[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53424-53425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21881]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Larose to Golden Meadow Hurricane Protection Project, 
Post-Authorization Change Study, in Lafourche Parish, LA

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 (USACE) intends to prepare a 
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Larose to 
Golden Meadow Hurricane Protection Project, Post-Authorization Change 
(PAC) Study. This project was originally authorized in 1965. 
Construction began in 1972 and is still underway. The PAC Study was 
initiated to identify and evaluate modifications needed to ensure that 
completion of project features, designed and constructed before 
development of the post-Katrina Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk 
Reduction System (HSDRRS) Design Guidelines, are in compliance with 
these new guidelines.
    The subject SEIS will supplement the original environmental impact 
statement (EIS) prepared for the project as authorized in 1965. The 
Statement of Findings for the original EIS was signed on April 4, 1975. 
An SEIS was subsequently prepared to address proposed modifications to 
the authorized plan. The Record of Decision for this first SEIS was 
signed on May 20, 1985.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the draft SEIS 
should be addressed to Charlene Carmack, Rock Island District, Corps of 
Engineers, CEMVP-PD-C, Clock Tower Building, P.O. Box 2004, Rock 
Island, IL 61204-2004; telephone (309) 794-5570; fax (309) 794-5157; or 
be e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Authority. This SEIS will be the second supplement to the EIS 
originally prepared for the Larose to Golden Meadow Hurricane 
Protection Project. This project was authorized by the Flood Control 
Act of 27 October 1965, House Document No. 184, 89th Congress (Pub. L. 
89-298), which authorized the project ``hurricane-flood protection at 
Grand Isle and Vicinity, Louisiana'' to provide protection in 
accordance with the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers in his 
report entitled ``Grand Isle and Vicinity, La.'', and contained in 
House Document No. 184, Eighty-ninth Congress, 1st Session. The 
authorized project is a ring levee system with associated control 
structures that provides hurricane and storm damage risk reduction to 
communities located along both sides of Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche 
Parish, Louisiana. The overall levee system is approximately 43 miles 
long, extending from Larose to a point 2 miles south of Golden Meadow, 
Louisiana. Roughly 25,000 people live in the communities of Larose, 
Galliano, Cutoff, and Golden Meadow, which are located within the ring 
levee system.
    2. Alternatives. Alternatives currently being evaluated in the PAC 
Study include: (1) Stabilize the existing levee using current criteria 
for still-water elevations, which would complete the project without 
exceeding the 1965 authorized elevation listed in the Grand Isle, 
Louisiana, and Vicinity General Design Memorandum (with datum 
adjustments), and meet the current approved design guidelines excluding 
the Post-Hurricane Katrina hydrology and hydraulics design guidelines; 
(2) modify the 1965 design to complete the project providing a level of 
risk reduction based on the 1965 storm surge design elevations (with 
datum adjustments) using the current HSDRRS Design Guidelines to 
include the Post-Hurricane Katrina surge models; (3) complete the 
existing levee system in general conformance with the previously 
authorized design. These alternatives will be further formulated and 
developed during the scoping process and an appropriate range of 
alternatives will be considered in the new SEIS. These may include

[[Page 53425]]

alternatives that are in addition to those listed herein.
    3. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the 
SEIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences 
of the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental 
decisionmaking. The public includes affected and interested Federal, 
State, and local agencies, Indian Tribes, concerned citizens, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the 
SEIS 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 SEIS. 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 SEIS and 
supporting information readily available in conveniently located 
places, such as libraries and on the world wide Web.
    4. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the 
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action and 
alternatives to be addressed in the SEIS, will be used to: (a) Identify 
the affected public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient 
SEIS preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that 
will be examined in detail in the SEIS; and (d) save time in the 
overall process by helping to ensure that the draft SEIS adequately 
addresses relevant issues. The USACE anticipates conducting a public 
scoping meeting for this SEIS in October 2011. The exact date, time, 
and location of this meeting, which will be held in the general project 
area, have not yet been determined. This information will be publicized 
once the meeting arrangements have been made.
    5. Coordination. 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 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 
regarding navigation issues. In addition, USFWS, NMFS, USCG and the 
U.S. Geological Survey will be invited to be cooperating agencies. 
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 U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with Executive 
Order 12898, ``Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in 
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.'' Coordination will be 
maintained with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the 
State Historic Preservation Officer. The Federal Aviation 
Administration will be consulted regarding potential impacts to local 
airports. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will be 
consulted regarding consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act. 
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will be consulted 
concerning potential impacts to water quality. The Louisiana Department 
of Wildlife and Fisheries will be consulted concerning potential 
impacts to Natural and Scenic Rivers and to fish and wildlife 
resources.
    5. Availability of Draft SEIS. The earliest that the draft SEIS 
will be available for public review would be in the fall of 2012. The 
draft SEIS or a notice of availability will be distributed to affected 
Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian Tribes, and other interested 
parties.

    Dated: August 11, 2011.
Edward R. Fleming,
Colonel, U.S. Army District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2011-21881 Filed 8-25-11; 8:45 am]
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