environmental impact statement for the proposed mid ... · june 23, 2016… the purpose of the...

US Army Corps of EngineersBUILDING STRONG®

Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

Public Scoping Meeting Presentation

Thursday, July 20 2017

Leo Kerner City Park Multipurpose Complex235 City Park DriveLafitte, LA

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Project Introduction Corps of Engineers Role The NEPA Process CPRA’s Proposed Project Relationship of EIS to Restoration Planning under NRDA Opportunities to Comment Conclusion

Presentation Agenda

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To determine the scope of issues and alternatives to be considered and analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

We welcome your scoping comments!

Why are we here today?

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Who is proposing this project?

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA) has submitted a Department of Army (DA) permit application and permission request to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD) project.

Where is this project located? The project is proposed along the right descending bank of the Mississippi River at approximately 60.7 miles above “Head of Passes” and between Alliance and Ironton in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

What is this project? CPRA describes this project as a large scale, complex ecosystem restoration project that is designed to divert water, up to 75,000 cubic feet per second, from the Mississippi River to the mid-Barataria Basin to deliver sediment, freshwater, and nutrients to reduce land loss and sustain Deepwater Horizon injured wetlands.

Project Introduction

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Project Location

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Project Location

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Role

Section 10 Section 404Section 408

Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 403

Clean Water Act33 U.S.C 1344

Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 408

Regulates structures and/or work in, over, or under navigable waters

Regulates discharges of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the U.S. (including wetlands)

Regulates permanent or temporary alteration and/or use of any USACE Civil Works Project

Navigation in the Mississippi River and project outfall area

Bottomland hardwood batture habitat, wet pasture, tidal marsh

Mississippi River Levee, NOV-NFL Levee, Mississippi River Navigation Channel

USACE reviews an applicant’s request for permits and permissions to make decisions based on the best available science, engineering standards, and professional

judgment, that considers impacts to USACE projects, waters of the U.S., and jurisdictional wetlands.

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What is NEPA? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a law that

requires federal agencies to evaluate environmental impacts before making decisions on any major Federal action, such as the review of a permit application.

What are the key goals of NEPA?o Assist Federal agency officials with making well-informed

decisions o Ensure public and other agency involvement in decision-making

What are some of the “major Federal actions”?o USACE Section 10/404/408 o Potential - DWH Trustees restoration planning and funding

under NRDAo Potential – Inform a MMPA authorization

How will we comply with NEPA?o Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

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What is an EIS? An EIS is a detailed study of the potential impacts, both beneficial

and adverse, of a proposed project on the environment and local community. It also evaluates reasonable alternatives based off the identified project purpose and need.

Why an EIS?o NEPA requires a federal agency to prepare an EIS for any major Federal action

with the potential to significantly affect the quality of the human environment.

What is the USACE’s role as the “Lead Federal Agency”? o Responsible for managing and overseeing the entire EIS processo Responsible for identifying Cooperating Agencies to ensure compliance with

other applicable laws and regulations

How will the EIS be used?o USACE will use the EIS to inform its permit decisions and permissions. The EIS

will conclude with a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 10/404 permit decision and the 408 permission decision.

What is a Record of Decision? o The ROD is the document in which USACE will announce and explain our

permit and permission decisions regarding CPRA’s proposed project.9

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What is in an EIS? Purpose and Need

o What is the purpose of this project? What is the goal trying to be achieved?o Why is this project needed? Is there a reasonable, foreseeable need for the

proposed Project?

Project Alternativeso What alternatives will be looked at in the EIS? No action alternative, proposed

action, and a reasonable range of alternatives.o Informed by the scoping process of the EIS

Affected Environmento What are the baseline conditions of the human environment that could potentially

be affected?o Informed by the scoping process of the EIS

Environmental Consequenceso How will building, operating, and maintaining this project affect those baseline

conditions of the human environment?

Compliance with Other Environmental Laws and Regulationso Cooperating Agencies may issue separate RODs.

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Applicant’s Purpose and Need

As stated in CPRA’s revised Joint Permit Application dated June 23, 2016…

The purpose of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is to reconnect and re-establish the natural or deltaic sediment deposition process between the Mississippi River and the Barataria Basin; the project is needed as a long-term resilient, sustainable strategy to reduce land loss rates and sustain [Deepwater Horizon] injured wetlands through the delivery of sediment, freshwater, and nutrients.

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What is Scoping? The public scoping process is an early and open phase in the EIS

process intended to provide interested or affected parties an opportunity to express concerns, ideas, and comments, which will inform/identify the issues and alternatives analyzed in the EIS document.

