[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 54803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15509]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Proposed Dredging of the Norfolk Harbor Channel, Norfolk and 
Portsmouth, Virginia and To Announce Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the 
Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an EIS to evaluate the 
potential environmental impacts associated with the dredging of 4.8 
miles of Norfolk Harbor Channel in the Elizabeth River. The proposed 
channel deepening project is located in the Federal navigation channel 
in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia. Discussions are underway with the 
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to be a cooperating 
agency in the preparation of the EIS. The EIS will consider reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action, including the No Action 
Alternative.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held in Norfolk, Virginia and 
Portsmouth, Virginia, to receive oral and/or written comments on 
environmental concerns that should be addressed in the EIS. The public 
scoping meetings will be held on:
    1. Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 3 p.m.-8 p.m., Hilton Norfolk 
Airport, 1500 North Military Highway, Norfolk, Virginia.
    2. Thursday, October 5, 2006, 3-8 p.m., Renaissance Portsmouth 
Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center, 425 Water Street, Portsmouth, 
Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Conway, Environmental 
Planning Section, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) 
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278; 
telephone 757-322-4761 or fax 757-594-1469.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to deepen 
approximately 4.8 miles of the Norfolk Harbor Channel located in the 
southern branch of the Elizabeth River in southeastern Virginia. The 
project in the Federal navigation channel will extend from the vicinity 
of Lambert's Bend into Middle Reach to a point just north of the 
confluence of Paradise Creek and the Elizabeth River at the entrance of 
the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). The proposed deepening will provide 
CVN class carriers with safe and unrestricted access to the Deperming 
Station and NNSY. The project will dredge the Federal navigation 
channel in the vicinity of the Lambert's Point Deperming Station to a 
depth of 50 feet below mean low low water (MLLW) plus an additional one 
feet of allowable over dredge. The remainder of the Federal navigation 
channel will be dredged to a depth of 47 feet MLLW with an additional 
one feet of allowable overdredge. The proposed deepening will generate 
approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of dredged material. It is 
anticipated that this dredged material will be placed at the USACE's 
regional dredged material disposal site on Craney Island in Portsmouth, 
Virginia.
    Current Federal navigation channel depths impede access/egress to 
the deperming station and there have been numerous incidents of fouling 
and clogging of cooling systems of the CVN carriers while in transit in 
the channel. The project is required in order to bring the Federal 
navigation channel in compliance with DoN requirements for water depth 
beneath the keel, for both operational and ``dead stick'' (towing) 
transits of CVN 68 and non-CVN 68 Class carriers. Adequate channel 
depths are needed for the safe and efficient transit of CVN Class 
Aircrafeet Carriers to maintain fleet readiness. The current condition 
of the Norfolk Harbor Channel is not acceptable and prevents full 
operational capability and CVN access to Lambert's Point Deperming 
Station and NNSY.
    The Norfolk Harbor Channel is the only means of CVN access to the 
deperming station and NNSY. Only alternatives that will satisfy the 
required channel depths for CVN transits are considered by the Navy to 
be reasonable. In addition to the proposed deepening program, Navy is 
considering an alternative involving a combination of partial channel 
dredging and operational restrictions based on tidal activity. Under 
this alternative approach, the Federal navigation channel would be 
dredged to 45 feet below MLLW, and 2.5 feet tidal fluctuations would be 
used to provide the remaining depth required for adequate keel 
clearance. It should be noted that this alternative would continue to 
impose limitations on the operational capability and readiness of the 
CVN fleet. A No Action Alternative will also be evaluated in the EIS.
    The EIS will address the potential environmental impacts of the 
proposed action and its alternatives, including the No Action 
Alternative. Key environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS 
include marine biological resources including Essential Fish Habitat, 
fisheries, marine mammals, invertebrates, and threatened and endangered 
species; water quality; cultural resources; human health and safety; 
and socioeconomics and land use (i.e., commercial, private, and 
recreational uses of the marine environment); and cumulative impacts.
    The Navy is initiating this scoping process to identify community 
concerns and issues that should be addressed in the EIS. Federal, 
State, and local agencies, the public, and interested parties are 
encouraged to provide comments to DoN that clearly describe specific 
issues or topics of environmental concern that the commenter believes 
the DoN should consider. All comments, written or provided orally at 
the scoping meetings, will receive the same attention and consideration 
during EIS preparation.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be postmarked no 
later than Thursday, October 19, 2006. These comments may be mailed or 
faxed to: Mr. John Conway, Environmental Planning Section, NAVFAC 
Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278, 
telephone 757-322-4761, or fax 757-594-1469.

    Dated: August 10, 2006.
M.A. Harvison,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E6-15509 Filed 9-18-06; 8:45 am]
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