80 FR 39761 - The Release of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Figure Eight Island Shoreline Management Project, on Figure Eight Island, New Hanover County, NC
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 132 (July 10, 2015)
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 132 (July 10, 2015)
| Page Range | 39761-39762 | |
| FR Document | 2015-16941 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 132 (Friday, July 10, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 39761-39762] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-16941] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers The Release of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Figure Eight Island Shoreline Management Project, on Figure Eight Island, New Hanover County, NC AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice of Availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received a request for Department of the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, from Figure Eight Beach Homeowners' Association Inc. (HOA) to install a terminal groin structure along Rich Inlet and to conduct a supplemental beach nourishment on approximately 4,500 linear feet of oceanfront beach and 1,400 linear feet of back barrier shoreline to protect residential homes and infrastructures along the central and northern sections of Figure Eight Island. The terminal groin structure will be placed perpendicular on the northern tip of the island along the shoulder of Rich Inlet; and the proposed source of the material for the nourishment will be dredged from an area within Nixon Channel, a back barrier channel, that has been previously used for past beach nourishment projects. In case the quantity of material from Nixon Channel is not sufficient, material pumped from (3) nearby upland disposal islands will be used to supplement the nourishment needs. The majority of the material will be disposed within the fillet area, or down shore, of the groin. Pending storm events and shoreline changes, maintenance, or periodic nourishment, of the beach is proposed a maximum of once every five years, or potential 6 separate events over the 30-year study period. Nixon Channel and the upland disposal islands are the proposed material sources for the periodic maintenance, or renourishment, events. DATES: Written comments on the Supplemental EIS must be received at (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. on August 24, 2015. ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and questions regarding the Supplemental EIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, Regulatory Division. ATTN: File Number 2006-41158, 69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403. Copies of the Supplemental EIS can be reviewed on the Corps homepage at, http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/MajorProjects, under Figure Eight Island Terminal Groin: Corps ID #SAW-2006-41158. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action and SEIS and/or to receive CD or written copies of the Supplemental EIS can be directed to Mr. Mickey Sugg, [[Page 39762]] Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, telephone: (910) 251-4811. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Project Purpose and Need. Figure Eight Beach HOA has addressed the continuing oceanfront erosion problems associated with Rich Inlet and Nixon Channel erosion hot-spot on the estuarine side of the island over the past several decades. Past actions to protect the shorelines have provided some protection, however they are seeking a longer term solution to handle shoreline erosion in order to protect the island's $907,352,900 (based on the 2012 reappraisal) assessed property tax value. Their stated needs of the project continue to be the following: (1) Reduce erosion along approximately 2.3 miles of oceanfront and 0.34 miles of back barrier shorelines, (2) Provide reasonable short-term protection to residential structures to any unpredicted shoreline change over the next five years, (3) Provide long-term protection to homes and infrastructure over the next 30 years, (4) Maintain the tax value of homes, properties, and infrastructure, (5) Use beach compatible material, (6) Maintain navigation conditions within Rich Inlet and Nixon Channel, (7) Maintain recreational resources, and (8) Balance the needs of the human environment with the protection of existing natural resources. 2. Proposed Action. Within the Town's preferred alternative, known as Alternative 5D, the installation of the terminal groin is the main component in the protection of the oceanfront shoreline. The location of the structure will be approximately 420 feet north of the initial location described in the Draft EIS which was published in the Federal Register (77 FR 29618) on May 18, 2012. The proposed structure is just north of the existing homes along the shoulder of Rich Inlet. Its total length is approximately 1,500 feet, which approximately 505 feet will project seaward of the 2007 mean high water shoreline. The landward 995-foot anchor section would extend across the island and terminate near the Nixon Channel Shoreline. This section will be constructed of 14,000 to 18,000 square feet of sheet pile with portions of the length wrapped with rock. Although engineering design plans are not finalized, basic construction design of the seaward 505-foot part of the structure will be in the form of a typical rubble (rock) mound feature supported by a 1.5-foot thick stone foundation blanket. Crest height or elevation of this section is estimated to be + 6.0 feet NAVD for the first 400 feet and would slope to a top elevation of + 3.0 feet NAVD on the seaward end. Approximately 16,000 tons of stone would be used to construct the terminal groin. The concept design of the structure is intended to allow littoral sand transport to move over, around, and through the groin once the accretion fillet has completely filled in. Construction of the terminal groin will be kept within a corridor varying in width from 50 feet to 200 feet. Within this corridor, a 40- 70 foot wide trench will be excavated to a depth of -2.5 feet NAVD in order to construct the foundation of the landward section. The approximate 6,000 cubic yards of excavated material will be replaced on and around the structure once it's in place. Material