The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (CEMVN), has prepared a Draft Comprehensive Environmental Document (CED) titled, "Comprehensive Environmental Document Phase II, Greater New Orleans (GNO) Area Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS)". The draft document is available for your review. This CED is prepared in accordance with the NEPA Emergency Alternative Arrangements approved by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (Federal Register Volume 72, Number 48, Tuesday, March 13, 2007) and the CEQ’s regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] §1500-1508), as reflected in the USACE Engineering Regulation (ER) 200-2-2.
The purpose of the CED is to provide an assessment of the cumulative impacts resulting from the HSDRRS projects completed in the GNO metropolitan area and to analyze the cumulative impacts resulting from the HSDRRS projects in combination with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future projects in southeast Louisiana. The document integrates project impact evaluations from the Individual Environmental Reports (IERs) into a single document and contains updated information for IERs that had incomplete or unavailable data at the time the associated Decision Record was approved.
Location. The HSDDRS is a 350-mile integrated system located within nine separate sub-basins in southeast Louisiana within the GNO metropolitan area. The HSDRRS consists of two Congressionally authorized risk reduction projects - the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity (LPV) and the Westbank and Vicinity (WBV). The LPV components are located on the east bank of the Mississippi River and the WBV components are located on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
Description of Work. To reduce the risk of hurricane and storm damage in the GNO metropolitan area, the USACE embarked on the largest civil works project in the USACE history to increase public safety and reduce property damage from storm surge in southeast Louisiana. In accordance with Congressional authorization, the HSDRRS is designed to provide the New Orleans region with 100-year level of hurricane and storm damage risk reduction (i.e., a level that reduces the risk of hurricane surge and wave-driven flooding that an area experiences to a 1 percent chance each year). The LORR was achieved by constructing/upgrading levees, floodwalls, floodgates, sector gates and pump stations.
Public Involvement. The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public; federal, state and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties. Copies of CED Phase II and supporting documents are available at http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Environmental/NEPA/, or upon request.
The 60-day public review and comment period for the Draft CED Phase II begin on May 14, 2021 and ends July 13, 2021.
Interested parties may express their views on the draft document. All comments postmarked on or before the expiration of the comment period for this notice will be considered. Comments on the Draft CED or requests to receive a copy of the document may be submitted by fax to (504)862-2088,
By emailing mvnenvironmental@usace.army.mil,
Or by mail to Ms. Sandra Stiles;
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Regional Planning and Environmental Division South; PDN-CEP;
7400 Leake Avenue; New Orleans, Louisiana 70118.
visit the CED main page for more information