[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 244 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82460-82461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27964]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Draft Integrated Disposition Report 
and Environmental Assessment for the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and 
Dam, Hennepin County, Minnesota

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The St. Paul District, Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is 
publishing this notice to announce that the draft Integrated 
Disposition Report and Environmental Assessment (DR/EA) for the Upper 
St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam (USAF) is available for public review 
and comment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). The Corps provides all interested persons an opportunity to 
view and/or print the EA via the internet through the St. Paul 
District's Home Page (https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received or 
postmarked within 60 days from the date of this notice. Any comments 
received after the closing date may not be considered in final 
decisions for the Corps' action.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DR/EA may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
    Email should be sent to: [email protected].
    Mail/Courier--Written comments should be sent to: District 
Engineer,U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District, ATTN: Regional 
Planning and Environment Division North, 180 Fifth Street East, Suite 
700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.
    If submitting comments by email, the following should be included 
in the subject line or first line of the message ``USAF Disposition 
Study DR/EA Comments''. Comments should be specific and pertain only to 
the issues relating to the action and the EA. The Corps will include 
all comments in the project record.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be publicly available. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, the Corps cannot

[[Page 82461]]

guarantee that we will be able to do so. Such information is not 
required for you to submit comments on the study.
    All submissions from organizations or businesses and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses will be available for public review to the 
extent consistent with applicable law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about the study may 
be directed to Nan Bischoff, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, St. Paul District, 180 Fifth Street East, Suite 700, St. 
Paul, MN 55101-1678; telephone (651) 290-5426; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps operates USAF Lock and Dam, 
located on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Section 
2010 of Water Resources Reform and Redevelopment Act of 2014, Public 
Law 113-121, directed the Corps to close the lock to navigation 
operations but to continue to carry out emergency lock operations 
necessary to mitigate flood damages. Navigation at the lock ceased on 
June 9th, 2015. Prior to the closure of USAF, the lock operated as part 
of a system to support navigation on the upper reaches of the 
Mississippi River 9-foot navigation channel.
    Section 216 of the Flood Control Act of 1970 authorizes the 
Secretary of the Army to review operations of completed projects, when 
found advisable due to changed physical, economic, or environmental 
conditions. Disposition studies are a specific type of Section 216 
study with the intent to determine whether a water resources 
development project operated and maintained by the Corps of Engineers 
should be de-authorized and the associated real property and 
Government-owned improvements disposed of.
    The USAF Disposition Study analyzes three primary alternatives at 
the USAF site: (1) No action; (2) complete de-authorization by Congress 
of the Federal missions at the site and disposal of the properties 
according to Federal law; and (3) partial de-authorization and 
disposal. The partial disposition alternative will maintain the 
emergency flood mitigation capability of the structure. If the Corps of 
Engineers determines that Federal interest no longer exists, it must 
consider, and may recommend, disposal of the project or separable 
elements of the project under existing authorities.
    The Disposition Study ends when the final report is approved by the 
Corps of Engineers' Headquarters Office. Deauthorization would require 
Congressional Approval.
    Results of the study are summarized in the draft DR/EA, which 
includes an analysis of potential environmental effects and concludes 
the action would not constitute a major federal action significantly 
affecting the quality of the human environment. In accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Corps is making 
the draft DR/EA available for public comments and will be holding one 
or more virtual public meetings summarizing the report prior to the 
comment deadline via Facebook Live or similar web-based platform. 
Additional details on these meeting(s) will be posted at least two 
weeks beforehand on the Saint Paul District's website: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/.

    Authority: The District publishes this notice congruent with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and its implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508).

Edward E. Belk, Jr.,
Director of Programs.
[FR Doc. 2020-27964 Filed 12-17-20; 8:45 am]
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