[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 179 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53211-53213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21426]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the City of Raleigh, Little River Reservoir Project in 
Wake County, NC

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, 
Wilmington Regulatory Division has received a request for Department of 
the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 
from the City of Raleigh to construct a drinking water reservoir on 
Little River to satisfy the future demands for the service area which 
includes Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, 
and Zebulon, NC.
    The proposed project would require the construction of a dam north 
of U.S. Highway 64 on Little River, a tributary in the Neuse River 
Basin. In addition, infrastructure improvements including a water 
treatment plant, water lines, and raising and/or closing existing 
roadways are expected.

DATES: A public scoping meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) will be held at the East Wake High School at 5101 
Rolesville Road, Wendell, NC 27591 on October 14, 2008 at 6:30 pm.

ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding scoping of the 
Draft EIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington 
District, Regulatory Division--Raleigh Field Office, 3331 Heritage 
Trade Drive, Suite 105, Wake Forest, NC 27587, ATTN: File Number SAW-
2004-9984752.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be directed to Mr. Monte Matthews, Regulatory Division, 
telephone: (919) 554-4884, Extension 30.

[[Page 53212]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Little River Reservoir site is 
located north of U.S. Highway 64, near Zebulon, Wake County, NC. The 
proposed reservoir would be comprised of approximately 1,100 acres of 
surface water at a normal pool elevation of 260 feet mean sea level. 
This would supply the service area with 17 million gallons per day 
(mgd) of drinking water. Impounded water would extend from the proposed 
dam site north to an area just south of State Route 2224, 
Mitchell Mill Road. The proposed project site includes undeveloped 
forested lands, existing farm fields, and beaver impacted streams and 
wetlands. This portion of Little River is classified as WS-II, High 
Quality Waters, Nutrient Sensitive Waters by the North Carolina 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
    The City of Raleigh has provided the following information about 
the purpose of the proposed project:
    The purpose of the proposed project is to develop a safe and 
dependable water supply for the project service area that, together 
with existing supplies, will satisfy estimated water demands for a 
planning period of approximately 30 years, and that will reinforce 
water system's reliability during periods of drought and other water 
emergencies. Furthermore, an adequate water supply is necessary to 
support continued growth of the service area. The service area for the 
proposed project includes the City of Raleigh and the Towns of Garner, 
Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon, NC. The 
water and wastewater utilities for these six towns have been merged 
with the utilities for the City of Raleigh. The City of Raleigh also 
provides water to other communities in Wake County (Holly Springs and 
Fuquay-Varina) under existing sales contracts. The population 
projections for the service area are expected to increase from 489,000 
people in 2010 to 896,200 people in 2040.
    To continue, the water supply sources that currently provide 
drinking water for the project service area, including the communities 
served by sales contracts, encompass Falls Lake, Lake Benson/Lake 
Wheeler (scheduled to go on-line in 2010), and the Smith Creek 
Reservoir. The existing safe yield of the Smith Creek Reservoir is 
approximately 1 mgd, and the use of this source for water supply is 
currently planned to be discontinued. The existing 50-year safe yield 
of Falls Lake and Lake Benson/Lake Wheeler is approximately 78.4 mgd. 
The projected water demand for the project service area for the Year 
2040 is approximately 93 mgd. This projection includes allowances for 
sustainable reductions in water demand due to water conservation and 
reuse, which are important components of the City of Raleigh's long-
term water supply planning. On this basis, the proposed project, 
operated in conjunction with existing supplies as noted above, will 
meet the project service area demand through 2040. An additional water 
supply source will also increase the water system's reliability during 
short-term or catastrophic interruptions in the system due to line 
break or equipment breakdowns.
    Proposed Impacts to Wetlands and Surface Waters: Surface waters and 
wetlands have been delineated for the proposed project site. Field 
reviews of the delineations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(USACE), and North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) have been 
conducted with final USACE verification of the streams and wetlands 
delineation pending. The proposed reservoir will impact approximately 
650 acres of wetlands and 55,500 linear feet of stream channel.
    Scope of Investigations: Based upon the proposed impacts to 
wetlands and streams, the City of Raleigh has indicated to the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers that they are willing to pursue an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Project. The 
scope of the EIS investigation will include the following: Alternatives 
analyses, Affected environment, Environmental consequences, Secondary 
and cumulative environmental impacts, and Mitigation.
    Alternatives analyses: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(a)) require an EIS to ``rigorously explore 
and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives'' for a proposed 
action. The regulations (40 CFR 1502.14(b)) further require that 
substantial treatment be made of each alternative considered in detail, 
including the proposed action. The Proposed Project and a reasonable 
number of alternatives, including the no action alternative, Use of 
Existing Reservoirs (Falls Lake, Lake Benson, Jordan Lake, and/or Kerr 
Lake), Alternative Reservoir Sites, Construction of Several Reservoirs, 
River or Stream Intake, Upland Constructed Flow Augmentation Reservoir, 
Purchasing Water from Other Systems, Development of Groundwater 
Supplies, Recycle and Reuse of Wastewater, Water Conservation, and any 
Combination of Alternatives will be evaluated and compared in the EIS. 
The factors used to compare the alternatives will be the same for each 
of the alternatives.
    Affected environment: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.15) require the 
EIS to describe the environment of the areas to be affected or created 
by the alternatives under consideration. The data and analysis shall be 
commensurate with the importance of the impact. Based upon preliminary 
evaluation of the proposed Project, it appears the primary areas of 
environmental concern will focus on the loss of wetlands and/or streams 
and other aquatic resource functions and values, mitigation of such 
losses, and the effect of the proposed reservoir on downstream water 
quality.
    In preparation for the EIS, the following studies have been 
completed or are ongoing for the proposed Project:
     An in-house Environmental Assessment, Phase I Report 
completed by the applicant in January 1990. This report will be 
included as an appendix to the EIS.
     An in-stream flow study composed of an interagency 
technical group to develop a technically defensible study, including 
alternatives, for releases of minimum flow. This report detailing the 
methodologies and results of the study will be included as an appendix 
to the EIS.
     Jurisdictional wetland/stream/open waters delineations 
(Section 404 Jurisdictional Areas) (field reviews have been conducted 
with USACE and DWQ with final verification pending). A technical report 
detailing the methodologies and results of the jurisdictional areas 
delineation will be included as an appendix to the EIS.
     Archaeological investigations and field survey. A 
technical report detailing the methodologies and results of the 
archaeological investigation and survey will be included as an appendix 
to the EIS.
    Environmental consequences: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.16) state 
the EIS will include the environmental impacts of the alternatives 
including the proposed action, any adverse environmental effects which 
cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented, the relationship 
between short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and 
enhancement of long-term productivity, and any irreversible or 
irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the 
proposal should it be implemented. The EIS will identify and disclose 
the direct impacts of the proposed project and study a reasonable 
number of alternatives on the following: Topography, geology, soils, 
climate, biotic communities, wetlands, fish and wildlife resources, 
endangered and threatened species, hydrology, water

