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[Federal Register: October 15, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 199)]
[Notices]               
[Page 63447-63448]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15oc10-45]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

 
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Louisiana Coastal Area--Plaquemines Parish, LA, Medium Diversion With 
Dedicated Dredging at Myrtle Grove Feasibility Study

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Louisiana Coastal 
Area (LCA)--Louisiana, Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove with Dedicated 
Dredging project. The proposed restoration feature consists of a 
diversion, coupled with dedicated dredging, that would allow the 
reintroduction of freshwater, sediment and nutrients into the 
critically effected area of the Barataria Basin, which is located in 
the Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, 
St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes, Louisiana. 
This particular combination of restoration features would allow for 
rapid creation of wetland acreage and enable long-term stability. This 
EIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS for the LCA Ecosystem 
Restoration Study, November 2004. The record of decision for the 
programmatic EIS was signed on November 18, 2005.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for scoping meeting dates.
    For Further Information Contact: Questions concerning the draft EIS

[[Page 63448]]

should be addressed to Patricia S. Leroux, CEMVN-PDR-RS, P.O. Box 
60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267; telephone: (504) 862-1544; fax: 
(504) 862-2088; or by e-mail: patricia.s.leroux@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Authority. This EIS will be tiered off of the programmatic EIS 
for the LCA Ecosystem Restoration Study, November 2004. The record of 
decision for the programmatic EIS was signed on November 18, 2005. The 
Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007) authorized the LCA 
program. The authority includes requirements for comprehensive 
planning, program governance, implementation, and other program 
components. The LCA restoration program facilitates the implementation 
of critical restoration features and essential science and technology 
demonstration projects, increasing the beneficial use of dredged 
material and determining the need for modifications of selected 
existing projects to support coastal restoration objectives. The LCA 
near-term plan includes fifteen elements authorized for implementation 
contingent upon meeting certain reporting requirements. Specifically, 
Section 7006(c)(1) authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out 
the five specifically named near-term projects substantially in 
accordance with the restoration plan set out in the Chief's Report 
dated January 31, 2005. The five elements are: (1) Mississippi River 
Gulf Outlet Environmental Restoration, (2) Small Diversion at Hope 
Canal, (3) Barataria Basin Barrier Shoreline Restoration, (4) Small 
Bayou Lafourche Reintroduction, and (5) Medium Diversion at Myrtle 
Grove with Dedicated Dredging. The Congressional authorization further 
states that before the Secretary may begin construction of any project 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report documenting 
any modification to the project, including cost changes, to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of 
the Senate.
    2. Proposed Action. As recommended in the 2005 Chief's Report, the 
restoration feature consists of a freshwater diversion ranging from 
2,500 to 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) coupled with dedicated 
dredging for the creation of up to 19,700 acres of new wetlands. The 
project would allow the reintroduction of freshwater, sediment and 
nutrients into the critically effected area of the Barataria Basin in a 
manner similar to the rise and fall of the river's hydrological cycle. 
This combination would allow for rapid creation of wetland acreage and 
long-term stability. It is also expected to maximize the amount of 
acreage created per yard of sediment placed by capitalizing on 
incremental accretion of diverted sediment.
    3. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the 
EIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences of 
the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental 
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal, 
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the 
EIS process would be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, 
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically 
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable EIS. Public 
involvement would include but is not limited to: information 
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities; 
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback 
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by 
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder 
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the EIS and 
supporting information readily available in conveniently located 
places, such as libraries and on the world wide web.
    4. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the 
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be 
addressed in the EIS, would be used to: (a) Identify the affected 
public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation 
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that would be examined 
in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by 
helping to ensure that the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant 
issues. A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and 
times for scoping meetings will be mailed to all interested parties in 
October 2011.
    5. Coordination. The USACE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS) have formally committed to work together to conserve, protect, 
and restore fish and wildlife resources while ensuring environmental 
sustainability of our Nation's water resources under the January 22, 
2003, Partnership Agreement for Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife. 
The USFWS will provide a Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report. 
Coordination will be maintained with the USFWS and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding threatened and endangered species 
under their respective jurisdictional responsibilities. Coordination 
will be maintained with the NMFS regarding essential fish habitat. 
Coordination will be maintained with the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service regarding prime and unique farmlands. The U.S. Department of 
Agriculture will be consulted regarding the ``Swampbuster'' provisions 
of the Food Security Act. Coordination will be maintained with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance with Executive 
Order 12898, ``Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in 
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.'' Coordination will be 
maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation and the 
State Historic Preservation Officer. The Louisiana Department of 
Natural Resources will be consulted regarding consistency with the 
Coastal Zone Management Act. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and 
Fisheries will be consulted concerning potential impacts to Natural and 
Scenic Streams.
    6. Availability of Draft EIS. The earliest that the draft EIS would 
be available for public review would be in October of 2012. The draft 
EIS or a notice of availability will be distributed to affected 
Federal, state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested 
parties.

Edward R. Fleming,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2010-25987 Filed 10-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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