[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 208 (Friday, October 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54096-54097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23450]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Joint Notice of Availability for the Coastal Texas Protection and 
Restoration Study Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental 
Impact Statement

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District (USACE) announces the 
release of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental 
Impact Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) of 
the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study, Texas. The DIFR-EIS 
documents the existing condition of environmental resources in and 
around areas considered for development, and potential impacts on those 
resources as a result of implementing the alternatives.
    This public notice is also issued for the purpose of advising all 
known interested parties that there is pending before the Texas 
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) a decision on water quality 
certification. A copy of the public notice, with a description of work, 
has been made available for review in the TCEQ's Austin office.

DATES: USACE will accept written public comments on the DIFR-EIS from 
October 26, 2018 to January 9, 2019. Comments on the DIFR-EIS must be 
postmarked by January 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Public comments can be mailed to: USACE, Galveston District, 
Attn: Mrs. Jennifer Morgan, Environmental Compliance Branch, Regional 
Planning and Environmental Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553-
1229 or emailed to [email protected]. See website: http://coastalstudy.texas.gov/ for additional information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Jennifer Morgan, (409) 766-3131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: The lead agency for this proposed action is the USACE. 
This study has been prepared under the standing authority of Section 
4091, Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Public Law 110-114. The 
non-Federal sponsor is the Texas General Land Office.
    Background: This DIFR-EIS was prepared as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to present an evaluation of potential 
impacts associated with the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration 
Feasibility Study (Coastal Texas) TSP. The USACE and the non-Federal 
sponsor for the study, the Texas General Land Office (GLO), have 
conducted this study and prepared the DIFR-EIS.
    The study area for the Coastal Texas Study consists of the entire 
Texas Gulf coast from the mouth of the Sabine River to the mouth of the 
Rio Grande, and includes the Gulf and tidal waters, barrier islands, 
estuaries, coastal wetlands, rivers and streams, borrow sources, and 
adjacent areas that make up the interrelated ecosystems along the coast 
of Texas. The study area encompasses 18 coastal counties along the Gulf 
coast and bayfronts.
    This report presents the proposed alternatives that would reduce 
the risk of storm damage to industries and businesses critical to the 
Nation's economy and protect the health and safety of Texas coastal 
communities. The study analyzed alternatives that involved structural 
and nonstructural measures. Additionally, the report discusses 
alternatives intended to address critical coastal ecosystems in need of 
restoration, including wetlands, seagrass beds, sea turtle nesting 
habitat, piping plover critical habitat, and bird rookery islands, as 
well as numerous Federal and State wildlife refuges.
    Tentatively Selected Plan: The TSP consists of the Coastal Barrier 
Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) System, South Padre Island CSRM 
measure, and a comprehensive set of ecosystem restoration (ER) 
measures. The Coastal Barrier is a risk reduction system made up of the 
following features: Floodwalls, floodgates, seawall improvements, 
drainage structures, pump stations, and surge barrier gates. One 
fundamental feature of the TSP is surge barrier structures that include 
floating sector gates for navigation traffic and environmental lift 
gates across the span at Bolivar Roads between Bolivar Peninsula and 
Galveston Island. The alternative includes four reaches: Eastern Tie-in 
Reach, Bolivar Peninsula Reach, Galveston Ring Levee/Floodwall Reach, 
and West Galveston Island Reach in addition to features located at 
Clear Creek Channel and Dickinson Bayou. The South Padre Island CSRM 
measure consists of approximately 2.2 miles of dune and beach 
restoration along the barrier island on the Gulf, including 
renourishment cycles. The ER component of the TSP has been formulated 
to address the habitat loss and degradation from coastal processes. ER 
measures restore and create habitat and support structural CSRM efforts 
by providing a natural buffer from coastal storms. ER measures proposed 
in this study include a combination of features formulated in specific 
geographic locations to restore diverse habitats and coastal features 
that provide multiple lines of defense against coastal storms and long 
term coastal processes. Restoration measures include beach and dune 
complexes, oyster reefs, bird rookery islands, wetland and marsh 
complexes, and protection of submerged aquatic vegetation.
    A final decision will be made following the reviews and higher-
level coordination within the USACE to select a plan for feasibility-
level design and recommendation for implementation. The decision will 
be documented in the Final Integrated Feasibility Report (FIFR)-EIS. 
Coordination with the natural resource agencies will continue 
throughout the study process.
    Project Impacts and Environmental Compliance: Preliminary studies 
indicate that the recommended plan's surge barrier gates (proposed as 
features of the Coastal Barrier) may alter wetland functions by 
constricting tidal exchange and associated sediment transport, altering 
hydrosalinity gradients, reducing flow into and out of Galveston Bay, 
and increasing velocities near the gate openings at specific times. The 
TSP was formulated to reduce the risk of damages from coastal storms as 
well as avoid disturbance to environmentally significant resources. 
Where impacts could not be avoided, they were quantified, and a 
conceptual mitigation plan was formulated. Impacts would be fully 
compensated with the restoration of palustrine and estuarine emergent 
marsh in the amount determined during final feasibility planning. The 
Coastal Barrier would provide a level of protection to tidal and 
freshwater wetlands north of the barrier location by serving as a 
physical barrier against