used to build the groin will be barged down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW), through Nixon Channel, and either offloaded onto a temporary loading dock or directly onto shore. It will then be transported, via dump trucks, within the designated corridor to the construction site. Material used for nourishment will be dredged, using a hydraulic cutterhead plant, from a designated borrow site within Nixon Channel, which has been previously used for beach fill needs. Approximately 294,500 cubic yards will be required for both the oceanfront (237,500 cubic yards) and the Nixon Channel shoreline (57,000 cubic yards) fill areas under the 2006 and 2012 shoreline study conditions. Beach compatible material from (3) upland disposal islands would serve as a contingency sediment source. Engineer modeling results have shown that periodic nourishment will be required approximately once every five years to maintain the beach and Nixon Channel shorelines. The combined 5-year estimated maintenance needs for both areas are 320,000 cubic yards of material under the 2006 condition and 255,000 cubic yards of material under 2012 condition, equivalent to approximately 58,000 and 45,000 cubic yards per year respectively. This material will come from the designated Nixon Channel borrow site and the (3) upland disposal areas. 3. Alternatives. Several alternatives have been identified and evaluated through the scoping process, and further detailed description of all alternatives is disclosed in Section 3.0 of the Supplemental EIS. At the time of the Draft EIS release in 2012, the applicant's preferred alternative had been the Alternative 5B described in Section 3.0 of the SEIS. However, the Figure Eight Beach HOA evaluated two other minor variations of this alternative and determined that one of those variations, Alternative 5D, would best suit their needs. Alternative 5D, the applicant's preferred alternative, is to install a terminal groin structure approximately 420 feet north of Alternatives 5A and 5B, to conduct initial supplemental beach nourishment, and to implement a periodic beach nourishment plan over a 30-year period. 4. Scoping Process. To date, a public scoping meeting was held on March 1, 2007; several Project Delivery Team (PDT) meetings have been held; comprising of local, state, and federal government officials, local residents and nonprofit organizations; Draft EIS was released for public comments on May 18, 2012; and a Public Hearing was conducted on June 7, 2012. The COE is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and with the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Magnuson- Stevens Act and Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the SEIS assesses the potential water quality impacts pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, and is coordinated with the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) to insure the projects consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Act. The COE is coordinating closely with DCM in the development of the SEIS to ensure the process complies with State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requirements, as well as the NEPA requirements. The Supplemental EIS has been designed to consolidate both NEPA and SEPA processes to eliminate duplications. Dated: July 2, 2015. Henry Wicker, Regulatory Division Assistant Chief, Wilmington District. [FR Doc. 2015-16941 Filed 7-9-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 2015 / Notices 39761
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, Military Spouses = On occasion. ACTION: Notice of Availability.
identified by docket number and title, MSEP Partners = On occasion.
by any of the following methods: Companies = Once. SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// The Military Spouse Employment Engineers (COE), Wilmington District,
www.regulations.gov. Follow the Partnership (MSEP) Career Portal is the Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has
instructions for submitting comments. sole web platform utilized to connect received a request for Department of the
• Mail: Department of Defense, Office military spouses with companies Army authorization, pursuant to Section
of the Deputy Chief Management seeking to hire military spouse 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section
Officer, Directorate of Oversight and employees. Participating companies, 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, from
Compliance, Regulatory and Audit called MSEP Partners, are vetted and Figure Eight Beach Homeowners’
Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon, approved participants in the MSEP Association Inc. (HOA) to install a
Washington, DC 20301–9010. Program and have pledged to recruit, terminal groin structure along Rich Inlet
Instructions: All submissions received hire, promote and retain military and to conduct a supplemental beach
must include the agency name, docket spouses in portable careers. MSEP is a nourishment on approximately 4,500
number and title for this Federal targeted recruitment and employment linear feet of oceanfront beach and 1,400
Register document. The general policy partnership that connects American linear feet of back barrier shoreline to
for comments and other submissions businesses with military spouses who protect residential homes and
from members of the public is to make possess essential 21st-century workforce infrastructures along the central and
these submissions available for public skills and attributes and are seeking northern sections of Figure Eight Island.
viewing on the Internet at http:// portable, fulfilling careers. The MSEP The terminal groin structure will be
www.regulations.gov as they are program is part of the overall Spouse placed perpendicular on the northern
received without change, including any Education and Career Opportunities tip of the island along the shoulder of
personal identifiers or contact (SECO) program which falls under the Rich Inlet; and the proposed source of
information. auspices of the office of the Deputy the material for the nourishment will be
Assistant Secretary of Defense for dredged from an area within Nixon
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To Channel, a back barrier channel, that
request more information on this Military Community & Family Policy.
