[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63169-63170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24736]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the Navy Base Intermodal Facility at the former Charleston Naval
Complex (CNC) in North Charleston, South Carolina
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Charleston District
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to
assess the potential social, economic, and environmental effects of the
proposed construction and operation of an intermodal container transfer
facility (ICTF) by the South Carolina Department of Commerce Division
of Public Railways d/b/a Palmetto Railways (Palmetto Railways). The
DEIS will assess potential effects of a range of alternatives,
including the proposed alternative.
DATES: Public Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting is planned for
Thursday, November 14, 2013 beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT at the Chicora
School of Communications, 3795 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston, South
Carolina, 29405. An open house will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. The formal
scoping meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m. Individuals and
organizations that are interested in the proposed activity or whose
interests may be affected by the proposed work are encouraged to attend
the Scoping Meeting and to submit written comments to the Corps.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or
questions about the proposed project and DEIS, please contact Mr.
Nathaniel Ball, Corps Project Manager, by telephone: 843-329-8044 or
toll-free 1-866-329-8187, or by mail: Mr. Nathaniel I. Ball, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, 69-A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina
29403. For inquiries from the media, please contact the Corps,
Charleston District Corporate Communication
[[Page 63170]]
Officer (CCO), Ms. Glenn Jeffries by telephone: 843-329-8123.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps is evaluating a proposal from
Palmetto Railways in accordance with Corps regulations and the policies
and procedures that are established in the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). Based on the available information, the Corps has
determined that the Proposed Navy Base Intermodal Facility has the
potential to significantly affect the quality of the human environment
and therefore warrants the preparation of an EIS. Additional
information about the proposed project and the NEPA process is
available on the project Web site at: www.navybaseictf.com.
1. Description of the Proposed Project. Palmetto Railways currently
provides rail services to Union Pier Terminal, Columbus Street
Terminal, Veterans Terminal, and North Charleston Terminal and various
private industries in the region. Palmetto Railways has proposed to
construct and operate an ICTF on a 90-acre site at the former CNC. The
proposed ICTF would provide equal access to both Class I railroads
serving Charleston, South Carolina: CSX Transportation (CSX) and
Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). The ICTF would be a state-of-the-art
intermodal terminal that would utilize sustainable intermodal terminal
technologies. The proposed ICTF is being designed to accommodate
existing intermodal rail traffic and anticipated future growth
associated with the Port of Charleston. Components of the ICTF would
include conventional terminal components such as high-mast lighting,
rail or rubber-tired mounted container cranes, and terminal hostlers.
Further, it is anticipated that the development of the ICTF will
encourage the development of freight-related facilities adjacent to the
ICTF that would include warehousing and distribution facilities, as
well as transloading and other freight-related industrial facilities.
2. Alternatives. A range of alternatives to the proposed action
will be identified, and those found to be reasonable alternatives will
be fully evaluated in the DEIS, including: the no-action alternative,
the applicant's proposed alternative, alternatives that may result in
avoidance and minimization of impacts, and mitigation measures not in
the proposed action; however, this list in not exclusive and additional
alternatives may be considered for inclusion.
3. Scoping and Public Involvement Process. A scoping meeting will
be conducted to gather information on the scope of the project and
alternatives to be addressed in the DEIS. Additional public and agency
involvement will be sought through the implementation of a public
involvement plan and through an agency coordination team.
4. Significant issues. Issues and potential impacts associated with
the proposed project that are likely to be given detailed analysis in
the DEIS include, but are not necessarily limited to,: existing
transportation infrastructure (roadways and railways), waters of the
United States, air quality, noise, light, environmental justice,
economics, visual resources/aesthetics, general environmental concerns,
historic properties, fish and wildlife values, Federally-listed
threatened or endangered species, flood hazards, flood plain values,
land use, recreation, water quality, hazardous waste and materials,
socioeconomics, safety, and in general, the needs and welfare of the
people.
5. Additional Review and Consultation. Additional review and
consultation, which will be incorporated into the preparation of this
DEIS, will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, Section 401
of the Clean Water Act; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act; the National Environmental Policy Act; the Endangered
Species Act; and the National Historic Preservation Act.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS. The Corps expects the DEIS to be
made available to the public in late fall/winter 2014. A Public Hearing
will be held during the public comment period for the DEIS.
John T. Litz,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.
[FR Doc. 2013-24736 Filed 10-22-13; 8:45 am]
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