[[Page 53213]]

resources and water quality, floodplains, hazardous materials, air 
quality, noise, aesthetics, recreational resources, historical and 
cultural resources, socioeconomics, land use, public health and safety, 
energy requirements and conservation, natural or non-renewable 
resources, drinking waters, and environmental justice.
    Secondary and cumulative environmental impacts: Cumulative impacts 
result from the incremental impact of the proposed action when added to 
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of 
what agency or person undertakes the action. GIS data and mapping will 
be used to evaluate and quantify secondary and cumulative impacts of 
the proposed Project with particular emphasis given to wetlands and 
surface/groundwater resources.
    Mitigation: CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1502.14, 1502.16, and 1508.20) 
require the EIS to include appropriate mitigation measures. The USACE 
has adopted, through the CEQ, a mitigation policy which embraces the 
concepts of ``no net loss of wetlands'' and project sequencing. The 
purpose of this policy is to restore and maintain the chemical, 
biological, and physical integrity of ``Waters of the United States,'' 
specifically wetlands. Mitigation of wetland impacts has been defined 
by the CEQ to include: avoidance of impacts (to wetlands), minimizing 
impacts, rectifying impacts, reducing impacts over time, and 
compensating for impacts (40 CFR 1508.20). Each of these aspects 
(avoidance, minimization, and compensatory mitigation) must be 
considered in sequential order. As part of the EIS, the applicant will 
develop a compensatory mitigation plan detailing the methodology and 
approach to compensate for unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. 
including streams and wetlands.
    NEPA/SEPA Preparation and Permitting: Because the proposed Little 
River Reservoir project requires approvals from federal and state 
agencies under both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), a joint Federal and State 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared. The U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers will serve as the lead agency for the process. The 
EIS will be the NEPA document for the Corps of Engineers (404 permit) 
and the SEPA document for the State of North Carolina (401 permit).
    Based on the size, complexity, and potential impacts of the 
proposed project, the Applicant has been advised by the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers to identify and disclose the environmental impacts of the 
proposed project in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Within the 
EIS, the Applicant will conduct a thorough environmental review, 
including an evaluation of a reasonable number of alternatives. After 
distribution and review of the Draft EIS and Final EIS, the Applicant 
understands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will issue a Record 
of Decision (ROD) for the project. The ROD will document the completion 
of the EIS process and will serve as a basis for permitting decisions 
by Federal and State agencies.

Jefferson M. Ryscavage,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-21426 Filed 9-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-GN-P