[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67240-67241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-28344]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Chicago
Area Waterway System Dredged Material Management Plan Study, Chicago,
Illinois
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Chicago Area Waterway System
Dredged Material Management Plan Study. The study is sponsored by the
Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) on behalf of the City of
Chicago. The purpose of the EIS is to assess the likely social,
economic, and environmental effects of a range of potential alternative
plans to ensure that maintenance dredging activities are performed in
an environmentally acceptable manner, use sound engineering techniques,
are economically warranted, and provide sufficient confined disposal
capacity, as needed, for at least the next 20 years. Based on
stakeholder and public concerns voiced throughout the process of
preparing an Environmental Assessment, the Corps has determined that an
EIS is warranted for the study.
DATES: Previous Scoping letters and outreach occurred between February
2, 2018 and March 5, 2018. Public Workshops were held on April 28, 2018
and April 30, 2018 to share preliminary analyses and further solicit
public input on potential study alternatives.
ADDRESSES: Mr. Mike Padilla, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Chicago District, 231 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1500,
Chicago, IL 60608.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or
questions about this Dredged Material Management Plan and EIS, please
contact Mr. Mike Padilla, Project Manager, by telephone: 312-846-5427,
by email: [email protected], or by mail: ATTN: Mike
Padilla, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago
District, 231 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60608.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chicago District is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine the potential impacts
of the Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) for the Chicago Area
Waterway System (CAWS). The purpose of the DMMP is to find a new
location for a Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) for contaminated
sediment in the CAWS, which includes the Calumet River and Harbor and
the Cal-Sag Channel. The current CDF is approaching capacity and will
be full by 2022.
Dredged material management planning for all federal harbor
projects is conducted by the Corps to ensure that maintenance dredging
activities are performed in an environmentally acceptable manner, use
sound engineering techniques, are economically warranted, and that
sufficient confined disposal facilities are available for at least the
next 20 years. These plans address dredging needs, disposal
capabilities, capacities of disposal areas, environmental compliance
requirements, potential for beneficial use of dredged material, and
indicators of continued economic justification. The federal navigation
channels in the Chicago Area Waterway System are a vital part of the
local and regional economy and the Corps regularly performs maintenance
dredging to provide sufficient depths for safe and efficient navigation
within Calumet Harbor & River.
The Calumet Harbor and River navigation project is the third
largest by tonnage among Great Lakes harbors, with shipments and
receipts totaling 14 million tons annually. Commercial navigation
activities at the Calumet Harbor & River and Cal-Sag Channel are
locally and regionally significant, supporting more than 3,700 jobs and
$600 million in annual sales in the Chicagoland area. If a plan for
managing the dredged material is not identified, sediment would
accumulate in the federal channel, reducing the safe depth at which
vessels can operate, forcing ships to carry less cargo. Shipping costs
would increase, impacting businesses at the harbor. The project
requires annual dredging of approximately 50,000 cubic yards (CY) to
maintain deep draft navigation. Dredged material is currently placed in
the Chicago Area
[[Page 67241]]
Confined Disposal Facility (CDF). With over 1.3 million CY placed since
inception in 1984, the CDF will reach capacity in 2022. The plan will
include disposal management of more highly contaminated dredged
sediment and beneficial use planning for material that is deemed
suitable for various identified uses. The study is identifying and
analyzing potential locations along the Calumet harbor and River to
construct a new sediment management facility, as well as the
feasibility of expanding the existing CDF to provide the required
capacity for safely handling material that is too contaminated for
beneficial use.
The Corps has hosted a number of stakeholder engagements and public
workshops up to this point and is continuing to coordinate with
stakeholders and resource agencies to identify and assess any
potentially significant adverse impacts to human health and the
environment associated with the study. Availability of the Draft
Dredged Material Management Plan and EIS is anticipated in the spring
of 2019 for a 45-day period of public review. A public hearing(s) will
be conducted following public release.
Additional information about the Chicago Area Waterway System and
the Dredged Material Management Plan is available on the study website
at: https://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works-Projects/Calumet-Harbor-and-River/.
Felicia Kirksey,
Assistant Chief, Planning Programs and Project Management Division,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District.
[FR Doc. 2018-28344 Filed 12-27-18; 8:45 am]
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