[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 46 (Friday, March 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15007-15008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05416]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Open House--Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
Revised Water Control Manuals for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River
Basin
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Open House meetings.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Mobile District (USACE), will conduct open house style meetings and
accept comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for
the update of the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin (ACT) Water
Control Master Manual (Master Manual). The public comment period began
with the Notice of Availability published by the Environmental
Protection Agency on March 1, 2013 and will end 60 days after that
date. The open houses will be held at the times and places indicated in
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS are due by May 1, 2013 and should be
submitted as indicated in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lewis Sumner at telephone (251)
694-3857.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Master Manual includes appendices
prepared for individual projects in the ACT Basin and is the guide used
by USACE to operate a system of five Federal reservoir projects in the
basin--Allatoona Dam and Lake, Carters Dam and Lake and Carters
Reregulation Dam, Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam and R.E. ``Bob''
Woodruff Lake, Millers Ferry Lock and Dam and William ``Bill'' Dannelly
Lake, and Claiborne Lock and Dam and Lake. In addition the Master
Manual includes appendices prepared for two of the Alabama Power
Company (APC) projects for which USACE has authority for flood risk
management water management control--Neely Henry and R.L. Harris. APC
regulates these two non-federal projects in compliance with the
projects' Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses and in
accordance with USACE water control plans for flood management
regulation and navigation support.
USACE is updating the water control plans and manuals for the ACT
Basin in order to improve operations for authorized purposes to reflect
changed conditions since the manuals were last developed. The purpose
and need for the updated Master Manual is to determine how the federal
projects in the ACT Basin should adjust operations for their authorized
purposes, in light of current conditions and applicable law and to
implement those operations through updated water control plans and
manuals. The updated plans and manuals will comply with existing USACE
regulations and reflect operations under existing congressional
authorizations, taking into account changes in basin hydrology and
demands from years of growth and development, new/rehabilitated
structural features, legal developments, and environmental issues.
USACE regulations also provide specific policy and guidance for
inclusion of drought contingency plans as part of USACE's overall water
control management activities in the basin. To be effective, the
drought plan must incorporate a comprehensive, basin-wide approach that
considers the interrelationship of USACE projects and APC projects and
the proposed drought plan was developed in collaboration with APC.
USACE's objectives for the Master Manual are to develop a Water
Control Plan that meets the existing water resources needs of the
basin, fulfills its responsibilities in operating for the authorized
project purposes, and complies with all pertinent laws. The DEIS
presents the results of USACE's analysis of the environmental effects
of the Proposed Action Alternative (PAA) that the USACE believes
accomplishes these objectives.
USACE evaluated an array of potential water management alternatives
during the Master Manual update process, resulting in the selection of
the PAA. Additional information on the components of the PAA can be
found at www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/PlanningEnvironmental/ACTMasterWaterControlManualUpdate/ACTDocumentLibrary.aspx. One
alternative available to USACE is to continue with current operations.
This approach is
[[Page 15008]]
termed the No Action Alternative (NAA). Neither the PAA nor the NAA
would alter existing water supply storage allocations, fish spawning or
fish passage operations.
The proposed action does not include the building, installing, or
upgrading of any facilities. USACE will not modify any authorized
project purpose via this action, although the extent to which some can
be achieved may be affected. This action is limited to the way
reservoir levels are managed and water is released from them.
Document Availability
The DEIS and appendices are available to the public for review in
the following formats:
Online as PDF documents at www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/PlanningEnvironmental/ACTMasterWaterControlManualUpdate/ACTDocumentLibrary.aspx.
As a CD or bound copies when requested in writing to:
Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Attn: PD-EI
(ACT-DEIS), P.O. Box 2288, Mobile AL 36628.
A limited number of CD copies will also be available at
the DEIS open houses.
Public Review and Comment
USACE recognizes that the decisions made concerning revisions to
the water control operations at USACE projects within the ACT Basin
will have wide-ranging effects and encourages the public to submit
comments on the content of the DEIS. All persons and organizations that
have a potential interest in the proposed action, including minority,
low-income, disadvantaged, and Native American groups, are urged to
participate in this NEPA environmental analysis process by reviewing
the DEIS and submitting comments for consideration.
Comments may be submitted via the following methods:
Onsite at open houses through comment cards.
Verbally through the court reporter at open houses.
Online at www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/PlanningEnvironmental/ACTMasterWaterControlManualUpdate.
By emailing [email protected].
By letter addressed to: Commander, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Mobile District, Attn: PD-EI (ACT-DEIS), P.O. Box 2288,
Mobile AL 36628.
Further information regarding the update of the Master Manual,
including all available documents, background and historical
information, and updates is available online at the Web site given
above.
Open Houses
Open house style meetings will be held the week of March 25, 2013
at the following locations and times:
Monday, March 25 from 5-8 p.m. at Cobb Conference Center
755 Cobb Place Blvd. NW., Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Tuesday, March 26 from 5-8 p.m. at The Forum Civic Center,
2 Government Plaza, Rome, GA 301901.
Wednesday, March 27 from 4-7 p.m. at The Senior Activity
Center, 623 Broad Street, Gadsden, AL 35901.
Thursday, March 28 from 5-8 p.m. at Auburn University-
Montgomery, Center for Lifelong Learning, 75 TechnaCenter Drive,
Montgomery, AL 36117.
Next Steps
All comments will be catalogued and reviewed after the 60-day
public comment period. The final EIS (FEIS) is scheduled to be
completed and filed with the USEPA in the summer of 2013. The Record of
Decision, if appropriate, will be signed following the FEIS and the
Master Manual is scheduled to be approved in October 2013.
Thomas F. Nelson,
Lt. Colonel, Deputy Commander, Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2013-05416 Filed 3-7-13; 8:45 am]
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