[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30391-30393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4884]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of a Draft Integrated System Investment 
Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Ohio River 
Mainstem System Study

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: a. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division of the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (Corps) is seeking comments on a draft System Investment Plan 
and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SIP/PEIS) that 
evaluates alternative investment strategies for the maintenance of 
commercial navigation infrastructure along with the ecosystem 
sustainability needs on the Ohio River System for the next 60 years.
    b. The primary purpose of the Ohio River Mainstem Systems Study 
(ORMSS) is to develop the best SIP for maintaining safe, 
environmentally sustainable, and reliable navigation on the Ohio River 
over a 60-year period from 2010 to 2070. The study evaluated the 
operation and maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction 
reinvestment needs at the 19 navigation lock and dam sites on the Ohio 
River Mainstem. The study reports on five plans for meeting these needs 
based on five different traffic forecast scenarios. The future reliable 
operation of these structures is critical to the continued growth in 
commercial navigation throughout the Ohio River basin. In response to 
stakeholder input, the study purpose was modified to include the 
identification of measures to improve ecological sustainability to 
provide a balance between economic and environmental improvements.
    c. In order to facilitate review, the Corps will be conducting six 
public meetings along the Ohio River to solicit comments on its 
proposed plan. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for dates, times and 
locations).
    d. The Corps will be providing copies of the SIP/PEIS at numerous 
locations for review by the public. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
locations).
    e. The review and comment period for this draft document will be 60 
days.

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 25, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send all written comments and queries concerning this draft 
report to Mr. Jeffrey Benedict, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Pittsburgh District, William S. Morehead Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186. Telephone: (412) 395-7202. Electronic mail: 
[email protected]. Fax: (412) 644-2673.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Veronica Rife, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Louisville District, 600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, 
Louisville, KY 40202. Telephone: (502) 315-6785. Electronic mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Authority: The proposed action is being conducted under the 
authority of United States Senate, Committee on Public Works resolution 
dated May 16, 1955; and United States House of Representatives, 
Committee on Public Works and Transportation resolution dated March 11, 
1982.
    2. Background: a. The ORMSS draft report is an integrated System 
Investment Plan (SIP) and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS). The PEIS is centered on a system-wide Cumulative Effects 
Assessment (CEA) and other studies that focused on

[[Page 30392]]

