Corps accepting comments on environmental review of State’s EAA reservoir study
Advancing federal efforts on proposed Everglades plan
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is accepting comments on its environmental review of the South Florida Water Management District’s Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) storage reservoir study. Comments will be accepted through April 30, 2018.
The Corps is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate and document potential environmental effects of the SFWMD’s proposed plan, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will use information from SFWMD’s environmental analysis and will be incorporated into the study as an appendix.
“We are working steadfastly to support our partners at the South Florida Water Management District in the expeditious review of their report,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds, Deputy District Commander for South Florida. “Stakeholder input is an essential component of our environmental review process and we encourage all interested parties to provide comments as part of this process.”
Comments are being accepted through April 30, 2018, and can be sent electronically to: Stacie.J.Auvenshine@usace.army.mil, or mailed to:
Stacie Auvenshine
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District
P.O. Box 4970
Jacksonville, FL 32232‐0019
This initial scoping period is to solicit comments on the Corps’ development of an Environmental Impact Statement for the SFWMD’s EAA storage reservoir study. Stakeholders will have additional opportunities to comment on the draft, and subsequent final Environmental Impact Statement, which will be incorporated into the SFWMD’s study as an appendix.
Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 authorizes non-federal interests to undertake feasibility studies of proposed water resource development projects for submission directly to the Secretary of the Army. The SFWMD submitted their study to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on March 30, 2018.
The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works will evaluate and report whether the project is feasible, providing any recommendations concerning project design or conditions for construction to congressional committees. Congressional approval of this plan will result in a Post Authorization Change Report to modify features within the Central Everglades Planning Project, which was authorized as a federal project by Congress in 2016.
The South Florida Water Management District's EAA storage reservoir study is available on their website at:
https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/cerp-project-planning/eaa-reservoir
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