[Federal Register: January 23, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 15)]
[Notices]
[Page 3170-3171]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja02-55]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Choctaw Point and Monroe Park Development Project, Located in Mobile
County, Alabama
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (Corps),
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to
address the potential impacts associated with the Alabama State Port
Authority's (ASPA) construction of a marine container terminal facility
and associated intermodal distribution facilities on existing property
owned by the ASPA in the Choctaw Point and Monroe Park area on Mobile
Bay in the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama. The Corps will be
evaluating a permit application for the work under the authority of
section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and section 404 of the Clean
Water Act. The DEIS will be used as a basis for the permit decision and
to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and the DEIS should be addressed to Mr. John B. McFadyen, Regulatory
Branch, phone (251) 690-3261 or e-mail at
john.b.mcfadyen@sam.usace.army.mil, or Dr. Susan Ivester Rees, Coastal
Environment Team, phone (251) 694-4141 or e-mail at
susan.i.rees@sam.usace.army.mil, Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, P.O. Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. The permit applicant (Department of Army
permit number AL01-0469-U) is proposing to construct container
terminals, a rail intermodal yard, and distribution warehouses on
existing property owned by the ASPA in the Choctaw Point and Monroe
Park area of Mobile Bay, Mobile County, Alabama. The terminals will
consist of piers, bulkheads, and necessary appurtenances to berth two
(2) container ships up to 850 feet in length. Each dock will be
equipped with cranes for loading and unloading containers. These cranes
will be supported on rails laid on the dock structures. Entrance and
exit gates and an administrative building will be constructed to
facilitate the movement of the containers between ship, rail, and
trucks. In addition to these gates, a grade separation will be provided
to separate the movement of traffic between the container terminal yard
and the new rail intermodal yard (to be constructed west of Choctaw
Point) over the rail tracks to and from McDuffie Island. The
construction of the container terminals would include about 77 acres of
filled uplands and 17 acres of filled open water on the Mobile River
channel. About 3,000 linear feet of bulkhead would be placed along this
shoreline area. The rail intermodal yard and distribution center would
be constructed upon about 187 acres of existing uplands along the north
side of the Garrows Bend Basin. Over 91 acres of the uplands would be
raised to elevation +12 feet NGVD. The remaining 96 acres of existing
uplands would possibly require minor excavation and grading to meet
this desired elevation. Additionally, fill would be placed in 44 acres
of existing wetlands and 42 acres of existing open water. This fill
will be placed behind a containment dike.
2. Alternatives to the applicant's proposal may exist which would
reduce the impacts to the Choctaw Point and Monroe Park area of Mobile
Bay. These could include alternate sites, alternative site layouts or
alternative operational methods.
3. Scoping:
a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open
communication on the issues surrounding the proposal. All Federal,
State, tribal governments and local agencies, and other persons or
organizations that have an interest are urged to participate in the
NEPA scoping process. A public meeting will be held to help identify
significant
[[Page 3171]]
issues and to receive public input and comment.
b. The DEIS will analyze the potential social, economic, and
environmental impacts to the local area resulting from the proposed
project. Specifically, the following major issues will be analyzed in
depth in the DEIS: hydrologic and hydraulic regimes, essential fish
habitat and other marine habitat, air quality, cultural resources,
recreation, wastewater treatment capacities and discharges,
transportation systems, alternatives, secondary and cumulative impacts,
socioeconomic, environmental justice (effect on minorities and low-
income groups), and protection of children (Executive Order 13045).
c. The Corps will serve as the lead Federal agency in the
preparation of the DEIS. It is anticipated that the following agencies
will be invited and will accept cooperating agency status for the
preparation of the DEIS: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.
Department of the Interior--Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department
of Commerce--National Marine Fisheries Service, Alabama Department of
Environmental Management, Alabama Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, Alabama State Port Authority, Alabama State Historic
Preservation Officer, Alabama Department of Transportation and the City
of Mobile.
4. The first scoping meeting will be held in conjunction with the
DEIS for the restoration of areas adjacent to the Arlington and Garrows
Bend Channels scoping meeting in February 2002 in the local area.
Actual time and place for the meeting and subsequent meetings or
workshops will be announced by the Mobil District by issuance of a
Public Notice and/or notices in the local media.
5. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be made available for
public review in October 2002.
Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-1650 Filed 1-22-02; 8:45 am]
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