[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 96 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31738-31740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10599]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Pearl River Flood Risk Management Project, Pearl 
River Watershed, Rankin and Hinds Counties, Mississippi

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement for the Pearl River Flood Risk Management Project, Pearl 
River Watershed, Rankin and Hinds Counties, Mississippi.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a 
draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Pearl River Flood 
Risk Management Project in Rankin and Hinds Counties, Mississippi to 
analyze flood risk management plans that can be implemented under 
section 3104 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007. 
This notice updates the original Notice of Intent declaring the Rankin-
Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, the non-Federal 
interest (NFI) and USACE's intent to conduct a Feasibility Study and 
EIS process, which was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 
2013. USACE is now preparing a DEIS to identify the national economic 
development (NED) plan by comparing the level of flood protection 
provided by the alternatives presented in the NFI's section 211 Study 
(Alternatives A and C) and two new USACE alternatives (Alternative A1 
and Combination/Hybrid Plan, as allowed for by section 3104); assess 
the environmental acceptability and technical feasibility of the 
alternatives; and provide the Secretary the necessary information to 
choose a plan to implement. Additionally, consistent with section 1176 
of WRDA 2018, the DEIS will assess potential downstream impacts to the 
Pearl River Basin.

DATES: All comments and suggestions must be submitted by June 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: To ensure the Corps has sufficient time to consider public 
input in the preparation of the Draft EIS, scoping comments should be 
submitted by email at [email protected], by surface mail to 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CEMVK-PMP, 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg, 
Mississippi 39183-3435, or at the Scoping Meeting(s).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments regarding the 
proposed project should reference ``the

[[Page 31739]]

Pearl River Flood Risk Management Project'' and be directed to Eric 
Williams at [email protected] or (504) 862-2862.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Section 3104 of WRDA 2007 modified the ``Pearl River 
Basin Project'' originally authorized by section 401(e)(3) of WRDA 1986 
to authorize the Secretary to ``construct the project generally in 
accordance with the plan described in the `Pearl River Watershed, 
Mississippi, Feasibility Study Main Report, Preliminary Draft', dated 
February 2007'' subject to subsection (c). Section 3104(c) provides 
that ``[i]f the Secretary determines under subsection (b) that the 
locally preferred plan provides a level of flood damage reduction that 
is equal to or greater than the level of flood damage reduction 
provided by the national economic development plan and that the locally 
preferred plan is environmentally acceptable and technically feasible, 
the Secretary may construct the project identified as the national 
economic development plan, or the locally preferred plan, or some 
combination thereof.''
    The NFI prepared a draft feasibility study/environmental impact 
statement (Study) under section 211 of the Water Resources Development 
Act (WRDA) of 1996 and submitted it to the Office of the Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (OASA(CW)) in July 2022 for 
review. Since then, OASA(CW) and USACE have been working with the NFI 
on resolving identified issues with the NFI section 211 Study.
    For the past 100 years, headwater flooding of the Pearl River has 
caused disruption to citizens and businesses throughout the Jackson, 
Mississippi, metropolitan area, putting over 5,000 commercial and 
residential structures at risk of flood damage. Five of the highest 
river stages on record have occurred in the past 20 years. The greatest 
flood risk is borne by minority and low-income communities. Jackson has 
struggled with population loss and lost economic opportunity.
    In 1996, local interests proposed the LeFleur Lakes Flood Control 
Plan, consisting of upper and lower lakes along the Pearl River south 
of the Ross Barnett Reservoir as an alternative to the comprehensive 
levee plan consisting of new levees, levee enlargements, water control 
structures, and culverts. USACE later prepared a preliminary 
feasibility study and draft environmental impact statement (FS/DEIS) 
evaluating the local interest plan and the comprehensive levee plan, 
dated February 2007, which was not noticed in the Federal Register, but 
is referenced in the current DEIS. The levee plan was determined to be 
non-implementable.
    In March of 2012, the NFI prepared a Preliminary Hydraulic and 
Hydrologic Report for a channel improvement concept along with some 
initial inquiries of a locally preferred plan with a smaller footprint. 
The flood risk management effort was continued in 2013 when the NFI 
team began rescoping the project with input from USACE, input from 
additional agencies and the public, and a review of previous 
alternatives. To efficiently and effectively consider as many measures 
as possible, the previous reports were utilized where possible, 
reevaluating the flood risk management measures studied and considering 
over 60 plans previously studied. During the review of plans examined 
in prior reports, plans were updated in some cases with current cost 
estimates; in other cases, plans were updated with continued modeling 
for updated and thorough analysis. Using this information, the USACE is 
conducting a reanalysis of engineering, economic, and environmental 
factors relative to prospective flood alleviation measures in the Pearl 
River Watershed study area (Metropolitan Jackson area) for Alternatives 
A, A1, C, and a Combination/Hybrid Plan by employing Department of the 
Army criteria and guidelines. The DEIS will examine the reasonably 
foreseeable environmental impacts of all reasonable alternatives that 
may be proposed.
    Proposed Action: The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce 
flood risk in the Jackson metropolitan area; reduce the flood risk of 
critical infrastructure, including the Savanna Street Wastewater 
Treatment Facility; and to improve access to transportation routes, 
evacuation routes, and critical care facilities during flood events. 
For the past 100 years, headwater flooding of the Pearl River (greater 
than 10 feet deep in some areas) has caused disruption to businesses 
and industry throughout the Jackson, MS, metropolitan area. This area 
of increased flood risk includes 5,000 commercial and residential 
structures and effects a population of over 500,000. There have been 
numerous flood events that have affected the Study Area, most notably 
the Easter Flood of 1979 and the May Flood of 1983. Most recently, the 
Pearl River crested at 36.67 feet in Jackson on February 17, 2020, the 
third highest crest ever recorded.
    Alternatives: Alternatives being considered include the following. 
Alternative A consists of relocating structures (buy out) and buying 
the land upon which the structures were located. The total number of 
structures to be relocated in this alternative is more than 3,000, 
including residential structures, commercial structures, government and 
public buildings, schools, and hospitals. Alternative A1 will be for 
both residential and nonresidential structures receiving residual 
damages in the base year with the project in place. Nonstructural 
measures of acquisition, elevation, and floodproofing may be applied to 
several with-project floodplains and will be optimized by reach to the 
annual exceedance probability (AEP) event floodplain providing the 
highest net benefits. Alternative C consists of the construction of 
channel improvements, demolition of the existing weir near the J. H. 
Fewell Water Treatment Plant (WTP) site and construction of a new weir 
with a low-flow gate structure further downstream to enlarge the 
existing river channel, Federal levee improvements (excavated material 
plan), and upgrading an existing non-Federal levee into a federalized 
ring levee around the Savannah Street WWTP. The NFI's preferred 
alternative is a Channel Improvements Plan, Alternative C. 
Consideration of an alternative that is a combination, or hybrid, of 
these plans is authorized. The Combination/Hybrid Plan may consist of 
features that demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency in Alternatives 
A, A1, and C. Through this Notice, the public is invited to identify 
potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the 
proposed action.
    Summary of Expected Effects: It is anticipated that Alternatives A 
and A1 would have minimal impacts on natural resources but could have 
significant effects to the human environment. These alternatives 
propose the buyout of up to approximately 3,100 structures, including 
homes and businesses. Implementation of Alternative A or A1 would 
impact population and housing, employment and business activity, tax 
revenues, community cohesiveness and growth.
    Alternative C's environmental effects will be further determined 
during the upcoming analyses. Based on the information available now 
approximately 2,069 acres of terrestrial habitat would be converted to 
aquatic habitat. Approximately 1,861 acres of wetlands and ``other 
waters of the U.S.'' and approximately 487 acres of existing surface 
water bodies, including the Pearl River channel and its tributaries, 
would be impacted. Additionally, impacts on threatened and endangered 
species by converting the portion of the

