[Federal Register: August 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 164)]
[Notices]
[Page 48623-48625]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24au07-42]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Homer
Harbor Navigation Improvements Feasibility Study
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 (USACE) announces its
intention to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study
the feasibility of expanding the existing moorage capacity for vessels
at Homer, AK. This study will be performed through partnership of
USACE, the City of Homer, and the Alaska Department of Transportation
and Public Facilities. The existing moorage condition at Homer is at
maximum capacity, resulting in overcrowded and unsafe conditions for
harbor users. Additionally, the City will be unable to meet the growing
moorage demands of commercial, Government, recreation, and subsistence
vessels in the near future. The EIS will address potential
environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and maintenance
of the new and existing harbor. USACE will hold public scoping meetings
in Homer, AK.
DATES: The location, date, and time for the first scoping meeting will
be as follows: Homer, AK: Thursday, September 6, 2007, from 1-6 p.m. at
the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Subsequent meetings will
be advertised in the Homer News and Homer Tribune.
ADDRESSES: Please direct comments or suggestions on the scope of the
EIS to: Ms. Lisa Rabbe, NEPA Coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Alaska District, EN-CW-ER, P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898;
Phone: 907-753-2634; Fax: (907) 753-2625, e-mail
Lisa.a.rabbe@poa02.usace.army.mil (please use ``NOI Comments on Homer
Harbor'' for the subject).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information or questions
concerning the proposed project, contact: Mr. Pat Fitzgerald, Study
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, EN-CW-PF, P.O.
Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898; Phone: 907-753-5638; Fax: (907)
753-2625; e-mail: patrick.s.fitzgerald@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The City of Homer was established in 1964. The Homer Harbor was
initially constructed in 1961 and was expanded to its existing
configuration in 1984. The harbor accommodates a large array of
commercial, Government, recreation, and subsistence vessels.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
The City of Homer needs to expand the existing harbor to a more
efficient and safe harbor for navigation and mooring for its users. The
existing Homer Harbor is utilized beyond its capacity. The harbor is
not able to appropriately accommodate the needs of some of the larger
commercial fishing vessels. Overcrowding of large vessels often results
in increased damages to the vessels and docks. Overcrowding is also a
problem for smaller commercial fishing, charter, and recreational
vessels that use Homer Harbor. Additionally, the depths within the
harbor are inadequate for these larger vessels on lower tides, which
can result in vessel delays.
In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal and state
vessels do not have adequate security for their vessels at their
individual piers. A common area for state and federal vessels will
decrease the administrative and personnel burdens for security measures
needed to protect the vessels.
[[Page 48624]]
Operators of larger vessels have expressed that they would be
interested in using Homer Harbor on a longer term basis if it were not
as crowded and suitable moorage were available. Many of these operators
are known to travel back to the Pacific Northwest for moorage. If
suitable moorage were available in Homer, they could save the costs of
the trip back to the Pacific Northwest. There is an opportunity to save
operating costs, damages, and opportunity costs of time for crews of
these vessels by providing additional protected moorage at Homer.
The USACE authority to conduct this study is provided by the
``Rivers and Harbors in Alaska'' study resolution adopted by the U.S.
House of Representatives Committee on Public Works on December 2, 1970.
This EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts of
constructing, operating, maintaining an expanded and/or new harbor as
well as other reasonable alternatives. The EIS will aid decision making
on the Homer Harbor study by evaluating the environmental impacts of
the range of reasonable alternatives, as well as providing a means for
public input into the decision making process. USACE is committed to
ensuring that the public has ample opportunity to participate in this
review.
Preliminary Alternatives
Consistent with NEPA implementation requirements, this EIS will
assess the range of reasonable alternatives regarding constructing,
operating, and maintaining the proposed Homer Harbor project. The
following preliminary list of alternatives is subject to modification
in response to comments received during the public scoping process.
Alternative 1: North Harbor Site. This harbor would be constructed
on the east side of the spit between the existing Homer Harbor and the
ADF&G fishing hole. Rubble mound breakwaters would be necessary for
wave protection. Significant dredging would be required for the mooring
basin and entrance channel and the project would likely require
extensive annual dredging.
Alternative 2: East Harbor Site (Preferred Alternative). This site
is on the Kachemak Bay side of the upland staging area created when the
harbor was expanded in 1984. This site avoids the need for a long
entrance channel by placing the new basin in naturally deep waters.
