[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30705-30706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14070]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft NEPA Document for the Upper St. Anthony 
Falls Lock and Dam, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, and Lock and 
Dam 1 Disposition Study, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to initiate public scoping and prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA).

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SUMMARY: The St. Paul District, Army Corps of Engineers (MVP) is 
conducting a study regarding the disposition of the Upper St. Anthony 
Falls Lock and Dam, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, and Lock and 
Dam 1 located in the Upper Mississippi River, Hennepin and Ramsey 
Counties, Minnesota. The study will include an environmental assessment 
and consider opportunities regarding deauthorization and disposal of 
any or all of the three lock and dam sites. The study will evaluate two 
primary alternatives: (1) No action; and, (2) deauthorization by 
Congress of the Federal missions at the sites and disposal according to 
Federal law. Deauthorization would include portions of the Mississippi 
River 9-foot navigation channel and the lands and structures associated 
with each lock and dam site. It is anticipated that a draft report of 
the integrated Disposition Study and Environmental Assessment (EA) will 
be available for a 30-day public comment period in the Spring of 2019. 
The St. Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting 
public comments on the proposed study, potential interest in future 
ownership if disposal of the properties is warranted, and substantive 
issues that should be analyzed in the EA.

DATES: 
    Scoping Meetings: MVP will hold public scoping meetings at the 
following times and locations during the scoping period:
    [ssquf] Monday, July 16th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Mill 
City Museum, 704 South Second Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401.
    [ssquf] Tuesday, July 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Highland Park Senior High School Auditorium, 1015 Snelling Avenue 
South, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55116.
    At the scoping meetings, the public is encouraged to submit 
resource information, and identify topics to be considered in the 
development of the EA. Written and oral comments will be accepted at 
each meeting.
    Comments: MVP will accept comments received or postmarked on or 
before August 20, 2018. Any comments that we receive after the closing 
date may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
    Email--Written comments should be sent to: 
[email protected].
    Mail/Courier--Written comments should be sent to: District 
Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District, ATTN: 
Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 Fifth Street 
East, Suite 700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.
    Comment Card--Comment cards provided as part of the public meetings 
will be collected at the end of the meeting or can be mailed to the 
address in the MAIL/COURIER section above.
    If submitting comments by email, the following should be included 
in the subject line or first line of the message: ``USAF, LSAF, L/D 1 
Disposition Study Comments''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To have your name added to a mailing 
list for notices related to the draft report and EA or additional 
public meetings, submit an email request to 
[email protected]. General questions about the study 
may be directed to Nan Bischoff, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, St. Paul District, 180 Fifth Street East, Suite 700, St. 
Paul, MN 55101-1678; telephone (651) 290-5426; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The St. Paul District, Army Corps of 
Engineers (MVP) operates the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam 
(USAF), Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam (LSAF), and Lock and Dam 
No. 1 (L/D 1), located on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and St. 
Paul, Minnesota. MVP also maintains the navigation channel in proximity 
to these dams which involves periodic dredging. Section 2010 of the 
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA 2014), dated 
10 June 2014, directed that USAF be closed within one year of the date 
of enactment of the Act, but did not deauthorize USAF. Prior to the 
closure of USAF, the three locks operated as a system to support 
navigation on the upper reaches of the Mississippi River 9-foot 
navigation channel. With the lock at USAF now closed to navigation, the 
demand for both commercial and recreational lockage has decreased due 
to the navigational disconnect in the Mississippi River at USAF. 
Deauthorization and disposal of one or more of the three sites may be 
warranted if the sites are deemed to not be fulfilling their authorized 
purposes. Deauthorization would also preclude maintenance activities of 
the navigation channel in proximity to these dams. The current 
authorized purposes are navigation and recreation.
    Section 216 of the Flood Control Act of 1970 authorizes the 
Secretary of the Army to review operations of completed projects, when 
found advisable due to changed physical, economic, or environmental 
conditions. Disposition studies are a specific type of Section 216 
study with the intent to determine whether a water resources 
development project operated and maintained by the Corps of Engineers 
should be deauthorized and the associated real property and Government-
owned improvements disposed of. An Initial Appraisal (IA) was conducted 
by the Corps in 2015 to determine if conditions exist which may warrant 
further analysis on a completed project as authorized by Section 216. 
The IA recommended investigation under this authority regarding the 
future use or disposition of USAF, LSAF, and L/D 1.
    The purpose of the Disposition Study is to determine what federal 
interest exists to retain USAF, LSAF, and/or L/D 1 for its authorized 
purpose(s) based on an evaluation and comparison of the benefits, 
costs, and impacts (positive and negative) of continued operation, 
maintenance, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, compared to the 
deauthorization and disposal of the associated real properties. The 
Disposition Study ends when the final report is transmitted to the 
Corps of Engineers' Headquarters Office for review and processing of 
recommendations. Deauthorization would require Congressional Approval.

[[Page 30706]]

    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), an Environmental Assessment (EA) for this study is anticipated 
and will be prepared by MVP. The study will broadly evaluate two 
primary alternatives: (1) The no action; and, (2) deauthorization by 
Congress of the Federal navigation-related missions at the sites and 
disposal of the properties according to Federal law. Deauthorization 
would include portions of the Mississippi River 9-foot navigation 
channel associated with each lock and dam site. MVP is soliciting 
public comments on the scope of the EA and significant issues that 
should be addressed. MVP will also accept comments related to potential 
new ownership and management measures.
    Two public scoping meetings are planned as discussed in the DATES 
section above. The primary purpose of these meetings is to provide a 
general understanding of the background of the proposed action and to 
solicit suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider 
in the EA. Written and oral comments will be accepted at the meetings. 
Comments can also be submitted by the methods listed in the ADDRESSES 
section. Once the draft EA is complete and made available for review, 
there will be additional opportunity for public comment.
    Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and 
participate in the public scoping meetings should contact the person 
listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section as soon as 
possible. In order to allow sufficient time to process requests, please 
make contact no later than one week before the public meeting.
    Written comments, including email comments, should be sent to MVP 
at the address given in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. Comments 
should be specific and pertain only to the issues relating to the 
action and the anticipated EA. MVP will include all comments in the 
project record.
    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--will be publicly available. While you can ask in your 
comment to have your personal identifying information withheld from 
public review, MVP cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    All submissions from organizations or businesses and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses will be available for public review to the 
extent consistent with applicable law.

    Dated: June 13, 2018.
Terry J. Birkenstock,
Deputy Chief, Regional Planning and Environment Division North.
[FR Doc. 2018-14070 Filed 6-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P