[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 235 (Friday, December 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74150-74152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28823]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
West Shore-Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Hurricane and Storm Damage 
Risk Reduction Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notice of intent (NOI) supersedes the NOI published in 
the Federal Register June 23, 1998 (63 FR 34151). The U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) intends to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the West Shore-Lake 
Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction 
Feasibility Study. This study will determine the feasibility and assess 
the environmental impacts of providing hurricane and storm damage risk 
reduction measures in the study area. The study area is bounded by the 
Bonnet Carre Spillway to the east, the Mississippi River to the south, 
Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas to the north, and St. James Parish/
Ascension Parish line to the west.

[[Page 74151]]


DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for scoping meeting dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the feasibility 
study should be directed to Mr. Durund Elzey, Sr., CEMVN-PM-W, P.O. Box 
60267, New Orleans, LA, 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-1674; fax: 
(504) 862-2089; or by e-mail at: [email protected]. Questions 
regarding the EIS should be directed to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr., 
CEMVN-PD-RS, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA, 70160-0267; telephone: 
(504) 862-2540; fax: (504) 862-1583; or by e-mail at: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Authority. This study is authorized by a resolution adopted on 
July 29, 1971, by the Committee on Public Works of the U.S. House of 
Representatives; and by a resolution adopted on September 20, 1974, by 
the Committee on Public Works of the U.S. Senate.
    2. Background. On June 23, 1998, a NOI was published in the Federal 
Register (63 FR 34151) for preparing an EIS for the West Shore-Lake 
Pontchartrain, LA, Hurricane Protection Feasibility Study. 
Concurrently, the USACE and the project sponsor, the Pontchartrain 
Levee District (PLD), began evaluating various potential measures to 
reduce the risk of hurricane-induced flooding in the study area. In 
2001, USACE advanced the study to a point where a federally-preferred 
alternative was tentatively identified. Discussions between USACE, PLD, 
and St. John the Baptist Parish from 2001 to 2003 evaluated the 
technical and environmental merits of this and other alternatives. 
Although USACE, PLD, and St. John the Baptist Parish agreed on the 
importance of providing protection for the area, a consensus could not 
be reached on how this objective should be achieved at that time. In 
2006 and 2007 USACE and PLD renewed their discussion of providing 
hurricane and storm damage reduction measures in light of the critical 
lessons learned following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These 
discussions led to an agreement between USACE and PLD to re-initiate 
and complete the feasibility study and prepare a Feasibility Report and 
EIS for the project.
    3. Proposed Action. The USACE proposes to investigate the 
feasibility of providing hurricane and storm damage risk reduction to 
residents living in the area west of the Bonnet Carre Spillway between 
the Mississippi River and Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas. The study 
area is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River and includes 
portions of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James Parishes. 
Feasibility study evaluations performed since 1998 have identified four 
preliminary levee alignments. In general, each preliminary levee 
alignment system would extend protection from the west guide levee of 
the Bonnet Carre Spillway to the vicinity of the Hope Canal. One 
preliminary alignment would extend the levee into Ascension Parish to 
tie into an existing non-federal levee. The EIS will document the 
process of identifying and assessing the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action and reasonable alternatives, including the 
identification of measures that would avoid or minimize adverse effects 
on the quality of the natural and human environment. Specifically, the 
EIS will analyze the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts 
of providing hurricane and storm damage risk reduction for portions of 
St. John the Baptist, St. James, and St. Charles Parishes. The Draft 
EIS will consider reasonable alternatives for providing hurricane and 
storm damage risk reduction, including alternatives developed under 
previous efforts, as well other recommendations from the public and 
interested parties.
    4. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the 
EIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences of 
the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental 
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal, 
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the 
EIS process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, 
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically 
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable EIS. Public 
involvement will include but is not limited to: information 
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities; 
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback 
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by 
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder 
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the EIS and 
supporting information readily available in conveniently located 
places, such as libraries and on the internet.
    5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the 
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be 
addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected public 
and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation 
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will be examined 
in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by 
helping to ensure that the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant 
issues. A public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday January 21, 
2009, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. in LaPlace, LA. Announcements through 
local media as well as a scoping meeting public notice announcing the 
locations, dates and times of the scoping meeting will be mailed to all 
interested parties in December 2008. Interested parties are encouraged 
to express their views throughout the entire study process. Scoping 
comments will be welcomed at the public scoping meeting. In addition, 
written comments will also be accepted during the scoping comment 
period which will extend 30 days from the date of the scoping meeting 
public notice.
    6. Interagency Coordination and Cooperation. The USACE and the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have formally committed to work 
together to conserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife resources 
while ensuring environmental sustainability of our Nation's water 
resources under the January 22, 2003, Partnership Agreement for Water 
Resources and Fish and Wildlife. The USFWS will provide a Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act Report. Coordination will be maintained with 
the USFWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding 
threatened and endangered species under their respective jurisdictional 
responsibilities. Coordination will be maintained with the NMFS 
regarding Essential Fish Habitat. Coordination will be maintained with 
the Natural Resources Conservation Service regarding prime and unique 
farmlands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be consulted 
regarding the ``Swampbuster'' provisions of the Food Security Act. 
Coordination will be maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic 
Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Officer. The Louisiana 
Department of Natural Resources will be consulted regarding consistency 
with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The Louisiana Department of 
Wildlife and Fisheries will be consulted concerning potential impacts 
to Natural and Scenic Streams. Coordination will be maintained with the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with 
Executive Order 12898, ``Federal Action

[[Page 74152]]

to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations.''
    7. Availability of EIS. It is anticipated that the draft EIS will 
be available for public review during the spring of 2010. The draft EIS 
or a notice of availability will be provided during the 45-day review 
period to affected Federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes, 
and other interested parties.

    Dated: November 26, 2008.
Mark D. Jernigan,
Major (P), U.S. Army, Deputy District Commander.
[FR Doc. E8-28823 Filed 12-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P