[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1807-1808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00289]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact 
Statement for the New York New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Coastal 
Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District 
(Corps) is preparing an integrated Feasibility Report/Tiered 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed New York and New 
Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility 
Study (NYNJHAT). The study is assessing the feasibility of coastal 
storm risk management alternatives to be implemented within the 
authorized study area with a specific emphasis on the New York and New 
Jersey Harbor, including Raritan Bay, the tidally affected stretches of 
the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, and the Hudson River to Troy, New 
York.

DATES: Comments and suggestions must be submitted by February 12, 2020.

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/. Interested parties are welcome to send written comments and 
suggestions concerning the scope of issues to be evaluated within the 
Tiered EIS to Cheryl R. Alkemeyer, NEPA Lead, Environmental Analysis 
Branch, Watershed Section, Planning Division, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, New York District. Mail: Cheryl R. Alkemeyer, USACE Planning 
Environmental 17-421 c/o PSC Mail Center, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, 
NY 10278; phone: (917) 790- 8723; email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the overall NYNJHAT 
study should be directed to Bryce Wisemiller, Project Manager, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Programs and Project 
Management Division, Civil Works Programs Branch. Mail: Bryce W. 
Wisemiller, USACE Programs and Project Management 17-401, c/o PSC Mail 
Center, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278; Phone:

[[Page 1808]]

(917) 790-8307; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), in partnership with the 
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and 
the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as the 
non-federal sponsors, are undertaking this study. In addition, the City 
of New York is a non-federal partner. The NYNJHAT study area, which 
encompasses the New York metropolitan area, is highly vulnerable to 
damage from coastal storm surge, wave attack, erosion, and intense 
rainfall-storm water runoff events that cause riverine or inland 
flooding, which can exacerbate coastal flooding. The Corps is 
authorized under Public Law 84-71, June 15, 1955 (69 Stat. 132) to 
conduct an investigation into potential coastal storm risk management 
solutions within the NYNJHAT study area. A Feasibility Cost Sharing 
Agreement (FCSA) was executed in 2016 with the NYSDEC and NJDEP.

2. Study Area

    The study area encompasses approximately 2,150 square miles and 
includes parts of Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Union, 
Somerset, Middlesex, and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey and 
Rensselaer, Albany, Columbia, Greene, Duchess, Ulster, Putnam, Orange, 
Westchester, Rockland, Bronx, New York, Queens, Kings, Richmond, and 
Nassau Counties in New York. The study area extends upstream of the 
Hudson River to the federal lock and dam at Troy, New York, the Passaic 
River to the Dundee Dam, and the Hackensack River to the Oradell 
Reservoir.

3. Corps Decision Making

    As required by Council on Environmental Quality's Principles, 
Requirements and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources 
Implementation Studies all reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
Federal action that meet the purpose and need will be considered in the 
Tiered EIS. The initial focused array of alternatives being formulated 
are ranging from harbor-wide coastal storm risk management (CSRM) 
methods to land-based, perimeter CSRM methods, with three alternatives 
between. All alternatives are anticipated to also include complementary 
non-structural measures and natural and nature based features as 
appropriate. To be conservative, all other ongoing studies and projects 
by USACE and other agencies that can reasonably be expected to be 
implemented by 2020 are assumed to be in place as part of this study's 
assumed future ``without project'' condition.

4. Public Participation

    The Corps, the NYSDEC and the NJDEP hosted three agency workshop 
meetings in January and February 2017, with representatives from 
federal and state agencies, as well as representatives from local 
agencies and towns. The Corps initially announced the preparation of an 
integrated Feasibility Report/Tiered EIS for study in the February 13, 
2018 Federal Register. The 45-day NEPA scoping period (July 6-August 
20, 2018) was extended to November 5, 2018 based on requested from the 
public. Nine public NEPA scoping meetings were held throughout the 
study area. Subsequent to the publication of the February 13, 2018 NOI, 
the 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 October 31, 2018 on an interim basis, and allowed for an 
additional 15 months to complete the Draft Integrated Feasibility 
Report and Tier 1 EIS. Therefore, in order to align the revised study 
schedule with Executive Order 13807, Notice to Withdraw the original 
NOI was published in the February 13, 2019 Federal Register. To further 
provide the public with study information, an Interim Report was 
released on February 19, 2019 that identified the preliminary economic, 
environmental, engineering and other studies performed to date of the 
above referenced alternatives. Eight public meetings related to the 
Interim Report were also held. Comments, concerns and information 
submitted to the Corps are being evaluated and considered during the 
development of the Draft EIS. Comments received are continuing to aid 
the study progress and included in the draft report and will be part of 
the administrative record

5. Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead federal agency for the 
preparation of a Tiered EIS in order to meet the requirements of the 
NEPA and the NEPA Implementing Regulations of the President's Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508). The following agencies 
have accepted the invitation to be Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Coast 
Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National 
Park Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency agreed to be 
a Participating Agency. The preparation of a Tiered EIS will be 
coordinated with New York State, New Jersey State and local 
municipalities with discretionary authority relative to the proposed 
actions. The Draft Integrated Feasibility Report/Tiered EIS is 
currently scheduled for distribution to the public in the summer of 
2020.

Jeffrey L. Milhorn,
Major General, USA, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2020-00289 Filed 1-10-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P