[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9103-9104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2979]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement on Rock Mining in Wetlands in Levy County, FL

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 (Corps) Jacksonville District 
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), 
referred to as the Tarmac King Road Limestone Mine DEIS, to evaluate 
potential impacts of rock mining within wetlands in southern Levy 
County, FL.

DATES: The Corps plans to hold two public scoping meetings on or about 
March 26 and 27, 2008 at 6 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The first meeting will be held on March 26, 2008 at the 
Inglis Community Center, 137 Highway 40 West, Inglis, FL 34449, (352) 
447-2203. The second meeting will be held March 27, 2008 at the Tommy 
Usher Community Center, 506 Southwest 4th Avenue, Chiefland, FL 32626-
0121, (352) 493-6711.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Edward P. Sarfert, (850) 439-9533 
or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Background/Project Authorization. The Corps is preparing this 
DEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council of on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.), and Corps provisions for 
implementing the procedural requirements of NEPA (33 CFR 230, USACE 
Engineering Regulation ER 200-2-2). A primary purpose of a Corps 
Regulatory Program EIS is to provide full and fair discussion of the 
significant environmental impacts of a proposal or project seeking a 
U.S. Department of Army permit. The Draft and Final EIS are used to 
inform the public and agency decision-makers of alternatives to an 
applicant's project that might avoid or minimize adverse impacts or 
enhance the quality of the human environment. An EIS is not a Corps 
regulatory decision document. It is used by agency officials in 
conjunction with other relevant information in a permit application 
file, including public and agency comments presented in the Final EIS, 
to support the final decision on a permit application. In this 
instance, Tarmac America, LLC, has filed a permit application to mine 
areas that include wetlands within Levy County, FL.
    b. Need or Purpose. The purpose of the proposed action is to 
provide construction-grade aggregate that meets the Florida Department 
of Transportation specifications for buildings and infrastructure. The 
proposed mine is to provide this aggregate for Tarmac's and its 
customers' use in the west central area of Florida. The Corps 
recognizes that there is a public and private need for this product. 
The purpose of the proposed DEIS is to evaluate the environmental 
effects of alternatives to meet these requirements while protecting the 
aquatic environment.
    c. Prior EAs, EISs. None.
    d. Alternatives. An evaluation of alternatives, including a No 
Action alternative and rock mining in other areas both inside and 
outside of Levy County and/or Florida will be done. The DEIS will 
analyze reasonable alternatives to obtaining construction grade 
limestone to meet the purpose and need. Alternatives will be determined 
through scoping, but are expected to vary according to timing, and 
breadth of mining, in addition to a ``no action'' alternative.
    e. Issues. The following issues have been identified for analysis 
in the DEIS. This list is preliminary and is intended to facilitate 
public comment on the scope of the DEIS. The DEIS will consider the 
effects on Federally listed threatened and endangered species, health 
and safety, socioeconomics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, 
wetlands (and other aquatic resources), historic properties, cultural 
resources, fish and wildlife values, land use, transportation, 
recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, 
mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and, in general, 
the needs and welfare of the people, and other issues identified 
through scoping, public involvement, and interagency coordination. At 
the present time, our primary areas of environmental concern are the 
loss of wetland functions and value, mitigation of such losses, and the 
effect of proposed mining on groundwater and surface water quality and 
on transportation. We expect to better define the issues of concern and 
define the methods that will be used to evaluate those issues through 
the scoping process.
    f. Scoping Process. CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) require an 
early and open process for determining the scope of a DEIS and for 
identifying significant

[[Page 9104]]

issues related to the proposed action. The public will be involved in 
the scoping and evaluation process through advertisements, notices, and 
other means. At a minimum, all parties who have expressed interest in 
the Tarmac King Road Limestone Mine project will be given the 
opportunity to participate in this process. Federal, state and local 
agencies, and other interested groups will also be involved. All 
parties are invited to participate in the scoping process by 
identifying any additional concerns on issues, studies needed, 
alternatives, procedures, and other matters related to the scope of the 
EIS.
    The public scoping meetings are scheduled for (see DATES and 
ADDRESSES). The Corps will provide additional notification of the 
meeting time and location through newspaper advertisements and other 
means. Following a short presentation on the planned DEIS, verbal and 
written comments on the scope of the DEIS will be accepted. A 
transcript of verbal comments will be generated to ensure accuracy. To 
submit comments on the scope of the Tarmac King Road Limestone Mine 
DEIS or to request copies of materials related to this effort as they 
become available to the public, contact: Mr. Edward P. Sarfert, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Division, 41 North Jefferson St., 
Suite 111, Pensacola, FL 32502-5794, by e-mail at 
[email protected], or by telephone at (850) 439-9533.
    Comments or requests for information can also be submitted on the 
Tarmac King Road Limestone Mine EIS Web site at http://www.kingroadeis.com. The Corps will consider all comments for the scope 
of the DEIS received by April 26, 2008.
    g. Public Involvement. The Corps invites Federal agencies, American 
Indian Tribal Nations, state and local governments, and other 
interested private organizations and parties to attend the public 
scooping meeting and to comment on the scope of the planned Tarmac King 
Road Limestone Mine EIS.
    h. Coordination. The proposed action is being coordinated with a 
number of Federal, state, regional, and local agencies including but 
not limited to the following: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National 
Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Florida 
Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water 
Management District, Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, Levy 
County, and other agencies as identified in scoping, public 
involvement, and agency coordination.
    i. Other Environmental Review and Consultation. The proposed action 
would involve evaluation for compliance with guidelines pursuant to 
Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act. This review will involve a 
detailed evaluation of alternatives to rock mining in the King Road 
area of Levy County, which is not a water dependent activity.
    j. Agency Role. The Corps will provide extensive information and 
assistance on the resources to be impacted, mitigation measures, and 
alternatives. Although the Corps does not plan to invite any Federal 
agencies to be cooperating agencies, we expect to receive input and 
critical information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal, state, and local 
agencies.
    k. Tarmac King Road Limestone Mine DEIS Preparation. It is 
estimated that the DEIS will be available to the public on or about 
July 2008. At least one additional public meeting will be held at that 
time, during which the public will be provided the opportunity to 
comment on the Draft EIS before it becomes final.

     Dated: February 8, 2008.
David S. Hobbie,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. E8-2979 Filed 2-15-08; 8:45 am]
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