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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 32147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13836]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the St. Lucie South Beach and Dune Restoration Project 
Located in St. Lucie County, Florida

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
    Cooperating Agency: The Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, 
Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is a cooperating federal agency 
having jurisdiction by law because the proposed federal action includes 
potential future use of beach compatible sand originating from the 
outer continental shelf.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) has been completed and is available for review and comment.

DATES: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
we have filed the DEIS with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) for publication of their notice of availability in the Federal 
Register. The EPA notice officially starts the 45-day review period for 
this document. It is the goal of the USACE to have this notice 
published on the same date as the EPA notice. However, if that does not 
occur, the date of the EPA notice will determine the closing date for 
comments on the DEIS. Comments on the DEIS must be submitted to the 
address below under Further Contact Information and must be received no 
later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday, July 18, 2011.
    Scoping: A Scoping Meeting was held in Ft. Pierce, FL on May 19th 
to gather information for the preparation of the DEIS. A Public notice 
was posted in a St. Lucie County newspaper, and mailed to current 
stakeholder lists with notification of the public meetings and 
requesting input and comments on issues that should be addressed in the 
DEIS.
    A public meeting for this DEIS will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 
2011 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Lucie County Commission Chambers, 
Roger Poitras Administration Annex, 2300 Virginia Ave., Ft. Pierce, FL 
34982. The purpose of this public meeting is to provide the public the 
opportunity to comment, either orally or in writing, on the DEIS. 
Notification of the meeting will be announced following same format as 
the Scoping Meetings announcements.

ADDRESSES: The DEIS is available online on the Jacksonville District 
Web site at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Regulatory/interest.htm. Copies of the DEIS are also available for review at the 
following libraries:
    1. St. Lucie County Administration Building, 2300 Virginia Ave., 
Fort Pierce, FL 34982.
    2. St. Lucie County Ft. Pierce Branch Library 101 Melody Lane, Fort 
Pierce, 34950.
    3. St. Lucie County Lakewood Park Branch Library 7605 Santa Barbara 
Drive, Fort Pierce, 34951.
    4. St. Lucie West Library J Building, 500 N.W. California Blvd., 
Port St. Lucie, 34986.
    5. USACE Palm Beach Gardens Regulatory Office, 4400 PGA Boulevard, 
Suite 500 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Leah Oberlin, Chief, Palm Beach 
Gardens Section, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, 
4400 PGA Boulevard, Suite 500, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410, Telephone: 
561-472-3517, Fax: 561-626-6971.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project is being reviewed under 
Department of the Army permit application number SAJ-2009-03448(IP-
GGL). The primary Federal involvement associated with the Proposed 
Action is the dredging and discharge of fill within navigable waters of 
the United States pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 
U.S.C. 1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 
U.S.C. 403).
    The project is located on South Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie 
County and is approximately 3.8 miles in length. The project coincides 
approximately with Florida Department of Environmental Protection 
Shoreline Monuments R-88.5 to R-90.3, and R-98 to the St. Lucie/Martin 
County line. The northern limit of the project is approximately 6,000 
feet south of the Hutchinson Island Nuclear Plant. The project was 
proposed by the St. Lucie County Erosion District (applicant) to 
stabilize the beach and dune to protect essential upland 
infrastructure, upland property, expand turtle nesting habitat, and 
increase recreational opportunities. The applicant's preference is to 
utilize a hopper dredge to obtain 610,000 cubic yards of beach 
compatible sand from a borrow area approximately 3.0 miles offshore of 
St. Lucie County. The hopper dredge would deliver the sand by hydraulic 
pumping onto the project beach. The applicant has stated the project 
was anticipated to adversely affect approximately 1.08 acres of near-
shore hard bottom habitat through direct burial.
    Because of the extensive hard bottom resources immediately adjacent 
to the beach, the high recreational uses of the project area, and the 
potential environmental impacts of the proposed project, the USACE is 
preparing the EIS for compliance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) to render a final decision on the applicant's permit 
application. The USACE's decision will be to either issue or deny a 
Department of the Army permit for the Proposed Action. The DEIS 
discloses alternatives to the proposed action, and the anticipated 
environmental effects on the human environment resulting from St. Lucie 
County Erosion Districts' proposal to construct the project and other 
reasonable alternatives.
    The DEIS reviews the purpose and need for this project. All 
reasonable alternatives will be considered, including the no-action 
alternative. This DEIS evaluates the environmental effects of 7 
alternatives including the applicant's preferred alternative described 
above, 5 additional alternatives that include varying degrees of beach 
and/or dune fill and hardbottom impacts, an alternative that includes 
beach and dune fill with stabilization structures (T-head groins), and 
the no-action alternative.

    Dated: May 24, 2011.
Donald W. Kinard,
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-13836 Filed 6-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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