43434 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 144 / Friday, July 25, 2008 / Notices

are contained in Army Regulations 340– Engineers, Detroit District, 477 State Highway design 21; 32 CFR part 505; or may be obtained Michigan Avenue, P.O. Box 1027, standards. The project is needed due to from the system manager. Detroit, MI 48231–1027. interrupted use, high maintenance, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. roadway stability issues, driver safety RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES: Florence Bissell at (313) 226–3510 or at during high water events, and the From the individual; Army records [email protected]. importance of maintaining Nebraska and reports. Written comments are to be provided to Highway 12 as a regional transportation EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM: Ms. Bissell. corridor. Alternatives under consideration include: (1) Taking no None. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Construction of a replacement lock at action; (2) re-construction on existing [FR Doc. E8–17035 Filed 7–24–08; 8:45 am] the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sault alignment; (3) providing a new two-lane BILLING CODE 5001–06–P Locks Complex on the St. Mary’s River, highway on new alignment; (4) reducing Michigan was proposed following a or eliminating existing flooding through 1976 resolution of the Senate Public evaluation of methods to reduce Lewis DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Works Committee to determine the and Clark Lake elevation through advisability of providing additional operations and/or maintenance. NDOR Department of the Army lockage facilities. It was recommended and Corps have not selected a project that a lock of greater dimensions replace alternative but will be exploring a range Department of the Army; Corps of two smaller locks, the Davis and Sabin of alternatives through the National Engineers Locks, which were constructed during Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Availability of Information Bulletin, for World War I. The proposed lock would process. Additional alternatives will be a Replacement Lock, Sault Locks be capable of handling the Great Lakes considered during the NEPA process. Complex, Sault Sainte Marie, MI System’s largest vessels (Class C) which Construction of the project is expected account for more than half of the to result in temporary and permanent AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. potential carrying capacity of the Great impacts to jurisdictional waters of the Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. Lakes fleet and currently are limited to United States, thereby requiring a Clean ACTION: Notice of availability. lockage through the Poe Lock. A Water Act section 404 permit. disruption of the Poe Lock would result The Corps has prepared a scoping SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of in significant national economic document to familiarize other agencies, Engineers (USACE), Detroit District, is consequences therefore a second lock of the public and interested organizations issuing this notice to announce the the Poe Lock dimensions is needed. with the preliminary project alternatives availability of an Information Bulletin Congress has provided, in the Water and potential environmental issues that for a proposed Replacement Lock, Sault Resources Development Act of 2007 that may be involved. The scoping document Locks Complex, Sault Sainte Marie, MI. such a lock be constructed at Federal includes a description of the problems This bulletin provides information on expense and funding has been that create the need for the project, a the National Environmental Policy Act appropriated to initiate construction. preliminary list of project alternatives, (NEPA) review of the project that was Dated: July 18, 2008. and various environmental/resource presented in the Great Lakes Connecting Les E. Weigum, issues that will be addressed in the EIS. Channels and Harbors Final Interim Chief, Environmental Analysis Branch. Copies of the scoping document will be Feasibility Report and Environmental available at the public scoping meeting [FR Doc. E8–17073 Filed 7–24–08; 8:45 am] Impact Statement (EIS), 1986 and a or can be requested by mail. The EIS Record of Environmental Consideration, BILLING CODE 3710–GA–P will be prepared according to the Corps’ 2000. Based upon the review of current procedures for implementing the site conditions and project plans, it DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE National Environmental Policy Act appears that no new environmental (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. impacts or issues have been identified Department of the Army; Corps of 4332(2)(c), and consistent with the since the 1986 FEIS and the 2000 Engineers Corps’ policy to facilitate public Record of Environmental Consideration understanding and review of agency for the project. The planned Intent To Prepare an Environmental proposals. construction of a second large lock at Impact Statement for Nebraska; DATES: A public scoping meeting will be Sault Sainte Marie, MI, has been Department of Roads Nebraska held on August 28, 2008, from 6 p.m. to adequately assessed in accordance with Highway 12 Niobrara East and West 8:30 p.m. NEPA and a Record of Decision (ROD) Project should be signed to allow construction ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting to begin. The Bulletin is being provided AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. will be held at the WFLA Conference for information and to solicit comments Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. Center located on Spruce and Park on any changed conditions or ACTION: Notice of intent. Avenue in, Niobrara, NE 68760. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: anticipated impacts that may effect the SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of decision to sign the ROD. Engineers (Corps) is preparing an Questions regarding the proposed action DATES: The Information Bulletin will be Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and EIS should be addressed to Matt available for public review from July 25, to analyze the direct, indirect and Wray, Project Manager, U.S. Army 2008 through August 25, 2008. Written cumulative effects of a proposed Corps of Engineers, Nebraska Regulatory comments must be received by Nebraska State Highway project, Office, Wehrspann Field Office, 8901 S. September 2, 2008. Nebraska Highway 12 Niobrara East and 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138–3621 or ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of West Project (project), by the Nebraska at (402) 896–0896; the Information Bulletin from Ms. Department of Roads (NDOR). The [email protected]. Florence Bissell, Environmental project will provide a safe regional SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Analysis Branch, U.S. Army Corps of transportation corridor that meets Nebraska Department Roads (NDOR) is

