[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4354-4355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01524]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-FHC-2013-N266; FXFR13340300000-145-FF03F00000]


Fisheries and Habitat Conservation; Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Ballville Dam Project on the Sandusky River, Sandusky 
County, Ohio

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of meeting; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) that has 
been prepared to evaluate the Ballville Dam Project, in Sandusky 
County, Ohio, in accordance with the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are also announcing a public 
meeting and requesting public comments.

DATES: The comment period begins with publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register and will continue through March 28, 2014. The Service 
will consider all comments regarding the DEIS received or postmarked by 
this date and respond to them as appropriate. The Service will conduct 
a public meeting in Fremont, Ohio, on February 19, 2014 from 7 to 9 
p.m. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to present 
comments, ask questions, and discuss issues with Service staff and our 
cooperating agencies regarding the DEIS.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at Terra State Community 
College, 2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont, OH 43420. A hard copy of the DEIS 
and associated documents will be available for review at the Birchard 
Public Library, 423 Croghan Street, Fremont, Ohio 43420, as well as 
online at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/ballville-dam.html.
    You may submit comments by any one of the following methods:
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Brian Elkington, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Fisheries, 5600 American Boulevard West, Suite 990, 
Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (612) 713-5289 (Attention: Brian Elkington).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Elkington, (612) 713-5168. 
Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the 
Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8337 for TTY assistance.

[[Page 4355]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We publish this notice in compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 
The Service, in conjunction with our cooperating agencies prepared this 
DEIS for the Ballville Dam Project with the intent to address the 
environmental, economic, cultural and historical, and safety issues 
associated with the proposed removal of the dam and a suite of 
alternatives.
    Ballville Dam is currently a complete barrier to upstream fish 
passage and impedes hydrologic processes. The purpose for the issuance 
of federal funds and preparation of this Draft EIS are to restore 
natural hydrological processes over a 40-mile stretch of the Sandusky 
River, re-open fish passage to 22 miles of new habitat, restore flow 
conditions for fish access to new habitat above the impoundment, and 
improve overall conditions for native fish communities in the Sandusky 
River system both upstream and downstream of the Ballville Dam, 
restoring self-sustaining fish resources.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are 
known to have interest in this proposal. To ensure that the full range 
of issues related to this proposed action are addressed and all 
significant issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited 
from all interested parties.

Alternatives in the DEIS

    The DEIS contains an analysis of four alternatives: (1) Proposed 
Action--Incremental Dam Removal with Ice Control Structure; (2) No 
Federal Action; (3) Fish Elevator Structure; and (4) Dam Removal with 
Ice Control Structure. The DEIS considers the direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects of the alternatives, including any measures under 
the Proposed Action alternative intended to minimize and mitigate such 
impacts. The DEIS also identifies additional alternatives that were 
considered but were eliminated from consideration as detailed in 
Section 2.3 of the DEIS.

Public Comments

    The Service requests data, comments, new information, or 
suggestions from the public, concerned governmental agencies, the 
scientific community, tribes, industry, or any other interested party 
on this notice.
    In particular, information and comments regarding the following 
topics are requested:
    1. The direct, indirect, or cumulative effects that implementation 
of any alternative could have on the human environment;
    2. Whether or not the significance of the impact on various aspects 
of the human environment has been adequately analyzed; and
    3. Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of the 
proposed action on the human environment.
    You may submit your comments and materials considering this notice 
by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments and materials we receive in response to this request 
will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Background

    Ballville Dam was built in 1913 for hydroelectric power generation. 
The City of Fremont purchased the dam in 1959 from the Ohio Power 
Company for the purpose of supplying raw water to the city. With the 
construction of a raw water reservoir, the dam is no longer required 
for this purpose. In 2007, the ODNR issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) 
to the City, stating that the dam was being operated in violation of 
the law as a result of its deteriorated condition.
    Ballville Dam is currently a complete barrier to upstream fish 
passage and impedes hydrologic processes. An improved river flow regime 
with open access to substantially more habitat should increase the 
abundance of virtually all species, and likely species diversity as 
well, when compared to present conditions both above and below 
Ballville Dam.

Authority

    This notice is being furnished as provided for by NEPA and its 
implementing Regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22). The intent of the 
notice is to obtain suggestions and additional information from other 
agencies and the public on the DEIS. Comments and participation in this 
process are solicited.

Todd Turner,
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-01524 Filed 1-24-14; 8:45 am]
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