[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 130 (Friday, July 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 39527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13426]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


United States Section; Notice of Availability of a Draft 
Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact for 
Alternatives for Improved Flood Control of the Hidalgo Protective Levee 
System

AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water 
Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC).

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft Environmental Assessment (EA) 
and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508); and the U.S. Section's 
Operational Procedures for Implementing Section 102 of NEPA, published 
in the Federal Register September 2, 1981 (46 FR 44083), the USIBWC 
hereby gives notice that the Draft EA and Draft FONSI are available for 
Alternatives for Improved Flood Control of the Hidalgo Protective Levee 
System located in Hidalgo County, Texas.
    The Hidalgo Protective Levee System was recently identified as a 
priority area for flood control improvement. The USIBWC is considering 
alternatives to raise the 4.5-mile levee system in two construction 
phases, each covering separate geographic reaches of the Hidalgo 
Protective Levee System. The phased construction approach responds to 
the likely availability of early funding for Phase 1, the upstream 
reach of the project. Alternatives under consideration to improve the 
Hidalgo Protective Levee System would expand the levee footprint by 
lateral extension of the structure. Levee footprint increases toward 
the riverside could potentially extend into floodplain areas designated 
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Lower Rio Grande 
Valley National Wildlife Refuge System. Footprint increases toward the 
levee landside could extend beyond the USIBWC right-of-way. Soil borrow 
easements would be used to secure levee material.
    The EA explains the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, and 
assesses its potential environmental impacts. The EA also analyzes the 
No Action Alternative and two alternatives to the Proposed Action: the 
Phase 2 Footprint Expansion Alternative and the No-Footprint Expansion 
Alternative. The Proposed Action for Phase 1 of the project is to 
increase existing levee height with the associated increase in 
footprint (Phase 1 Footprint Expansion Alternative). This alternative 
would increase flood containment capacity by raising the height of the 
existing compacted earthen levee from 3 to 8 feet to meet a 3-foot 
freeboard requirement indicated by results of hydraulic modeling.
    The Proposed Action for Phase 2 requires partial rerouting of the 
1.2-mile downstream reach of the levee system (Partial Levee Rerouting 
Alternative). Levee rerouting would eliminate the need for construction 
of a floodwall in front of the Hidalgo Historic Pumphouse, a resource 
eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and 
a future site of the World Birding Center, a project by the City of 
Hidalgo and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. A new levee 
segment, approximately 0.7 mile in length, would be built along the 
south margin of the pumphouse intake channel, and the channel would be 
crossed to tie the new structure to the existing levee system. 
Floodwall placement would be required along the Hidalgo-Reynosa 
International Bridge.
    On the basis of the Draft EA, the USIBWC has determined that an 
environmental impact statement is not required to implement the 
Proposed Action, and hereby provides notice of a Finding of No 
Significant Impact. An environmental impact statement will not be 
prepared unless additional information which may affect this decision 
is brought to our attention within thirty (30) days of the date of this 
Notice of Availability.
    The Draft EA and Draft FONSI have been sent to various federal, 
state, and local agencies and interested parties. The Draft EA and 
Draft FONSI are available under ``What's New?'' on the USIBWC home page 
at /http://www.ibwc.state.gov; and at the USIBWC Mercedes Field Office 
at 325 Golf Course Road, Mercedes, TX 78570.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EA and Draft FONSI will be 
accepted through August 8, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and inquiries on the Draft EA and Draft 
FONSI should be directed to Mr. Daniel Borunda, 4171 N. Mesa, Suite C-
100, El Paso, Texas 79902. Phone: (915) 832-4701, Fax: (915) 832-4167, 
e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: June 30, 2005.
Susan E. Daniel,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 05-13426 Filed 7-7-05; 8:45 am]
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