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[Federal Register: April 30, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 83)]
[Notices]               
[Page 22758]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ap10-51]                         

[[Page 22758]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

 
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Improvements to the U.S. 17 and Market Street (U.S. 17 Business) 
Corridor in Northern New Hanover and Southern Pender Counties, NC

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has 
proposed improvements to the transportation system starting at Military 
Cutoff Road in New Hanover County and extending to a point north of 
Hampstead along U.S. 17, in Pender County, NC (TIP Projects U-4751 and 
R-3300). The NCDOT is currently considering alternatives for this 
project that will require authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE) pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or 
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbor Act). The USACE,Wilmington 
District, Regulatory Division and the NCDOT intend to prepare a joint 
environmental impact statement in accordance with regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate 
and compare alternatives and to assess associated impacts.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the proposed action and the DEIS should 
be provided to both Mr. Brad Shaver, Regulatory Project Manager, 
Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, 69 Darlington Ave., Wilmington, NC 
28403 and Ms. Olivia Farr, Project Development Engineer, North Carolina 
Department of Transportation, 1548 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 
27699-1548.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be directed to Mr. Brad Shaver, Regulatory Project 
Manager, telephone: (910) 251-4611 or Ms. Olivia Farr, Project 
Development Engineer, telephone: (919) 733-7844, ext. 253.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NCDOT proposes to make transportation 
improvements to the U.S. 17 and Market Street (U.S. 17 Business) 
corridor in northern New Hanover and southern Pender Counties. Two 
North Carolina Department of Transportation Improvement Program (TIPs 
U-4751 and R-3300) projects are being evaluated as part of the U.S. 17 
Corridor Study.
    The purpose of the U.S. 17 Corridor Study project is to improve the 
traffic carrying capacity and safety of the U.S. 17 and Market Street 
corridor in the project area. The project study area is roughly bounded 
on the west by I-40, on the north by the Northeast Cape Fear River, 
Holly Shelter Game Lands to the east, and Market Street and U.S. 17 to 
the south.
    This project is being reviewed through the Merger 01 process 
designed to streamline the project development and permitting 
processes, agreed to by the USACE, North Carolina Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (Division of Water Quality, Division 
of Coastal Management), Federal Highway Administration (for this 
project not applicable), and the North Carolina Department of 
Transportation and supported by other stakeholder agencies and local 
units of government. The other partnering agencies include: U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; N.C. 
Wildlife Resources Commission; N.C. Department of Cultural Resources; 
and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Merger 
process provides a forum for appropriate agency representatives to 
discuss and reach consensus on ways to facilitate meeting the 
regulatory requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act during 
the NEPA/State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) scoping phase of 
transportation projects.
    In 2006 the project was presented to Federal and State Resource and 
Regulatory Agencies to gain concurrence on the purpose and need for the 
project. The aforementioned purpose and need of the project was agreed 
upon by participating agencies in September of 2006. In January 2007, 
the project was again presented to participating agencies regarding the 
preliminary corridor screening process in an attempt to decide which 
alternatives would be carried forward for detailed analysis. In August 
of 2007, the alternatives to carry forward were decided. Since this 
time the Corps has been working closely with NCDOT and its 
representatives to identify jurisdictional resources within the 
alternatives carried forward. This effort should be completed sometime 
in Spring of 2010.
    Citizen informational workshops were held for the U.S. 17 Corridor 
Study on April 23, 2007 in Hampstead and on April 24, 2007 in 
Wilmington. A total of 174 participants signed in at the workshops with 
40 comment sheets during April 23 and 47 comments during April 24, 
2007. Thirty-four citizens noted their support for the proposed 
Hampstead Bypass while six citizens voiced their opposition to the 
project.
    NEPA/SEPA Preparation: Because the proposed project requires 
approvals from Federal and State agencies, a joint Federal and State 
EIS will be prepared. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will serve as 
the lead Federal agency for the process and the NCDOT will serve as the 
lead State agency. The EIS will serve to satisfy the Corps' NEPA 
requirements as well as the State of North Carolina's SEPA 
requirements. Upon completion and review of the Final EIS, the Corps 
will independently complete a Record of Decision (ROD) for the project.
    The Wilmington District will periodically issue Public Notices 
soliciting public and agency comment on the proposed action and 
alternatives to the proposed action as they are developed.

Jefferson M. Ryscavage,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2010-10101 Filed 4-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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