[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 76 (Friday, April 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21121-21122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8202]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Availability of the Draft Feasibility Report and Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement and Draft State Environmental Impact 
Report for the Boston Harbor Deep Draft Navigation Improvement Project

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District in 
partnership with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has 
prepared a joint Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and 
State Draft Environmental Impact Report (DSEIS/DEIR) examining 
improvements to deep-draft navigation channels in Boston Harbor, 
Boston, MA. Four separate improvements were developed. The first 
examined deepening the outer and lower harbor's existing 40-foot 
channel system to provide deeper access to Massport's Conley Terminal 
in South Boston for containership traffic. All depths are referenced to 
minus mean lower low water (MLLW). Navigation channel depths of between 
45 to 50 feet were examined, with a depth of 48 feet recommended, with 
an additional two feet in the entrance channel. Under this plan the 
following project features would be improved: the 40-foot lane of the 
Broad Sound North Entrance Channel would be deepened to 50 feet and 
widened through the bend at Finn's Ledge. The 40-foot lane of the Main 
Ship Channel from the Broad Sound North Entrance Channel upstream 
through President Roads to the Reserved Channel would be deepened to 48 
feet and its 600-foot-wide reaches widened to between 800 and 900 feet, 
with additional width in the bends. The 40-foot lower reach of Reserved 
Channel and its turning area would be deepened to 48 feet, with the 
turning area also widened to 1600 feet. The 40-foot President Roads 
Anchorage would be deepened to 48 feet. The second improvement would 
deepen the existing 40-foot lane of the Main Ship Channel from the 
Reserved Channel Turning Area upstream to just below the Third Harbor 
Tunnel to a depth of 45 feet, to improve access to the Massport Marine 
Terminal in South Boston. The third improvement would deepen a portion 
of the 35-foot Mystic River Channel lane to 40 feet to improve access 
to Massport's Medford Street Terminal. The fourth and final improvement 
would deepen the 38-foot Chelsea River Channel to 40 feet, with minor 
widening in the bridge approaches and the bend between the bridges. In 
conjunction with work in the Federal channels, the Massachusetts Port 
Authority would deepen vessel berths at the Conley Terminal and Marine 
Terminal. Terminals on the Chelsea River would also deepen their berths 
to match the new channel depth. A total of about 12.1 million cubic 
yards (cy) of parent material, and 1.2 million cy of rock, would be 
removed by dredging and placed at the Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site 
(MBDS). Beneficial use opportunities for the dredged material have been 
identified and would be considered further during final design of the 
project. Those beneficial use opportunities include: creation of rock 
reefs in Massachusetts Bay and Broad Sound, and using the non-rock 
material as cover at the former Industrial Waste Site, which overlaps 
the MBDS. This joint Federal and State document builds on the lessons 
learned from the final EIR/S prepared in June of 1995 for the previous 
navigation improvement project in Boston Harbor.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to Colonel Curtis L. Thalken, 
District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, 
696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Catherine Rogers, (978) 318-8231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is 
authorized to conduct this Feasibility Study by a Senate Subcommittee 
on Public Works Resolution dated September 11, 1969.

[[Page 21122]]

    The DSEIS/DEIR is available on-line on the New England District's 
Web page at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/projects/ma/BHNIP/BostonHarbor_draft_FeasibilitySEIS.zip and at the following local 
libraries: Boston Libraries--25 Parameter Street, 20 City Hall Avenue, 
18 Barnes Avenue, 666 Boylston Street, Boston City Hall, 179 Main 
Street, 646 West Broadway, 276 Meridan Street; Chelsea Library--569 
Broadway; Revere Library--179 Beach Street; and the Winthrop Library--2 
Metcalf Square. If you wish to receive a copy of the Executive Summary 
or an electronic copy of the DSEIS/DEIR, please contact Ms. Catherine 
Rogers, Ecologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, 
Evaluation Branch, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742.
    A public meeting to solicit comments has been scheduled for 1 p.m. 
on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, on the second floor of the Black Falcon 
Cruise Terminal, One Black Falcon Avenue, Boston, MA.

    Dated: April 8, 2008.
Curtis L. Thalken,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, New England District.
[FR Doc. E8-8202 Filed 4-17-08; 8:45 am]
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