[Federal Register: March 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 15121-15123]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr07-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (DSEIS) on the Mississippi River--Gulf Outlet, New Lock and
Connecting Channels, LA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), New Orleans District
intends to prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(DSEIS) to evaluate potential impacts of the construction of a
replacement lock in the Industrial Canal located in New Orleans, LA.
The original EIS, Main Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Mississippi River--Gulf Outlet, New Lock and Connecting
Channels, Louisiana (Evaluation Report and EIS) issued in March 1998
focused on the potential impacts of construction of a new lock,
including impacts to the local community and supporting infrastructure.
[[Page 15122]]
After evaluating the March 1998 EIS, the Corps issued a Record of
Decision (ROD) on December 18, 1998 selecting the location and
construction method of the replacement lock and several additional
project components to improve the surrounding project area. The Corps
decision was challenged in United States District Court and the Court's
Order on Motions for Summary Judgment was issued on October 3, 2006 as
part of Case No. 2:03-cv-00370-EEF-KWR, United States District Court
Eastern District of Louisiana. The Courts' decision enjoined the Corps
from continuing with the project until additional compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is completed. Accordingly, the
Corps is preparing a SEIS.
DATES: The Corps plans to hold a public scoping meeting on April 4,
2007, at 6 p.m. CST.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Holy Cross School, 4950 Dauphine
Street, New Orleans, LA 70117.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and DSEIS can be answered by: Mr. Royce Kemp, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Environmental Planning and Compliance Branch, P.O. Box
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267, by e-mail at
Royce.B.Kemp@mvn02.usace.army.mil, or by telephone at (504) 862-2675.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Background and Authorization. The Inner Harbor
Navigation Canal (IHNC) connects the Mississippi River, the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), the Mississippi River--Gulf Outlet (MR-
GO), the Industrial Canal (also known as the Inner Harbor Navigation
Canal), and Lake Pontchartrain. The existing lock, located between the
St. Claude and Claiborne Avenue Bridges, was commissioned in 1923 to
allow vessel traffic from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain
and permit industrial development away from the river. During World War
II, the GIWW was rerouted through the IHNC. Since the 1960s when a
connection was made with the MR-GO, barge and ship traffic has greatly
increased and the existing lock can no longer accommodate navigational
needs efficiently through the IHNC. Because it was anticipated barge
and ship traffic would increase, the lock replacement project was
authorized in Chapter 112 of the River and Harbors and Flood Control
Act of 1956 for the construction of a new lock when the existing lock
was determined to become obsolete.
In March of 1998, the Corps issued a Final EIS analyzing several
alternatives and recommending construction of a new lock north of the
Claiborne Bridge, replacement of the St. Claude Avenue Bridge,
modification of the Claiborne Bridge, extension of the Mississippi
River flood protection levees and floodwalls, a socio-economic
mitigation plan, and a fish and wildlife mitigation plan. This DSEIS
will update and supplement the 1998 Final EIS to determine if any
significant changes are necessary to the project and to ensure
sufficient environmental analysis of project impacts.
2. Proposed Action. The purpose of the proposed lock construction
is to provide more efficient navigational traffic through the IHNC by
constructing a new, larger lock. The need for this project arises from
the long delays in passage through the IHNC occurring from increased
traffic and the small size of the current lock which can not
accommodate the volume of existing and future traffic. The purpose of
the DSEIS is to better evaluate the analysis and handling of dredged
material generated during the construction phase, the engineering
design of confined disposal areas, and several aspects of the project
which may have changed since the original EIS in 1998, to include any
significant new circumstances relevant to environmental concerns that
have arisen since Hurricane Katrina.
3. Alternatives. An evaluation of alternatives, including a ``No
Action'' alternative will be done. In this DSEIS, the ``No Action''
alternative will be the course of action as decided upon in the 1998
ROD and as further described in the 1998 EIS. Other alternatives will
be determined through scoping, but are expected to include methods of
dredging, dredged material handling and disposal alternatives, and
construction of the lock by the cast-in-place method versus a float-in
construction method.
