[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 212 (Thursday, November 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54919-54920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23879]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
New York and New Jersey Harbor Anchorages General Reevaluation
Study NEPA Scoping Meeting and Public Comment Period
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent/NEPA Scoping meeting and public comment
period.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) plans to prepare a General
Reevaluation Study (GRR) with an integrated Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to evaluate environmental impacts from reasonable
project alternatives and to determine the potential for significant
impacts related to the improvement of the anchorages included in the
Federal navigation project to take into account
[[Page 54920]]
changed conditions and/or assumptions since the original feasibility
study was completed in 2000. The GRR will address the need for
anchorage areas capable of safely accommodating the vessels navigating
the anchorages at present and reasonably projected to be navigating
them in the future; or find that no plan is currently justified.
DATES: Scoping comments may be submitted until December 10, 2018.
ADDRESSES: The public is invited to submit NEPA scoping comments at the
meeting and/or submit comments to Mr. David Schulte, Department of the
Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, Fort Norfolk, 803
Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510 or via email:
[email protected]. The project title and the commenter's
contact information should be included with submitted comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Schulte, (757) 201-7007.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applicable laws and regulations are section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370, as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). The primary
problem is that existing Federal anchorages in the harbor are
insufficient in meeting the variety of functions (ex. security and U.S.
Coast Guard inspections, lightering, bunkering/refueling, waiting
areas, and emergency ``bailout'' areas) they are used for as part of
normal harbor operations, which reduces vessel safety and cargo
transportation efficiency. Multiple issues have been identified by key
harbor users and stakeholders. There is not enough anchorage area to
accommodate all of the vessels that need to anchor for various reasons.
The dimensions of existing anchorages cannot accommodate vessels larger
than 1100 foot LOA (length overall) which is a significant portion of
the vessels that regularly call on the harbor and anchored vessels
regularly swing out into the navigation channel. Vessels are currently
forced to wait outside the harbor in the ocean due to a lack of
anchorage availability and/or anchorage areas designed for larger
vessels.
USACE is the lead federal agency and the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey will be the non-federal sponsor for the study. The GRR
will address the primary problem of the New York and New Jersey Harbor
Anchorages by studying all reasonable alternatives and determine the
Federal interest in cost-sharing for those alternatives.
As required by Council on Environmental Quality's Principles,
Requirements and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources
Implementation Studies all reasonable alternatives to the proposed
Federal action that meet the purpose and need will be considered in the
EIS. These alternatives will include no action and a range of
reasonable alternatives for improving navigation in the New York & New
Jersey Harbor Anchorages.
Scoping/Public Involvement. The public NEPA scoping meeting will be
held on November 8, 2018, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. It will be held at the GSA
Building, conference rooms 1-3 on the 30th floor, at 290 Broadway, New
York, NY 10007. Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and
the public are invited to provide scoping comments to identify issues
and potentially significant effects to be considered in the analysis.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-23879 Filed 10-31-18; 8:45 am]
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