[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29127-29128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7644]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) A-1 
Reservoir located in Palm Beach County, FL

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) has been completed and is available for review and comment.

DATES: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the USACE has filed the FEIS with the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) for publication of their notice of availability in the 
Federal Register. The EPA notice officially starts the 30-day review 
period for this document. It is the goal of the USACE to have the this 
notice published on the same date as the EPA notice. However, if that 
does not occur, the date of the EPA notice will determine the closing 
date for comments on the FEIS. Comments on the FEIS must be submitted 
to the address below under Further Contact Information and must be 
received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday, June 19, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS can be viewed online at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/pao/hotTopics/hot_topics_acceler8.htm (follow 
the link to New Information). Copies of the FEIS are also available for 
review at the following libraries:

Belle Glade Branch Public Library, 530 S. Main Street, Belle Glade, FL 
33430
Palm Beach County Main Library, 3650 Summit Blvd., W. Palm Beach, FL 
33406
Clewiston Public Library, 120 W. Osceola Ave., Clewiston, FL 33440
Pahokee Branch Public Library, 525 Bacom Point Rd., Pahokee, FL 33476
Legislative Library, 701 The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Glades County Public Library, PO Box 505, Riverside Dr., Moorehaven, FL 
33471
South Bay Public Library, 375 SW. 2nd Ave., South Bay, FL 33493

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Tori White, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Jacksonville District, 1400 Centrepark Suite 750, West Palm 
Beach, Florida 33410, Telephone: 561-472-8888.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action by the South Florida 
Water Management District (SFWMD) is construction and operation of a 
16,768-acre water supply reservoir located north of Stormwater 
Treatment Area 3/4 and between the Miami and North New River Canals in 
the EAA in Palm Beach County, Florida. The purpose of the EAA Reservoir 
A-1 is to store water from stormwater runoff and releases from Lake 
Okeechobee at any given time. As part of the USACE's review process, 
this FEIS has been prepared.
    The SFWMD's proposed project, identified as Cell A-1, has the same 
footprint as a portion of the Selected Plan, identified in the USACE's 
September 2005 Draft Integrated Project Implementation Report (PIR)/EIS 
and the February 2006 Revised Draft Integrated PIR/EIS for the 
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) EAA Storage Reservoirs 
project, which features a two-cell reservoir impoundment with a maximum 
normal pool storage depth of 12 feet at approximately 31,000 acres of 
above ground surface area storage. The SFWMD proposes to construct the 
EAA Reservoir A-1 project prior to implementation of the CERP EAA 
Storage Reservoirs project. The proposed project includes an open water 
reservoir with a capacity of 190,000 acre-feet at an approximate depth 
of 12.5 feet. The reservoir would be constructed on a 16,768-acre 
parcel of land. The USACE is proceeding with two separate and 
independent but related actions, the regulatory evaluation of the 
SFWMD's proposed EAA Reservoir A-1 project and the planning evaluation 
of the federal CERP EAA Storage Reservoirs project, both of which are 
described in the September 2005 Draft Integrated PIR/EIS and February 
2006 Revised Draft Integrated PIR/EIS. The USACE and SFWMD had 
anticipated that the SFWMD would accelerate construction and 
achievement of benefits of certain CERP projects by obtaining required 
permits and initiating construction upon completion of the FEIS for the 
federal CERP project. Because of delays in completion of the FEIS for 
the CERP EAA Storage Reservoirs project, the SFWMD is pursuing a 
Department of the Army permit prior to completion of the

[[Page 29128]]

CERP EAA Storage Reservoirs FEIS. Accordingly, this FEIS has been 
prepared by the Regulatory Division to address the environmental 
impacts of the SFWMD's proposed project. The Regulatory Division of the 
USACE is evaluating the SFWMD's proposed EAA Reservoir A-1 while the 
USACE Civil Works Planning Process continues with a separate and 
independent evaluation of the CERP project. Any regulatory decision on 
the SFWMD's proposed project will not affect the planning process and 
consideration of alternatives for the federal CERP EAA Storage 
Reservoirs project. The SFWMD's Acceler8 project may ultimately be a 
component of the federal CERP EAA Storage Reservoirs project. If it is 
not a part of the federal recommended plan, it will be considered as a 
locally preferred plan.

    Dated: May 11, 2006.
Erik L. Stor,
Major(P), Corps of Engineers, Deputy Commander.
[FR Doc. E6-7644 Filed 5-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P