This program was developed in has been previously used for past beach
proposed information collection or to nourishment projects. In case the
obtain a copy of the proposal and compliance with 10 U.S. Code 1784
Employment Opportunities for Military quantity of material from Nixon
associated collection instruments, Channel is not sufficient, material
please write to the Office of Family Spouses which states:
(f) Private-Sector Employment.—The pumped from (3) nearby upland
Readiness Policy, ATTN: Program disposal islands will be used to
Secretary of Defense—
Manager, Spouse Education & Career (1) Shall seek to develop partnerships supplement the nourishment needs. The
Opportunities Program, 4800 Mark with firms in the private sector to majority of the material will be disposed
Center Drive, Suite 03G15, Alexandria, enhance employment opportunities for within the fillet area, or down shore, of
VA 22350–2300. spouses of members of the armed forces the groin. Pending storm events and
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: and to provide for improved job shoreline changes, maintenance, or
Title; Associated Form; and OMB portability for such spouses, especially periodic nourishment, of the beach is
Number: Military Spouse Employment in the case of the spouse of a member proposed a maximum of once every five
Partnership (MSEP) Career Portal; OMB of the armed forces accompanying the years, or potential 6 separate events over
Control Number 0704–TBD. member to a new geographical area the 30-year study period. Nixon
Needs and Uses: This information because of a change of permanent duty Channel and the upland disposal
collection requirement is necessary to station of the member; and islands are the proposed material
allow MSEP Partners to search for (2) shall work with the United States sources for the periodic maintenance, or
military spouse candidates and for Chamber of Commerce and other renourishment, events.
military spouses to directly search for appropriate private-sector entities to DATES: Written comments on the
employment opportunities with MSEP facilitate the formation of such Supplemental EIS must be received at
Partners. partnerships. (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. on
Affected Public: Military spouse users August 24, 2015.
Dated: July 7, 2015.
of the MSEP Career Portal, MSEP
Aaron Siegel, ADDRESSES: Copies of comments and
Partners, Companies.
Annual Burden Hours: Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison questions regarding the Supplemental
Military Spouses = 16,500. Officer, Department of Defense. EIS may be addressed to: U.S. Army
MSEP Partners = 125. [FR Doc. 2015–16869 Filed 7–9–15; 8:45 am] Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District,
Companies = 38. BILLING CODE 5001–06–P Regulatory Division. ATTN: File
TOTAL = 900,163. Number 2006–41158, 69 Darlington
Number of Respondents: Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403. Copies
Military Spouses = 22,000 military DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE of the Supplemental EIS can be
spouses. reviewed on the Corps homepage at,
MSEP Partners = 300 partners. Department of the Army; Corps of http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/
Companies = 150 companies. Engineers Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/
MajorProjects, under Figure Eight Island
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
TOTAL = 1,200,450 respondents. The Release of the Supplemental
Responses per Respondent: 1. Terminal Groin: Corps ID #SAW–2006–
Environmental Impact Statement for 41158.
Average Burden per Response: the Figure Eight Island Shoreline
Military Spouses = 45 minutes. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Management Project, on Figure Eight
MSEP Partners = 25 minutes. Questions about the proposed action
Island, New Hanover County, NC
Companies = 15 minutes. and SEIS and/or to receive CD or
TOTAL = 85 minutes. AGENCY:Department of the Army, U.S. written copies of the Supplemental EIS
Frequency: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. can be directed to Mr. Mickey Sugg,
VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:51 Jul 09, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\10JYN1.SGM 10JYN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_39893/page/1.svg)
![39762 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 2015 / Notices
Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, NAVD on the seaward end. determined that one of those variations,
telephone: (910) 251–4811. Approximately 16,000 tons of stone Alternative 5D, would best suit their
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: would be used to construct the terminal needs. Alternative 5D, the applicant’s
1. Project Purpose and Need. Figure groin. The concept design of the preferred alternative, is to install a
Eight Beach HOA has addressed the structure is intended to allow littoral terminal groin structure approximately
continuing oceanfront erosion problems sand transport to move over, around, 420 feet north of Alternatives 5A and
associated with Rich Inlet and Nixon and through the groin once the accretion 5B, to conduct initial supplemental
Channel erosion hot-spot on the fillet has completely filled in. beach nourishment, and to implement a
estuarine side of the island over the past Construction of the terminal groin
periodic beach nourishment plan over a
several decades. Past actions to protect will be kept within a corridor varying in
30-year period.
the shorelines have provided some width from 50 feet to 200 feet. Within
this corridor, a 40–70 foot wide trench 4. Scoping Process. To date, a public
protection, however they are seeking a
will be excavated to a depth of ¥2.5 feet scoping meeting was held on March 1,
longer term solution to handle shoreline
erosion in order to protect the island’s NAVD in order to construct the 2007; several Project Delivery Team
$907,352,900 (based on the 2012 foundation of the landward section. The (PDT) meetings have been held;
reappraisal) assessed property tax value. approximate 6,000 cubic yards of comprising of local, state, and federal
Their stated needs of the project excavated material will be replaced on government officials, local residents and
continue to be the following: (1) Reduce and around the structure once it’s in nonprofit organizations; Draft EIS was
place. Material used to build the groin released for public comments on May
erosion along approximately 2.3 miles
will be barged down the Atlantic 18, 2012; and a Public Hearing was
of oceanfront and 0.34 miles of back
Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW), through conducted on June 7, 2012.
