Federal Register/Vol. 63, No. 47/Wednesday, March 11, 1998
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 47 / Wednesday, March 11, 1998 / Notices 11875 Park Place area in Scranton, and not for emergency preparedness, and building 8. The SEIS is tentatively scheduled the Plot and Green Ridge areas within relocation. to be available for public review in Scranton. In 1996 the Corps of 5. The decision to implement these August 1998. Engineers was directed by the 1996 actions will be based on an evaluation James F. Johnson, Water Resources Development Act to of the probable impact of the proposed Chief, Planning Division. carry out flood control for the Plot and activities on the public interest. That [FR Doc. 98±6207 Filed 3±10±98; 8:45 am] Green Ridge areas. Therefore, the U.S. decision will reflect the national BILLING CODE 3710±41±M Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore concern for both protection and District, is now preparing a utilization of important resources. The Supplemental Environmental Impact DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Statement (SEIS) for the Plot and Green benefit that may be expected to accrue from the proposal will be balanced Ridge Flood Protection Projects. Department of the Army, Corps of against its reasonable foreseeable 2. Specific authorization for the Plot Engineers and Green Ridge Flood Protection impacts. The Baltimore District is Projects are from Section 342 of the preparing an SEIS that will describe the Intent to Prepare an Environmental Water Resources Act of 1996 which impacts of the proposed projects on Impact Statement (EIS) for the San directs the Corps of Engineers environmental and cultural resources in Diego Harbor Navigation Improvement ``* * * to carry out the project for flood the study area and the overall public Study, San Diego County, California control for the Plot and Green Ridge interest. The SEIS will be in accordance sections of the [Lackawanna] project.'' with NEPA and will document all AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 3. The Plot and Green Ridge Flood factors that may be relevant to the DoD. Protection study areas are located in proposal, including the cumulative ACTION: Notice of Intent. northeastern Pennsylvania in the city of effects thereof. Among these factors are SUMMARY: The Los Angeles District Scranton. They encompass an estimated resource conservation, socio-economics intends to prepare an EIS to support the area of 400 acres adjacent to the considerations, economic benefits, proposed navigation improvement study Lackawanna River and extend for a aesthetics, general environmental at San Diego Harbor, California. The distance of approximately 21¤2 miles. concerns, wetlands, cultural concerns, The Green Ridge area is located on the purpose of the proposal is to identify fish and wildlife concerns, flood measures that will improve navigation left descending bank of the river, hazards, floodplain values, land use, directly across the river from Albright in San Diego Harbor from the 10th recreation, water supply, water quality, Avenue Marine Terminal to the Avenue, and the Plot area is located on project implementation costs, energy the right descending bank, immediately Coronado Bay Bridge. Alternative needs, safety, and the general needs and measures include harbor deepening by upstream of the Green Ridge area. The welfare of the people. If applicable, the upstream limit of the Plot area extends dredging to approximately ´45.0 feet SEIS will also apply guidelines issued Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) at the to approximately the confluence of the by the Environmental Protection Lackawanna River and Leggetts Creek. 10th Avenue terminal, as well as a no Agency, under the authority of Section The downstream limit of the proposed action alternative. The EIS will analyze 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act of 1977 Green Ridge area will be the potential impacts on the environmental (Public Law 95±217). Lackawanna tributary of Meadow Brook. range of alternatives, including the 4. The investigation of local flood 6. The public involvement program recommended plan. protection projects for the Plot and will include workshops, meetings, and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Green Ridge areas is in response to other coordination with interested For further information contact Ms. problems and opportunities associated private individuals and organizations, Stephanie Hall, Project Environmental with the Federal objectives and specific as well as with concerned Federal, state, Coordinator, (213) 452±3862, or Mr. state and local concerns. Federally, the and local agencies. Coordination letters Joseph Johnson, Study Manager, (213) investigation is based on the objective to have been sent to appropriate agencies, 452±3831. contribute to the national economic organizations, and individuals on an SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army development while protecting the extensive mailing list. Additional public Corps of Engineers intends to prepare nation's environment pursuant to the information will be provided through and EIS to assess the environmental national environmental statutes, print media, mailings, and radio and effects associated with the proposed applicable executive orders, and other television announcements. navigation improvement measures at Federal planning requirements. San Diego Harbor, from the 10th Avenue 7. In addition to the Corps, other Considerations are also given to the Marine Terminal to the Coronado Bay participants who will be involved in the benefits of the plan and expenditures Bridge. The public will have the necessary to construct and maintain the study and SEIS process include, but are opportunity to comment on this analysis plan. The plan must be engineeringly not limited to, the following: U.S. before any action is taken to implement and institutionally implementable and Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. the proposed action. consistent with certain environmental Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest statutes and Executive Orders. The Service; U.S. Geological Survey; Scoping desires of the non-Federal sponsors for National Resource Conservation Service; a. The Army Corps of Engineers will a particular project are additional U.S. National Park Service, conduct a scoping meeting prior to criteria for plan development and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania preparing the Environmental Impact evaluation. Specific solutions that will Department of Environmental Statement to aid in the determination of be evaluated with these criteria include Protection, and the City of Scranton, significant environmental issues both structural and non-structural Pennsylvania. The Baltimore District associated with the proposed action. solutions such as levees and floodwalls, invites potentially affected Federal, The public, as well as Federal, State, channel dredging and enlargements, state, and local agencies, and other and local agencies, are encouraged to channel improvements, modifications to organizations and entities to participate participate in the scoping process by buildings, roads, and structures, flood in this study. submitting data, information, and 11876 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 47 / Wednesday, March 11, 1998 / Notices comments identifying relevant Study and Environmental Impact proposed actions, including the environmental and socioeconomic Statement. The study proposes solutions cumulative effects thereof, are being issues to be addressed in the to several interrelated water resources considered; among these factors are environmental analysis. Useful problems in Ocean City, Maryland. The economics, aesthetics, general information includes other study area includes Ocean City and environmental concerns, wetlands, environmental studies, published and Assateague Island, adjacent coastal bays cultural values, flood hazards, fish and unpublished data, alternatives that and nearshore waters of the Atlantic wildlife values, flood plain values, land could be addressed in the analysis, and Ocean, and Maryland mainland areas use, recreation, water supply and potential mitigation measures associated within the coastal watershed boundary. conservation, water quality, energy with the proposed action. The Feasibility Study includes four needs, safety, food and fiber production, b. A public scoping meeting will be separate components, which present and the general needs and welfare of the held in the City of San Diego on March solutions for four different water-related people. 18, 1998, concurrent with a public problems in the Maryland coastal bay 2. The four components of the study workshop. The location and time of the area. The components include (a) the include the following: public scoping meeting will be short-term restoration of the northern (a) The short-term restoration plan for announced in the local news media. A end of Assateague Island, (b) long-term the northern end of Assateague Island separate notice of this meeting will be sand management for Assateague Island was developed because of the sent to all parties on the study mailing and Ocean City, (c) navigation endangered condition of the island. The list. improvements to the Ocean City harbor sediment-starved condition of c. Individuals and agencies may offer and inlet, and (d) restoration of Assateague Island was partially caused information or data relevant to the terrestrial and aquatic habitat. A Draft by construction of the Ocean City inlet environmental or socioeconomic Integrated Interim Report and jetties, which disrupted the sediment impacts by attending the public scoping Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) flow between Ocean City and meeting. Comments, suggestions, and