[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69616-69617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27438]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environment Impact Statement (DEIS) for 
a Proposed Highway Between Bush, LA and I-12, in St. Tammany Parish

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, New Orleans District, 
Regulatory Branch has received a request for Department of the Army 
authorization from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and 
Development to construct a modern, high-speed, 4-lane arterial highway 
from the southern terminus of the current modern 4-lane arterial 
portion of LA 21 in Bush, LA to I-12 in St. Tammany Parish, a distance 
of between 17.4 and 21 miles. The project proposes work in wetlands and 
structural crossings of various waterways in the project area. The EIS 
will be used to ensure compliance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), to determine the least damaging, yet practicable 
alternative and as a basis for the permit decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and Draft EIS should be directed to: Dr. James A. Barlow, Jr. at (504) 
862-2250, New Orleans District, Corps of Engineers, CEMVN ODS, PO Box 
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Briefly describe the proposed action. The 
proposed project would be designed as a rural arterial highway (RA-3) 
with a posted speed limit of 65 mph. The exception to this design would 
be as the proposed project transitions into exiting roadways. The 
typical cross section will have two, 12-foot travel lanes, an 8-10 foot 
outside shoulder and a 4-foot inside shoulder in each direction. The 
median width would vary depending upon highway design class used 
ranging between 42 and 60 feet, and a minimum right-of-way (ROW) 
dependent upon what is needed for the design. The initial analysis 
assumed a minimum of 250 feet. To assure an adequate foundation, 
existing soils may be excavated and hauled-in earthen fill obtained 
from an undisclosed source deposited to elevate the highway embankment 
over natural grades. Roadway embankments would be sloped with inside 
slopes of approximately 6:1 for 26 feet from edge of shoulder and then 
4:1 thereafter. Roadside ditches would be constructed as required to 
reduce ponding along the roadway. A typical design of the ditch would 
be 4 feet below existing grade with a width of 4 feet. Ditches would be 
employed to divert surface flow to structural highway crossings as 
required. Drainage structures would be identified so as to have no net 
impact on the drainage of the area when considering peak run-off flows 
during the 10-, 50-, and 100-year storms at each of these locations. 
Drainage structures could include bridges, reinforced concrete boxes, 
and/or reinforced concrete pipes depending on the flow to be passed 
through the structure. Limiting access to only existing state highways 
(LA 1088, LA 36, LA 435 and LA 21/40/41) has been proposed on at least 
one alternative in response to concerns regarding cumulative effects of 
the proposed project. No other mitigative measures to avoid or minimize 
project impacts on the natural, social and physical environments are 
included in the applicant's project design.
    The applicant has stated that the proposed project is needed as an 
alternative North-South connection that would potentially reduce 
congestion and delays for those traveling from Northern St. Tammany and 
Washington Parishes to I-12. The proposed project could increase safety 
by reducing the amount of traffic on existing routes (LA 41 and LA 21/
LA 59/US 190) and thereby reducing the potential for accidents. 
Additionally, the resulting travel time savings would help support/
enhance potential economic development in North St. Tammany and 
Washington Parishes. Finally, the applicant is obliged to construct a 
4-lane or more highway from Bush, LA to I-12, to comply with Louisiana 
Revised Statute (R.S.) 47:820.2.B (e).
    The proposed project would adversely affect wetlands, which are 
regulated by the Corps, and requires a permit pursuant to Section 10 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act of March 3, 1899 and Section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act. Because the proposed project would require federal 
involvement, it is subject to NEPA. The Corps prepared an environmental 
assessment that documented potential direct, secondary and cumulative 
adverse affects the proposed project would have on the social, physical 
and natural environments of the project area. Information used in the 
preparation of the EA was developed by the applicant and/or 
independently by the Corps. The Corps concluded that the proposed 
project had the potential for significant impacts to the human, natural 
and

[[Page 69617]]

physical environments. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
requires the preparation of an EIS for proposals that are subject to 
federal funding, control, responsibility and permitting, and which have 
the potential for significant impacts.
    2. Briefly describe reasonable alternatives. The basic purpose of 
the proposed project is to provide for regional transportation needs. 
As such, the proposed project does not require siting within a special 
aquatic site to fulfill its basic purpose and therefore practicable 
alternatives that do not involve special aquatic sites are presumed to 
be available, unless clearly demonstrated otherwise. Including the ``no 
build'' alternative the applicant evaluated 18 alternatives. Based on 
information provided by the applicant, all alternatives considered 
could potentially impact special aquatic sites over which the Corps has 
jurisdiction. Rough estimates of potential direct wetland impacts range 
from 75 to 475 acres. The applicant also determined that all 
alternatives were practicable based on cost, existing technology, and 
logistics. However, in light of the applicant's project purposes, the 
applicant deemed only six alternatives to be practicable.
    3. Briefly describe the Corps' scoping process which is reasonably 
foreseeable for the DEIS under consideration. The description:
    a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open 
communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All Federal, 
State, and local agencies, and other persons or organizations that have 
an interest are urged to participate in the NEPA scoping process. A 
public meeting will be held to help identify significant issues and to 
receive public input and comment into the scoping process.
    b. The DEIS will analyze the potential social, economic, and 
natural environmental impacts to the local area resulting from the 
proposed project. Specifically, the following major issues will be 
analyzed in depth in the DEIS: drain patterns, air quality, water 
quality, suspended particulates/turbidity, flood control functions, 
special aquatic sites, fish and wildlife habitat, endangered or 
threatened species, biological availability of possible contaminants, 
floodplain use, aesthetics, traffic/transportation patterns, land use 
changes, economic impacts, public safety, noise, consideration of 
private property, cultural resources, alternatives, secondary and 
cumulative impacts, environmental justice (effect on minorities and low 
income groups), and protection of children (Executive Order 13045).
    c. The Corps will serve as the lead Federal agency in the 
preparation of the DEIS. It is anticipated that the following agencies 
will be invited and will accept cooperating agency status for the 
preparation of the DEIS: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. 
Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.
    d. The Corps will use a ``third party contractor'' to prepare all 
or part of the EIS or to obtain required information (40 CFR 1500-
1508). ``Third party contract'' refers to the preparation of an EIS by 
a contractor paid by the applicant but who is selected and supervised 
directly by the district engineer. Contractor election by the Corps for 
a Regulatory Program EIS will be as follows: The Corps will select from 
the applicant's list the first contractor that is fully acceptable to 
the Corps, using the applicant's order of preference; this selection is 
finalized by the applicant's selection of the same contractor. The 
procedures outlined in 40 CFR 1500-1508 and CEQ's forty questions must 
be followed. Furthermore, the Corps is responsible for final acceptance 
of the draft and final EIS.
    4. The date, time and location of the scoping meeting have not been 
determined. The public will be notified of the scoping meeting 
information by separate public notice posted on the New Orleans 
District web page (http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/ops/regulatory/publicnotices.asp).
    5. The earliest that the DEIS is expected to be available for 
public review is January of 2010.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-27438 Filed 11-18-08; 8:45 am]
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