to participate in the scoping process by identifying any 
additional concerns, issues, studies, and alternatives that should be 
considered. A scoping meeting will be held in June 2003 in Barrow, 
Alaska, at a place and time to be announced. The DEIS is estimated for 
release in spring 2007.

Guy R. McConnell,
Chief, Environmental Resources Section.
[FR Doc. 03-9467 Filed 4-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-NL-M