4. Scoping. The Council on Environmental Quality regulations at 40
CFR Sec. 1501.7 require an early and open process for determining the
scope of an EIS and for identifying significant issues related to the
proposed action. The public will be involved in the scoping and
evaluation process through advertisements, notices, and other means. At
a minimum, all parties who have expressed interest in the IHNC will be
given the opportunity to participate in this process. Federal, State
and local agencies, and other interested groups will also be involved.
Meetings to address discrete issues or parts or functions of the
project area may be called. All parties are invited to participate in
the scoping process by identifying any additional concerns on issues,
studies needed, alternatives, procedures, and other matters related to
the scope of the SEIS.
a. A public scoping meeting is scheduled for (see DATES). The Corps
will provide additional notification of the meeting time and location
through newspaper advertisements and other means. Following a short
presentation on the planned SEIS, verbal and written comments on the
scope of the SEIS will be accepted. A transcript of verbal comments
will be generated to ensure accuracy. To submit comments on the scope
of the Mississippi River--Gulf Outlet, New Lock and Connecting
Channels, Louisiana SEIS or to request copies of materials related to
this effort as they become available to the public, contact: Mr. Royce
Kemp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Planning and
Compliance Branch, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267, by e-
mail at Royce.B.Kemp@mvn02.usace.army.mil, or by telephone at (504)
862-2675.
b. Issues. In addition to updating and supplementing the
information from the 1998 EIS, the following issues have been
identified for analysis in the SEIS. This list is preliminary and is
intended to facilitate public comment on the scope of the SEIS. The
SEIS will consider the scope of contamination of sediments to be
dredged as a result of this project, reasonable dredging and disposal
alternatives and associated impacts, socio-economic changes from the
prior EIS and now since Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, the Corps will
ensure that environmental compliance through the NEPA process will be
maintained with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and
executive orders governing associated issues such as Federally listed
threatened and endangered species, essential fish habitats, health and
safety, economics, general environmental concerns, wetlands and other
aquatic resources, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood
hazards, navigation, recreation, water quality, property ownership
considerations, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people,
and other issues identified through scoping, public involvement, and
interagency coordination. The Corps expects to better define the issues
of concern and define the methods that will be used to evaluate those
issues through the scoping process.
c. Coordination. The proposed action is being coordinated with a
number of Federal, state, regional, and local agencies including but
not limited to the
[[Page 15123]]
following: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries
Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality, State Historic Preservation Officer, and other
agencies as identified in scoping, public involvement, and agency
coordination. The Corps invites Federal agencies, American Indian
Tribal Nations, state and local governments, and other interested
private organizations and parties to attend the public scoping meeting
and to comment on the scope of the planned Mississippi River--Gulf
Outlet, New Lock and Connecting Channels, Louisiana SEIS.
d. Other Environmental Review and Consultation. The proposed action
will involve an evaluation for compliance with all applicable
guidelines pursuant to section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act. This
review will involve a detailed evaluation of all practicable
alternatives to the handling and disposal of the dredged material
generated from this project.
e. Agency Role. The Corps will provide extensive information and
assistance on the resources to be impacted, mitigation measures, and
alternatives. Although the Corps does not plan to invite any Federal
agencies to be cooperating agencies, we expect to receive input and
critical information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other Federal, state, and local
agencies.
5. Public Scoping Meeting. The Corps plans to hold a public scoping
(see DATES and ADDRESSES).
Special Accommodations: This meeting place is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation
or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Royce Kemp, (504) 862-
2675 (voice) or (504) 862-2088 (fax), at least 5 business days prior to
the meeting date.
6. Estimated Date of Availability. It is estimated that the Draft
SEIS will be available to the public in July 2008. At least one
additional public meeting will be held at that time, during which the
public will be provided the opportunity to comment on the Draft SEIS
before it becomes final.
Dated: March 19, 2007.
Richard P. Wagenaar,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. E7-5906 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
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