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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers; Department of the Army
Intent To Prepare Draft
Environmental Impact Statements for the
Evaluation of Water Allocation Formulas for the Alabama-Coosa-
Tallapoosa (ACT) and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basins, located in
Alabama, Florida, and Georgia
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), in
cooperation with several Federal cooperating agencies, intends to prepare Draft
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), to address proposed water allocation formulas for
the equitable apportionment of water in the ACT and ACF River Basins. The formulas will be
developed by the States of Alabama and Georgia for the ACT basin; and by the States of
Alabama, Florida and Georgia for the ACF basin. The States
will develop these formulas, in conjunction with the United States, and subject to
concurrence by a federal Commissioner. A separate EIS will be prepared to evaluate the
formulas for each basin: ACT Basin and ACF Basin.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about these EISs or the
NEPA process can be answered by: Ms. Joanne Brandt (ACF) or Mr. Michael J. Eubanks (ACT),
Inland Environment Section, U. S. Army Engineer District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288,
Mobile, Alabama 36628-0001; Telephone (334) 690-3260 or (334) 694-3861, respectively.
Electronic
mail may be addressed to:
michael.j.eubanks@sam.usace.army.mil
or
joanne.u.brandt@sam.usace.army.mil
Also, brief messages may be left on a toll-free line answering
machine at 1-800-421-7637, or delivered by electronic facsimile at (334) 694-3815. For
current information, you may also visit the Mobile District Web Page:
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/sam/pd/actacfeis
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Public Participation
a. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open
communication and better decision making. All persons and organizations that have an
interest in the water allocation formulas, including minority, low-income, disadvantaged
and native American Groups, are urged to participate in this National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) environmental analysis process. Assistance will be provided upon request to
anyone having difficulty with learning how to participate.
b. Public comments are welcomed anytime throughout the NEPA process.
Formal opportunities for public participation include:
(1) Response to the Scoping Brochure/Questionnaire--Anytime during the
NEPA process.
(2) Review and Comment on the Draft EISs--Oct-Nov 1998.
(3) Comments/Presentation on the draft EISs at Public Workshops--Nov
1998.
(4) Review of the Final EISs--Summer 1999.
c. Precise schedules and locations will be announced in the local news
media. You may also request to be included on the mailing list for public distribution of
meeting announcements and documents.
2. Background
a. The States of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, in conjunction with the
United States, will soon be developing water allocation formulas for the ACT and ACF River
Basins, in accordance with interstate water compacts. The States have ratified the
compacts and implementing provisions are currently being developed in consent legislation
before Congress. The purpose of the compacts would be to promote interstate comity, remove
causes of present and future controversies, equitably apportion surface waters of the ACT
and ACF Basins, engage in water planning, and develop and share common data bases.
b. Pursuant to the ACT and ACF interstate compacts, allocation formulas
would be developed by Commissions established for each basin. A Federal Commissioner will
be appointed as a non-voting advisory member for each compact Commission. The compacts
would provide for approval of allocation formulas by unanimous vote of the State
Commissioners and concurrence of the Federal Commissioner. Federal agency evaluations and
these EISs will form the basis for the Federal
Commissioner's decision to concur or nonconcur with the water
allocation formulas developed in accordance with the compacts.
c. The Corps, in partnership with the States of Alabama, Florida, and
Georgia, is currently conducting a Comprehensive Study of the ACT and ACF river basins.
The Comprehensive Study was initiated in January 1992, under a Memorandum of Agreement
among the three States and the U.S. Department of the Army. The Comprehensive Study has
developed substantial data and predictive models useful for the development of water
allocation formulas. The Comprehensive Study partners have also
recommended development of interstate compacts as the mechanisms for coordinated
management of the basins.
d. The Corps, in conjunction with the Federal cooperating agencies,
will prepare separate EISs to evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the
proposed allocation formula for each basin. In addition to information available from the
Comprehensive Study, a preliminary scope of evaluations necessary to assist the Federal
Commissioner in a decision has been identified in a Federal Interagency Management Plan.
Agency evaluations will be incorporated into the completed EISs, which may be used as
supporting documentation for a decision by the Federal Commissioner on the acceptability
of the water allocation formulas. The EISs may also serve as supporting documents for
future decisions related to the management of the basins.
e. The completion schedule for these EISs is coordinated with the
legislated timelines mandated by the compact agreements.
The State Commissioners must agree on proposed allocation formulas by December 31, 1998,
unless they agree on an extension. Following approval of an allocation formula by the
State Commissioners, the Federal Commissioner must make a concurrence decision within 255
days thereafter. This timeline specified in the pending compacts warrants immediate
commencement of the EISs, even though the allocation formulas
have not yet been developed. The initial EIS work will include
completion of field studies, gathering of environmental, socioeconomic and hydrologic
baseline information. The public involvement process will be initiated as well.
f. The EISs will display the range of flows experienced by current
water management operations, compared to a foreseeable range of reasonable alternative
flows which may result from proposed allocation formulas. The alternative ranges of flows,
along with the associated environmental impacts, will create the framework upon which the
allocation formulas may be evaluated. Further NEPA analysis and other documentation will
be prepared, as necessary, to address proposed actions that may become apparent under the
allocation formulas or compacts, if the actions are not addressed by these EISs.
3. Cooperating Agencies
The lead responsibility for these EISs rests with the Corps.
Federal cooperating agencies include:
Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, Geological
Survey, and National Park Service; Environmental Protection Agency; Department of
Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service and Forest Service; Department of
Commerce's National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Service; Department of
Energy's Southeastern
Power Administration; and Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration. Each of
the cooperating Federal agencies will provide their expertise in compiling information and
evaluating potential impacts.
4. Scoping
a. The ACT/ACF Comprehensive Study involved the States,
stakeholders and the public in identifying areas of concern; collecting and developing
water resource, environmental, and socioeconomic data; and developing tools to assist in
decisions affecting an equitable allocation of water resources within the two basins.
Scoping for these EISs will continue to build upon the knowledge and information developed
during the Comprehensive Study. Additional meetings with agencies and stakeholders groups
will continue to identify significant issues and data gaps, and focus on the alternatives
to be evaluated.
b. A significant component of the scoping process will be
development and distribution of a Scoping Brochure/Questionnaire, and review of responses
to the questionnaire. The Scoping Brochure/Questionnaire invites comments and
participation in the scoping process by the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and
officials; affected Indian tribes; and other interested parties.
c. An Internet Web Page has been established, to provide for public
access to information related to the ACT and ACF Water Allocation Formulas development and
the EIS evaluation process. The Scoping Brochure/Questionnaire, in addition to mail
distribution, is located on the Web Page, and allows for receipt of public comments at any
point during the NEPA process. Current information on the associated Comprehensive Basin
Study results or Interstate Compact developments will also be presented on the Web Page.
5. Environmental Review and Consultation Requirements
Coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be
accomplished in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act. Coordination required by other laws and regulations will also be
conducted.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-28879 Filed 10-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-M
[Federal Register: October 31, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 211)]
[Notices] [Page 58947-58948]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31oc97-49]
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