[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16807-16808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6485]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (DPEIS) for the Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan 
(OLWMP), Feasibility Study, City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, Central 
New York State, and Onondaga Nation

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan (OLWMP) project 
has been initiated through the Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) to help 
coordinate and implement various improvement projects in the watershed 
to benefit the public. The project entails developing a multi-purpose/
multi-objective evaluation of the Onondaga Lake watershed to (1) 
integrate existing projects/plans/studies; (2) assess program/project 
progress; and (3) plan future lake and watershed revitalization 
programs and projects into a comprehensive Onondaga Lake Watershed 
Management Plan. The final product will be used as a tool for the OLP 
to move toward the rehabilitation of the Onondaga Lake watershed.

[[Page 16808]]

    Projects shall be consistent with the 1993 Onondaga Lake Management 
Plan and comply with the Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) and the Project 
Labor Agreement (PLA) for the environmental restoration, conservation, 
and management of Onondaga Lake.
    Within the framework of the OLWMP project, an integrated 
rehabilitation approach will be applied to recognize Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and 
National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) activities within the lake 
and watershed. While CERCLA and NRDA are pursued under those 
authorities (Superfund) and are not subject to NEPA, per se, processes 
are similar. The Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan reports will 
discuss and provide an overview of all pertinent on-going watershed 
programs and projects in appropriate relative detail.
    Study efforts will include: Identification of various study/project 
authorities; identification of existing and anticipated lake and 
watershed conditions (including completed and ongoing projects); 
identification of lake and watershed water resources problems, needs, 
goals, and objectives; identification of considered alternatives; 
assessment of impacts of considered alternatives; evaluation (trade-off 
analyses) of alternatives and associated impacts (including required 
planning and environmental coordination and compliance, and 
consideration of agency and public views); and selection and pursuit of 
appropriate lake and watershed water resources alternatives/projects. 
Studies shall also provide tools, as appropriate, for continued study/
project development, management, and monitoring purposes.

ADDRESSES: Correspondence should be addressed to: Mr. Tod Smith, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, Environmental Analyses 
Section, 1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, New York 14207-3199.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tod Smith at 716-879-4175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Authority: This study is being conducted under the authority of 
Section 573 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1999.
    Proposed Action: The study will involve a comprehensive evaluation 
of Onondaga Lake and watershed water resource problems, including 
studies and research necessary for the identification, integration, and 
implementation of projects and programs that will facilitate water 
resource improvements in the watershed.
    Alternatives: The No Action (Without Project Conditions) 
alternative is always a consideration. Under this alternative, no 
study/project action would be taken. This serves as the basis of 
comparison for other alternatives.
    Associated alternatives may include those relative to: 
institutional processes, water and land use management, HTRW 
(hazardous, toxic, radioactive waste) remediation, water quality 
sediment load reduction measures, water quality contamination control 
measures, water supply measures, water treatment measures, navigation 
measures, flood damage reduction measures, erosion protection measures, 
environmental restoration measures, recreational development, and 
transportation considerations.
    Scoping Process: The Onondaga Lake Management Conference (OLMC) was 
conducted to discuss significant water resources problems and potential 
remedial actions for Onondaga Lake and developed the 1993 Onondaga Lake 
Management Plan (OLMP).
    The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) was formed in 1998 and was 
authorized to make revisions to the OLMP via Section 573 of the Water 
Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1999. Associated with these efforts, 
the Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan study has been initiated to 
further evaluate, formulate, and integrate beneficial water resources 
programs/projects in the watershed.
    Coordination and meetings have already occurred relative to the 
Onondaga Lake Partnership activities and projects, as well as, for this 
Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan study. Public involvement 
processes include an outreach program, public meetings, written and 
verbal correspondence/coordination, and draft and final report review 
procedures. A study supplemental Scoping Fact Sheet is being 
coordinated with various Federal, State, and local agencies and 
interests, and the Onondaga Nation. Study teams will meet on a routine 
basis. Additional input from potentially affected Federal, Tribal, 
State, and local interests is sought by this notice. Information 
regarding the Onondaga Lake Partnership is available at http://www.onlakepartners.org/.
    Significant Issues: The primary issues of this study include the 
substantial water resource problems in Onondaga Lake and its watershed 
and the effective formulation and integration of their existing and 
potential remedial actions. These significant water resource problems 
adversely affect the optimal use of and economic growth in the 
watershed.
    Scoping Meeting: Federal, Tribal, State, and local interests have 
already been involved with initiation of the Onondaga Lake Partnership 
and this project (OLWMP) and coordination is already being conducted. 
At least one new formal scoping meeting is anticipated with the 
specific date, time, and location to be determined.
    Availability: It is expected that the Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) (a programmatic plan development 
and implementation overview documentation) will be made available to 
agencies, tribes, interests, and the public about May 2007.

    Dated: March 23, 2005.
Timothy B. Touchette,
Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-6485 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
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