[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12602-12603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06353]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Amite River and Tributaries-East of the Mississippi River, Louisiana, 
Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) intends to 
prepare a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact 
Statement (DIFR-EIS) to assess the potential social, economic, and 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed project titled, 
``Amite River and Tributaries--East of the Mississippi River, 
Louisiana, Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study.'' The DIFR-EIS will 
document the existing conditions of environmental resources in and 
around areas considered for construction, and potential impacts on 
those resources as a result of implementing the alternatives.

DATES: A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and 
times for scoping meetings is anticipated to be posted on the project 
website, https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/ and published in the local newspapers no later than 15 days 
prior to the meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Kaitlyn Carriere, CEMVN-PMR, Room 331, 7400 Leake 
Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118. [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions or comments 
about the proposed action or would like to be added to the project 
mailing list, please call Ms. Kaitlyn Carriere at (504) 862-1798. For 
additional information, please visit the following https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead agency for this proposed action is 
the USACE. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 
(LDOTD) is the non-Federal sponsor.
    1. Authority. The USACE is preparing the DIFR-EIS study under the 
standing authority of Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, (Pub. L. 115-123), 
Division B, Subdivision 1, H. R. 1892--13, Title IV, Corps Of 
Engineers--Civil, Department Of The Army, Investigations. The 
Bipartisan Budget Act authorizes the USACE proposed Amite River and 
Tributaries--East of the Mississippi River, Louisiana, Flood Risk 
Management Feasibility Study planning and potential construction 
project. The study phase is 100% federal funding.
    2. Background. The study area, which includes the Amite River 
Basin, encompasses an area of approximately 3,450 square miles 
consisting of 8 Louisiana parishes (East Feleciana, St. Helena, East 
Baton Rouge, Livingston, Iberville, Ascension, St. James, and St. John 
the Baptist), Maurepas Lake, and 4 Mississippi counties (Amite, 
Wilkinson, Franklin, and Lincoln). Over three-fourths of the study area 
lies in the parishes of southeastern Louisiana, located east of the 
Mississippi River and north of Lake Maurepas. The upper one-fourth of 
the study area's drainage area lies in the southwestern Mississippi 
counties.
    The Amite River and its tributaries has caused flood damages to 
industrial, commercial, agricultural facilities, and residential and 
nonresidential structures. As recently as August 2016, the President 
issued disaster declarations for parishes in the Amite River Basin due 
to impacts from ``The Great Flood of 2016''. The flood was responsible 
for 13 deaths and the rescue of at least 19,000 people. The study area 
experienced historic flooding to thousands of homes and businesses and 
impacts to the Nation's critical infrastructure because both the I-10 
and I-12 transportation system were shutdown for days. Major urban 
centers in the basin saw significant flooding well outside of normal 
flood stages.
    The Amite River Basin primarily has flooding from two different 
sources. The Upper Basin flooding is caused from headwater flooding 
from rainfall events. The lower basin flooding is caused by a 
combination of drainage from headwaters and backwater flooding

[[Page 12603]]

from tides and wind setup. Critical infrastructure throughout the 
region, includes the I-10 and I-12 transportation system, government 
facilities, and schools are expected to have increased risk of damage 
from rainfall damage from rainfall events as a result of climate 
change.
    The USACE will focus their analysis on the following resources as 
applicable: Aesthetics and visual resources, water quality, aquatic 
resources/wetlands, fish and wildlife resources, threatened/endangered 
species and other protected species of concern, cultural & historic 
resources and tribal trust resources, floodplains, hazardous, toxic & 
radioactive waste, hydrology, land use, navigation and public 
infrastructure, socio-economics, environmental justice and soils.
    3. Alternatives. The USACE will evaluate a range of alternatives 
for the proposed action including structural and nonstructural 
measures. For the reasonable and practicable alternatives, the USACE 
will fully evaluate them, including the no action alternative. 
Alternatives may result in avoidance and minimization, and mitigation 
measures of impacts to reduce or offset any impacts.
    4. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the 
NEPA process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences 
of the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental 
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal, 
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the 
NEPA process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, 
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically 
feasible, and socially acceptable EIS. Public involvement will include, 
but is not limited to: Information dissemination; identification of 
problems, needs and opportunities; idea generation; public education; 
problem solving; providing feedback on proposals; evaluation of 
alternatives; conflict resolution; public and scoping notices and 
meetings; public, stakeholder and advisory groups consultation and 
meetings; and making the EIS and supporting information readily 
available in conveniently located places, such as libraries and on the 
world wide web.
    5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the 
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be 
addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) identify the affected public 
and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation 
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will be examined 
in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by 
helping to ensure that the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant 
issues. A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and 
times for scoping meetings is anticipated to be posted on the project 
website, https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/ and published in the local newspapers no later than 15 days 
prior to the meeting dates.
    6. Coordination. The USACE will serve as the lead Federal agency in 
the preparation of the EIS. Other federal and/or state agencies may 
participate as cooperating and/or commenting agencies throughout the 
EIS process.
    In accordance with Executive order, 1307, referred to as One 
Federal Decision (OFD), the USACE and other agencies with environmental 
review, authorization, or consultation responsibilities for major 
infrastructure projects should develop a single EIS for such projects, 
sign a single Record of Decision (ROD) and issue all necessary 
authorizations within 90 days thereafter, subject to limited 
exceptions. An essential element of the OFD framework is the 
development of a schedule, referred to the ``Permitting Timetable,'' 
including key milestones critical to completion of the environmental 
review and issuance of a ROD. Cooperating agencies required by law to 
develop schedules for environmental review or authorization processes 
should transmit a summary of such schedules to the lead agency for 
integration into the Permitting Timetable.
    To ensure timely completion of the environmental review and 
issuance of necessary authorizations, OMB and CEQ recommend the 
Permitting Timetable for major infrastructure projects provide for 
environmental review according to the following schedule:
    (1) Formal scoping and preparation of a Draft EIS (DEIS) within 14 
months, beginning on the date of publication of the NOI to publish an 
EIS and ending on the date of the Notice of Availability of the DEIS;
    (2) Completion of the formal public comment period and development 
of the Final EIS (FEIS) within eight months of the date of the Notice 
of Availability of the DEIS; and
    (3) Publication of the final ROD within two months of the 
publication of the Notice of Availability of the FEIS.
    While the actual schedule for any given project may vary based upon 
the circumstances of the project and applicable law, agencies should 
endeavor to meet the two-year goal established in E.O. 13807.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will assist in 
documenting existing conditions and assessing effects of project 
alternatives through the Fish and Wildlife Start Coordination Act 
consultation procedures. Other environmental review and consultation 
requirements for the proposed project include the need for Louisiana 
Department of Environmental Quality Clean Water Act Section 401water 
quality. In addition, because the proposed project may affect federally 
listed species, the USACE will consult with the Service and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in accordance with Endangered 
Species Act, Section 7. The NMFS will be consulted regarding the 
effects of this proposed project on Essential Fish Habitat per the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act. The USACE will also be consulting with the State 
Historic Preservation Officer under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act concerning properties listed, or potentially 
eligible for listing. The USACE will also be coordinating with the 
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for Coastal Zone Management 
Consistency per the Coastal Zone Management Act.
    7. Availability. The Draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be available 
for public comment and review no sooner than December 2019. At that 
time, a 45-day public review period will be provided for individuals 
and agencies to review and comment on the DEIS. All interested parties 
are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current address 
if they wish to be notified of the DEIS circulation.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-06353 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
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