52698 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 196 / Thursday, October 9, 1997 / Notices

COMMENT PERIOD: The comment period SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None. container terminals located along the for this DSEIS ends 45 days after the Gregory D. Showalter, project navigation channel, and date of publication of the Environmental Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. addresses the economic, social, and Protection Agency’s Notice of [FR Doc. 97–26799 Filed 10–8–97; 8:45 am] environmental issues related to the Availability in the Federal Register. BILLING CODE 3710±08±M proposed project. The purpose of this Two public meetings have been DSEIS is to update the 1986 FEIS and conducted in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, evaluate the changes in conditions in concerning the proposed action. An DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE the project area to determine if there are additional public hearing will be held significant new issues or information during the 45-day comment period. All Department of the Army relevant to environmental concerns and comments will be addressed and bearing on the proposed action or its Corps of Engineers incorporated into the final document. impacts. Comments should be forwarded to the Public Notice of Availability of the Potential impacts, including indirect address listed below. Draft Supplemental Environmental and cumulative impacts, were evaluated FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Impact Statement for the Limited for the proposed action and the other Reevaluation Study for Deepening of action alternatives. The analysis Colonel Parker Hills, Public Affairs the Arthur Kill-Howland Hook Marine indicates that short-term adverse Office, Mississippi Army National Terminal Navigation Channels environmental impacts, such as benthic Guard, P.O. Box 5027, Jackson, habitat disruption, would be balanced Mississippi 39296–5027; telephone (601 AGENCY: Corps of Engineers, DoD. by beneficial impacts, such as 973–6349, facsimile extension 6176. ACTION: Notice of availability. revitalization of the maritime industry Dated: October 2, 1997. SUMMARY: A Draft Supplemental and permanent removal of contaminated Raymond J. Fatz, Environmental Impact Statement material from the aquatic ecosystem. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (DSEIS) for the Arthur Kill-Howland The DSEIS has been prepared under (Environment, Safety and Occupational Hook Marine Terminal Navigation the direction of the USACE, as Lead Health, OASA (I, L&E). Channel Deepening Project was Agency in accordance with the National [FR Doc. 97–26868 Filed 10–8–97; 8:45 am] prepared and the project was authorized Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of BILLING CODE 3710±08±M for construction in section 202(b) of the 1969 and is submitted in compliance WRDA 1986, Pub. L. 99–662. The with NEPA and USACE regulations. The limited reevaluation effort recommends USACE is lead Federal agency DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE deepening and realigning the previously responsible for preparation of the DSEIS authorized 35 ft below mlw project in because the project involves Department of the Army the Arthur Kill Channel, to the 41/40-ft improvements and/or modifications to Federal navigation channels. Comments Board of Visitors, United States plan. This plan entails the realignment will be accepted for forty-five (45) days Military Academy and deepening to a depth of 41 ft below mlw from its confluence with the after publishing of this notice. AGENCY: U.S. Military Academy, DoD. Newark Bay and Kill Van Kull Channels FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: to the Howland Hook Marine Terminal; ATTN: Ms. Jenine Gallo-EIS ACTION: Notice of open meeting. realigning and deepening to a depth of Coordinator, CENAN–PL–EA, Corps of 40 ft mlw from the Howland Hook Engineers, New York District, 26 SUMMARY: In accordance with section Marine Terminal to the Tosco Oil and Federal Plaza, NY, NY 10278–0090, Tel. 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory GATX facilities. 212–264–4549. Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), The 41/40-ft plan would meet the announcement is made of the following current navigational needs of the project SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: meeting: area by improving navigational Project Site Description Name of Committee: Board of efficiency and safety. Proposed Visitors, United States Military improvements would allow deep draft The Arthur Kill is an estuarine tidal Academy (USMA). vessels (current vessel designs) to safely strait that connects Raritan Bay to the navigate the channel, while remaining south with Newark Bay to the north. Date of Meeting: October 31, 1997. fully loaded, thus avoiding the need for The Arthur Kill separates Richmond Place of Meeting: Superintendent’s lightering or steaming under partial County, Staten Island, New York from Conference Room, Taylor Hall, United loads. Union County and Middlesex County, States Military Academy, West Point, The proposed project plans were New Jersey. The Arthur Kill is New York. analyzed in the 1986 Feasibility Report, approximately 13 miles long and varies Start Time of Meeting: Approximately which included the Final in width from approximately 800 to 8 a.m. Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 2800 ft. The total surface water area is (USACE 1986 a,b). These documents are approximately 4.4 square miles. Proposed Agenda: Preparation of the available in the District office for The system receives freshwater flow Annual Report to the President, Annual review. This document is a Draft from the Hackensack and Passaic rivers, Reviews of the Athletic and Admissions Supplemental Environmental Impact which discharge into Newark Bay, and programs at USMA and a program Statement (DSEIS) for the deepening the Elizabeth and Rahway rivers and review of the United States Military and realignment of the Arthur Kill numerous smaller streams and Academy Preparatory School. All Channel—Howland Hook Marine tributaries, which drain adjacent upland proceedings are open. Terminal, and part of the Limited areas. Tributaries located within the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reevaluation Report (LRR). The DSEIS study area include Old Place Creek and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph A. Dubyel, examines improvements to navigation Bridge Creek in Staten Island, and United States Military Academy, West and the shipment of cargo to petroleum Morses Creek and the Elizabeth River in Point, NY 10996–5000, (914) 938–4200. refineries/storage facilities and marine New Jersey. Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 196 / Thursday, October 9, 1997 / Notices 52699

