[Federal Register: April 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 62)]
[Notices]
[Page 16807-16808]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01ap05-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (DPEIS) for the Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan
(OLWMP), Feasibility Study, City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, Central
New York State, and Onondaga Nation
AGENCY: Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan (OLWMP) project
has been initiated through the Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) to help
coordinate and implement various improvement projects in the watershed
to benefit the public. The project entails developing a multi-purpose/
multi-objective evaluation of the Onondaga Lake watershed to (1)
integrate existing projects/plans/studies; (2) assess program/project
progress; and (3) plan future lake and watershed revitalization
programs and projects into a comprehensive Onondaga Lake Watershed
Management Plan. The final product will be used as a tool for the OLP
to move toward the rehabilitation of the Onondaga Lake watershed.
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Projects shall be consistent with the 1993 Onondaga Lake Management
Plan and comply with the Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) and the Project
Labor Agreement (PLA) for the environmental restoration, conservation,
and management of Onondaga Lake.
Within the framework of the OLWMP project, an integrated
rehabilitation approach will be applied to recognize Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and
National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) activities within the lake
and watershed. While CERCLA and NRDA are pursued under those
authorities (Superfund) and are not subject to NEPA, per se, processes
are similar. The Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan reports will
discuss and provide an overview of all pertinent on-going watershed
programs and projects in appropriate relative detail.
Study efforts will include: Identification of various study/project
authorities; identification of existing and anticipated lake and
watershed conditions (including completed and ongoing projects);
identification of lake and watershed water resources problems, needs,
goals, and objectives; identification of considered alternatives;
assessment of impacts of considered alternatives; evaluation (trade-off
analyses) of alternatives and associated impacts (including required
planning and environmental coordination and compliance, and
consideration of agency and public views); and selection and pursuit of
appropriate lake and watershed water resources alternatives/projects.
Studies shall also provide tools, as appropriate, for continued study/
project development, management, and monitoring purposes.
ADDRESSES: Correspondence should be addressed to: Mr. Tod Smith, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, Environmental Analyses
Section, 1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, New York 14207-3199.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tod Smith at 716-879-4175.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This study is being conducted under the authority of
Section 573 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1999.
Proposed Action: The study will involve a comprehensive evaluation
of Onondaga Lake and watershed water resource problems, including
studies and research necessary for the identification, integration, and
implementation of projects and programs that will facilitate water
resource improvements in the watershed.
Alternatives: The No Action (Without Project Conditions)
alternative is always a consideration. Under this alternative, no
study/project action would be taken. This serves as the basis of
comparison for other alternatives.
Associated alternatives may include those relative to:
institutional processes, water and land use management, HTRW
(hazardous, toxic, radioactive waste) remediation, water quality
sediment load reduction measures, water quality contamination control
measures, water supply measures, water treatment measures, navigation
measures, flood damage reduction measures, erosion protection measures,
environmental restoration measures, recreational development, and
transportation considerations.
Scoping Process: The Onondaga Lake Management Conference (OLMC) was
conducted to discuss significant water resources problems and potential
remedial actions for Onondaga Lake and developed the 1993 Onondaga Lake
Management Plan (OLMP).
The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) was formed in 1998 and was
authorized to make revisions to the OLMP via Section 573 of the Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1999. Associated with these efforts,
the Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan study has been initiated to
further evaluate, formulate, and integrate beneficial water resources
programs/projects in the watershed.
Coordination and meetings have already occurred relative to the
Onondaga Lake Partnership activities and projects, as well as, for this
Onondaga Lake Watershed Management Plan study. Public involvement
processes include an outreach program, public meetings, written and
verbal correspondence/coordination, and draft and final report review
procedures. A study supplemental Scoping Fact Sheet is being
coordinated with various Federal, State, and local agencies and
interests, and the Onondaga Nation. Study teams will meet on a routine
basis. Additional input from potentially affected Federal, Tribal,
State, and local interests is sought by this notice. Information
regarding the Onondaga Lake Partnership is available at http://www.onlakepartners.org/
.
Significant Issues: The primary issues of this study include the
substantial water resource problems in Onondaga Lake and its watershed
and the effective formulation and integration of their existing and
potential remedial actions. These significant water resource problems
adversely affect the optimal use of and economic growth in the
watershed.
Scoping Meeting: Federal, Tribal, State, and local interests have
already been involved with initiation of the Onondaga Lake Partnership
and this project (OLWMP) and coordination is already being conducted.
At least one new formal scoping meeting is anticipated with the
specific date, time, and location to be determined.
Availability: It is expected that the Draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) (a programmatic plan development
and implementation overview documentation) will be made available to
agencies, tribes, interests, and the public about May 2007.
Dated: March 23, 2005.
Timothy B. Touchette,
Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-6485 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]