[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47299-47300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20265]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Raritan and Sandy Hook Bay, Combined Erosion and Storm Damage Reduction 
Project, Borough of Highlands, Monmouth County, NJ

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps) is preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to 
ascertain compliance with and to lead to the production of a National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document in accordance with the 
President's Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) rules and 
regulations, as defined and amended in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, Corps' 
principals and guidelines as defined in Engineering Regulation (ER) 
200-2-2, ER 1105-2-100, and other applicable Federal and State 
environmental laws for the proposed erosion control and storm reduction 
efforts in the Borough of Highlands in Monmouth County, NJ.
    The Borough of Highlands is located in the northeastern section of 
Monmouth County and is bounded on the north by Sandy Hook Bay and on 
the east by the Shrewsbury River. The project study area consists of 
approximately \1/3\ of a square mile of densely developed marine, 
commercial, and residential buildings at the eastern terminus, and 
extends westward approximately 11,000 feet, bounded by Sandy Hook Bay 
to the south and NJ State Route 36 to the north.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Howard Ruben, Environmental 
Analyst, Planning Division, Environmental Analysis Branch, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, New York District, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 
10278-0090, at 212-264-0206 or at [email protected]. Written

[[Page 47300]]

comments are to be provided to Mr. Ruben.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The Combined Erosion Control and Storm Damage Prevention Pre-
Feasibility Study for the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, NJ, including 
the Borough of Highlands, was authorized by a resolution of the 
Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the U.S. House of 
Representatives adopted August 1, 1990, which states the following: 
``Resolved by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the 
United States House of Representatives, that, the Board of Engineers 
for Rivers and Harbors is requested to review the report of the Chief 
of Engineers on Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey, published 
as House Document No. 464, Eighty-seventh Congress, Second Session, and 
other pertinent reports, to determine the advisability of modifications 
to the recommendations contained therein to provide erosion control and 
storm damage prevention for the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay.'' The 
Water Resources Development Act of 1966 reauthorized the project, 
including uncompleted construction.
    2. The previously authorized Federal project for Raritan Bay and 
Sandy Hook Bay, NJ, was authorized by the Flood Control Act of October 
12, 1962, in accordance with House Document No. 464, Eighty-seventh 
Congress, Second Session. While this project resulted in construction 
of shore protection improvements within certain municipalities, 
improvements in Highlands were not considered economically feasible and 
therefore not recommended. It was noted in the 1962 study that 
Highlands is subject to severe damage from tidal flooding and that the 
problem would be further considered for development of an economically 
feasible plan. The area of Highlands was again addressed in the Raritan 
Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey, Combined Flood Control and Shore 
Protection Reconnaissance Study Report, dated March 1993. This 
reconnaissance report covered municipalities extending westward from 
Highlands to South Amboy with concentration on Port Monmouth for which 
a specific plan of improvement was identified. Report findings 
concluded that, within the study area, shoreline protection and flood 
control projects in Highlands and five other communities appeared to be 
economically viable and were recommended to go forward with further 
studies. This was determined indirectly through means of a planning 
evaluation matrix that compared Port Monmouth criteria to damage 
mechanism and potential damage reduction benefits.
    3. Two types of environmental analyses will be conducted; impacts 
associated with structural storm damage reduction improvements and 
analyses required for mitigation planning purposes.
    4. Public scoping meetings are expected to be scheduled in 
September 2003. The meetings will be held in Monmouth County at 
locations not yet determined. Public notices identifying the location, 
date, and time for the meetings will be announced in local area 
newspapers. Results from the public scoping meetings with the District 
and Federal, State, and local agency coordination will be addressed in 
the scoping document. Parties interested in receiving notices of public 
scoping meetings or copies of the scoping document should contact Mr. 
Ruben at the above address.
    5. Federal agencies interested in participating as a Cooperating 
Agency are requested to submit a letter of intent to Colonel John B. 
O'Dowd, District Engineer, at the above address.
    6. Estimated Date of DEIS Availability: February 2005.

Leonard Houston,
Chief, Environmental Analysis Branch.
[FR Doc. 03-20265 Filed 8-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-06-M