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responsible for providing a safe, Nebraska Highway 12 is located. In DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE efficient, affordable, environmentally addition, system releases from upstream compatible and coordinated statewide reservoirs as part of the Missouri River Department of the Army; Corps of transportation system for the movement mainstem system, can provide constant Engineers of people and goods. NDOR has water levels. Additionally, large releases Notice of Availability of the Draft identified two segments of Nebraska of water can sometimes last for many Supplemental Environmental Impact Highway 12 that have experienced months causing roadway saturation. The Statement (DSEIS) for the Nourishment flooding and damage due to high water increased silt load coming into the lake levels associated with the Missouri of 25,000 Feet of Beach in Topsail from the Missouri River tributaries, Beach, Pender County, NC River. Segment 1 is approximately 6.4 primarily the and Bazile miles long and extends from just east of Creek also contributes to roadway AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Verdel on the west end to 2 miles west saturation. The confluence of the of the bridge over the Niobrara River. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. Niobrara River and the Missouri River is Segment 2 is approximately 6 miles long ACTION: Notice of availability. just west of the town of Niobrara. The and extends from just east of Spruce water from these tributaries slows as Avenue in Niobrara to approximately 1 SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of mile east of S–54D. Problems associated they enter the Missouri River and Engineers (USACE), Wilmington with this portion of Nebraska Highway sediment is deposited creating a fill area District, Wilmington Regulatory Field 12 include high maintenance, driver that restricts the channel and raises the Office has received a request for safety, and disruption in use. The bed of the river. This causes the area of Department of the Army authorization, following summarizes the issues that the lake to increase in dimension as pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean create these problems: well as raising the water table. High Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers Roadway Stability: Due to high water water levels create conditions of long- and Harbors Act, from the Town of levels and overtopping of Nebraska term saturation of the roadway Topsail Beach to conduct a one-time Highway 12 in the project area, the embankment, thus creating the potential interim beach fill project to protect stability of the roadway is threatened. for roadway embankment erosion. oceanfront development and Gavin’s Point Dam on the Missouri Driver Safety: Portion of Nebraska infrastructure until such time that a River was built in the 1950’s near Highway 12 are exposed to regular federally authorized shore protection Yankton, , creating Lewis flooding. Roadway flooding is a concern project can be implemented. While and Clark Lake (lake). The lake has for driver safety because even if the road federal budget priorities have made it caused the water table adjacent to the is marked closed, motorists may choose difficult to obtain funds for civil works Missouri River to rise. Nebraska to drive through flooded roadways. projects in general and beach protection Highway 12, which runs parallel to the projects in particular, the projected Missouri River, is affected where it Nebraska Highway 12 in this location does not have lighting and the inherent earliest construction date for the federal crosses into the Missouri River project is 2012. A Draft General dangers of driving through flooded floodplain east and west of Niobrara, Reevaluation Report—Environmental roadways exist. In 1995, the Corps Nebraska. About eight miles of Nebraska Impact Statement (GRR–EIS) has been implemented an interim fix by raising Highway 12 runs through the prepared by the USACE and was floodplain. About half of this length is the gradeline of Nebraska Highway 12 released for public review and comment located to the east and half to the west by several feet on two short highway in June 2006 (USACE, 2006). Given the of Niobrara, in Knox County, Nebraska. segments to alleviate the immediate current status of the GRR–EIS and the The distance between Nebraska flooding problems. The resultant need for Congressional authorization, Highway 12 and the Missouri River roadway is narrow with shoulders that funding, preparation of plans and bank differs, but some areas are as close are not adequate in width, and steep specifications, and right-of-way as two to three thousand feet. Due to the foreslopes. Cable guardrail was installed acquisition, the federal project may not location of Nebraska Highway 12, the to help protect vehicles from running off be implemented until Fiscal Year 2012, following road related issues are the road and into the water. Due to the or possibly later. Accordingly, the Town present: narrow roadway, the cable guardrail is would like to construct an interim (1) Roadway inundation: When high close to the edge of the driving lane. project to protect its development and water events occur on the Missouri A public scoping meeting will be held infrastructure during the period River, portions of Nebraska Highway 12 between now and the time the federal are under water. This jeopardizes the (see DATES) to describe why the project project is constructed. In order to integrity of the roadway due to is needed, preliminary alternatives, the account for any possible delays in the saturation of the roadway bed. This can NEPA compliance process and to solicit construction of the federal project, a create roadway sloughing and potential input on the issues and alternatives to construction date of 2016 was used in for failure. Bazile Creek enters the river be evaluated and other related matters. the development of the alternatives and east of Niobrara, NE where it intersects Written comments will also be economic analysis for the interim Nebraska Highway 12. During high requested. The Corps has invited the project. This would maintain the water events on Bazile Creek, Nebraska U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, baseline conditions described in the Highway 12 becomes flooded. The National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Draft GRR and EIS. flooding has occurred numerous times Wildlife Service, and Knox County to be in the past. cooperating agencies in the formulation ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and (2) Roadway saturation: High water of the EIS. questions regarding the DSEIS may be levels adjacent to Nebraska Highway 12 addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of are the result of the lake. The lake is a John L. Moeschen, Engineers, Wilmington District, man-made reservoir located behind Nebraska State Program Manager, Regulatory Regulatory Division. ATTN: File Gavin’s Point dam. The lake has Branch. Number SAW–2006–40848–071, Post contributed to the rising water table [FR Doc. E8–17077 Filed 7–24–08; 8:45 am] Office Box 1890, Wilmington, NC throughout the floodplain where BILLING CODE 3710–62–P 28402–1890.

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