The project area extends from the SUMMARY: The Army Corps of Engineers, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: confluence of the Kill Van Kull, Arthur New York District (NYDCOE), in Background Kill, and Lower Newark Bay, west and coordination with the project sponsor, south toward Piles Creek. This includes the New Jersey Department of The Green Brook Sub-basin is a the Elizabethport Reach, Gulfport Environmental Protection (NJDEP), has component of the Raritan River drainage basin in north central New Jersey. The Reach, and the North of Shooters Island conducted a General Reevaluation Green Brook Sub-Basin has a 65 square Reach. Study and prepared a Supplemental The project area shoreline (and mile watershed. The Sub-Basin is Impact Statement for an authorized located between the Watchung vicinity) has undergone extensive flood protection project in the Green industrial and residential development. Mountains and the Raritan River in Brook Sub-Basin of the Raritan River in Middlesex, Somerset, and Union The New Jersey shoreline has been New Jersey. A Final Environmental Counties. almost completely developed with Impact Statement and a Record of In response to resolutions of the riprap and ship-berthing areas. The Decision were prepared for the project United States Senate Public Works Staten Island shoreline has also been in 1980. This report has been prepared Committee adopted 15 September 1955 developed, although to a much lesser in association with the Reevaluation and 10 July 1972 to adopt extent. Industrial development is Study and is a supplement to the 1980 recommendations for flood control, the heaviest along the North of Shooters Final Environmental Impact Statement. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Island and Elizabethport reaches. York District prepared a feasibility The waterways are intensively used The project proposes to provide flood protection to residents in Somerset, report and a final environmental impact navigation channels, and with the statement in August 1980. A project recent dredging and reoccupation of the Middlesex and Union Counties through the use of levees, flood-proofing, flood similar to ‘‘Plan A’’ as described in the Howland Hook Marine Terminal 1980 feasibility study was authorized walls, detention basins and stream (located within the project area), for construction under the Water channelization. The plan also provides previously one of New York Harbor’s Resources Development Act of 1986. most active marine terminals, activity for a mitigation plan for environmental The flood problems of the Green will increase above present levels. impacts. The project is divided into Brook Sub-Basin result from a Although much of the project area three separate portions of the Sub-basin: combination of natural hydrologic and shoreline has been developed and the the upper portion, the lower portion and hydraulic features coupled with dense Arthur Kill is heavily used for the Stony Brook portion. The proposed development within the floodplains. commercial navigation, the project area flood protection measures which were The Green Brook flows southwest from still contains a variety of biological and described in the DSEIS for the upper the slopes of the Watchung Mountains. natural resources. These resources portion of the Sub-basin have been The path of the streams within the sub- include migratory and resident fish and deferred at the request of the local basin flow from relatively undeveloped shellfish populations as well as the sponsor, pending further study. mountains through a broad flat heron rookeries. While fish and wildlife The Draft Supplement Environmental floodplain which is largely suburban resources use the area year round, Impact Statement (DSEIS) was filed on and industrialized. Streams included in recreational opportunities are generally January 6, 1997. The DSEIS was the study are: Ambrose Brook, Bound limited. released for public review from January Brook, Bonygutt Brook, Municipal A deepened and realigned channel in 6, 1997 through March 7, 1997. This Brook, Stony Brook, Blue Brook, Cedar the Arthur Kill will permit existing review period included four formal Brook, and Middle Brook. Flood facilities to efficiently accommodate the public meetings and numerous informal damages in the tri-county basin are larger ocean-going vessels calling on the information sessions with various quite severe due to the level of Port. groups. The public coordination process development within the sub-basin. Simeon Hook, Notable storms which have caused flood confirmed the need for the project. conditions in the sub-basin occurred in Acting Chief, Planning Division. However, the coordination process May 1968, August 1971, August 1973, [FR Doc. 97–26800 Filed 10–8–97; 8:45 am] identified concerns with the proposed BILLING CODE 3710±06±M July 1975, September 1979, July 1984, construction of the detentions basins in and October 1996. the upper portion of the basin in the The Final Supplemental Boroughs of Berkeley Heights, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Environmental Impact Statement Watchung, and Scotch Plains. The local (FSEIS) describes in the impacts of the Department of the Army sponsor, NJDEP, has asked the NYDCOE proposed project on environmental and to defer construction of the upper cultural resources in the study area. The Corps of Engineers portion of the project at this time but to FSEIS also applies guidelines issued by continue work on the lower and Stony Public Notice of Availability for the the Environmental Protection Agency, Brook portions of the project. Final Supplemental Environmental under the authority of the Clean Water Accordingly, this final document is Impact Statement and General Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 96–217). An Reevaluation Report of the Green considered a decision document for evaluation for the purposed actions on Brook Flood Control Project in the construction implementation of the the waters of the United States was Green Brook Sub-Basin of the Raritan lower and Stony Brook portions of the performed pursuant to the guidelines of River Basin, Middlesex, Union and basin only. the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under authority of Somerset Counties in the State of New FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jersey Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Mr. Bill Richardson, ATTN: CENAN– results of the evaluation are presented AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, PL–ES, Army Corps of Engineers, New in the SEIS. DOD. York District, 26 Federal Plaza, New This Notice of Availability is being York, NY 10278–0090, Tel. (212) 264– sent to organizations and individuals ACTION: Notice of availability. 2199. known to have an interest in the project.