[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51875-51877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13480]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement to the Revised Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(RPEIS) for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, Hurricane 
and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Project (MTG)

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mississippi Valley 
Division, New Orleans District (CEMVN), is announcing its intent to 
prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to 
evaluate design changes to the authorized MTG project to meet the one 
percent Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) Storm Surge Risk Reduction 
(100-year level of risk reduction (LORR)). This EIS supplements the 
Revised Programmatic EIS (RPEIS), MTG, Louisiana, that was integrated 
with the 2013 Final Post Authorization Change Report (PACR). The 2013 
Integrated RPEIS and PACR was approved in the Chief's Report that was 
signed July 8, 2013. The Record of Decision (ROD) was signed on 
December 9, 2013.

DATES: All comments and suggestions must be submitted by July 22, 2024.

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, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New 
Orleans District, Attn: CEMVN-PDC-C, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70118, or at the Scoping Meeting(s).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and scoping comments 
regarding the proposed action should be directed to Ms. Sandra Stiles 
at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Attn: CEMVN-PDS, 
7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, by phone (504) 862-
2862, or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The MTG hurricane and storm damage risk reduction 
project is a levee system located approximately 60 miles southwest of 
New Orleans, Louisiana and includes most of Terrebonne Parish and a 
portion of Lafourche Parish between the Terrebonne Parish eastern 
boundary and

[[Page 51876]]

Bayou Lafourche. The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of 
damage caused by hurricane storm surges. A review of the project is 
needed because of the increasing susceptibility of coastal communities 
to storm surge due to wetland loss, sea level rise, and subsidence. The 
MTG Project was initially authorized by Section 1001(24) of the Water 
Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-114) in 
accordance with the Reports of the Chief of Engineers dated 23 August 
2002 and 22 July 2003, at a total cost of $886.7 million. The project 
was redesigned in the 2013 Integrated RPEIS and PACR Report, both to 
address the project cost increase beyond the statutory limitation in 
accordance with Section 902 of the WRDA of 1986, as amended, and to 
meet updated post-Hurricane Katrina design guidelines. The MTG Project 
was subsequently re-authorized by Section 7002(3)5 of the WRRDA of 2014 
(Pub. L. 113-121) in accordance with the Report of the Chief of 
Engineers dated 8 July 2013, at an updated total cost of 
$10,265,100,000. The MTG project was authorized to provide the 1% AEP 
level of hurricane and storm damage risk reduction while maintaining 
navigational passage and tidal exchange. The project consists of 
approximately 98 miles of levee including associated navigation, 
roadway, pump station fronting protection, and environmental control 
structures. The 2013 RPEIS provided an assessment for both programmatic 
and constructible features for the MTG project. Constructible features 
consisted of those project features that were determined to have 
sufficient design details to be constructed. Constructible features 
included levee reaches F1, F2, G1; the HNC Lock; and the Bayou Grand 
Caillou Floodgate. The remaining features were designed to a 
programmatic design level that would require supplemental National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation prior to construction. 
The mitigation plan for the constructible features included restoration 
of 427 acres of intermediate marsh, 358 acres of brackish marsh and 975 
acres of saline marsh.
    This SEIS will disclose the context and intensity of environmental 
impacts, including indirect and cumulative effects, for the final array 
of levee alignments and associated features. Any required mitigation 
will also be discussed.
    Alternatives: The SEIS will evaluate the PACR alignment as 
identified in the 2013 Integrated RPEIS and PACR Report to include a 
reasonable range of alignment modifications that considers existing 
levee alignments, the least environmental damaging preferred alignment 
maximizing avoidance and minimization measures to sensitive habitats as 
well as the no action alternative. Major Features of the project 
include: (1) Approximately 98 miles of earthen levee, with final levee 
elevations ranging from 15 feet to 26.0 feet North American Vertical 
Datum 1988 (NAVD88) plus overbuild and final levee widths from 
approximately 146 to 446 feet; (2) The Houma Navigation Canal lock 
complex (HNC Lock) with lock sill depth of -18 feet; (3) Construction 
on navigable waterways of 21 other floodgates such as stop log gates, 
barge gates, and sector gates; (4) Environmental water control 
structures at numerous locations within the levee system. Each control 
structure would consist of one or more culverts with gates that allow 
for tidal exchange; (5) Measures to offset the potential for increased 
water levels on the existing Larose to Golden Meadow project.
    Summary of Expected Effects: The SEIS will analyze the potential 
impacts on the human and natural environment resulting from the 
proposed actions for the Project. The scoping, public involvement, and 
interagency coordination processes are requesting data and information 
to help identify and define the range of potential significant issues 
that will be considered. Resources and issues that may be significantly 
impacted may include tidal wetlands and other waters of the U.S.; 
aquatic resources; essential fish habitat; threatened and endangered 
species and their critical habitats; cultural resources; soils; 
navigation and navigable waters; transportation and traffic; hydrology 
and hydraulics; induced flooding; environmental justice; and cumulative 
effects of related projects in the regional area.
    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 consult with the following agencies some of 
which may also serve as cooperating or participating agencies in the 
EIS preparation: Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS) under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; USFWS and 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) under the 
Endangered Species Act; National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; 
Louisiana's Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) under the Coastal 
Zone Management Act; and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality 
(LDEQ) under the Clean Water Act, Section 401 Water Quality 
Certification; and, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 
(ACHP), Louisiana's Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and 
appropriate Tribal Historic Preservation Officers under the National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) using an integrated NHPA Section 106/
NEPA EIS process.
    NEPA Schedule: The draft SEIS is presently scheduled to be 
available for public review and comment in June 2025. 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: The following agencies are being 
invited as Cooperating Agencies on the SEIS: Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), USFWS, NMFS, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), ACHP, Louisiana's SHPO, LDNR, 
Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and 
Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
    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 
July 22, 2024. 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) could be held during the scoping period which 
extends to July 22, 2024, 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

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media platforms, and the project website http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/Morganza-to-the-Gulf/.

James A. Bodron,
Programs Director, Mississippi Valley Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-13480 Filed 6-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P