[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 37190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17903]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft and Final Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement for Reaches 1B, 1C and 1D on the Herbert Hoover Dike 
Major Rehabilitation Project, Martin and Palm Beach Counties

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the project is to reconstruct and rehabilitate 
Reaches 1B, 1C and 1D of the Herbert Hoover Dike to prevent 
catastrophic failure of the system to retain the waters of Lake 
Okeechobee. On July 8 2005, the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (Corps) issued a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (FSEIS) for the Major Rehabilitation actions proposed for 
Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD), Reach One. Herbert Hoover Dike is the levee 
that completely surrounds Lake Okeechobee. On September 23, 2005, a 
Record of Decision was signed adopting the preferred alternative as the 
Selected Plan for Reach One.
    As plans and specifications were developed for Reach 1, it became 
apparent that the cut-off wall with seepage berm alternative would not 
work for all of Reach 1. The alternative for Reaches 1B, 1C and 1D will 
be a combination of one or more of the following features dependent on 
the geology and adjacent land factors with the cut-off wall: Seepage 
Berm, Relief Trench, Soil Replacement Wedge, Relief Wells, Drainage 
Feature and Sand Columns. Reaches 1B, 1C and 1D of the HHD extends for 
approximately 17.7 miles within Palm Beach County, from the 10A culvert 
south to L-14 at Belle Glade, Florida. The final full design of the 
cutoff wall and landside rehabilitation feature will include lands 
outside of the existing ROW. Therefore it is necessary to update the 
July 2005 SEIS for Reach 1 to include these new landside rehabilitation 
features and any impacts to lands outside of the existing ROW. This 
study is a cooperative effort between the Corps and the South Florida 
Water Management District (SFWMD).

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, 
Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Porter at (904) 232-3206 
or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. The proposed action will be the selected plan described in the 
July 2005 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) with the 
additional action of implementing the landside rehabilitation features 
as needed based on geology and adjacent land factors. The proposed 
action will not affect the Regulation Schedule for Lake Okeechobee. 
Land may have to be acquired outside of the existing right-of-way (ROW) 
and this SEIS will account for any impacts that result due to 
acquisition of additional real estate.
    b. Alternatives to be considered separately for each subdivision of 
Reach 1 are dependant upon the geology and adjacent land factors with 
the cut-off wall. Reach 1 is divided into Subreaches A, B, C and D. The 
alternatives to be implemented include one or more of the following 
features: Seepage Berm, Relief Trench, Soil Replacement Wedge, Relief 
Wells, Sand Column and Drainage Feature.
    c. A scoping letter will be used to invite comments on alternatives 
and issues from Federal, State, and local agencies, affected Indian 
Tribes, and other interested private organizations and individuals. A 
scoping letter was sent in October 2007 in anticipation of writing a 
single EIS for Reach 1. An additional scoping letter will be sent out 
in September 2009 to address the change in the process of the 
completing the Reach 1 Environmental Impact Statements. A scoping 
meeting is not anticipated.
    d. A public meeting will be held after release of each of the Draft 
Supplemental EIS's. The public meeting is anticipated to be held in 
February 2010 for Reaches 1B, 1C and 1D in Clewiston, FL. The exact 
location, date, and times will be announced in a public notice and 
local newspapers.
    e. A Major Rehabilitation Evaluation Report (MRR) was approved by 
Congress in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2000 that 
addressed the need to repair the aging dike.

    Dated: July 15, 2009.
Eric P. Summa,
Chief, Environmental Branch.
[FR Doc. E9-17903 Filed 7-27-09; 8:45 am]
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