[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 213 (Thursday, November 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64280-64281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24639]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Port of Los 
Angeles Channel Deepening Project Additional Disposal Capacity; Los 
Angeles County, CA

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

[[Page 64281]]


ACTION: Notice of intent/notice of preparation.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is currently 
constructing the Channel Deepening Project. Disposal sites developed 
for the Channel Deepening Project have proven to be inadequate to 
provide disposal capacity for all sediments that require removal as 
part of the Channel Deepening Project. In addition, as identified in 
the project Feasibility Study, various berths located throughout the 
Port of Los Angeles (POLA) require dredging in order to accommodate 
deeper draft vessels that the Channel Deepening Project will allow to 
navigate the Main Channel.

DATES: A formal scoping meeting to solicit public comment and concerns 
on the proposed action and alternatives will be held on November 30, 
2004, at 6 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting location is in the Bannings Landing Community 
Center; 100 East Water Street; Wilmington, CA 90748. Telephone: (310) 
522-2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Mr. 
Larry Smith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, CESPL-
PD-RN, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325; phone (213) 452-
3846; or E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Authorization: The study was authorized by the Water Resources 
Development Act of 2000.
    2. Background: The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/
Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) supplements the 
Port of Los Angeles Channel Deepening Project SEIS/SEIR (SEPT 2000) 
that supplemented the Deep Draft Navigation Improvements, Los Angeles 
and Long Beach Harbors, San Pedro Bay, California Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEPT 1992) and the Channel 
Deepening Project Port of Los Angeles Environmental Impact Report (JAN 
1998).
    3. Proposed Action: The Corps is currently constructing the Channel 
Deepening Project. Disposal sites developed for the Channel Deepening 
Project have proven to be inadequate to provide disposal capacity for 
all sediments that require removal as part of the Channel Deepening 
Project. In addition, as identified in the project Feasibility Study, 
various berths located throughout the POLA require dredging in order to 
accommodate deeper draft vessels that the Channel Deepening Project 
will allow to navigate the Main Channel. The following plan has been 
identified to provide additional disposal capacity and to mitigate 
impacts: (1) Expand the Pier 300 expansion site by up to 40 acres; (2) 
mitigate for loss of eelgrass by building an eelgrass restoration site 
of approximately 20 acres in the Seaplane Lagoon or Seaplane Anchorage; 
(3) expand the Cabrillo Shallow Water Habitat by approximately 35 acres 
to mitigate for loss of shallow water habitat; (4) cap the Consolidated 
Slip; and (5) construct a 15-acre land area within the existing 
Cabrillo shallow water habitat at the San Pedro Breakwater for future 
use as a migratory bird nesting area.
    4. Alternatives: Alternative disposal sites being considered are: 
(1) No action; (2) offshore disposal at LA-2 of suitable fine-grained 
materials that have no beneficial use; (3) disposal in the Pier 400 
submerged material storage site reducing water depth from--15' MLLW to-
12' MLLW; (4) disposal in the Pier 400 submerged material storage site 
creating up to 40 acres of new land; (5) fill two existing slips at 
Berths 243-245; (6) disposal in the West Channel from an existing depth 
of--30 to-35' MLLW to-15' MLLW or (7) fill the northwest slip located 
in the West Basin between Berths 129-136. A combination of sites may be 
selected based on dredge material volume, and potential impacts from 
the use of each disposal site. The proposed plan, viable project 
alternatives, and the ``no action'' plan will be carried forward for 
detailed analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, as amended) and the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 (Public Resources Code, 
Sections 21000-21177).
    5. Scoping Process: a. Potential impacts associated with the 
proposed action will be fully evaluated. Resource categories that will 
be analyzed are: Biology, air quality, water quality, cultural 
resources, land use, geology, recreational, aesthetics, ground and 
vessel transportation, noise, public health and safety, and utilities.
    b. The Corps and the POLA are preparing a joint SEIS/SEIR to 
address potential impacts associated with the proposed project. The 
Corps is the Lead Federal Agency for compliance with NEPA for the 
project, and the POLA is the Lead State Agency for compliance with the 
CEQA for the non-Federal aspects of the project. The Draft SEIS/SEIR 
(DSEIS/SEIR) document will incorporate public concerns in the analysis 
of impacts associated with the Proposed Action and associated project 
alternatives. The DSEIS/SEIR 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 SEIS/SEIR 
(FSEIS/SEIR) will address the comments received on the DSEIS/SEIR 
during public review, and will be furnished to all who commented on the 
DSEIS/SEIR, and is made available to anyone that requests a copy during 
the 30-day public comment period. The final step involves, for the 
federal SEIS, preparing a Record of Decision (ROD) and, for the state 
SEIR, certifying the SEIR 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 FSEIS/SEIR. The 
ROD can be published immediately after the FSEIS public comment period 
ends. A certified SEIR indicates that the environmental document 
adequately assesses the environmental impacts of the proposed project 
with respect to CEQA.
    c. The public, as well as Federal, State, and local agencies are 
encouraged to participate in the scoping process by attending the 
scoping meeting and/or submitting data, information, and comments 
identifying relevant environmental and socioeconomic issues to be 
addressed in the environmental analysis. Useful information includes 
other environmental studies, published and unpublished data, historical 
photos of the area, alternatives that should be addressed in the 
analysis, and potential environmental enhancement and restoration 
opportunities that exist along the Main Channel and San Pedro Bay. 
Individuals and agencies may offer information or data relevant to the 
proposed study and provide comments by attending the public scoping 
meeting, or by mailing the information to Mr. Larry Smith before 
December 13, 2004. Requests to be placed on the mailing list for 
announcements and the DSEIS/SEIR should also be sent to Mr. Larry 
Smith.

    Dated: October 28, 2004.
John V. Guenther,
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, Acting District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 04-24639 Filed 11-3-04; 8:45 am]
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