[[Page 54097]]

storm surge during coastal storms. The South Padre Island CSRM feature 
would restore the beach and dune complex; therefore, providing reduced 
risk to the area while sustaining and increasing beach habitat, and 
helping preserve existing wetland habitat on the bayside of the 
measure. Ecosystem restoration measures would restore the natural 
features of the Texas coast that provide habitat for many Federally 
threatened and endangered species and State species of concern. These 
measures will also maintain a natural buffer for upland areas from 
coastal processes, relative sea level rise (RSLR), and storm surge, 
while stabilizing the coastline by absorbing energy from waves and 
vessel wakes.
    The DIFR-EIS presents an evaluation of the potential impacts to 
soils, waterbottoms, water quality, protected wildlife species, benthic 
organisms, essential fish habitat, coastal barrier resources, air 
quality, and noise. Additionally, potential impacts to floodplains, 
flood control, protected/managed lands, and minority or low-income 
populations have been evaluated. Steps would be taken to avoid, 
minimize, and mitigate any potential impacts to the best extent 
practicable. The USACE is proposing to execute a Programmatic Agreement 
among USACE, the Texas State Historic Preservation Office, and any NFS, 
in coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and 
Tribal Nations, to address the identification and discovery of cultural 
resources that may occur during the construction and maintenance of 
proposed or existing facilities.
    Solicitation of Comments: The USACE is soliciting comments from the 
public, Federal, State, and local agencies, elected officials, Tribal 
Nations, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate 
the impacts of this proposed activity. Comments will be used in 
preparation of the FIFR-EIS. Any comments concerning water quality 
certification may be submitted to the TCEQ, 401 Coordinator, MSC-150, 
P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.
    Meetings: The Galveston District will hold public meetings at 5:30 
p.m. for the DIFR-EIS on the following dates and locations: November 
27, 2018 at Bauer Community Center, 2300 TX-35, Port Lavaca, TX 77979; 
November 28, 2018 at Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M Corpus 
Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412; November 29, 2018 at 
Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center, 309 Railroad Ave., Port Isabel, TX 
78578; December 11, 2018 at Winnie Community Building, 335 South Park 
St., Winnie, TX 77665; December 12, 2018 at Galveston Island Convention 
Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551; and December 18, 2018 
at Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E NASA Parkway, Seabrook, TX 77586.
    Document Availability: Compact disc copies of the DIFR-EIS are 
available for viewing at county libraries throughout the 18 county 
study area. The document can also be viewed and downloaded from the 
Galveston District website: http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Planning-Environmental-Branch/Documents-for-Public-Review/.

Lars N. Zetterstrom,
Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2018-23450 Filed 10-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P