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Nebraska Highway 12 – Niobrara East & West Project Update

Published Feb. 4, 2011
Nebraska Highway 12 east and west of the village of Niobrara Nebraska, runs next to the Missouri River and is within the Missouri River floodplain. Portions of the roadway are within the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) boundary (39-Mile District). N-12 in this area has experienced frequent flooding. The applicant, the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), is seeking a long-term solution to the problems associated with frequent flooding of these areas of N-12.

Nebraska Highway 12 east and west of the village of Niobrara Nebraska, runs next to the Missouri River and is within the Missouri River floodplain. Portions of the roadway are within the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) boundary (39-Mile District). N-12 in this area has experienced frequent flooding. The applicant, the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), is seeking a long-term solution to the problems associated with frequent flooding of these areas of N-12.

Omaha, NE – This spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will make a preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) available to the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and the Nebraska Highway 12 Niobrara East & West Project’s (N-12 Project) cooperating resource agencies for review.

The Corps provided the participating agencies an update on the status of the preliminary Draft EIS and the schedule for its completion on February 2.These agencies include the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, and the Knox County Board of Supervisors.

The Corps has also been actively coordinating under its Federal Trust Responsibility with the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Santee Sioux Nation.

The purpose of the EIS is to analyze the direct, indirect and cumulative effects on the human and natural environment resulting from the various alternatives that would remedy the flooding and roadway deficiencies of the existing roadway. NDOR will apply for a Section 404 Clean Water Act permit from the Corps for one of the alternative alignments for the N-12 Project.

The Corps will incorporate agency comments into the Draft EIS, which will be made available to the public. The Draft EIS is scheduled for publication and release in the fall of 2011. The Draft EIS will be released to the public through a formal notice and structured comment period. During that period, a public meeting will be held to present the Draft EIS and members of the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback.

More information is available on the N-12 Project website at: http://www.dor.state.ne.us/projects/niobrara-N12 .

Questions regarding the EIS process or the anticipated schedule can be addressed to:
Ms. Becky Latka
Project Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1616 Capitol Avenue
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 995-2681
Contact
Eileen Williamson
402-995-2417
eileen.l.williamson@usace.army.mil
or
Becky Latka
402-995-2681
rebecca.j.latka@usace.army.mil

Release no. 20110204-001