[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 13 (Friday, January 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4137-4138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01043]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice for the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study
(GLMRIS)
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago District has
posted on http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/interim/anscontrol/screening/index.cfm aquatic nuisance species (ANS) Controls that can be used to
prevent the transfer of algae, crustaceans, fish and plants via aquatic
pathways. USACE is announcing a comment period to allow for the
submission of information on available ANS Controls for these organism
types.
In a December 8, 2010 notice of intent, Federal Register Notice (75
FR 76447), USACE announced it will prepare a feasibility report and an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for GLMRIS. GLMRIS is a
feasibility study of the range of options and technologies that could
be applied to prevent ANS transfer between the Great Lakes and
Mississippi River basins through aquatic pathways. USACE is conducting
GLMRIS in consultation with other federal agencies, Native American
tribes, state agencies, local governments and non-governmental
organizations. For additional information regarding GLMRIS, please
refer to the project Web site http://glmris.anl.gov.
This notice announces a comment period during which USACE is asking
the public to submit (i) information on ANS Controls that may be
effective at preventing the transfer of fish, algae, crustaceans and
plants in the CAWS but are missing from the USACE's lists of ANS
Controls, or (ii) comments regarding the identified ANS Controls.
DATES: USACE will be accepting public comments through February 21,
2013. Please refer to the ``ANS Control Screening Comment Period ''
section below for details on the information USACE is seeking during
this comment period and instructions on comment submittal.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or
questions about GLMRIS, please contact USACE, Chicago District, Project
Manager, Ms. Nicole Roach, by mail: USACE, Chicago District, 111 N.
Canal, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606, or by email:
nicole.l.roach@usace.army.mil.
For media inquiries, please contact USACE, Chicago District, Public
Affairs Officer, Ms. Lynne Whelan, by mail: USACE, Chicago District,
111 N. Canal, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606, by phone: 312-846-5330 or
by email: lynne.e.whelan@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background. USACE is conducting GLMRIS in consultation with
other federal agencies, Native American tribes, state agencies, local
governments and non-governmental organizations. For GLMRIS, USACE will
explore ANS Controls that could be applied to prevent ANS transfer
between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic
pathways. In the Aquatic Nuisance Species of Concern White Paper http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/ans/index.cfm, USACE, in collaboration with
our stakeholders, identified ANS of Concern and their corresponding
organism types. These ANS of Concern and organism types were the
initial focus of GLMRIS for the Chicago Area Waterway (CAWS). USACE
identified over 90 options and technologies to prevent the transfer of
the ANS of Concern via aquatic pathways http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/interim/anscontrol/index.cfm. The ANS Controls include, but
are not limited to, hydrologic separation of the basins, modification
of water quality or flow within a waterway, chemical application to
ANS, collection and removal of ANS from a waterway, as well as other
types of controls currently in research and development.
As part of the ongoing analysis and in collaboration with state and
federal agencies, USACE refined the organism types warranting further
consideration to the following: algae, crustaceans, fish and plants.
Additionally, USACE in collaboration with governmental agencies and
organizations screened the list of ANS Controls per organism type and
has posted them for public review at http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/interim/anscontrol/screening/index.cfm.
USACE will formulate plans using of one or more of the screened ANS
Controls in consideration of four criteria: completeness,
effectiveness, efficiency, and acceptability. USACE will evaluate the
effects of the alternative plans.
USACE is conducting GLMRIS in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and with the Economic and Environmental
Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resource
Implementation Studies, Water Resources Council, March 10, 1983.
2. ANS Control Screening Comment Period. The screened ANS Controls
are found at http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/interim/anscontrol/screening/index.cfm. This notice announces a comment period during
which USACE is asking the public to submit (i) information on ANS
Controls that may be effective at preventing the transfer of fish,
algae, crustaceans and plants in the CAWS but are missing from these
lists, or (ii) comments regarding the identified ANS Controls.
The comment period runs through February 21, 2013, and comments may
be submitted in the following ways:
GLMRIS project Web site: Use the web form found at
www.glmris.anl.gov through February 21, 2013;
Mail: Mail written information to GLMRIS ANS Control
Screening, 111 N. Canal, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606. Comments must be
postmarked by February 21, 2013; and
[[Page 4138]]
Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand delivered to the
USACE, Chicago District office located at 111 N. Canal St., Suite 600,
Chicago, IL 60606 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Comments must be
received by February 21, 2013.
Authority: This action is being undertaken pursuant to the Water
Resources and Development Act of 2007, Section 3061, Pub. L. 110-
114, 121 STAT. 1121, and NEPA of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq., as
amended.
Dated: January 10, 2013.
Roy J. Deda,
Deputy for Project Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago
District.
[FR Doc. 2013-01043 Filed 1-17-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P