[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 15750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7457]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Rancho Palos Verdes Shore Protection Feasibility Study

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Los Angeles District intents to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to support a cost-shared feasibility study with 
the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, California for shoreline protection 
along the City of Rancho Palos Verdes coastline. The purpose of the 
feasibility study is to evaluate alternatives for reducing erosion, 
sedimentation, and turbidity along the Rancho Palos Verdes coastline. A 
Corps-recommended plan would include construction of shore-protection 
measures to reduce ongoing damages to the shoreline from coastal 
erosion by storm, wave, and tidal events, and continued deposition of 
eroded materials in the adjacent marine environment. The EIS will 
analyze potential impacts of the recommended plan and a range of 
alternatives on the environment.

ADDRESSES: Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles 
District, Environmental Support Section, P.O. Box 2711, Los Angeles, CA 
90053-2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Rey Farve, Project Ecologist, (213) 894-5510, or Ms. Anna Zacher, 
Study Manager, (213) 894-2028.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The study area is located along the 
coastline of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the City of Rancho Palos 
Verdes. The topography consists primarily of a shoreline backed by 
steep slopes below a pronounced sea cliff, and is also characterized by 
rocky headlands, and gravelly, narrow beaches.
    Previous shoreline surveys indicate that the nearshore, in the 
recent past, has experienced significant accretion and a seaward 
advance of more than 150 feet. Since 1956, when a contemporary 
landslide began, the shoreline has been accredit and extended by earth 
movement into the surf zone. Thousands of tons of material have been 
washed away from the shoreline and deposited in the nearshore basin, 
offshore, or carried downcoast. As much as 30 inches of sediment have 
been deposited over rocky bottom areas which historically supported a 
rich and diverse intertidal and subtidal biological community near the 
toe of the landslide berm. Up to 6 inches of sediment have been 
measured, in certain areas, as far offshore as 300 feet.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The Los Angeles District will investigate and evaluate all 
reasonable alternatives to address methods to reduce shore erosion, 
sedimentation, and turbidity along the Rancho Palos Verdes coastline. 
In addition to the NO ACTION alternative, the construction of 
structures such as revetments or gabions along the shoreline or 
breakwaters or dikes in the nearshore would be evaluated as to their 
feasibility as shore protection measures. It should be noted that the 
Corps will not analyze or address a solution to the landslide problem, 
and will not develop Corps position on whether the landslide is 
stabilizing, or is expected to stabilize, based on shore protection.

Scoping Process

    The scoping process is on-going and has involved preliminary 
coordination with Federal, State, and local agencies. A public scoping 
meeting is scheduled at the Fred Hesse Community Park Building, 29301 
Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA at 7:30 pm, April 26, 1995. 
The purpose of the meeting is to gather information from the general 
public or interested organizations about issues and concerns they would 
like to see addressed in the EIS. Comments may be delivered in writing 
or verbally at the meeting or sent in writing to the Los Angeles 
District at the address given above.
Kenneth L. Denton,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-7457 Filed 3-24-95; 8:45 am]
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