NEW ORLEANS, LA – As a result of ongoing outreach efforts and public engagement, the Corps is canceling Individual Environmental Report 24, titled “Stockpile Areas, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes, Louisiana,” and is no longer considering the use of sites in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parish as clay stockpile areas.
“Community feedback is always incorporated into Corps projects,” said Brett Herr, branch chief. “In this particular instance we were able to stockpile additional material on the berms of the existing levees and the projected spring floods on the Mississippi River did not materialize.”
The National Environmental Policy Act requires that the public have the opportunity to provide input on development of Federal actions, including the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Since NEPA Alternative Arrangements for the HSDRRS were implemented in Feb. 2007, the New Orleans District has hosted approximately 150 public meetings and numerous speakers bureau engagements to provide the public the opportunity to participate in development of the hurricane system.
Community members who attended a Mar. 30 public meeting in St. Charles Parish opposed the Corps’ proposed action, which was to use three sites as areas to stockpile earthen clay, also known as borrow. These sites would have been used to temporarily stockpile material allowing contractors to continue with ongoing levee construction if flooding on the Mississippi River necessitated opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, thereby inundating the existing borrow pits. The clay construction material is now stored on the berms of the existing levees and also within a containment area at the Bonnet Carre Spillway, the source of clay for the St. Charles Parish levees. The St. Charles levee projects projected completion date remains June 2011.
The three sites proposed in IER 24 that are no longer considered as stockpile sites are:
· River Road is 42-acres and is located in New Sarpy, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
· East St. John North site is 35-acres and is located in Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana near East St. John High School
· East St. John South site is 65-acres and is located in Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana near East St. John High School
Draft IER 24 was released for public review on Mar. 26, 2010. On Apr. 23, 2010 the New Orleans District Commander, Col. Alvin Lee, concurred with the project team’s recommendation to cancel IER 24.
As a result of the Corps canceling IER 24, an additional public meeting to discuss the content of the document is no longer warranted. The Corps will continue to host public meetings and speaking engagements to discuss the status of constructing the hurricane system.
The IER process allows the Corps to expedite the environmental review required of all Federally-funded projects while fully complying with the intent of the National Environmental Policy Act. The Corps encourages the public to provide written comments on environmental documents by mail, e-mail or by visiting
www.nolaenvironmental.gov at any time throughout the comment period.
Questions or comments concerning proposed actions should be addressed to:
Patricia Leroux
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 60267
New Orleans, LA 70160-0267
Phone: 504-862-1544
Fax: 504-862-2088
E-mail:
mvnenvironmental@usace.army.mil.
For more information or to sign up to be on a public meeting notification list please visit the following
Web site:
www.nolaenvironmental.gov.