U.S. Army Nationwide Permits: Corps of Engineers Draft

1,42

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Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement July 2001

200

stron

4647

ID

UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

2001

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Acronyms

Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need for Action

1.1 Background 1-1

1.2 Objectives of the Nationwide Permit Program 1-2

1.3 Purpose and Need 1-3

1.4 General Approach and Analytic Framework 1-3

1.5 Organization of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 1-5

Chapter 2 – Overview of Regulatory Program

2.1 Regulatory Program Background 2-1

2.2 Statutory Authorities 2-3

2.2.1 Section 10 2-3

2.2.2 Section 404 2-4

2.2.3 Section 103 2-4

2.3 Categories of Waters Regulated Under the Corps Program 2-4

2.3.1 Navigable Waters of the United States 2-4

2.3.2 Waters of the United States 2-5

2.3.3 Definition of Wetlands 2-5

2.3.4 Wetland Delineation Manual 2-5

2.4 Wetland Policy 2-5

2.5 Regulatory Program Goals 2-7

2.6 Regulatory Program Permitting Strategies – Types of Permits 2-7

2.6.1 Individual Permits 2-7

2.6.1.1 Standard Permits 2-7

2.6.1.2 Letters of Permission 2-8

2.6.2 General Permits 2-8

2.6.2.1 Nationwide Permits 2-8

2.6.2.2 Regional General Permits 2-9

2.6.2.3 Programmatic General Permits 2-9

2.7 Regulatory Program Project Evaluation 2-9

2.7.1 Pre-Application Process 2-9

2.7.2 Application 2-9

2.7.2.1 Standard Individual Permits and Letters of Permission 2-9

2.7.2.2 Nationwide Permits and General Permits 2-10

2.7.3 Evaluation of Proposed Activities 2-10

2.7.4 Public Notice 2-13

2.7.4.1 Standard Permits and Letters of Permission 2-13

2.7.4.2 Nationwide Permit Public Notices 2-14

2.7.4.3 Proposed Regional or Programmatic General Permits and Modifications to Existing General

Permits 2-14

2.7.5 Public Interest Review and Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines Analysis 2-14

2.7.5.1 Alternatives Evaluation 2-16

2.7.6 Agency Coordination 2-17

2.7.7 Duration of Permits 2-18

2.7.8 Modification, Suspension, or Revocation of Permits 2-18

2.7.9 Authority to Issue or Deny Permits 2-19

2.7.10 Administrative Appeal Process 2-19

2.8 Regulatory Program Data 2-19

2.8.1 Nationwide Permit Data Collection 2-21

2.8.2 Future Data Collection Improvements 2-21

Chapter 3 Alternatives, Including the No Action Alternative

3.1 Formulation of the Alternatives—Scoping for the Nationwide Permit PEIS 3-1

3.1.1 Public and Agency Participation in the PEIS 3-1

3.1.2 Issues Identified through Scoping 3-1

3.2 Alternatives Evaluated in Detail 3-2

3.2.1 Alternative A—No Action—1996 Nationwide Permit Program 3-2

3.2.2 Alternative B—Nationwide Permit Replacement by Standard Permits (No Nationwide Permits-

All Standard Permits) 3-4

3.2.3 Alternative C—Nationwide Permit Replacement by New Letters of Permission 3-5

3.2.4 Alternative D—Nationwide Permit Replacement by Regional General Permits 3-5

3.2.5 Alternative A1 - Procedural and Threshold Variation of the No Action Alternative 3-5

3.3 Alternatives Considered but not Evaluated in Detail 3-6

3.3.1 Other Nationwide Permit Program Alternatives 3-6

3.3.1.1 Nationwide Permit Replacement by State Programmatic General Permits 3-6

3.3.1.2 Activity Regulation by Rules 3-7

3.3.1.3 Various Combinations of Nationwide Permit Alternatives 3-7

3.3.1.4 Preferred Alternative 3-8

3.4 Comparison of the Alternatives 3-8

