Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Construction and Operation of a Dredged Material Placement Facility at Holland, MI

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

for the Construction and Operation of a Dredged Material Placement

Facility at Holland, MI

AGENCY: U.S. Army Cops of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Detroit District, Corps of Engineers, proposes to

construct and operate a dredged material placement facility at Holland,

Michigan. The Federal navigation project at Holland, Michigan extends

approximately six miles from Lake Michigan to Holland, Michigan. The

navigation channel has an authorized depth of 21 feet in the main

channel and 23 feet in the entrance channel. Channel depth has been

significantly reduced by shoal buildup in certain areas of the project,

resulting in impacts to shipping. The proposed dredged material

placement facility is necessary to allow for continued maintenance

dredging and would allow restoration of authorized project depths.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Engineer District, Detroit; Environmental Analysis

Branch, P.O. Box 1027; Detroit, Michigan 48231-1027.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Paul H. Allerding, 313-226-7590.

SUPPLEMENTRY INFORMATION: Holland Harbor, Michigan, is on the eastern

shore of Lake Michigan, about 95 miles northeast from Chicago,

Illinois. The Federal navigation project extends approximately six

miles eastward from Lake Michigan, through Lake Macatawa to the mouth

of the Macatawa River at Holland, Michigan. Authorized project depths

are 21 feet in the main navigation channel and 23 feet in the entrance

channel. And 18-foot deep turning basin is located near the upstream

limit of the project.

Sites previously used for dredged material placement are at

capacity. In addition, the navigation project has an estimated backlog

of 130,000 cubic yards of sediments, which have impacted shipping by

significantly reducing channel depths in certain areas of the project.

Therefore, to allow for restoration of authorized project depths and

continued operation and maintenance (O&M) of the Federal project, the

Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, proposes to construct a new

dredged placement facility at Holland, Michigan.

The proposed facility would be designed to contain approximately

400,000 cubic yards of shoal material, which would accommodate 10 to 20

years of O&M dredging, depending on site and material management

practices. This facility would be incorporated into the Long-Term

Dredged Material Management Plan for Holland Harbor, which is currently

being developed to accommodate at least 20 years of O&M dredging.

Alternative sites for dredged material placement include upland

sites, open-water placement, and beach nourishment. The no Federal

action alternative will also be considered and will serve as a baseline

from which to measure the impacts of the action alternatives.

A proposed upland sit is a farm about two miles east of Lake

Macatawa in Holland Township. This site, which is in an industrial zone

along the north side of Macatawa River, extends south from Lakewood

Boulevard between 112th and 120th Avenues (approximately the N\1/4\ of

the SW\1/4\ of Section 22, T5N, R15W).

A preliminary design for the farm site is a facility construed with

earthen dikes, up to approximately 11 feet in height, occupying

approximately 30 acres. Dredged material would be transported to the

facility by truck or hydraulic pipeline. The pipeline would be routed

up the Macatawa River.

An alternative upland disposal site is located about two miles

north of Lake Macatawa in Section 15 of Park Township (T5N, R16W),

which is bounded by 160th and 168th Avenues and Riley and James

Streets. This section includes scattered residential development,

wooded areas, blown-out dunes, and two Superfund cleanup areas

(Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act,

1980). An earthen design would be considered.

Open-water placement could be at or near previously used open-water

sites, approximately 1.5 miles west-southwest from the harbor entrance

along the 60-foot depth contour of Lake Michigan. Open-water placement

of material dredged from some areas of the navigation channel would

require covering or capping with cleaner material.

Only harbor entry channel material is suitable for beach

nourishment. Dredged material from the remainder of the project is

unsuitable for beach nourishment because it is fine-grained. Beach

nourishment is in use as dredged material management tool at Holland

Harbor and would be considered for future disposal or suitable

materials.

Significant issued to be analyzed include potential impacts on

wetlands, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, cultural resources,

and farmlands. Social impacts including impacts upon recreation and

aesthetics, will also be considered.

The proposed actions will be revised for compliance with the Fish

and Wildlife Act of 1956; the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of

1958; the National Historic Preservation Act of 1989; the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; the Clean Air Act of 1970; the

Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972; the Endangered Species Act of

1973; the Water Resources Development Act of 1976; the Clean Water Act

of 1977; the Farmland Protection Policy Act (Subtitle I of Title XV of

the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981); Executive Order 11593,

Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, May 1971;

Executive Order 11988, Flood Plain Management, May 1977; Executive

Order 11990, Wetland Protection, May 1977; and Corps of Engineers,

Department of the Army, 33 CFR part 230, Environmental Quality: Policy

and Procedure for Implementing NEPA.

The proposed project will be coordinated in detail with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan

State Historic Preservation Office. Funds have been provided to the FWS

(pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958) for the

preparation of detailed report on potential project impacts on fish and

wildlife resources.

All affected Federal, State and local agencies, Indian tribes, and

other private organizations and parties are invited to participate in

the proposed project review. Questions, concerns, and comments may be

directed to the address given in this notice. The Macatawa Area

Coordinating Council, a local planning group, has scheduled a public

meeting for August 2, 1994, at Holland, Michigan. It is anticipated

that the DEIS would be available for public review in February 1995.

Kenneth L. Denton,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 94-14968 Filed 6-20-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710-GA-M