[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58530-58531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23300]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the Installation of a Terminal Groin Structure at Shallotte River 
Inlet and To Conduct Supplemental Beach Nourishment Along the Eastern 
Oceanfront Shoreline of Ocean Isle Beach, in Brunswick County, NC

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), Wilmington District, 
Wilmington Regulatory Field Office 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 Harbor Act, from the 
Town of Ocean Isle Beach to develop and implement a shoreline 
protection plan that includes the installation of a terminal groin 
structure on the west side of Shallotte Inlet (not a federally 
maintained navigational channel) and the nourishment of the oceanfront 
shoreline along the eastern end of Ocean Isle Beach.

DATES: A public scoping meeting for the Draft EIS will be held at Ocean 
Isle Beach Town Hall, located at 3 West Third Street, Ocean Isle Beach, 
on October 3, 2012, at 6 p.m. Written comments will be received until 
October 26, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding scoping of the 
Draft EIS may be submitted to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington 
District, Regulatory Division, ATTN: File Number 2011-01241, 69 
Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and Draft EIS can be directed to Ms. Emily Hughes, Project Manager, 
Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, telephone: (910) 251-4635. 
Additional description of the Town's proposal can be found at the 
following link, http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/WETLANDS/Projects/index.html, under Ocean Isle Beach Terminal Groin Project.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Project Description. The Town of Ocean Isle Beach is considering 
the installation of a terminal groin on the east end of the town's 
shoreline adjacent to Shallotte Inlet to address chronic erosion over 
the past 20-25 years. Erosion rates on the east end range from 4-8 feet 
a year based on the latest shoreline change update developed by the NC 
Division of Coastal Management. The overall length of the terminal 
groin could range from 800-1,000 feet; however, the final dimensions of 
the structure could differ following detailed engineering design. The 
structure would include a short anchorage section that could extend 
350-400 feet landward of the existing shoreline. Beach fill, extending 
2,000-2,500 feet west of the terminal groin would be placed to pre-fill 
the fillet area. The volume of material required for the fillet could 
range from 200,000-400,000 cubic yards. The material for the beach fill 
would be obtained from the existing federal borrow area in Shallotte 
Inlet, the AIWW inlet crossing, or a combination of the two. Ocean Isle 
Beach proposes to apply for non-federal permits for the use of these 
two areas by developing the information required to comply with the 
State Sediment Criteria.
    2. Issues. There are several potential environmental and public 
interest issues that will be addressed in the EIS. Additional issues 
may be identified during the scoping process. Issues initially 
identified as potentially significant include:
    a. Potential impacts to marine biological resources (benthic 
organisms, passageway for fish and other marine life) and Essential 
Fish Habitat.
    b. Potential impacts to threatened and endangered marine mammals, 
birds, fish, and plants.
    c. Potential impacts associated with using inlets as a sand source.
    d. Potential impacts to adjacent shoreline changes on the east side 
of Shallotte Inlet, or along Holden Beach.
    e. Potential impacts to Navigation, commercial and recreational.
    f. Potential impacts to the long-term management of the inlet and 
oceanfront shorelines.
    g. Potential effects on regional sand sources and how it relates to 
sand management practices and North Carolina's Beach Inlet Management 
Practices.
    h. Potential effects of shoreline protection.
    i. Potential impacts on public health and safety.
    k. Potential impacts to recreational and commercial fishing.

[[Page 58531]]

    l. The compatibility of the material for nourishment.
    m. Potential impacts to cultural resources.
    n. Cumulative impacts of past, present, and foreseeable future 
dredging and nourishment activities.
    3. Alternatives. Several alternatives and sand sources are being 
considered for the development of the protection plan. These 
alternatives will be further formulated and developed during the 
scoping process and an appropriate range of alternatives, including the 
no federal action alternative, will be considered in the EIS.
    4. Scoping Process. A public scoping meeting (see DATES) will be 
held to receive public comment and assess public concerns regarding the 
appropriate scope and preparation of the Draft EIS. Participation in 
the public meeting by federal, state, and local agencies and other 
interested organizations and persons is encouraged.
    The USACE will consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
under the Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination 
Act; with the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Endangered 
Species Act; and with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation 
Office under the National Historic Preservation Act. Additionally, the 
USACE will coordinate the Draft EIS with the North Carolina Division of 
Water Quality (NCDWQ) to assess the potential water quality impacts 
pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, and with the North 
Carolina Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM) to determine the 
projects consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The USACE 
will closely work with NCDCM and NCDWQ in the development of the EIS to 
ensure the process complies with all State Environmental Policy Act 
(SEPA) requirements. It is the intention of both the USACE and the 
State of North Carolina to consolidate the NEPA and SEPA processes 
thereby eliminating duplication.
    6. Availability of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is expected to be 
published and circulated by mid 2013. A public hearing will be held 
after the publication of the Draft EIS.

    Dated: September 14, 2012.
Jean B. Gibby,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-23300 Filed 9-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P