barrier shorelines, (2) Provide
Nixon Channel, and either offloaded
reasonable short-term protection to The COE is consulting with the U.S.
onto a temporary loading dock or
residential structures to any Fish and Wildlife Service under the
directly onto shore. It will then be
unpredicted shoreline change over the Endangered Species Act and the Fish
transported, via dump trucks, within the
next five years, (3) Provide long-term and Wildlife Coordination Act, and with
designated corridor to the construction
protection to homes and infrastructure the National Marine Fisheries Service
site.
over the next 30 years, (4) Maintain the Material used for nourishment will be under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and
tax value of homes, properties, and dredged, using a hydraulic cutterhead Endangered Species Act. Additionally,
infrastructure, (5) Use beach compatible plant, from a designated borrow site the SEIS assesses the potential water
material, (6) Maintain navigation within Nixon Channel, which has been quality impacts pursuant to Section 401
conditions within Rich Inlet and Nixon previously used for beach fill needs. of the Clean Water Act, and is
Channel, (7) Maintain recreational Approximately 294,500 cubic yards will
resources, and (8) Balance the needs of coordinated with the North Carolina
be required for both the oceanfront Division of Coastal Management (DCM)
the human environment with the (237,500 cubic yards) and the Nixon
protection of existing natural resources. to insure the projects consistency with
Channel shoreline (57,000 cubic yards) the Coastal Zone Management Act. The
2. Proposed Action. Within the fill areas under the 2006 and 2012
Town’s preferred alternative, known as COE is coordinating closely with DCM
shoreline study conditions. Beach
Alternative 5D, the installation of the in the development of the SEIS to
compatible material from (3) upland
terminal groin is the main component in ensure the process complies with State
disposal islands would serve as a
the protection of the oceanfront contingency sediment source. Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
shoreline. The location of the structure Engineer modeling results have requirements, as well as the NEPA
will be approximately 420 feet north of shown that periodic nourishment will requirements. The Supplemental EIS
the initial location described in the be required approximately once every has been designed to consolidate both
Draft EIS which was published in the five years to maintain the beach and NEPA and SEPA processes to eliminate
Federal Register (77 FR 29618) on May Nixon Channel shorelines. The duplications.
18, 2012. The proposed structure is just combined 5-year estimated maintenance Dated: July 2, 2015.
north of the existing homes along the needs for both areas are 320,000 cubic
shoulder of Rich Inlet. Its total length is Henry Wicker,
yards of material under the 2006
approximately 1,500 feet, which condition and 255,000 cubic yards of Regulatory Division Assistant Chief,
approximately 505 feet will project material under 2012 condition, Wilmington District.
seaward of the 2007 mean high water equivalent to approximately 58,000 and [FR Doc. 2015–16941 Filed 7–9–15; 8:45 am]
shoreline. The landward 995-foot 45,000 cubic yards per year BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
anchor section would extend across the respectively. This material will come
island and terminate near the Nixon from the designated Nixon Channel
Channel Shoreline. This section will be borrow site and the (3) upland disposal
constructed of 14,000 to 18,000 square areas.
feet of sheet pile with portions of the 3. Alternatives. Several alternatives
length wrapped with rock. Although have been identified and evaluated
engineering design plans are not through the scoping process, and further
finalized, basic construction design of detailed description of all alternatives is
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
the seaward 505-foot part of the disclosed in Section 3.0 of the
structure will be in the form of a typical Supplemental EIS. At the time of the
rubble (rock) mound feature supported Draft EIS release in 2012, the applicant’s
by a 1.5-foot thick stone foundation preferred alternative had been the
blanket. Crest height or elevation of this Alternative 5B described in Section 3.0
section is estimated to be + 6.0 feet of the SEIS. However, the Figure Eight
NAVD for the first 400 feet and would Beach HOA evaluated two other minor
slope to a top elevation of + 3.0 feet variations of this alternative and
VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:51 Jul 09, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\10JYN1.SGM 10JYN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_39893/page/2.svg)
Document Created: 2018-02-23 09:15:31
Document Modified: 2018-02-23 09:15:31
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of Availability. | |
| Dates | Written comments on the Supplemental EIS must be received at | |
| Contact | Questions about the proposed action and SEIS and/or to receive CD or written copies of the Supplemental EIS can be directed to Mr. Mickey Sugg, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, telephone: (910) 251-4811. | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 39761 |
2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR