[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 14857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2861]



[[Page 14857]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Public Scoping Meeting and Preparation of Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for Widening and Deepening of the Matagorda Ship 
Channel in Calhoun County and Matagorda County, TX

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

ACTION:  Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District intends 
to prepare a Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS) to assess the social, 
economic and environmental effects of the proposed widening and 
deepening of the Matagorda Ship Channel. The DEIS will assess potential 
impacts of a range of alternatives, including the No Action and 
preferred alternatives. The Federal action is consideration of a 
Department of Army Permit application for work under section 10 of the 
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403), section 404 of the 
clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344), and section 102 of the Marine 
Protection Research and Sanctuary Act (33 U.S.C. 1412).

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held on April 25, 2006, at 6 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Bauer Community Center, 2300 
N. Hwy. 35, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Denise Sloan, Project Manager, by 
letter at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, PO Box 1229, Galveston, Texas 
77553, by telephone at (409) 766-3962, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Galveston District intends to prepare a 
DEIS on the proposed channel widening and deepening of the Matagorda 
Ship Channel, which extends approximately 27 miles from the Port of 
Port Lavaca-Port Comfort turning basin in Lavaca Bay through Matagorda 
Bay and offshore into the Gulf of Mexico. The Calhoun County Navigation 
District proposes this project.
    1. Description of the Proposed Project: The Calhoun County 
Navigation District is proposing to widen and deepen the Matagorda Ship 
Channel as follows:
    a. From Channel Station 118+502 to Channel Station 116+223, the 
Point Comfort turning basins will be deepened an additional 8 feet, to 
-44 feet Mean Low Tide (MLT);
    b. Adjacent to the existing turning basins, a new turning basin and 
marine slip will be dredged to a depth of -44 feet MLT;
    c. From Channel Station 116+223 to Channel Station 3+700 at the 
Matagorda Peninsula, the channel will be widened an additional 200 feet 
and deepened an additional 8 feet, to -44 feet MLT;
    d. From Channel Station 3+700 to Channel Station -23+000 of the 
Outer Bar Channel, the channel will be widened an addtional 300 feet 
and deepened an additional 8 feet, to -46 feet MLT;
    e. Approximately 48.9 million cubic yards of new work dredged 
material will be generated from the widening and deepening project; and
    f. Approximately 316 million cubic yards of maintenance dredged 
material will be generated from the widened and deepened project during 
the 50-year planning period.
    2. Scoping and Public Involvement Process: A scoping meeting to 
gather information on the subjects to be studied in detail in the DEIS 
will be conducted on (see DATES). An informal open house, allowing for 
review of the proposed project and questions and answers, will be 
conducted between 5 and 6 p.m., prior to the scoping meeting.
    3. Significant Issues: Issues associated with the proposed project 
to be given significant analysis in the DEIS are likely to include, but 
may not be limited to, the potential impacts of the proposed dredging, 
dredged material placement, the beneficial uses of dredged material, 
water quality, fish and wildlife values including threatened and 
endangered species; air quality; environmental justice; socioeconomic 
environment; archaeological and cultural resources; recreation and 
recreational resources; energy supply and natural resources; hazardous 
waste and materials; aesthetics; public health and safety; navigation; 
shoreline erosion and accretion; cumulative impacts, and the needs and 
welfare of the people.
    4. Technical Review and Consultation: Several State and Federal 
Agencies will be invited to provide technical review of the DEIS. Those 
agencies include: the Environmental Protection Agency, the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
the United States Coast Guard, the Texas Commission on Environmental 
Quality, the Texas General Land Office, the Texas Parks and Wildlife 
Department and the Texas Department of Transportation.
    5. Additional Review and Consultation: Additional review and 
consultation that will be incorporated into the preparation of this 
DEIS will include: Compliance with the Texas Coastal Management 
Program; protection of cultural resources under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act; protection of navigation under the 
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899; protection of water quality under 
section 401 of the Clean Water Act; protection of air quality under the 
Clean Air Act; and protection of endangered and threatened species 
under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
    6. Availability of the DEIS: The Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement is projected to be available in August 2006. At this time the 
Galveston District plans to conduct a Public Hearing following the 
release of the DEIS.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-2861 Filed 3-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-52-M