Your comments are welcomed and encouraged.

This meeting is not the only opportunity for public involvement. Public scoping lasts from July 6, 2017 to September 5, 2017.

Your feedback throughout public scoping will be incorporated into the EIS scoping report.

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How do I comment?

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Questions to ConsiderQUESTION #1: What are the most important issues,

resources, and impacts that we should consider in the EIS?

QUESTION #2: Are there any other alternatives or modifications to the existing proposal that we should consider in the EIS?

QUESTION #3: Are there other problems or opportunities we should be aware of?

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CPRA | PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS

PROJECT BACKGROUND

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SEDIMENT DIVERSIONS

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PROJECT LOCATION

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DETERMINING LOCATION

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MBSD PROJECT FEATURES DIVERSION OPERATIONS

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MBSD PROJECT FEATURES DIVERSION STRUCTURE

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MBSD PROJECT FEATURESCONVEYANCE CHANNEL

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MBSD PROJECT FEATURES OUTFALL AREA

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• Water Discharge Trigger in Mississippi River- 450,000 cfs at Belle Chasse (start/stop)

• Operational Flow- 75,000 cfs Maximum Discharge- 30,000 cfs to 75,000 cfs above Mississippi River Trigger- 5,000 cfs base flow below Mississippi River Trigger

• Adaptive Management Plan - State of Louisiana intends to manage at or below permit

when possible with changing conditions • Emergency Stops

- water level, spills, navigation

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INITIAL OPERATIONS STRATEGY

• Real time monitoring (river side) of water, turbidity (supported by frequent/periodical sediment measurements)

• Real time monitoring (receiving areas) of salinity, water level, and perhaps select water quality parameters

• Forecasting tools to support adaptive management of structures


ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT

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LouisianaTrustee Implementation Group

Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment and

Restoration

Why is the Louisiana TIG here tonight?

• We are considering funding the construction of the MBSD through Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damages restoration funds

• We are supporting the development of the USACE EIS because of the potential for it to serve as the EIS for our restoration planning

• We have initiated a two-phased restoration planning approach for wetland, coastal, and nearshore habitats in Barataria Basin

• Two-phased restoration planning must be consistent with OPA, NEPA, the Trustee Council’s programmatic plan for natural resource restoration, and other applicable laws

• Phase 1 Plan: Barataria Basin Strategic Restoration Plan• Project(s) included will be further analyzed in

subsequent phased restoration plan• Phase 2 Plan: Project(s)-specific plan

• May include MBSD project for restoring natural resources injured by the oil spill

• Anticipate supporting development of the USACE EIS which could potentially serve as the EIS for our Phase 2 restoration plan

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The scoping process gives the public the opportunity to comment on these issues and raise additional topics and concerns

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How will your input be used?The feedback we receive during the scoping process will be used to refine the scope of the EIS and highlight issues important to the public and Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

Next opportunities to comment: Draft EIS Public Comment Period and Public Hearing (Summer 2020)Final EIS Public Comment Period (Summer 2021)

Fed, State, Local, & Tribal Input

Applicant Input

Public Scoping Input

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Conclusion USACE is neither an opponent nor a proponent of this

project.

USACE is reaching out to the public for education and feedback concerning issues that should be covered in the EIS.

Agency representatives will be returning to the surrounding poster stations to answer questions.

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Conclusion Formal comments for the EIS record can be recorded

multiple ways:► Submit comment cards and/or letters during the scoping

meetings and/or by mail to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Attn: CEMVN-OD-SE #MVN-2012-2806-EOO, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118.

► Submit comments by e-mail at: [email protected].

► Provide your verbal comments to court reporters present tonight. Verbal comments will be limited to three minutes, but commenters will have the opportunity to re-enter the line and comment again, if time allows.

ALL SCOPING COMMENTS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

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mailto:[email protected]

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How to Participate today? Fill out a comment card and submit it to USACE. See one of the court reporters available to record your

verbal comment(s). ► Time allotment 3 min per comment.► Multiple comments are welcomed.

Your feedback shapes our EIS. Have a question or need help? USACE, CPRA, NOAA

Fisheries, and DWH Trustees are available at the surrounding poster stations or pick up a fact sheet.

Continue your participation by monitoring the MBSD websites and providing comments in the future.

ALL SCOPING COMMENTS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

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environmental impact statement for the proposed mid ... · june 23, 2016… the purpose of the...

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