[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 226 (Monday, November 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69841-69842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27723]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay, TX, Coastal Storm Risk Management and 
Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay, Texas, study area 
encompasses six coastal counties on the upper Texas Gulf coast--Orange, 
Jefferson, Chambers, Harris, Galveston and Brazoria. The Draft 
Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement (DIFR-
EIS) will evaluate structural and non-structural alternatives which 
address coastal storm risk management (CSRM) and ecosystem restoration 
(ER) impacts in the study area. The environmental impact study will 
focus on environmental and social conditions currently present and 
those likely to be affected by potential future impacts of storm surge 
and ecosystem restoration opportunities. Several major historical surge 
events have occurred in the study area in the past 120 years. The most 
notable is perhaps the 1900 Storm, which inundated most of the island 
city of Galveston, TX, and adjacent areas on the mainland. The storm 
was responsible for over eight thousand deaths and up to $30 million in 
property damage. Hurricane Rita in 2005 resulted in storm surge of 9.2 
feet in Port Arthur, TX, and just over 8 feet in Sabine Pass. Most 
recently, Hurricane Ike in 2008 produced storm surges of 14 feet near 
Sabine Pass and 11 to 12 feet across Sabine Lake. The City of Port 
Arthur was spared from the impacts of storm surge thanks to its 
existing 14- to 17-foot hurricane flood protection system. However, the 
remaining southern half of Jefferson County was inundated, with 
estimated high water marks reaching 18 to19 feet to the south and east 
of High Island. The City of Galveston was protected from Hurricane 
Ike's high energy surge impacts by the Galveston Seawall, but much of 
the City of Galveston was later flooded by about 6 to 10 feet of surge 
coming from the bay. The City of Texas City was protected from Ike's 
surge impacts by its existing hurricane flood protection system. At 
risk within the study area are approximately 2.26 million people living 
within the storm-surge inundation zone, three of the nine largest oil 
refineries in the world, 40 percent of the nation's petrochemical 
industry, 25 percent of the nation's petroleum-refining capacity, and 
three of the ten largest U.S. seaports.

DATES: Comments on proposed DIFR-EIS will be accepted through December 
24, 2014.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, P.O. Box 
1229, Galveston, TX 77553-1229. Emails may be sent to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sheridan Willey, (409) 766-3917, 
Planning Lead, Plan Formulation Section, Regional Planning and 
Environmental Center; or Ms. Janelle Stokes, (409) 766-3039, 
Environmental Lead, NEPA/Cultural Resources Section, Regional Planning 
and Environmental Center.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    (1) Background. In 2011, the Corps of Engineers and non-Federal 
sponsor, the Texas General Land Office, agreed to rescope an earlier 
study to evaluate plans to develop CSRM and ER features over the entire 
six-county region covering the upper Texas coast. The study is 
authorized under Section 4091, Water Resources Development Act of 2007 
Public Law 110-114.
    (2) Alternatives. Structural alternatives that will be evaluated 
are: (1) A new surge protection system in Orange and Jefferson 
Counties, including small, navigable surge gates on Cow and Adams 
Bayous; (2) a large navigable surge gate in the Neches River near the 
Rainbow Bridge; and (3) reevaluation of the existing Port Arthur and 
Freeport Hurricane Flood Protection Systems. Non-structural measures 
such as targeted buy-outs, will also be evaluated. Structural and non-
structural alternatives to address storm

[[Page 69842]]

surge impacts in the Galveston Bay system, as well as ER measures 
throughout the six-county study area will be evaluated 
programmatically, with recommendations being made for future detailed 
analyses of feasible alternatives.
    (3) Scoping. In February and March of 2012, four scoping meetings 
were held in the cities of Beaumont, Seabrook, Galveston and Freeport, 
TX. The scoping process involved Federal, State and local agencies, 
Federally-recognized Indian tribes, and other interested persons and 
organizations. Comments were received for 30 days following each 
scoping meeting. A total of 285 ideas were collected and these were 
collated and screened into a detailed list of structural and non-
structural CSRM and ER measures that are being considered during this 
study. At this time, there are no plans for an additional scoping 
meeting. However, input from affected Federal, state and local 
agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties is being solicited with this notice.
    (4) Coordination. Further coordination with environmental agencies 
will be conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean 
Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the 
Coastal Zone Management Act under the Texas Coastal Management Program.
    (5) DIFR-EIS Preparation. It is estimated that the DIFR-EIS will be 
available to the public for review and comment in August, 2015.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-27723 Filed 11-21-14; 8:45 am]
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