[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4354-4355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01524]
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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-FHC-2013-N266; FXFR13340300000-145-FF03F00000]
Fisheries and Habitat Conservation; Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Ballville Dam Project on the Sandusky River, Sandusky
County, Ohio
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of meeting; request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) that has
been prepared to evaluate the Ballville Dam Project, in Sandusky
County, Ohio, in accordance with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are also announcing a public
meeting and requesting public comments.
DATES: The comment period begins with publication of this notice in the
Federal Register and will continue through March 28, 2014. The Service
will consider all comments regarding the DEIS received or postmarked by
this date and respond to them as appropriate. The Service will conduct
a public meeting in Fremont, Ohio, on February 19, 2014 from 7 to 9
p.m. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to present
comments, ask questions, and discuss issues with Service staff and our
cooperating agencies regarding the DEIS.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at Terra State Community
College, 2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont, OH 43420. A hard copy of the DEIS
and associated documents will be available for review at the Birchard
Public Library, 423 Croghan Street, Fremont, Ohio 43420, as well as
online at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/fisheries/ballville-dam.html.
You may submit comments by any one of the following methods:
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Brian Elkington, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Fisheries, 5600 American Boulevard West, Suite 990,
Bloomington, MN 55437-1458.
Email: Ballvilledam@fws.gov.
Fax: (612) 713-5289 (Attention: Brian Elkington).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Elkington, (612) 713-5168.
Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the
Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8337 for TTY assistance.
[[Page 4355]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We publish this notice in compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
The Service, in conjunction with our cooperating agencies prepared this
DEIS for the Ballville Dam Project with the intent to address the
environmental, economic, cultural and historical, and safety issues
associated with the proposed removal of the dam and a suite of
alternatives.
Ballville Dam is currently a complete barrier to upstream fish
passage and impedes hydrologic processes. The purpose for the issuance
of federal funds and preparation of this Draft EIS are to restore
natural hydrological processes over a 40-mile stretch of the Sandusky
River, re-open fish passage to 22 miles of new habitat, restore flow
conditions for fish access to new habitat above the impoundment, and
improve overall conditions for native fish communities in the Sandusky
River system both upstream and downstream of the Ballville Dam,
restoring self-sustaining fish resources.
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are
known to have interest in this proposal. To ensure that the full range
of issues related to this proposed action are addressed and all
significant issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties.
Alternatives in the DEIS
The DEIS contains an analysis of four alternatives: (1) Proposed
Action--Incremental Dam Removal with Ice Control Structure; (2) No
Federal Action; (3) Fish Elevator Structure; and (4) Dam Removal with
Ice Control Structure. The DEIS considers the direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects of the alternatives, including any measures under
the Proposed Action alternative intended to minimize and mitigate such
impacts. The DEIS also identifies additional alternatives that were
considered but were eliminated from consideration as detailed in
Section 2.3 of the DEIS.
Public Comments
The Service requests data, comments, new information, or
suggestions from the public, concerned governmental agencies, the
scientific community, tribes, industry, or any other interested party
on this notice.
In particular, information and comments regarding the following
topics are requested:
1. The direct, indirect, or cumulative effects that implementation
of any alternative could have on the human environment;
2. Whether or not the significance of the impact on various aspects
of the human environment has been adequately analyzed; and
3. Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of the
proposed action on the human environment.
You may submit your comments and materials considering this notice
by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we receive in response to this request
will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal
business hours at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Background
Ballville Dam was built in 1913 for hydroelectric power generation.
The City of Fremont purchased the dam in 1959 from the Ohio Power
Company for the purpose of supplying raw water to the city. With the
construction of a raw water reservoir, the dam is no longer required
for this purpose. In 2007, the ODNR issued a Notice of Violation (NOV)
to the City, stating that the dam was being operated in violation of
the law as a result of its deteriorated condition.
Ballville Dam is currently a complete barrier to upstream fish
passage and impedes hydrologic processes. An improved river flow regime
with open access to substantially more habitat should increase the
abundance of virtually all species, and likely species diversity as
well, when compared to present conditions both above and below
Ballville Dam.
Authority
This notice is being furnished as provided for by NEPA and its
implementing Regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22). The intent of the
notice is to obtain suggestions and additional information from other
agencies and the public on the DEIS. Comments and participation in this
process are solicited.
Todd Turner,
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-01524 Filed 1-24-14; 8:45 am]
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