Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices 36039

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), the Baltimore District, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers is initiating

the Baltimore Metropolitan Water

Resources Feasibility Study for the

Gwynns Falls sub-basin of the Patapsco

River watershed. The riparian and

aquatic environmental integrity of the

Gwynns Falls sub-basin has been

severely degraded by urbanization,

inadequate infrastructure and industrial

encroachment. Potential environmental

restoration of streambanks, wetlands

and forest buffers could restore and/or

create up to 150 acres of riparian and

aquatic habitat, in addition to improving

water quality, low base flows, stream

channel erosion, and sedimentation. A

DEIS will be integrated into the

feasibility study to document existing

conditions, projects actions, and project

effects and products. Baltimore County,

Baltimore City and the State of

Maryland’s Department of the

Environment (MDE) are the non-Federal

sponsors for the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed action

and DEIS can be addressed to Mr.

Richard Starr, Study Manager, Baltimore

District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

ATTN: CENAB–PL–RP, P.O. Box 1715,

Baltimore, Maryland 21203–1715,

telephone (410) 962–4633. E-mail

address: richard.r.starr@ccmail.

nab.usace.army.mil

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. The

U.S. House of Representatives,

Committee on Public Works and

Transportation, authorized the

Baltimore Metropolitan Water Resources

Study-Gwynns Falls in a resolution

adopted April 30, 1992.

2. The study area is located in

northern Maryland. The area proposed

for environmental restoration is known

as the Gwynns Falls watershed and is

located in highly developed portions of

Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

The most significant problem in the

Gwynns Falls watershed is the

instability of the steam channels and the

loss of aquatic habitat. Due to the

extensive urbanization along the narrow

corridor between the Chesapeake Bay

and the Fall Line within a short period

of time, environmental resources and

aquatic habitats have become degraded.

This excessive degradation includes:

flashy stormwater flows that cause

streambank erosion and sedimentation,

residential and industrial encroachment

has limited riparian habitat and

wetlands, and polluted runoff has

contributed to poor water quality. These

factors negatively impact the aquatic

environment in the present and the

future.

3. An ecosystem framework has been

developed to restore the habitat and

environmental integrity of Gwynns

Falls. It allows potential restoration

projects to be identified, evaluated, and

selected on a watershed basis. Study

goals and characterizations will be made

of the broad Gwynns Falls watershed.

Sub-basins, or hydrologic unit areas

(HUAs), will then be identified,

delineated and prioritized within the

broad watershed. Based on the study

objectives, high priority HUAs will be

further characterized and problem

statements for these areas will be

developed. Upon the identification and

characterization of the high priority

HUAs, specific problem areas within

them will be identified and prioritized.

Preliminary conceptual restoration

measures which could address the

problem areas within Gwynns Falls,

developing ecosystem based alternative

plans for the high priority HUAs, and

incrementally analyzing each alternative

will follow. The final evaluation will

focus on which combination of problem

area restoration solutions provide the

most environmental benefits, at the least

cost, for a HUA ecosystem.

4. This proposed HUA restoration

plan would potentially include

stormwater detention measures, such as

the restoration of floodplains, creation

of wetlands, and conversion of existing

stormwater facilities. Habitat structures

would also be installed to restore

aquatic habitat and provide added cover

for spawning. Stream restoration would

include stabilization techniques, such as

rootwads, plantings and geotubes.

Where feasible, fish blockages would be

removed to allow for residential and

migratory passage. In the Middle Branch

tidal area, alternatives to create islands

and restore a vegetative wetland buffer

around the Harbor area will be

investigated.

5. The decision to implement these

actions will be based on an evaluation

of the probable impact of the proposed

activities on the public interest. That

decision will reflect the national

concern for both protection and

utilization of important resources. The

benefit which reasonably may be

expected to accrue from the proposal

will be balanced against its reasonably

foreseeable detriments. The Baltimore

District is preparing a DEIS which will

describe the impacts of the proposed

projects on environmental and cultural

resources in the study area and the

overall public interest. The DEIS will be

in accordance with NEPA and will

document all factors which may be

relevant to the proposal, including the

cumulative effects thereof. Among these

factors are conservation, economics,

aesthetics, general environmental

concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish

and wildlife values, flood hazards,

floodplain values, land use, recreation,

water supply and conservation, water

quality, energy needs, safety, and the

general needs and welfare of the people.

If applicable, the DEIS will also apply

guidelines issued by the Environmental

Protection Agency, under the authority

of Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water

Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95–217).

6. The public involvement program

will include workshops, meetings, and

other coordination with interested

private individuals and organizations,

as well as with concerned Federal, state

and local agencies. Coordination letters

and newsletters have been sent to

appropriate agencies, organizations, and

individuals on an extensive mailing list.

Additional public information will be

provided through print media, mailings,

radio and television announcements.

7. In addition to the Corps, the

Maryland Department of the

Environment, Baltimore County and

Baltimore City, other participants that

will be involved in the study and DEIS

process include, but are not limited to

the following: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service;

U.S. Geological Survey; Natural

Resource Conservation Service; and the

U.S. National Park Service. The

Baltimore District invites potentially

affected Federal, state, and local

agencies, and other organizations and

entities to participate in this study.

