[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 4155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01443]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey 
Feasibility Report for Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Union 
Beach, New Jersey Final Feasibility Report

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District 
(District), is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(SEIS) to ascertain compliance with applicable Federal and State 
environmental laws for the authorized Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, 
New Jersey Feasibility Report for Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction 
Union Beach, New Jersey Final Feasibility Report. The study area 
occupies an approximate 1.8 square mile area of land along the coast of 
Raritan Bay in the Borough of Union Beach, Monmouth County, New Jersey. 
The project was authorized for construction in the Water Resources 
Development Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-114) on November 8, 2007 but has 
yet to be constructed. An EIS for the authorized project was finalized 
in September 2003. This SEIS will identify any changes in the potential 
social, economic, cultural, and environmental affects through the 
implementation of the authorized plan since the EIS was published.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Planning 
Division, Environmental Analysis Branch, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 2151, 
New York, NY 10278-0090.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Voisine, Project Biologist, 
[email protected] or 917-790-8718.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. The area is located in low elevation regions with numerous small 
creeks providing drainage. Low-lying residential and commercial 
structures in the area experience flooding caused by coastal storm 
inundation. This problem has progressively worsened in recent years due 
to loss of protective beaches and increased urbanization in the area 
with structures susceptible to flooding from rainfall and coastal storm 
surges, erosion and wave attack, combined with restrictions to channel 
flow in the tidal creeks. This area was devastated by Hurricane Sandy 
in October 2012. A NJDEP Community Affairs Report described 1,096 
houses and 84 rentals with minor damage, 136 houses and 107 rentals 
with major damage, and 194 houses and 88 rentals with severe damage in 
Union Beach as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
    2. The authorized plan recommends the implementation of a storm 
damage reduction project consisting of a combination of levee, 
floodwalls, tide gates, pump stations, a dune, and a beach berm with 
terminal groins. The project would also construct wetland habitat to 
mitigate for the loss of wetlands due to the implementation of the 
recommended plan.
    3. The SEIS is will evaluate any changes in the project that may be 
necessary due to changes in regulations or existing conditions, 
including natural resources and the affects of hurricane Sandy. In one 
such proposed change the original authorized plans included the use of 
I-walls, which will need to be replaced per USACE Engineering Technical 
Letter (ETL) 1110-2-575, Engineering Design Evaluation of I-walls. The 
replacement for I-walls may have a larger footprint, potentially 
impacting more resources.
    4. It is anticipated that a Draft SEIS is will be made available 
for public review in May 2014. Anyone with comments as to the scope of 
the SEIS or information that should be included in such assessment 
should provide this in writing to Mr. Voisine (see ADDRESSES).
    5. Individuals interested in obtaining a copy of the Draft SEIS for 
review should contact Matthew Voisine (see ADDRESSES).
    6. All federal agencies interested in participating as a 
Cooperating Agency are requested to submit a letter of intent to COL 
Paul E. Owen, District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 26 
Federal Plaza, Room 2109, New York, NY 10278-0090.

    Dated: November 21, 2013.
Frank Santomauro,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-01443 Filed 1-23-14; 8:45 am]
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