[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 176 (Thursday, September 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55841-55842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20031]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Nassau County Back Bays 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, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) plans to prepare 
an integrated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Nassau County Back Bays (NCBB) Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) 
Feasibility Study. The EIS will evaluate environmental impacts from 
reasonable project alternatives designed to reduce future flood risk in 
ways that support the long-term resilience and sustainability of the 
coastal ecosystem and surrounding communities due to sea level rise, 
local subsidence and storms; and to reduce the economic costs and risks 
associated with large scale flood and storm events in the area known as 
the Atlantic Coast of New York, the Nassau County Back Bays.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the scope 
of issues to be evaluated within the EIS to Scott Sanderson, Project 
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Planning 
Division--Coastal Section, (CENAP-PL-PC), 100 Penn Square East, 
Wanamaker Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3390, 
[email protected] or via email to Angela Sowers, NEPA 
coordinator, [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the overall NCBB CSRM 
Feasibility Study should be directed to Scott Sanderson at 
[email protected] or (215) 656-6571.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    As a result of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, Congress passed 
Public Law 113-2, which authorized supplemental appropriations to 
Federal agencies for expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane 
Sandy. The Corps is investigating measures to reduce future flood risk 
in ways that support the long-term resilience and sustainability of the 
coastal ecosystem and surrounding communities, and reduce the economic 
costs and risks associated with flood and storm events. In support of 
this goal, the Corps completed the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive 
Study (NAACS), which identified nine high risk areas on the Atlantic 
Coast for further analysis based on preliminary findings. The NCBB area 
was identified as one of the nine areas of high risk, or Focus Areas, 
that warrants an in-depth investigation into potential CSRM measures. 
During Hurricane Sandy, the study area communities were severely 
affected with large areas subjected to erosion, storm surge, and wave 
damage along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, and flooding of communities 
within and surrounding bays. Along the Atlantic Ocean, surge and waves 
inundated low lying areas, and contributed to the flooding along the 
shoreline of the interior of the bays. Hurricane Sandy illustrated the 
need to re-evaluate the entire back-bay area as a system, when 
considering risk management measures.
    The original Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS was published 
in the Federal Register on Friday, April 21, 2017 (82 FR 18746), but 
was withdrawn by publication in the Federal Register on June 8, 2020 
(85 FR 35801). The original NOI was withdrawn in order to align the 
rescoped study schedule with Executive Order (E.O.) 13807, ``One 
Federal Decision Framework for the Environmental Review and 
Authorization Process for Major Infrastructure Projects under E.O. 
13807.''
    The purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of a 
project to reduce the risk of coastal storm damage in the back bays of 
Nassau County, New York, while contributing to the

[[Page 55842]]

resilience of communities, critical infrastructure, and the natural 
environment. The study is needed because the study area experiences 
frequent flooding from high tides, spring tides, sunny day flooding, 
and coastal storms; is considered at high risk to coastal storm 
flooding with an associated threat to life safety; includes a degraded 
back bay ecosystem; and is susceptible to relative sea level change.
    On 5 February 2020, the NCBB CSRM Feasibility Study was granted an 
exemption from the requirement to complete the feasibility study within 
3 years; required in Section 1001(a) of the Water Resources Reform and 
Development Act of 2014. The exemption was contingent on re-scoping the 
study to focus on critical infrastructure and highly vulnerable areas 
outside of Coastal Barrier Resources Act units. As a result, storm 
surge barriers are no longer under consideration at any of the inlets 
to the back bays from the Atlantic Ocean. The original NOI was 
withdrawn on June 8, 2020 (85 FR 35801) due to the need to re-scope and 
align updated schedules consistent with E.O. 13807. The NEPA 
coordination/review schedule for the re-scoped study is being aligned 
and coordinated with the appropriate Federal and state resource 
agencies, as required by E.O. 13807. This includes cooperating agencies 
that have statutory jurisdiction over the review process for any action 
being contemplated in the course of the feasibility study and 
development of the EIS.
    Acknowledging the complex analyses required to comprehensively 
reevaluate the study area considering the influence of the Atlantic 
Ocean shorefront conditions on the back-bay system and the potential 
for large-scale marine construction to implement flood protection 
measures, an EIS will be prepared. The EIS will build upon the 
extensive Atlantic shoreline alternatives analysis and environmental 
and technical studies and outreach conducted to date. The scope of 
analysis will be appropriate to the level of detail necessary for an 
EIS and will receive input from the public and reviewing agencies. The 
analysis will provide the basis for the alternatives to problems 
associated with storm surge and wave damage along the back-bays. 
Public, agency and stakeholder comments and feedback will continue to 
be accepted at any time during the feasibility study and preparation of 
the EIS.

2. Study Area

    The study area includes all of the tidally influenced bays and 
estuaries within Nassau County, New York, located on Long Island, NY, 
that are hydraulically connected to the south shore of Nassau County, 
directly east of Queens County and west of Suffolk County for 
approximately 98 square miles.

3. Corps Decision Making

    As required by Council on Environmental Quality's Principles, 
Requirements and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources 
Implementation Studies (2013), alternatives to the proposed Federal 
action that meet the purpose and need will be considered in the EIS. 
These alternatives will include no action and a range of reasonable 
alternatives for managing flood risk within the Nassau County Back Bays 
Area. The measures to be evaluated will consider applicable public 
stakeholders and agency coordination received since the study commenced 
in 2017, and through future outreach efforts. Coordination early in the 
process identified concerns and potential impacts, relevant effects of 
past actions, and possible alternative actions that were pivotal in 
defining the re-scoped study. The decision making approach will allow 
time to address agency policy issues and build consensus among 
cooperating agencies and the public.

4. Scoping/Public Participation

    Prior scoping meetings were held in May 2017 and June 2019. At this 
time, additional scoping meetings are not scheduled. However, input can 
be provided to the contacts identified here within, at any time during 
the feasibility study and preparation of the EIS. Public meetings will 
be conducted during the public review period of the draft EIS.

5. Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Corps is the lead federal agency and the New York Department of 
Environmental Conservation (in partnership with Nassau County, NY) is 
the nonfederal sponsor for the study and the preparation of the EIS in 
meeting the requirements of the NEPA and its Implementing Regulations 
of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508). 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have 
been identified as cooperating agencies. The preparation of the EIS 
will be coordinated with New York State and Nassau County offices with 
discretionary authority relative to the proposed actions. The Draft 
Integrated Feasibility Report/EIS is currently scheduled for 
distribution to the public in 2021.

    Dated: September 4, 2020.
Karen J. Baker,
Programs Director, North Atlantic Division.
[FR Doc. 2020-20031 Filed 9-9-20; 8:45 am]
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