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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 211 (Thursday, October 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65301-65302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25919]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

Notice of Availability of a Draft Supplement to the July 2011 
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed SR 1409 (Military 
Cutoff Road) Extension and Proposed US 17 Hampstead Bypass New Hanover 
and Pender Counties in North Carolina, NCDOT TIP Projects U-4751 and R-
3300

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, 
Wilmington Regulatory Division is issuing this notice to advise the 
public that a State of North Carolina funded Supplement Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been prepared describing 
changes since the release of the July 2011 DEIS for a road improvement 
project starting at Military Cutoff Road in New Hanover County to north 
of Hampstead along US 17, Pender County, NC (TIP Projects U-4751 and R-
3300). The changes which have necessitated this new supplement include 
an additional interchange on the north end of the project corridor as 
well as additional lanes not disclosed in the 2011 DEIS published in 
the Federal Register on September 23, 2011 (76 FR 59122).

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS will be received until 
December 16, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Brad Shaver, Regulatory Project Manager, Wilmington 
Regulatory Field Office, 69 Darlington Ave., Wilmington, NC 28403 or 
Mr. Jay McInnis, Project 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, COE--Regulatory Project 
Manager, telephone: (910) 251-4611 or Mr. Jay McInnis Jr., P.E., 
NCDOT--Project Engineer, telephone: (919) 707-6029.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The COE in cooperation with the North 
Carolina Department of Transportation prepared a DEIS, originally 
published in 2011, on a proposal to make transportation improvements to 
the US 17 and Market Street (US 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 US 17 Corridor Study.
    The purpose of the US 17 Corridor Study project is to improve the 
traffic carrying capacity and safety of the US 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 US 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 COE, 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/SEPA decision-making phase of transportation projects.
    Through input from the public and resource agencies the project has 
been changed to include a second interchange at the northern terminus. 
Additionally, the project currently proposes additional travel lanes 
between a previously proposed interchange south of the Topsail High 
School and the aforementioned northern interchange. These changes were 
considered substantial changes which the public has not had input and 
thus necessitates the development and release of the supplement Draft 
EIS. The original Draft EIS and new Supplement DEIS is available for 
review on the project Web page: http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/US17HampsteadBypass/.
    Any person having difficulty in viewing the document online can 
contact the COE project manager or the NCDOT project manager for a CD 
copy of the document.
    After distribution and review of the Supplement Draft EIS and Final 
EIS, the Applicant understands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 
coordination with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will 
issue a Record of Decision (ROD) for the project. The ROD will document 
the completion of the EIS process and will serve as a basis for 
permitting decisions by federal and state agencies.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to the US Army Corps of Engineers at the address provided. 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.

[[Page 65302]]

    Dated: October 18, 2013.
Henry Wicker,
Assistant Chief, Wilmington Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-25919 Filed 10-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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