[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 203 (Monday, October 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 62262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24848]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Hamilton Wetland 
Restoration Project, Dredged Material Aquatic Transfer Facility in 
Marin County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and California State 
Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy), in collaboration with the Long Term 
Management Strategy for Dredged Material in San Francisco Bay (LTMS) 
agencies, are proposing the use of an aquatic transfer facility (ATF) 
to beneficially use dredged material in restoring tidal wetlands at the 
original Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project site and the Bel Marin 
Keys Unit V Expansion site (collectively, the HWRP). The USACE is the 
lead agency for this project under the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA). The Conservancy is the lead agency for this project under 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: Submit comments by: December 1, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments about the proposed action and ATF SEIS/EIR 
can be addressed to: Cynthia Fowler or Fari Tabatabai, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94103; [email protected]; 415-503-6870. Tom 
Gandesbery, California State Coastal Conservancy, 1330 Broadway, 13th 
Floor, Oakland, CA 94612; [email protected]; (510) 286-1015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Fowler or Fari Tabatabai, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, 
San Francisco, CA 94103; [email protected]; 415-503-6870. 
Betsy Wilson or Tom Gandesbery, California State Coastal Conservancy, 
1330 Broadway, 13th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612; [email protected] or 
[email protected]; (510) 286-1015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document is a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/EIR) 
to the 1998 HWRP Final EIS/EIR, the 2003 Bel Marin Keys Unit V 
Expansion (BMKV) Final SEIS/EIR, and the 2006 Supplemental 
Environmental Assessment (EA) to the Oakland Harbor Navigation 
Improvement (-50 ft.) Project Final EIS/EIR. The HWRP Final EIS/EIR and 
the BMKV Expansion Final SEIS/EIR can be found at: http://www.hamiltonwetlands.org/documents.html. As described in these previous 
reports, the authorized means of transporting dredged material to the 
HWRP is via a hydraulic off-loader in San Pablo Bay that pumps dredged 
material to the site through a submerged pipeline. Independent review, 
workshops with national experts, and a value engineering study that 
considered economic and operational effects determined that a more 
efficient and flexible method of transferring dredged material should 
be evaluated. Therefore, the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project 
Dredged Material Aquatic Transfer Facility SEIS/EIR (ATF SEIS/R) 
evaluates alternative methods for the transfer of dredged material to 
the HWRP site. The ATF SEIS/EIR will support decision making by USACE, 
the Conservancy, and other responsible agencies to implement the 
proposed action and to ensure compliance with the NEPA, CEQA, and other 
pertinent laws and regulations.
    The purpose of the proposed ATF is to maximize the operational 
flexibility of the HWRP to accommodate dredged material from both large 
and small dredging projects, as well as maximize the potential for 
beneficial use of dredged material at the HWRP site. Four alternatives 
are analyzed in this document: Alternative 1: No Action, which includes 
the authorized use of a hydraulic off-loader; Alternative 2: Unconfined 
ATF (Proposed Action); Alternative 3: Confined ATF; and Alternative 4: 
Direct Channel to BMKV Basin. Alternative 1 would include a floating 
and pile-secured off-loader facility, while Alternatives 2 and 3 would 
include construction of an in-Bay ATF basin. Alternative 3 would 
include incorporation of a structural enclosure around the perimeter of 
the ATF basin. Three of the alternatives (1-3) would require a slurry 
delivery pipeline and associated booster pump platform to transport 
material. Alternative 4 would involve dredging a direct channel from 
the vicinity of the in-Bay disposal site, SF-10, to the BMKV site and 
construction of a transfer basin on the BMKV site.
    A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 from 
5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Bay Model Visitor Center, Multi-Purpose Room, 
2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA.
    The Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project Dredged Material Aquatic 
Transfer Facility SEIS/EIR is available for review at http://www.hamiltonwetlands.org. Copies of the document are also available for 
review during normal business hours at:
    (1) Marin Civic Center, 3051 Civic Center Drive 427, San 
Rafael, CA 94903.
    (2) Marin County Free Library--South Novato, 476 Ignacio Boulevard, 
Novato, CA 94949.
    (3) Novato Public Library, 1720 Novato Boulevard, Novato, CA 94947.
    (4) Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 
94952.
    (5) Sonoma County Central Library, 3rd and E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 
95402.
    (6) California State Coastal Conservancy, 1330 Broadway, 13th 
Floor, Oakland, CA 94612.

    Dated: October 10, 2008.
Laurence M. Farrell,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.
 [FR Doc. E8-24848 Filed 10-17-08; 8:45 am]
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