38394 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 136 /Thursday, July 16, 1998 / Notices

SUMMARY: The San Francisco District,

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers together

with its local sponsor, the California

State Coastal Conservancy, and the

California Department of Fish and

Game, are conducting a feasibility study

for restoration of salt marshes in areas

currently occupied by constructed salt

ponds west of the Napa River, Napa and

Solano Counties, California. A

reconnaissance study has determined

that there is a Federal interest in an

alternative that would restore four of the

seven ponds to tidal marsh while

reducing salinity in the remaining three

ponds. This alternative would provide

substantial ecological benefits, and has

the support of the local sponsor and the

California Department of Fish and

Game.

The Corps of Engineers is the lead

agency for this project under the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), and the California State Coastal

Conservancy is the lead agency under

the California Environmental Quality

Act (CEQA). The DEIS/R will enable the

lead agencies to comply with the

requirements of NEPA and CEQA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Bill DeJager at (415) 977–8670, or at the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San

Francisco District, 333 Market Street,

7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105–

2197.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Napa

River, Salt Marsh Restoration Feasibility

Study is being conducted under

authority of a resolution adopted by the

Committee on Public Works and

Transportation of the U.S. House of

Representatives on September 28, 1994.

A reconnaissance study of potential

marsh restoration alternatives along the

lower Napa River was completed in

1997. This study determined that there

is a Federal interest in a marsh

restoration project in the study area. A

detailed (feasibility) study has

subsequently been initiated with the

California State Coastal Conservancy to

support further Federal participation in

the project. The California Department

of Fish and Game, while not formally a

sponsor, owns the salt ponds under

study and is participating in the study.

One alternative was developed for the

reconnaissance study, based upon

information available at that time. This

alternative would initially remove

excess salts from all the ponds using

controlled flushing through new water

control structures. After salt

concentrations in the four less-saline

ponds reaches levels close to that of San

Pablo Bay, the water control structures

would be removed and establishment

and growth of tidal marshes would be

allowed to occur naturally. The

remaining three ponds would be

retained as saline pond habitat, but with

less-saline conditions than at present.

Other alternatives could include

pumping water through the pond

complex to dilute salts, or using treated

sewage effluent to dilute the salts.

Due to uncertainties regarding the

feasibility and environmental impacts of

these alternatives, the first phase of the

feasibility study will focus on gathering

baseline data, developing restoration

objectives, and conducting modeling of

existing conditions and potential

alternatives. The second phase of the

study will develop and analyze specific

alternatives for meeting study

objectives.

The Corps of Engineers is requesting

public input during the preparation of

the DEIS/R for this project. All

interested Federal, State, and local

agencies, Indian tribes, private

organizations, and individuals are

invited to participate in the

environmental scoping process

established by Federal regulations.

A scoping meeting will be held at the

Napa County Board of Supervisors

offices, 1195 Third Street, Room 305,

Napa, California on July 21, 1998 at 7:30

P.M. The purpose of the meeting will be

to determine the environmental issues

of concern to the public that should be

addressed by the DEIS/R. A public

comment period for the proposal will

open on July 17, 1998 and will close on

August 17, 1998. The public will have

an additional opportunity to comment

on proposed alternatives after the DEIS/

R is released to the public at a later date.

The DEIS/R will examine

environmental issues of public concern

arising from the scoping process, and

project impacts already known to the

Corps. These impacts will include, but

are not limited to: wildlife, waterfowl,

fisheries, threatened and endangered

species, wetlands and mudflats, water

quality, recreation, navigation and

dredging, aesthetics, law enforcement,

construction impacts, and concerns of

nearby landowners.

The DEIS/R will disclose the project’s

compliance with all applicable statutes,

rules, and regulations. Included will be

coordination with the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS) under the Fish

and Wildlife Coordination Act and the

Endangered Species Act (ESA),

coordination with the FWS and the

National Marine Fisheries Service under

the ESA, and consultation with the State

of California under the Coastal Zone

Management Act, Clean Water Act, and

Clean Air Act.

The California State Coastal

Commission is issuing a separate notice

regarding compliance with the

requirements of CEQA. The

aforementioned DEIS scoping meeting

will also serve as a scoping meeting for

the purposes of CEQA.

Peter T. Grass,

Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers,

District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 98–19022 Filed 7–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–19–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of

Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) To Evaluate a Permit

Application by The Port Authority of

New York and New Jersey To

Construct and Operate a Confined

Dredged Material Disposal Facility

(Sub-Channel Disposal Cells) in

Newark Bay, NJ

AGENCY: U.S. Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The Port Authority of New

York and New Jersey has submitted an

application for a Department of the

Army (DA) permit to construct and

operate a confined dredged material

disposal facility by constructing

disposal cells beneath the existing

Federal Navigation Channel (Project No.

64) in Newark Bay. The creation of a

facility for the disposal of dredged

material by dredging and discharging of

dredged material into waters of the

United States requires a Department of

the Army Permit pursuant to Section 10

of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation

Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403), Section 404

of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344),

and Section 103 of the Marine

Protection, Research and Sanctuaries

Act (33 U.S.C. 1413). An Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) will assist the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

in determining whether to issue a

permit for the project under these

authorities. This determination will take

place in accordance with the USACE

policies and procedures for

implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42

U.S.C. 4332), as set forth at Title 33 of

the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Part 230, and for review of applications

for DA permits, set forth at 33 CFR Part

325. This notice of intent is published

as required by the President’s Council

on Environmental Quality regulations

implementing NEPA, set forth at 40 CFR

parts 1500–1508.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 136 /Thursday, July 16, 1998 / Notices 38395

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Joseph J. Seebode, Chief, Regulatory

Branch, New York District Corps of

Engineers, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 1937,

New York, New York 10278–0090,

Telephone (212) 264–3996.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Project Description

The project proposed by the

applicant, the Port Authority of New

York and New Jersey, would provide a

subaqueous site for confined disposal of

material dredged from the Port of New

York and New Jersey. The proposed

work would include dredging sediment

from areas ranging form approximately

10 to 30 acres within the footprint of the

existing Federal Navigation Channel in

Newark Bay, for the purpose of

constructing sub-channel disposal cells.

