Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 149 / Friday, August 3, 2007 / Notices 43251 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement for Improvements to 

the Freeport Harbor Navigation 

Project, Brazoria County, TX 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Galveston District, is issuing 

this notice to announce its intent to 

prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (DEIS), for the proposed 

deepening and widening of the deepdraft Freeport Harbor Navigation 

Project, connecting port facilities in 

Freeport to the Gulf of Mexico. The 

District will conduct a study to evaluate 

deepening and widening alternatives, 

and dredged material disposal options, 

which will include both upland 

confined disposal and ocean disposal at 

designated sites in the Gulf of Mexico. 

The Freeport Harbor Navigation 

Project study area is located on the mid 

to upper Texas coast in Brazoria County, 

TX, extending from approximately 3 

miles offshore at the 60-foot depth 

contour in the Gulf of Mexico, through 

the jettied Freeport Harbor entrance 

channel upstream to the Stauffer 

Channel Turing Basin. Depths and 

widths of up to 60-feet and 600-feet 

respectively are being considered from 

seaward, along with varying dimensions 

for upstream reaches and basins. The 

non-federal sponsor is the Brazos River 

Harbor Navigation District. 

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Galveston District, P.O. Box 

1229, Galveston, TX 77553–1229. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Mike Bragg, Project Manager—Project 

Management Branch, (409) 766–3979; or 

Mr. George Dabney, Environmental 

Lead—Planning and Environmental 

Branch, (409) 766–6345. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

existing navigation project, completed 

in 1996, is approximately 8.6 miles in 

length. The project’s primary reaches 

and basins include a 47-foot deep, 400- 

foot wide entrance channel; a 45-foot 

deep, 400-foot wide main channel; 45- 

foot deep turning basins (with 750, 

1,000 and 1,200-foot diameters); and a 

36-foot deep, 750-foot diameter Brazos 

Harbor Turning Basin. The existing 

project encompasses numerous 

industrial and shipping facilities, 

located in or adjacent to the Port of 

Freeport, TX. The non-federal sponsor, 

the Brazos River Harbor Navigation 

District, seeks to increase navigation 

safety and efficiency, and to enhance its 

competitiveness by improving the 

existing project to attract larger, deeper 

draft vessels including LNG tankers, 

crude carriers and container ships. 

To explore the feasibility of proposed 

project improvements, the non-federal 

sponsor has partnered with the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston 

District, to conduct a feasibility study 

for determining optimum depths and 

widths necessary to safely accommodate 

current and projected navigation needs. 

Section 216 of the Flood Control Act of 

1970, Public Law 91–611, authorizes the 

proposed deepening and widening 

improvements of the existing navigation 

project. 

Project alternatives under evaluation 

include maintaining primary channel 

reaches at their existing dimensions (No 

Action Alternative), or, deepening and 

widening reaches to either 60 x 540 feet 

or 55 x 600 feet respectively. The 

remaining project reaches and basins 

will be deepened, widened or expanded 

to compatible dimensions. 

The scoping process for public input 

will involve Federal, State, and local 

agencies, along with other interested 

parties and entities. Coordination with 

natural resources and environmental 

agencies will be conducted under the 

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 

Endangered Species Act, Clear Water 

Act, Clean Air Act, National Historic 

Preservation Act, Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, and the Coastal Zone Management 

Act. Public scoping meetings will also 

be held to discuss environmental issues 

associated with proposed channel 

improvements. 

Issues to be considered during the 

public review and input process 

include: water and sediment quality, air 

and noise quality, hazardous, toxic and 

radiological waste, dredged material 

disposal, economics, threatened and 

endangered species, wetlands, historic 

properties, aesthetics, recreation, 

cumulative impacts, impact mitigation 

for natural resources, and other issues 

affecting public health and welfare. Any 

person or organization wishing to 

provide information on issues or 

concerns should contact the Galveston 

District Corps of Engineers at (see 

ADDRESSES). 

It is estimated the DEIS will be 

available for public review and 

comment in April 2008. 

Richard Medina, 

Chief, Planning and Environmental Branch. 

[FR Doc. 07–3817 Filed 8–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–52–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Public Hearings for the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Hawaii Range 

Complex, HI 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969 and regulations 

implemented by the Council on 

Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508), and Presidential Executive 

Order 12114, the Department of the 

Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed 

with the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency a Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS on July 19, 

2007, to evaluate the potential 

environmental effects of conducting 

current and emerging Navy Pacific Fleet 

training and defense-related research, 

development, test, and evaluation 

(RDT&E) operations within the Hawaii 

Range Complex (HRC) and to upgrade or 

modernize range complex capabilities 

(including hardware and infrastructure). 

A Notice of Intent for this DEIS/OEIS 

was published in the Federal Register, 

71 FR 51188, on August 29, 2006. 

The Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to 

Federal, State, and Local agencies, 

elected officials, as well as other 

interested individuals and organizations 

on July 20, 2007. On July 27, 2007, Navy 

issued a revision to the Draft EIS/OEIS 

that was filed with the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency on 

July 19, 2007. Errata sheets and a 

corrected Draft EIS/OEIS were 

distributed to all Federal, State, and 

local agencies, elected officials, and 

other interested individuals and 

organizations on Navy’s distribution 

list. To allow for the full 45-day review 

of the Draft EIS/OEIS, the public 

comment period has been extended 

from September 10, 2007 to September 

17, 2007. 

The Navy will conduct four public 

hearings to receive oral and written 

comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. 

Federal agencies, state agencies, and 

local agencies and interested 

individuals are invited to be present or 

represented at the public hearings. This 

notice announces the dates and 

locations of the public hearings for this 

Draft EIS/OEIS. 

Dates and Addresses: An open house 

session will precede the scheduled 

public hearing at each of the locations 

listed below and will allow individuals 

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