[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 24 (Monday, February 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6423-6424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2265]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for an Environmental Dredging Project on the Mahoning River 
in Ohio

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

[[Page 6424]]

1969, as amended, the Pittsburgh District (District), U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, intends to develop a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).
    The Draft EIS will consider Federal actions associated with the 
District's proposal to restore the aquatic ecosystem of the lower 
Mahoning River in Ohio through (1) Dredging contaminated sediments 
lining the river; (2) bioremediating sediments in the bank and river 
where applicable; (3) capping contaminants in the bank; and (4) 
removing low-head dams along the river; or a combination of all four 
actions. The lower Mahoning River's ecosystem has been severely 
impacted by contamination from industries that once lined the valley 
and by several low-head dams that disrupt the river's natural 
hydrology. The proposed project will improve the lower Mahoning River's 
ecosystem to a level found at a model reach located just upstream of 
the project area.

ADDRESSES: Submit questions or comments regarding the environmental 
dredging project to Mr. Curtis N. Meeder, Chief, Planning and 
Environmental Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mahoning 
Environmental Dredging Project, 1000 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 
15222-4186, telephone (412) 395-7228 or e-mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments regarding this 
notice can be directed to Mr. Larry Moskovitz, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186, Telephone: 
(412) 395-7205, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The District is evaluating alternative 
strategies to restore, through environmental dredging, 31 miles of the 
lower Mahoning River that extends from Warren, Ohio to the 
Pennsylvania-Ohio state line. Through this project reach, the Mahoning 
River is considered a navigable waterway of the United States. The 
river sediment was contaminated from the heavy industrial use of the 
Mahoning River Valley through the early and mid 20th Century. Low head 
dams were constructed at that time to assure water supplies needed by 
industry. These dams have significantly altered the natural riverine 
habitat, and sediments in the river's bottom and banks were 
contaminated by decades of unregulated industrial waste disposal. The 
sediment contamination has severely impacted the aquatic life in this 
river and has led the Ohio Department of Health to issue two advisories 
against recreation on the Mahoning River from Warren, Ohio to the 
Pennsylvania state line, one limiting fish consumption due to elevated 
levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs) and another 
advising against coming in contact with sediments due to elevated 
levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). At the end of the 20th 
Century, many of the industrial facilities along the Mahoning River 
closed down, and the remaining companies improved their wastewater 
treatment facilities resulting in a marked improvement in river water 
quality. Despite this improvement, recent studies of the lower Mahoning 
River's ecosystem [including the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 
(OEPA's) 1994 Water Quality Study] suggest that the ecology of the 
Mahoning River will not be restored unless the contaminated sediments 
are removed, remediated, or capped and some or all of the dams are 
removed.
    The project is being undertaken pursuant to the authority of 
Section 312 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1990 (Pub. 
L. 101-640), as amended by Section 205 of the WRDA of 1996 (Pub. L. 
104-303) and Section 224 of the WRDA of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-53). Section 
312 provides for the removal (dredging) of contaminated sediments 
within navigable waters for the purpose of ecosystem restoration and 
specifically identifies the Mahoning River in Ohio and Pennsylvania, 
due to the severity of contamination, as one of five rivers in the 
nation given top priority for removal and remediation of contaminated 
sediments. The District will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement assessing the environmental impacts of the recommended and 
alternative plans.
    Proposed Action: The Mahoning Environmental Dredging Project is 
designed to restore the ecosystem of the Mahoning River by removing 
contaminated sediment and low-head dams throughout a 31-mile stretch of 
the river (from Warren, Ohio to the Ohio-Pennsylvania border).
    The Proposed Action involves removing contaminated sediments from 
the river utilizing mechanical or hydraulic dredging techniques and 
disposing of the material in an approved manner. Contaminated sediment 
located in the banks may be treated through hydraulic dredging, 
bioremediation, capping, or a combination of these three actions. Low-
head dams that are no longer being used for water supply will be 
considered for removal.
    Reasonable Alternatives: The District will evaluate a Future 
Without Project (No Action) Alternative and Future With Project 
Alternatives. The exact nature and extent of the alternatives will be 
determined as part of the preparation of the Draft EIS. To facilitate 
scoping of the environmental effects of the project, the public may 
initially base comments upon a combination of possible actions that 
result in the removal of contaminated sediments from the riverbed and 
riverbank and the removal of unused low-head dams.
    The primary issues to be analyzed in depth during the NEPA process 
will be the environmental impacts of proposed actions on the Mahoning 
River and cumulative impacts of this proposed Federal action in 
conjunction with reasonably foreseeable future actions by others. The 
analysis will include impacts to biological resources, cultural 
resources, socioeconomic resources, air quality, noise, and recreation.
    In addition to the public notice, a notice will be mailed to each 
address on the Mahoning Environmental Dredging mailing list. 
Coordination throughout the project will be maintained with the 
appropriate local, state, and Federal agencies. Interested parties are 
encouraged to provide written comments relevant to issues to be 
addressed in the Draft EIS. The District requests that comments or 
requests for information be directed to the following study contact: 
Mr. Curtis N. Meeder, Chief, Planning and Environmental Branch (see 
ADDRESSES above).

Curtis N. Meeder,
Chief, Planning and Environmental.
[FR Doc. 05-2265 Filed 2-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P