[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3765-3766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02152]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the New York New Jersey Harbor and 
Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Planning 
Division is notifying interested parties that it has withdrawn the 
Notice of Intent (NOI) to develop an EIS for the proposed NYNJHAT 
Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study. The original 
NOI to Prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on 
Wednesday, December 27, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the withdrawal of 
this NOI should be addressed to Mr. Peter Weppler, Chief, Environmental 
Analysis Branch, (CENAN-PL-E) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York 
District, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278-0090; 918-790-
8634; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 20, 2018, the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued 
an OMB/CEQ Memorandum for Heads of Federal Departments and Agencies 
titled ``One Federal Decision Framework for the Environmental Review 
and Authorization Process for Major Infrastructure Projects under 
Executive Order [E.O.] 13807.'' Additionally, twelve federal agencies, 
including Department of the Army, signed a Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) as an appendix to the OMB/CEQ Memorandum. The MOU is titled 
``Memorandum of Understanding Implementing One Federal Decision Under 
Executive Order 13807'' and was effective on April 10, 2018. E.O. 13807 
sets a goal for agencies by reducing the time for completing 
environmental reviews and authorization decisions to an agency average 
of not more than two years from publication of a NOI to prepare an EIS.
    Subsequent to the publication of the NOI, the NYNJHAT CSRM 
Feasibility Study was granted an exemption from the requirement to 
complete the feasibility study within 3 years, as required in Section 
1001(a) of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. This 
exemption was granted on

[[Page 3766]]

October 31, 2018 on an interim basis, and allows for an additional 15 
months to complete the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Tier 1 
Environmental Impact Statement. Therefore, in order to align the 
revised study schedule with E.O. 13807, it is necessary to withdraw the 
existing NOI to develop and re-scope a NEPA coordination/review 
schedule with the appropriate Federal and state resource agencies that 
have statutory jurisdiction over the review process for any action 
being contemplated in the course of the feasibility study and 
development of an environmental impact statement. Public, agency and 
stakeholder comments and feedback will continue to be accepted during 
the re-scoping of the NEPA review schedule.
    Study Website and Addresses: Pertinent information about the study 
can be found at: http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-in-New-York/New-York-New-Jersey-Harbor-Tributaries-Focus-Area-Feasibility-Study/.

    Dated: February 5, 2019.
Peter M. Weppler,
Chief, Environmental Analysis Branch, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2019-02152 Filed 2-12-19; 8:45 am]
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