[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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