[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 119 (Friday, June 19, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37075-37076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13239]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Integrated Feasibility Report and 
Environmental Impact Statement for the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana 
Feasibility Study

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense.

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 (CEMVN) intends to 
prepare an Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact 
Statement (IFR-EIS) to evaluate potential coastal storm risk management 
measures and flood risk management measures in St. Tammany Parish as 
part of the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Feasibility Study. The IFR-
EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives and anticipated social, 
economic, and environmental impacts associated with those alternatives, 
as well as potential mitigation measures if adverse impacts are 
identified. The IFR-EIS will document the existing condition of 
significant resources in and around areas considered for construction 
and potential impacts to those resources as a result of implementing 
the alternatives and any mitigation measures.

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

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Attn: 
Mrs. Amy Dixon, Project Manager, Room 335, CEMVN-PMR-C, 7400 Leake 
Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118. [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments about the 
proposed action and requests to be added to the mailing list should be 
directed to: Mrs. Amy Dixon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans 
District, Attn: CEMVN-PMR-C, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118; 
by phone at: (504) 862-1798; or by email at [email protected]. 
For additional information, please visit https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/studies/St-Tammany/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead agency for this proposed action is 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The Louisiana Coastal 
Protection and Restoration Authority Board is the non-Federal sponsor.
    1. Authority: Sections 1201 and 1207 of the Water Infrastructure 
Improvements Act of 2016 authorize the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana 
Study for water resource development and conservation that include 
determining the feasibility of implementing projects for multiple 
purposes, including but not limited to, flood risk management as set 
forth in the 2015 and 2016 Reports to Congress on Future Water 
Resources Development. The St. Tammany Parish Louisiana Feasibility 
Study was authorized for inclusion as a funded study in the Bipartisan 
Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-123), Division B, Subdivision 1, Title 
IV (BBA 2018) in a Memorandum from the Office of the Deputy Commanding 
General for Civil and Emergency Operations. The Memorandum provided 
that plan formulation will be limited to Coastal Storm Risk Management 
and Flood Risk Management in accordance with BBA 2018. The Government 
is authorized by BBA 2018 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.
    2. Background: The study area is comprised of the entirety of St. 
Tammany Parish, with a focus on the areas impacted by flooding from 
rainfall and riverine bank overtopping, waves, and storm surge. The 
study area is located along the border with the state of Mississippi, 
with the Pearl River along the eastern boundary of the Parish. Lake 
Pontchartrain serves as the southern border, and is one of the largest 
estuaries in the United States, with the site of the Southeastern 
Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters in Lacombe. 
Tangipahoa Parish is located along the western boundary, and Washington 
Parish is located to the north. The majority of the Parish's population 
resides in communities along the edge of Lake Pontchartrain, and many 
residents commute into New Orleans.
    Increased resiliency to flood events is the primary identified need 
for the affected communities within the study area. In addition, the 
study area's topography, low elevation, and proximity to the Gulf of 
Mexico are all contributing factors causing flooding and erosion, and 
degradation of wetland systems within the Parish. Without additional 
coastal storm and flood risk management measures, the people, economy, 
environment, and cultural heritage of St. Tammany Parish are at risk 
from reoccurring flooding.
    The scoping, public involvement, and interagency coordination 
processes will help identify and define the range of the areas within 
the Parish that experience repetitive flood events, the types of 
damages caused by such events, and suggested alternatives to reduce the 
risk of flooding caused by such events. Important resources and issues 
evaluated in IFR-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, 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 reasonable 
alternatives to reduce coastal storm and flood risks including 
structural and

[[Page 37076]]

nonstructural measures. For the reasonable and practicable 
alternatives, the USACE will fully evaluate them, including the no 
action alternative. Alternatives could include avoidance and 
minimization and mitigation measures to reduce or offset any impacts.
    4. Public Involvment: 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 agency 
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 is strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, to 
enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically 
feasible, socially acceptable, and environmentally sound IFR-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 IFR-EIS and supporting 
information readily available in conveniently located places, such as 
libraries and on the internet.
    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 IFR-EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected 
public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient IFR-EIS 
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will 
be examined in detail in the IFR-EIS; and (d) save time in the overall 
process by helping to ensure that the IFR-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 
study 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 IFR-EIS. Other federal and/or state agencies may 
participate as cooperating and/or commenting agencies throughout the 
IFR-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, 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 as 
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:
    a. 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;
    b. 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
    c. 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 study 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 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 certification. 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 consult with 
the State Historic Preservation Officer under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act concerning properties listed, or 
potentially eligible for listing on the National Historic Register. The 
USACE will also coordinate with the Louisiana Department of Natural 
Resources for Coastal Zone Management Consistency per the Coastal Zone 
Management Act.
    7. Availability: The Draft IFR-EIS is expected to be available for 
public comment and review no sooner than December 2020. 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 mailing or 
email address if they wish to be notified of the Draft IFR-EIS 
circulation.

James A. Bodron,
Regional Business Director, Mississippi Valley Division.
[FR Doc. 2020-13239 Filed 6-18-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P