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Pearl River within the project area from a riverine system to a lake 
system will be further reviewed. Water quality and quantity impacts 
downstream of the project area will also be reviewed pursuant to 
Section 1176.
    Environmental Reviews and Consultation Requirements: The 
alternatives are being coordinated with federal, state, regional, and 
local agencies. In accordance with relevant environmental laws and 
regulations, USACE will engage at least the following agencies, some of 
which may also serve as cooperating or participating agencies in the 
EIS preparation: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act; USFWS under the Endangered Species Act; 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Mississippi Department of 
Environment Quality under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act; 
Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi 
Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Department of Archives and 
History, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana 
Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and 
Fisheries, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and 
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and Federally-recognized 
Indian Tribes under the National Historic Preservation Act.
    NEPA Schedule: The draft EIS is presently scheduled to be available 
for public review and comment in September 2023. A 45-day public review 
period will be provided for interested parties and agencies to review 
and comment on this draft document. All interested parties are 
encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current address if 
they wish to be notified of the Draft EIS circulation. A Record of 
Decision would be approved and signed no earlier than 30 days after the 
final EIS is published.
    Public Involvement and Scoping: USACE invites all affected federal, 
state, and local agencies, affected Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, 
other interested parties, and the general public to participate in the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process during development of 
the DEIS. Besides providing information, this notice requests input on 
alternatives and issues of concern.
    To ensure that public comments are considered in the DEIS 
preparation process, members of the public, interested persons and 
entities must submit their comments to USACE by mail, email, or at the 
Scoping Meeting(s). All comments and suggestions must be submitted by 
June 20, 2023. All personally identifiable information (for example, 
name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by a commenter may be 
publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    Scoping meeting(s) will be held at various locations (Slidell, 
Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi) during the scoping period which 
extends to June 20, 2023, to present information and receive comments 
from the public. Notification of the meeting(s) will be publicly 
announced in advance by USACE through press releases, special public 
notices, USACE social media platforms, and the project website http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Programs-and-Project-Management/Project-Management/Pearl-River/.

James A. Bodron,
Programs Director, Mississippi Valley Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-10599 Filed 5-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P