[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61843-61844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24234]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: 
Department of the Army Permit Application Pursuant to the Clean Water 
Act and Rivers and Harbors Act and Permissions Under the Coastal 
Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana for the Mid-Barataria 
Sediment Diversion, Plaquemines 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 an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform a decision relative to 
the request for a Department of the Army (DA) permit pursuant to 
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers 
and Harbors Act, and permissions under 33 U.S.C. Section 408, to the 
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) for their proposed 
action on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD). The EIS will be 
used to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and as a basis for both the permit decision and the Section 408 
permissions.
    The DA permit and the 408 permissions are two separate processes 
with different authorities analyzed by different mission areas 
(including Regulatory and Civil Works) inside the USACE. Under Section 
404 of the CWA and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, the 
District Engineer permits the discharge of dredged or fill material 
into waters of the United States as well as work, to include the 
installation and maintenance of structures, in navigable waters of the 
U.S., if the discharge meets the requirements of the Environmental 
Protection Agency's 404(b)(1) guidelines, and the proposal is 
determined to not be contrary to the overall public interest. Under 33 
U.S.C. 408, the Chief of Engineers grants permission to alter, modify, 
or impair an existing USACE project if it is not injurious to the 
public interest and does not impair the usefulness of such work. The 
project involves structural crossings of the Federal Mississippi River 
and Tributaries (MR&T) Levee and the future New Orleans to Venice (NOV) 
Hurricane Protection Levee and could impact the Mississippi River 
Navigation Channel, Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion as well as other 
Federal projects. USACE Regulatory and Civil Works will coordinate on 
all aspects of the production of the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions should be addressed to Mr. 
Nathan Dayan at USACE, CEMVN-PDN-CEP, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA 
70118-0267, by phone (504) 862-2530, or by email at [email protected]. Request to be placed on the mailing list 
should be mailed to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions on the DA permit should be 
directed to: Mr. Robert Tewis by phone (504) 862-2041 or at the email 
above. Questions on the 408 permissions should be directed to: Mr. 
Nathan Dayan (see ADDRESSES) or at the email above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Authority: Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 
U.S.C. 408); Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C 
403); Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344); and, Section 
102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4332).
    2. Proposed Action. The USACE will prepare an EIS to analyze the 
impacts of diverting sediment-laden Mississippi River water into the 
Mid-Barataria Basin by CPRA. This permit request is proposed to re-
establish a connection between the Mississippi River and the Basin to 
build, sustain, and maintain land. CPRA is proposing to construct the 
diversion intake through the levee on the west side of the Mississippi 
River at approximately river mile 60.7, in Plaquemines Parish, LA, and 
the diversion outfall through the future NOV Hurricane Protection Levee 
into the Mid-Barataria Basin to allow sediment laden water from the 
Mississippi River to flow into the Barataria Basin.
    3. Alternatives. The EIS will address an array of alternatives to 
re-establish a connection between the Mississippi River and the Basin. 
Some alternatives will be brought forward from existing studies and 
projects including the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and 
Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Program, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) 
Ecosystem Restoration Study, LCA Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove 
(MDMG) with Dedicated Dredging Feasibility Study, the State/Non-
governmental Organization (NGO) Myrtle Grove Delta Building Diversion 
Modeling Effort in Support of LCA Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove with 
Dedicated Dredging, the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, and 
alternatives developed through the NEPA scoping process.
    4. Scoping. Scoping is the process utilized for determining the 
range of alternatives and significant issues to be addressed in the 
EIS. The USACE invites full public participation to promote open 
communication on the issues surrounding the proposed action. All 
individuals, organizations, NGOs, and local, state, and Federal 
agencies that have an interest are urged to participate in the NEPA 
scoping process. Public scoping meeting(s) will be held to present 
information to the public and to receive comments from the public. 
Public scoping meetings for both processes will be conducted jointly. 
The dates, times and locations of the scoping meetings will be 
determined in conjunction with CPRA at a later date and announced 
through local media channels as well as Regulatory public notice Web 
site--http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
    5. Significant issues. The EIS will analyze the potential social, 
economic, and natural environmental impacts resulting from the proposed 
project. Important resources and issues that will be evaluated in the 
EIS could include but would not be limited to effects on tidal wetlands 
and other waters of the U.S.; aquatic resources; commercial and 
recreational fisheries; wildlife resources; essential fish habitat; 
water quality; cultural resources; geology and soils including 
agricultural and prime/unique

[[Page 61844]]

farmland; hydrology and hydraulic; air quality; threatened and 
endangered species and critical habitat. Socioeconomic issues include 
navigation; induced flooding; land use; property values, tax revenues; 
population and housing, community and regional growth; environmental 
justice (effect on minorities and low income populations), community 
cohesion; public services, recreation, transportation and traffic, 
utilities and community service systems and cumulative effects of 
related projects in the study area.
    6. Environmental Consultation and Review. The U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service) will assist in documenting existing 
conditions and assessing effects of project alternatives through the 
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act consultation procedures. 
Consultation will be accomplished with the USFWS and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) concerning threatened and endangered 
species and their critical habitat per the Endangered Species Act. The 
NMFS will be consulted regarding the effects of this proposed action on 
Essential Fish Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The USACE will 
consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer per the National 
Historic Preservation Act.
    7. Availability. The draft EIS is estimated to be available for 
public review and comment no sooner than the spring of 2015. At that 
time a 45-day public review period will be provided for individuals and 
agencies to review and comment on the DEIS. All interested parties are 
encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current address if 
they wish to be notified of the DEIS circulation.

    Dated: September 26, 2013.
Richard L. Hansen,
Colonel, U.S. Army District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2013-24234 Filed 10-3-13; 8:45 am]
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