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Highlights from
EPA Comments:
EPA rates the DEIS as "EC-2," i.e., EPA has "Environmental Concerns and Requests Additional Information in the Final EIS (FEIS)." EPA has identified environmental concerns and informational needs to be included in the FEIS to complement and to more fully insure compliance with the requirements of NEPA and the CEQ regulations. Areas requiring additional information or clarification include: project purpose and need, direct and secondary impacts of increased boater recreation and increased economic development, and overall project economic cost-benefit analysis.
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The DEIS offers little evidence that the project purposes would be achieved. We
therefore ask that the Final EIS provide more information in the areas address above to support the project purpose and need. In view of the current analysis, we find and recommend that the no action be considered the least damaging practical alterative and therefore recommend its Selection as the preferred alternative.
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US FISH
AND WILDLIFE Comment - If sand can be provided by other dredging
activities to nourish the beach and salinity improvement benefits
are negligible what other benefits will be achieved by the proposed
opening of Packery Channel? Neither the EIS or the BA provide a
clear history of past flooding and/or deterioration problems to this
area that have been identified as needing to be or will be
remediated by the proposed project. more...
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Texas Parks and Wildlife - comment
Sand Bypass System
Although the DEIS makes reference to a proposed sand bypass system,
information regarding the system's design and how it will function is lacking.
Based on a 1997 Texas General Land Office commissioned peer review
concerning the feasibility of opening and stabilizing Packery Channel, the peer
review assessment team concluded that a complete channel design
should be
developed for the project. The design should include an appropriate sand
management program which would also contain a monitoring program and sand
bypassing response element with established thresholds. The DEIS does not
reference or utilize the aforementioned peer review assessment. As staled earlier,
TPWD is concerned with sediment transporting areas which contain sensitive
habitat types, and therefore recommends that the sand bypass system be fully
described and properly referenced in the FEIS. more...
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