[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10572-10573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4239]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report for the 
Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel

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 the Port of West 
Sacramento (Port) propose to reinitiate the previously authorized 
deepening from -30 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) to -35 feet MLLW 
and selective widening of the Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel 
(SRDWSC). This project was partially completed in 1990, but was 
suspended due to lack of funding. The USACE is the lead agency for this 
project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Port is 
the lead agency for this project under the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: Submit comments by: April 11, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments about the SRDWSC Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/SEIR) can 
be addressed to: Bill Brostoff, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San 
Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, 15th Floor, ET-PA, San 
Francisco, CA 94103; [email protected]; 415-503-6867.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Brostoff or Fari Tabatabai, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, 
15th Floor, ET-PA, San Francisco, CA 94103; [email protected]; 
415-503-6867 or 415-503-6860.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SRDWSC was originally constructed in 
1963 to a depth of 30 feet. In 1969, Congress authorized studying 
deepening the channel from -30 to -35 feet MLLW. In support of this 
effort, USACE completed the Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel, 
California: Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement for 
Navigation and Related Purposes in 1980, and a General Design 
Memorandum and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in 
1986. River miles (RMs) 35.0 to 43.4 of the SRDWSC were deepened to -35 
feet MLLW in 1989; however, work was suspended in 1990 due to funding 
constraints and now-resolved issues pertaining to utility relocations.
    The purpose of the Channel Deepening to -35 Feet MLLW and Selective 
Widening Alternative (Proposed Project) is to resume deepening of the 
SRDWSC to its congressionally authorized depth to realize increased 
economic benefits associated with a reduced transportation cost of 
moving goods to the Port, and provide safe navigation for commercial 
marine traffic. Currently, vessels traveling to the Port laden with 
some commodity types must ``light-load'' (travel less than fully loaded 
with the desired amount of cargo) to navigate the SRDWSC with 
sufficient under-keel clearance. In addition, the existing widths of 
sections of the SRDWSC can make navigating to the Port difficult, 
particularly in inclement weather. The Proposed Project, therefore, 
involves both deepening the SRDWSC to a depth of 35 feet from RMs 0.0 
to 35.0 and widening in selective areas within that stretch of channel, 
thus completing the construction suspended in 1990. It also includes 
maintenance dredging from RMs 35.0 to 43.4 to return that previously 
constructed portion of the channel to its 35-foot depth. The total 
volume of dredged material is estimated to be approximately 10 million 
cubic yards (cy) including a 2-foot overdepth. An extensive search was 
conducted of beneficial use opportunities in California's Sacramento-
San Joaquin River Delta identifying a wide array of potential placement 
sites. The Proposed Project involves ten upland dredged material 
placement sites selected to either permanently accommodate or 
temporarily stockpile dredged material for later beneficial use.
    Alternatives involving dredging and non-dredging were considered. 
Non-dredging alternatives included intermodal transportation (i.e., 
using rail or truck), use of Lighter Aboard Ship (LASH; i.e., 
transferring material to barges), and constructing locks. These 
alternatives were eliminated from detailed analysis because their costs 
were too high (intermodal, locks) or facilities were not available 
(LASH).
    The SRDWSC SEIS/SEIR analyzes the following three alternatives: (1) 
Future without Project Conditions (or the No Action/No Project 
Alternative); (2) Channel Deepening to -35 Feet MLLW and Selective 
Widening Alternative (Proposed Project); and (3) Channel Deepening to -
33 Feet MLLW and Selective Widening Alternative (-33 Feet MLLW 
Alternative). Future without Project Conditions consists of a 
continuation of present shipping and channel maintenance practices and 
estimated physical, biological, and human environmental conditions 
likely to be present over the next 50 years with no improvements to the 
SRDWSC other than normal channel maintenance. The -33 Feet MLLW 
Alternative would result in total dredged material volume of 5.2 
million cy with a 2-foot overdepth.
    A public meeting will be held on Monday, March 21, 2011, from 5 to 
7 p.m. at the West Sacramento City Hall, 1110 West Capitol Avenue, West 
Sacramento, CA 95691. The SRDWSC SEIS/SEIR is available for review at 
http://www.sacramentoshipchannel.org. Copies of the document are also 
available for review during normal business hours at:

[[Page 10573]]

    (1) Port of West Sacramento--1110 West Capitol Ave, 1st Floor, West 
Sacramento, CA 95691.
    (2) Rio Vista Library--44 South Second Street, Rio Vista, CA 94571.
    (3) USACE San Francisco District--1455 Market Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94103.
    (4) Peter J. Shields Library (University of California, Davis)--100 
Northwest Quad, Davis, CA 95616.
    (5) San Francisco's Main Library--101 Larkin Street, San Francisco, 
CA 94102.
    (6) Sacramento's Central Library--828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 
95814.
    (7) Isleton Library--Isleton Elementary School, 415 Union Street, 
Isleton, CA 95641.
    (8) Arthur F. Turner Community Library (West Sacramento)--1212 
Merkley Avenue, West Sacramento, CA 95691.

    Dated: February 15, 2011.
Torrey A. DiCiro,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2011-4239 Filed 2-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P