[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 241 (Friday, December 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75511-75512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9727]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (DSEIS) for the Nourishment of 25,000 ft of Beach in Topsail 
Beach, Onslow County, NC

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 (COE), Wilmington District, 
Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received a request for 
Department of the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, from the 
Town of Topsail Beach to conduct an emergency beach fill project to 
protect ocean front development and infrastructure until such time that 
a federally authorized shore protection project can be implemented. At 
this time, the construction date for the Federal project is uncertain. 
A Draft General Reevaluation Report--Environmental Impact Statement 
(GRR-EIS has been prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
and was released for public review and comment in June 2006 (USACE, 
2006). Given the current status of the GRR-EIS and the need for 
Congressional authorization, funding, preparation of plans and 
specifications, and right-of-way acquisition, the Federal project may 
not be implemented until Fiscal Year 2010, or possibly later.

DATES: A public scoping meeting for the DSEIS will be held at Topsail 
Beach Assembly Building, located on Channel Boulevard in Topsail Beach, 
on January 15, 2007 at 6 p.m. Written comments will be received until 
January 31, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding scoping of the 
DSEIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington 
District, Regulatory Division. ATTN: File Number SAW-2006-40848-071, 
Post Office Box 1890, Wilmington, NC 28402-1890.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DSEIS can be directed to Mr. Dave Timpy, Wilmington Regulatory 
Field Office, telephone: (910) 251-4634.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Project Description. The fill placement 
area will occur between the Topsail Beach/Surf City limit to Godwin 
Avenue on the ocean beach. The project design will remain consistent 
with the Federal design and will involve a dune and berm system to be 
constructed to a height of 15 feet NGVD with a 7 foot NGVD berm height. 
An optimum berm width of 50 feet is proposed. An offshore sand source 
area located about 1 mile east of Lea-Hutaff Island is currently being 
investigated for sediment compatibility with the native beach. The 
proposed construction timeframe for the emergency beach fill activities 
will occur in late calendar year 2007 or early calendar year 2008.
    Beach Fill Surveys & Design. Typical cross-sections of the beach 
along the Topsail Beach project area will be surveyed. Nearshore 
profiles will extend seaward of the monuments to a point equal to or 
greater than 50 feet seaward of the construction toe of fill. The total 
volume of beach fill to be placed in front of the existing development 
and infrastructure will be based on an evaluation of erosion of the 
project area from 2002 through the expected construction of the Federal 
project.
    Geotechnical Investigations. The offshores and search 
investigations include approximately two square miles (1,220 acres) of 
seabed. Offshore investigations include bathymetric surveys, sidescan 
sonar surveys, seismic and cultural resource surveys, as well as 
vibracore collection and analysis. The results of the offshore 
investigations coupled with the compatibility of the sand resource area 
and native beach sand will be assessed to define the borrow area.
    Environmental Resource Coordination & Permitting. The GRR-EIS 
prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepared an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the larger Federal Shore protection project. 
The interim (emergency) beach fill project will be subject to Section 
10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
    Preliminary coordination with the USACE-Wilmington District 
resulted in a determination that a Department of the Army Application 
for an Individual Permit will be needed for project compliance with 
Sections 10 and 404. Similarly, coordination with the North Carolina 
Division of Coastal Management determined that the project would 
require a State EIS developed in accordance with SEPA; as well as a 
Major Permit under the Coastal Area Management Act.
    2. Proposed Action. The scope of activities for the proposed 
emergency beach fill project includes: (1) Vibracores in the identified 
borrow area, (b) side scan sonar surveys of the ocean bottom, (c) in-
water investigations of potential near shore hard bottom resources 
identified by the side scan sonar survey, and (d) beach profile 
surveys. Offshore investigations include bathymetric surveys, sidescan 
sonar surveys, seismic and cultural resource surveys, as well as 
vibracore collection and analysis. The results of the offshore 
investigations coupled with the compatibility of the sand resource area 
and native beach sand will be assessed to define the borrow area.
    3. Issues. There are several potential environmental issues that 
will be addressed in the DSEIS. Additional issues may be identified 
during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially 
significant include:
    a. Potential impact to marine biological resources (organisms, 
passageway for fish and other marine life) and Essential Fish Habitat, 
particularly Hard Bottoms.
    b. Potential impact to threatened and endangered marine mammals, 
birds, fish, and plants.
    c. Potential impacts to water quality.
    d. Potential increase in erosion rates to adjacent beaches.
    e. Potential impacts to navigation, commercial and recreational.
    f. Potential impacts to private and public property.
    g. Potential impacts on public health and safety.
    h. Potential impacts to recreational and commercial fishing.
    i. The compatibility of the material for nourishment.
    j. Potential economic impacts.
    4. Alternatives. Several alternatives are being considered for the 
proposed

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project. These alternatives will be further formulated and developed 
during the scoping process and an appropriate range of alternatives, 
including the no action alternative, will be considered in the 
Supplemental Draft EIS.
    5. Scoping Process. A public scoping meeting (see DATES) will be 
held to receive public comment and assess public concerns regarding the 
appropriate scope and preparation of the DSEIS. Participation in the 
public meeting by Federal, State, and local agencies and other 
interested organizations and persons is encouraged.
    The COE will also be consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service under the Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife 
Coordination Act, and with the National Marine Fisheries Service under 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act and Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the 
EIS will assess the potential water quality impacts pursuant to Section 
401 of the Clean Water Act, and will be coordinated with the North 
Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) to determine the projects 
consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The COE will closely 
work with DCM through the EIS to ensure the process complies with all 
State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requirements. It is the COE and 
DCM's intentions to consolidate both NEPA and SEPA processes to 
eliminate duplications.
    6. Availability of the Draft Supplemental EIS. The DSEIS is 
expected to be published and circulated sometime in early 2007, and a 
public hearing will be held after the publication of the DSEIS.

    Dated: December 4, 2006.
John E. Pulliam, Jr.
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 06-9727 Filed 12-14-06; 8:45 am]
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