OMAHA, Neb. – A draft supplemental environmental assessment for repairs to the Upper Hamburg chute in Otoe County, Neb. is currently available for public review. The draft supplemental EA evaluates the environmental impacts of repairing chute bank erosion that formed along two locations during the 2011 Missouri River flood. The purpose and scope of this supplemental EA are limited to evaluating the potential environmental effects of the proposed operation and maintenance chute repair actions.
The unprecedented flood of 2011 caused the Upper Hamburg chute to widen and laterally migrate. Repairs would include placing new rock dikes within the chute along the west edge where bank scouring developed. The proposed action is needed to stop the chute from migrating west any further and to avoid any potential for levee damage, landward seepage issues, or private property impacts. Because the chute needs to be compatible with all Missouri River authorized purposes, the bank scour areas must be stabilized to prevent future migration of the chute and mitigate any associated risks of bank migration.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft supplemental EA, which is available for viewing at: http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Planning/EnvironmentalPlanning/DraftDocuments.aspx. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PM-AC; ATTN: Dave Crane, Upper Hamburg SEA; 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 August 15, 2014.
This draft supplemental EA 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. 20140728-001