specific issues identified through the study scoping process.
    b. A variety of stakeholders participated in the development of the 
study through forums as varied as public meetings and workshops with 
industry groups, environmental groups, and academia. The ORMSS study 
team has solicited input and shared work with interested stakeholders 
through various communication channels.
    c. The major engineering and economic variables in developing a 
system investment plan for the mainstem locks are lock condition and 
traffic demand. Forecasts of both variables are uncertain giving rise 
to the need for a risk based analysis to insure that the study 
conclusions and recommendations cover the plausible range of future 
scenarios. Engineering reliability models were used to analyze lock 
component reliability and capture the uncertainty of lock performance 
while accommodating forecasted traffic demand. Multiple traffic 
forecasts were used to model river traffic. Five forecasts were 
developed for the study, each recognizing that the primary driver of 
river traffic is utility coal at 50-60% of system tonnage transported.
    d. The with-project condition (WPC) is the plan that best addresses 
the stated planning objectives and addresses the problems and 
opportunities. The planning objectives were: Ensuring Future 
Navigability, Improving Navigation Efficiency, and Enhancing 
Environmental Sustainability. To achieve these objectives, the study 
team developed and evaluated alternative actions ranging from proactive 
maintenance and small scale improvements to large-scale construction 
reinvestments. Proactive maintenance occurs when lock components are 
replaced or a lock is rehabilitated in advance of component(s) failure. 
Small-scale improvements considered include floating buoys, permanent 
mooring cells near lock approach points, and other infrastructure or 
procedural opportunities. Large-scale reinvestments evaluated include 
chamber rehabilitations, construction of new larger lock chambers, and 
600 extensions of some auxiliary lock chambers.
    e. Two ecosystem sustainability alternatives were formulated for 
the WPC analysis to address long-term sustainability of aquatic and 
riparian ecological resources. The Moderate and Maximum Ecosystem 
Sustainability Related plans were developed based on expected costs, 
need for modified or additional authority, complexity, and several 
scientific, policy, funding and timing uncertainties of various 
measures. A total of 26 ecosystem sustainability measures were 
evaluated; 12 specific types of measures in addition to the 14 from the 
Without Project Condition (WOPC). The Moderate plan included 19 of the 
measures and the Maximum Plan consists of all 26 measures.
    f. The WOPC is the most likely condition expected to exist in the 
future in the absence of implementation of water resource project 
investment alternative(s). The future WOPC constitutes the benchmark 
against which alternative plans are evaluated. For this study, the WOPC 
was formulated as the least Federal cost plan providing viable 
navigation on the Ohio River Mainstem. The WOPC as developed is a 
reactive maintenance strategy for major lock components. This assumes 
that as a component fails, it is repaired in a timely fashion; however, 
no proactive maintenance is performed, i.e., components are not 
repaired or replaced in anticipation of failure.
    g. The ORMSS draft SIP recommendations follow:
     Increase Operation and Maintenance (O&M) investments to 
maximize economic efficiency. Complete all authorized navigation 
improvements; Olmsted, JT Myers, McAlpine, Greenup, Lower Monongahela, 
Kentucky Lock and Chickamauga.
     Provide optimal funding for the Upper Ohio River Study 
currently underway in order for this project to be included in a WRDA 
in the FY 2010 time frame.
     Initiate main chamber rehabilitation studies for Meldahl, 
Hannibal, and Myers and complete by 2009. Initiation of design of these 
efforts should begin in 2010.
     Pursue planning and implementation of measures to improve 
environmental sustainability in collaboration with other interests.
     Initiate preparation of the Program Implementation Plan 
for the Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Program.
     Incorporate all Reasonable and Prudent Measures into the 
Operation and Maintenance of the river.
     Complete work on the Markland gates as soon as possible. 
Funds provided in FY 2006 will initiate design and continued funding in 
FY 2007 and 2008 will construct the gates and place them in service.
     All detailed evaluation of site-specific impacts for 
follow on studies and other actions would be tiered from the SIP/PEIS.
     Initiate the Ohio River Basin Comprehensive Study in order 
to assess water resource opportunities throughout the basin in 
collaboration with other interests. Planning efforts should include 
identification and evaluation of opportunities to improve environmental 
sustainability throughout the basin including the tributaries.
     Establish a stand alone program (Ohio River Navigation 
System Investment Program) to update the data and models used in 
preparing the System Investment Plan. Expand the program capability to 
include the Ohio River dams and include tributary (Allegheny, 
Monogahela, Kanawha, Green, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers) locks and 
dam structures to support navigation investment decisions and manage 
future system risk. Use these tools in annual budget formulation.
     Use the Ohio River Navigation System Investment Program to 
reexamine the medium and long term needs identified in the SIP to 
optimize investments on these projects.
     All detailed evaluation of site-specific impacts for 
follow on studies and other actions would be tiered from the SIP/PEIS.
     The System Investment Plan was not developed considering a 
constrained federal budget or considering the total Ohio River System. 
Follow on actions need to be conducted to analyze investment strategies 
with a constrained federal budget and expanded to include all 
navigation locks, dams and channels on the Ohio River and its navigable 
tributaries.
    3. Public Participation: a. In order to facilitate review, the 
Corps will be conducting six public meetings along the Ohio River to 
solicit comments on this proposed plan. The meeting dates, times and 
locations are:
     June 19, 2006. Open Forum 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Public Meeting 
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Community College of Beaver County, Allied Health 
Building Auditorium, One Campus Drive, Monaca, PA 15061.
     June 20, 2006, Open Forum 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Public Meeting 
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Holiday Inn, 701 Pike Street, Marieta, OH 45750.
     June 21, 2006, Open Forum 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Public Meeting 
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Big Sandy Superstore Arena, 3rd Ave. and 8th Street, 
Huntington, WV 25701.
     June 27, 2006, Opera Forum 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Public 
Meeting 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Banterra Bank--Large Conference Room, 101 
West Eighth Street, Metropolis, IL 62960.

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     June 28, 2006, Open Forum 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Public Meeting 
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Victory Theater, 5th Floor Banquet Room, 600 Main 
Street, Evansville, IN 47708.
     June 29, 2006, Open Forum 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Public 
Meeting 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Kenton County Public Library--Large 
Meeting Room, 505 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41011.
    b. The Corps will be providing copies of the SIP/PEIS at numerous 
locations for review by the public. All locations can be found on the 
Web at: http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/ORMSS/, by e-mailing an inquiry 
to [email protected] or by calling Jane Ruhl at (502) 
315-6862.
    c. In addition, the public can download a copy of the document off 
the Web at: http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/ORMSS/.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-4884 Filed 5-25-06; 8:45am]
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