NEW ORLEANS – The United States Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Commander Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh signed the Record of Decision for the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock Replacement Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on May 20, 2009.
In 2006, the federal district court mandated the development of the SEIS to address project impacts to the area’s post-Katrina social, economic, and ecological environment. This Record of Decision signifies that the court’s requirements have been met.
The SEIS has been completed following requirements set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act. These requirements include measures to include community involvement throughout the process. To ensure that the public’s concerns were heard and addressed, a draft of the document was released for a 45-day public comment period on October 10, 2008. Upon request by the public, the New Orleans District commander extended the comment period for an additional 60 days. The final report was again made public for a 30-day public review on April 13, 2009.
As a result of the concerns brought forward during the initial public comment period, two notable changes to the SEIS were made. First, in response to concerns that confined disposal facility introduced a high risk to human health, a human health risk assessment was prepared by an outside consultant. The results, reported in the final SEIS, indicate that the material to be disposed in the confined area passes the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality standards for protection of human health in residential areas. Furthermore, the option of disposing dredged material not suitable for open water in an approved landfill was further analyzed.
“Social mitigation is now and will continue to be a vital component of this project,” stated New Orleans District Commander Col. Alvin Lee. “We have taken measures to ensure that the local community is involved in every step of the process.”
In addition to the changes in the final report, responses to each comment received are included in Appendix S of the final SEIS. The final SEIS, appendices, and the Record of Decision are available at: www.nolaenvironmental.gov
Hard copies and electronic copies of the final SEIS and the Record of Decision are available. Please send all requests, inquires, or comments to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (PM-RP)
c/o Richard Boe
P.O. Box 60267
New Orleans, LA 70160-0267
Phone: (504) 862-1505
Fax: (504) 862-2088
E-mail: ihnclockreplacement@usace.army.mil.