Dredging of the mooring basin and entrance channel would be required.
Alternative 3: Harbor Expansion. This alternative includes
expansion of the existing harbor by dredging and excavating a portion
of the existing 30-acre staging area adjacent to the harbor. No new
breakwaters would be required. This excavation would eliminate vital
uplands on the Homer Spit. These areas of uplands are currently used as
a parking and staging area, location of the U.S. Coast Guard buildings,
and are integral to the movement of goods delivered from vessels at the
City's deep water dock.
No Action Alternative: Under the ``no action'' alternative, the
Homer Harbor would continue the ``status quo'' and over time become
more crowded and safety issues would elevate. Where applicable under
the alternatives listed above, disposal options, such as deep sea
dumping, shoreline dumping, offsite dumping, will be considered for
each alternative. Further, USACE would appreciate comments regarding
whether there are additional siting alternatives for the Homer Harbor
that should be considered.
Identification of Environmental and Other Issues
USACE intends to address the following environmental issues when
assessing the potential environmental impacts of the alternatives in
this EIS. Additional issues may be identified as a result of the
scoping process. USACE invites comment from the Federal agencies,
Native American tribes, State and local governments, and the general
public on these and any other issues that should be considered in the
EIS:
Potential impacts on health from the Homer Harbor project
include: Potential impacts to workers during the construction of the
facilities.
Potential impacts to surface water, tidelands and fauna
include turbidity from construction activities.
Potential impacts on air quality from emissions and from
noise during harbor construction and operations.
Potential cumulative impacts of the past, present, and
reasonably foreseeable future actions include impacts resulting from
activities of the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial operations.
Potential impacts to historically significant properties,
if present, and on access to traditional use areas.
Potential impacts on local, regional, or national
resources from materials and utilities required for construction and
operation.
Potential impacts on ecological resources, including
threatened and endangered species and water quality.
Potential impacts on local employment, income, population,
housing, and public services from harbor construction and operations.
NEPA Process
The EIS for the proposed project will be prepared pursuant to the
NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality
NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and USACE's NEPA
Implementing Procedures (33 CFR parts 230 and 325). Following the
publication of this Notice of Intent, USACE will hold scoping meetings,
prepare and distribute the draft EIS for public review, hold public
hearings to solicit public comment on the draft EIS, and publish a
final EIS. Not less than 30 days after the publication of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of the final
EIS, USACE may issue a Record of Decision (ROD) documenting its
decision concerning the proposed action.
Scoping Meetings
The purpose of this Notice is to encourage early public involvement
in the EIS process and to solicit public comments on the proposed scope
of the EIS, including the issues and alternatives it would analyze.
USACE invites public comments on the proposed scope of the Homer Harbor
Project EIS. To ensure consideration, comments must be postmarked by
October 30, 2007. Late comments will be considered to the extent
practicable. Public meetings will be held in Homer, AK and will provide
the public with an opportunity to present comments on the scope of the
EIS and to ask questions and discuss concerns with USACE officials
regarding the EIS. USACE will hold public scoping meetings in Homer, AK
(see DATES) to solicit both oral and written comments from interested
parties. Oral and written comments will be considered equally in the
preparation of the EIS. The scoping meetings will not be conducted as
evidentiary hearings. During at least the first hour of each scoping
meeting, USACE officials will be available for informal discussions
with attendees. During the formal part of the meeting, the public will
have the opportunity to provide comments orally or in writing. The
presiding officer will establish procedures to ensure that everyone who
wishes to speak has a chance to do so. In addition, the presiding
officer may set a time limit for each speaker. Comment cards will also
be available for those who would prefer to submit written comments. The
EIS will also contain a section summarizing the nature of the comments
received during the scoping process and describing any
[[Page 48625]]
modification to the scope of the EIS in response to the scoping process
comments.
EIS Schedule
The draft EIS is scheduled to be published by June 2009. A 45-day
comment period on the draft EIS is planned, which will include public
meetings to receive oral comments. Availability of the draft EIS, the
dates of the public comment period, and information about the public
hearings will be announced in the Federal Register and in the local
news media.
The final EIS for the Homer Harbor project is scheduled for January
2010. A ROD would be issued no sooner than 30 days after the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency notice of availability of the final EIS
is published in the Federal Register.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-16796 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
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