New Orleans -- NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District released today the “Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Risk Reduction Study, Draft Mitigation Plan Update” for public review and comment.
The proposed plan evaluates an alternative project to compensate for unavoidable impacts to swamp habitat associated with the construction of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Project.
The public is invited to provide input on the proposed 2,000 cubic feet per second freshwater diversion from the Mississippi River into the Maurepas Swamp, which would provide benefits to existing swamp habitats and compensate for the WSLP project’s swamp impacts. The 45-day public comment period begins on March 18, 2022 and concludes on May 2, 2022.
The draft document is prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations.
Virtual public meetings will be scheduled to provide information on the draft EIS and to receive public comments; times and meeting details will follow in a subsequent media release and advertisements.
Written comments or requests for hard copies of the document should submitted to:
Mr. Landon Parr
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Environmental Planning Branch
Regional Planning and Environmental Division South, CEMVN- PDC-C
7400 Leake Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118
Comments can also be submitted by e-mail to: mvnenvironmental@usace.army.mil.
The report and supporting information are available online at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District website: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/NEPA-Compliance-Documents/Bipartisan-Budget-Act-2018-BBA-18/West-Shore-Lake-Pontchartrain/, or upon request.
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Release no. 22-006