[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]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P