[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12596-12598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06359]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Upper Baritaria Basin, LA 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,
Upper Barataria Basin Coastal Feasibility Study. The DIFR-EIS will
document the existing condition of environmental resources in and
around areas considered for construction, and potential impacts on
those resources as
[[Page 12597]]
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: Mr. Scott Wandell, Room 335, CEMVN-PMR-C, 7400 Leake Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70118. [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have any questions or comments
about the proposed action or would like to be added to the project
mailing list please call Mr. Scott Wandell 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. The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Board is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The Resolution dated May 6, 1998 of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives
authorizes a study that will investigate alternatives that may include
structural and non-structural measures to address flood risk from tidal
surges, coastal storm surges, and heavy rainfall in the area between
Bayou Lafourche and the Mississippi River System, from Donaldsonville
to the Gulf of Mexico. Notwithstanding Section 105(a) of the Water
Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2215(a)), which specifies
the cost-sharing requirements generally applicable to feasibility
studies, Title IV, Division B of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018,
Public Law 115-123, enacted February 9, 2018 (``BBA 2018''), authorizes
the Government to conduct the Study at full Federal expense to the
extent that appropriations provided under the Investigations heading of
the BBA 2018 are available and used for such purpose. The study phase
is 100% federally funded.
2. Background. The study area encompasses the Louisiana coastal
parishes of St. Charles, Lafourche, Assumption, St. James, St. John the
Baptist, and Ascension Parish. A previous feasibility study was begun
for the entire basin, but never completed due to the benefit cost
ratio. While the previous Donaldsonville to the Gulf Hurricane
Protection Feasibility Study looked at the entire Barataria basin, this
study differs from that by focusing solely on the upper basin, while
drawing on information from that previous study to inform this
feasibility study. The study area has experienced numerous tropical
storm events and is vulnerable to loss of life, wildlife, damage to
property and infrastructure, and repeated mandatory evacuation costs.
The feasibility study will evaluate the proposed alternatives resulting
in risk of storm damage reduction to industries and businesses critical
to the Nation's economy and protect the health and safety of Louisiana
coastal communities in the Upper Barataria Basin.
The study area needs increased resiliency to flood events for the
affected communities. In addition, the study area's topography, low
elevation, and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico are all contributing
factors causing flooding and erosion of wetland systems within the
upper basin. Without additional storm damage reduction measures, the
people, economy, environment, and cultural heritage of coastal areas in
Upper Barataria Basin are at risk from reoccurring damages caused by
flooding.
The scoping, public involvement, and interagency coordination
processes will help identify and define the range of potential
significant issues that will be considered. Important resources and
issues evaluated in EIS could include, but are not limited to, the
direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on socioeconomics, navigation,
wetlands, uplands, aquatic and biological resources, prime and unique
farmlands, essential fish habitat, waterfowl, wildlife resources,
geology and soils agricultural land and prime and unique farmland;
hydrology and hydraulics, threatened and endangered species and their
critical habitat, wildlife resources, threatened/endangered species and
other protected species of concern, cultural resources, recreation,
aesthetics and visual resources, hazardous, toxic and radioactive
waste, environmental justice, soils, air quality, and water quality.
USACE will also consider issues identified and comments made throughout
scoping, public involvement, and interagency coordination.
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
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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 401 water
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. 2019-06359 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
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