OMAHA, NE – A draft programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) for repairs to the Missouri River left bank levee systems in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is currently available for public review. The PEA evaluates the impacts of repairing deficiencies located at various sites along the 28.5-mile Council Bluffs levee system that extends along the Missouri River and includes the Indian Creek and Mosquito Creek tributaries.
The proposed project consists of site-specific repairs at 17 locations along the Council Bluffs levee system. Potential repairs could include (1) modifying, replacing or constructing relief wells, (2) constructing seepage/stability berms, pervious toe trenches, ditch reverse filters, or earthen berms, (3) raising or re-grading ditch grades, landside blankets or levees, (4) removing floodwalls, and (5) replacing/rehabilitating outfall pipes. These repairs are necessary in order for the levee system to remain active in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ PL 84-99 Emergency Levee Rehabilitation Program and maintain Federal Emergency Management Agency accreditation. Prior to any work being completed, a Section 408 application for each site-specific action would be reviewed by the Omaha District to ensure the proposed project would not be injurious to the public interest or impair the usefulness of the USACE Civil Works Project. Compliance with Section 404 and other environmental regulations will also be reviewed at the time the 408 applications are received to ensure consistency with the PEA.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PM-AC; ATTN: Council Bluffs Levee PEA; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked or received no later than April 5, 2017.
The PEA is consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Corps’ regulations for implementing NEPA (33 CFR 325 and Engineering Regulation 200-2-2) and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Release no. 17-024