8. The DEIS is tentatively scheduled

to be available for public review in July

1998.

Harold L. Nelson,

Assistant Chief, Planning Division.

[FR Doc. 96–17411 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–41–M

Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

For Howard Hanson Dam Additional

Water Storage Project Feasibility Study

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: Seattle District, US Army

Corps of Engineers is proposing an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for a study of alternatives for restoration

of anadromous fisheries and wildlife

habitat and for municipal water supply
36040 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices

at the Howard Hanson Dam on the

Green River, King County, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed action

and DEIS can be answered by: Mike

McNeely, Seattle District, U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, Planning Branch,

PO Box 3755, Seattle, Washington

98124–2255, Telephone (206) 764–3624;

fax (206) 764–4470.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

Howard A Hanson Dam was originally

authorized as the Eagle Gorge Dam and

Reservoir by the Flood Control Act of

1950. Construction was completed in

1962. It is an earthfill and rockfill

structure which provides winter flood

control and summer low flow

augmentation. The dam is located at

river mile 64.5 on the Green River, King

County, Washington, 35 miles southeast

of Seattle, and 35 miles northeast of

Tacoma. The dam and reservoir provide

approximately 106,000 acre feet of

winter flood control storage reservoir

and 26,000 acre feet of summer

conservation storage (seasonally from

March through September). This 26,000

acre feet of conservation storage

provides a minimum instream flow of

110 cubic feet per second (cfs) at 98

percent reliability. The Additional

Water Storage Project Feasibility Study

purposes are water supply and

environmental restoration. Potential

benefits are: municipal and industrial

(M&I) water supply and downstream

low flow augmentation through added

storage; and higher fish and wildlife

survival through improved downstream

fish passage at the dam and improved

habitat.

2. Alternatives

The Corps of Engineers is currently

examining four alternatives.

a. No action.

b. Water supply only via pool raise to

elevation 1169.

c. Water supply/restoration via pool

raise to elevation 1177.

d. Adaptive management water

supply/restoration via phased pool raise

to maximum elevation 1177.

3. Scoping and Public Involvement

Public involvement will be sought

during the scoping process and

throughout the course of the project in

accordance with NEPA procedures. A

public scoping process has been begun

to clarify issues of major concern,

identify any information sources that

might be available to analyze and

evaluate impact, and obtain public

input on the range and acceptability of

alternatives. This Notice of Intent

formally commences the scoping

process under NEPA. As part of the

scoping process, all affected Federal,

state and local agencies, Indian Tribes,

general public and other interested

private organizations, including

environmental interest groups, are

invited to comment on the scope of the

EIS. Comments are requested

concerning project alternatives,

mitigation measures, probable

significant environmental impacts, and

permits or other approvals that may be

required.

The following key areas have been

identified to be analyzed in depth in the

draft EIS:

(1) Geology and Engineering Design.

(2) Water Management.

(3) Water Quality.

(4) Fisheries.

(5) Wildlife.

(6) Wetlands.

(7) Cultural Resources.

(8) Socioeconomic Resources.

A scoping meeting has been

scheduled for: July 18, 1996, in Auburn

City Hall Council Chambers, 25 West

Main Street, Auburn, Washington at 6

p.m.

4. Schedule

The draft EIS is scheduled for release

on April 1, 1997.

Donald T. Wynn,

Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 96–17412 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–ER–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Director, Information

Resources Group, invites comments on

the proposed information collection

requests as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on or before

September 9, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests for copies of the proposed

information collection requests should

be addressed to Patrick J. Sherrill,

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Room

5624, Regional Office Building 3,

Washington, DC 20202–4651.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick J. Sherrill (202) 708–8196.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time,

Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires

that the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) provide interested

Federal agencies and the public an early

opportunity to comment on information

collection requests. OMB may amend or

waive the requirement for public

consultation to the extent that public

participation in the approval process

would defeat the purpose of the

information collection, violate State or

Federal law, or substantially interfere

with any agency’s ability to perform its

statutory obligations. The Director of the

Information Resources Group publishes

this notice containing proposed

information collection requests prior to

submission of these requests to OMB.

Each proposed information collection,

grouped by office, contains the

following: (1) Type of review requested,

e.g., new, revision, extension, existing

or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary

of the collection; (4) Description of the

need for, and proposed use of, the

information; (5) Respondents and

frequency of collection; and (6)

Reporting and/or Recordkeeping

burden. OMB invites public comment at

the address specified above. Copies of

the requests are available from Patrick J.

Sherrill at the address specified above.

The Department of Education is

especially interested in public comment

addressing the following issues: (1) is

this collection necessary to the proper

functions of the Department, (2) will

this information be processed and used

in a timely manner, (3) is the estimate

of burden accurate, (4) how might the

Department enhance the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information to be

collected, and (5) how might the

Department minimize the burden of this

collection on the respondents, including

through the use of information

technology.

Dated: July 2, 1996.

Gloria Parker,

Director, Information Resources Group.

Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Review: Revision.

Title: Training Assessment Form—

Title IV Student Financial Assistance

Programs.

Frequency: One Time.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; Not-for-profit institutions.