Cell sizes and capacities would vary

depending upon their exact locations.

The maximum proposed cell depth

would be approximately 90 feet below

mean low water (MLW), or to bedrock,

if bedrock is encountered at a shallower

depth. Cell capacities would be

approximately 75% of the volume of

dredged sediment, based upon an

anticipated 1.2 ‘‘bulking factor’’. Cells

would be constructed on an as needed

basis, but only one (1) cell would be

operational at any time. Up to 20 cells

are proposed for construction with a

total capacity of approximately

10,000,000 cubic yards.

Accumulated surface and near-surface

sediment dredged during construction,

which has been exposed to

contemporary or historic sources of

contamination, would be disposed of at

the Newark Bay Confined Disposal

Facility or in a previously constructed

cell. Underlying sediment would be

utilized for some type of beneficial use,

such as remediation material at the

Historic Area Restoration Site (HARS)

off Sandy Hook, New Jersey,

construction material for restoration or

remediation projects, or in wetland

creation/enhancement projects in the

New York-New Jersey region.

The proposed cells would be filled to

2.5 feet below the authorized channel

depth, through restricted point source

discharges of dredged materials from the

Port of New York and New Jersey.

Natural sedimentation would return the

site to the authorized channel depth.

2. Alternatives

Decision options available to the

District Engineer are issue the permit,

issue the permit with modifications or

conditions, or deny the permit. In

addition to the no action alternative, the

alternatives to be considered within the

EIS will include the following:

a. Alternative sites and site

configurations for subaqueous disposal

of dredged material.

b. Alternative methods of dredged

material disposal:

(1) Containment Islands and Areas

(land extension).

(2) Upland Disposal.

(3) Wetland Creation.

(4) Incineration and other

decontamination technologies.

(5) Disposal at independent

contractor’s option.

3. EIS Scoping

As part of the EIS scoping process,

comments on the proposed scope of the

EIS will be accepted until the expiration

of 45 calendar days after the publication

of this Notice of Intent in the Federal

Register. All comments should be

addressed to the indicated contact

person. In addition to receiving written

comments, the USACE will receive oral

comments during a public scoping

meeting to be scheduled during the

latter part of the scoping period. Formal

notice of this meeting will be made

through mailings and/or legal notices in

newspapers.

4. Public Participation in the EIS

Process

Creation of the EIS process will

provide opportunities for full

participation by interested state and

local agencies, as well as other

interested organizations and the general

public. These opportunities will include

public meetings and information

sessions. All interested parties are

encouraged to submit their names and

addresses to the contact person

indicated above for inclusion on the EIS

distribution list and any related public

notices.

5. Federal Agency Participation in the

EIS Process

Full opportunity for federal agency

participation will be provided. Federal

agencies with an interest in this EIS

effort are invited to participate as

cooperating agencies pursuant to 40

CFR 1501.6. Interested federal agencies

are requested to indicate their desire to

participate to the contact person.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–19023 Filed 7–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–06–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Reissuance of Solicitation for

Financial Assistance Number DE–

PS07–98ID13651—Industrial Process

Control With Laser-Based Ultrasonics

AGENCY: Idaho Operations Office, DOE.

SUMMARY: This is a reissuance of DE–

PS07–98ID13651. The U.S. Department

of Energy (DOE), Idaho Operations

Office (ID) is seeking applications for

cost-shared research and development

of Laser-Based Ultrasonic technologies

that will enhance economic

competitiveness, reduce energy

consumption and reduce environmental

impacts of the steel industry. The

objective of the solicitation is to develop

and use an integrated laser ultrasonic

system for in-process manufacturing

applications in the U.S. steel industry

via: (1) Development of an integrated

sensor system to combine the use of

laser ultrasonics with other

measurement tools to meet the inprocess monitoring requirements for

accuracy and reproducibility; and (2)

installation and use of this integrated

system in an industrial process

demonstrating the cost-savings utility to

the industry. A total of $1,500,000 in

federal funds ($550,000 in fiscal year

1998, $500,000 in fiscal year 1999, and

$450,000 in fiscal year 2000) is expected

to be available to fund this effort. DOE

anticipates making a single award with

a duration of three years or less. A

minimum of 30% non-federal cost-share

is required for research and

development and a minimum of 50%

non-federal cost-share is required for

later demonstration and process

evaluation. Collaborations between

industry, university, and Federal

Laboratory participants are encouraged.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T.

Wade Hillebrant, Contract Specialist;

Procurement Services Division, U.S.

DOE, Idaho Operations Office, 850

Energy Drive, MS 1221, Idaho Falls, ID

83401–1563; telephone (208) 526–0547,

e-mail—hillebtw@id.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

statutory authority for the program is

the Federal Non-Nuclear Energy

Research and Development Act of 1974

(P.L. 93–577). The Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

for this program is 81.086. The

solicitation text is posted on the ID

Procurement Services Division home

page and may be accessed using

Universal Resource Locator address at

http://www.id.doe.gov/doeid/

solicit.html. This site also includes a

link to the report of the workshop on

Industrial Applications of Laser

Ultrasonics. The Application Instruction