[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 222 (Thursday, November 19, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59967-59968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27790]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


The Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Town of Nags Head Proposed Beach Nourishment Project in Dare 
County, NC

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 (COE), Wilmington District, 
Regulatory Division, has received a request for Department of the Army 
authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and 
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, from the Town of Nags 
Head to dredge up to 4.6 million cubic yards of beach-quality sediment 
from an offshore borrow source, and deposit the material along 
approximately 10 miles of ocean shoreline in the Town of Nags Head.
    The applicant proposes to utilize a self-contained hopper dredge 
during a proposed construction window from April through September to 
undertake the dredging operations and discharge the sand on the beach 
via submerged pipeline. The applicant's proposed borrow areas include 
sites identified as having beach quality material in the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District's EIS, entitled Final 
Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement on Hurricane 
Protection and Beach Erosion Control, dated September 2000 (USACE 
2000).

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS will be received until 
December 30, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding the Draft EIS may 
be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, 
Washington Regulatory Field Office. ATTN: File Number 200640282, 2407 
W. Fifth Street, Washington, NC 27889. Copies of the Draft EIS can be 
reviewed on the Wilmington District Regulatory homepage at, http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/wetlands/regtour.htm, or contact Ms. Sharon 
Barnett, at (910) 251-4555, to receive written or CD copies of the 
Draft EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be directed to Mr. Raleigh Bland, Project Manager, 
Regulatory Division, telephone: (910) 251-4564.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Project Description. The project site is located off NC Highway 
12, adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, in the Town of Nags Head, Dare 
County, NC. The proposed project totals approximately 10 miles of ocean 
shoreline beginning approximately 1 mile from the town's northern limit 
and extending south to the town line adjacent to the Cape Hatteras 
National Seashore. The proposed borrow area is located in the Atlantic 
Ocean approximately 2-3 miles offshore of the project site. The Town of 
Nags Head encompasses approximately 11 miles of ocean shoreline on a 
barrier island located at the northern end of North Carolina's Outer 
Banks. The width of the berm of the island's dune system varies 
considerably with location along the town's beach and with the season. 
Along most of the project area, the winter berm is non-existent due to 
continuing erosion processes. Dune habitat is currently decreasing due 
to excessive erosion of the base or toe of the dunes by waves that 
travel unimpeded over eroded wet beach to directly impact dunes. The 
Town of Nags Head proposes to excavate 4.6 million cubic yards of 
beach-quality sediment from an offshore borrow source, and deposit the 
material along approximately 10 miles of ocean shoreline owned by the 
Town of Nags Head.
    2. Proposed Action. The purpose of the proposed action is to 
nourish the Town of Nags Head's ocean shoreline to restore a protective 
beach, replace sand lost during the period of delay in the 
implementation of the Federal Dare County Hurricane Protection and 
Beach Erosion Control Project (USACE 2000), and to help preserve 
property values and the tax base of Dare County.
    The proposed borrow area includes portions of offshore areas 
identified by the Corps of Engineers in the 2000 Federal Dare County 
Project. The anticipated optimal equipment for excavations will include 
ocean-certified, self-contained hopper dredges. Such equipment 
typically excavates shallow trenches (approximately 2-3 foot sections) 
in each pass (leaving narrow undisturbed areas at the margin of each 
cut), then travels to a buoyed pipeline anchored close to shore. 
Discharge to the beach is via submerged pipeline across the surf zone, 
then by way of shore-based pipe positioned along the dry beach. Only a 
small area of the Corps borrow area will be required to provide up to 
4.6 million cubic yards of beach quality material. The applicant is 
coordinating the specific area for use in the proposed project with the 
Corps with the following understanding: (1) The final borrow area 
required for the emergency beach nourishment project can be limited to 
the equivalent of a 0.9 square-mile (approximately 575 acres) area, (2) 
the borrow area used will be contiguous rather than a series of small 
impact areas, (3) once used, the borrow area will no longer be 
available for use, consistent with the Dare County Project, and (4) the 
borrow area will be delineated so as to avoid ongoing biological 
monitoring stations established by the Corps in connection with the 
Dare County Project. The project will be built in approximate 1-2 mile 
sections, optimizing the disposition of pipeline. Sections will be 
pumped into place with the aid of temporary dikes pushed up by 
bulldozers in the surf zone. Daily operations will impact approximately 
500-1,000 linear feet of shoreline as work progresses in either 
direction from the submerged pipeline. Upon completion of a section, 
the submerged pipe and beach-building equipment will be shifted to the 
next section. As construction progresses, sections will be

[[Page 59968]]

graded to final contours, dressed to eliminate low areas, and opened 
for use by the public. Support equipment will be shifted out of 
completed sections as soon as practicable, so that construction 
activities in a particular reach will not disrupt normal beach use for 
only a month or so at any locality. The finished sections will be 
allowed to adjust to natural processes for several months. The final 
process will include the placement of dune fencing and/or dune 
plantings as needed or required.
    4. Alternatives. An extensive alternatives analysis was performed 
and reviewed for this project. This included the evaluation of a no 
action alternative; a retreat and relocate alternative; and the 
preferred alternative. Many alternatives were identified and evaluated 
through the scoping process, and further detailed descriptions of all 
alternatives is disclosed in Section 5.0 of the Draft EIS.
    5. Scoping Process. A public scoping meeting was held on April 28, 
2009 and public and agency comments were solicited for input in the 
preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping meeting was well attended by 
the public, as well as representatives from local, State, and Federal 
governmental agencies.
    The COE coordinated closely with the North Carolina Division of 
Coastal Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service in the development of the Draft EIS 
to ensure the process complies with State Environmental Policy Act 
(SEPA) requirements, as well as the NEPA requirements. The Draft EIS 
has been designed to consolidate both NEPA and SEPA processes, but the 
State of North Carolina will administer their own Coastal Zone 
Management Permit process.

    Dated: November 9, 2009.
Jefferson M. Ryscavage,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. E9-27790 Filed 11-18-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P