3.4.1 Comparison of the Procedures for Each of the Alternatives 3-8

3.4.1.1 Alternative A – Nationwide Permits 3-8

3.4.1.2 Alternative B – Individual Standard Permits 3-9

3.4.1.3 Alternative C – Letters of Permission 3-10

3.4.1.4 Alternative D – Regional General Permits 3-10

3.4.2 Comparison of the Impacts of the Alternatives on Aquatic Resources 3-11

3.4.2.1 Variation in Impact Avoidance and Minimization 3-11

3.4.2.2 Variation in Authorized Losses 3-12

3.4.2.3 Unreported Impacts 3-12

3.4.2.4 Compensatory Mitigation 3-12

3.4.2.5 Mitigation Success 3-13

3.4.2.6 Discussion and Summary 3-13

3.4.3 Comparison of the Impacts of the Alternatives on the Regulated Public 3-14

3.4.4 Comparison of the Impacts of the Alternatives on the Administration of the Program 3-15

3.4.5 Comparison Summary 3-17

3.5 Nationwide Permit Program Improvements to Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Environmental

Impacts 3-18

3.5.1 Regulatory Database Data Entry and Other Information Deficiencies 3-19

3.5.2 Cumulative Impact Analysis Deficiencies 3-20

3.5.3 Compensatory Mitigation Success Deficiencies 3-21

3.5.3.1 Guidelines at Corps District Level 3-21

3.5.3.2 Using A Watershed or Regional Perspective 3-21

3.5.3.3 Other Options for Securing More Successful Mitigation 3-22

3.5.3.4 Use of Preservation 3-22

3.5.4 Endangered Species and Cultural Resources 3-23

3.5.5 Environmental Justice 3-23

Chapter 4 Affected Environment

4.1 Introduction 4-1

4.1.1 Program Intents With Respect to the Affected Environment 4-1

4.1.2 Classifying the Nation’s Waters 4-3

4.2 Impacted Geographical Area 4-4

4.2.1 Classifying the Impacted Environments 4-4

4.2.2 Preprogram Historic Impacts 4-5

4.2.3 Recent History 4-7

4.2.4 Corps Permit Impacts In Fiscal Year 1998 4-9

4.2.5 Mitigation Success 4-13

4.2.6 Area Impacted by Nationwide Permits In Fiscal Year 1998 4-14

4.2.7 Impact Below Threshold Size for Nationwide Permits 4-16

4.3 Ecosystem Functions Impacted 4-17

4.3.1 Definition of Ecosystem Function 4-17

4.3.2 Functional Differences Among Aquatic Systems 4-19

4.3.3 Sources of Error for Estimating Functional Impacts 4-20

4.3.4 Functional Representation of Mitigation Ratios 4-21

4.4 Human Communities Affected by the Nationwide Permit Program 4-22

4.4.1 Geography and Demographics 4-22

4.4.2 The Natural Services Impacted by the Corps Permit Program 4-23

4.4.3 Differences in System Services 4-24

4.4.4 Values of Natural Services 4-24

4.4.5 Service Value From Mitigation 4-27

4.5 Permit Applicants Affected by the Nationwide Permits 4-30

4.5.1 Compliance Costs 4-30

4.5.1.1 Direct Costs 4-30

4.5.1.2 Indirect Costs 4-31

4.6 Costs Incurred by the Federal Government to Administer the Nationwide Permit Program 4-31

4.7 Cumulatively Impacted Environment 4-31

4.7.1 Compensatory Mitigation 4-31

4.7.2 Impacts to Other Waters 4-33

4.7.2.1 Palustrine Pond Impact 4-33

4.7.2.2 Riverine Impact 4-34

4.7.2.3 Lacustrine Impacts 4-35

4.7.2.4 Marine and Estuarine Impacts 4-36

4.7.3 Wetlands Impacts 4-36

4.7.4 Sources of Error in Cumulative Analysis 4-37

4.8 Chapter Summary 4-38

Chapter 5 Environmental Consequences

5.1 Analysis Approach and Chapter Organization 5-1

5.1.1 Impacts Analysis Approach 5-1

5.1.2 Organization of the Chapter 5-1

5.2 Impacts of Nationwide Permit Practices on Ecosystems: Procedures and Field Implementation

5-1

5.2.1 Section Organization and Assumptions 5-1

5.2.2 Procedures for Ensuring Minimal Adverse Effects and Field Implementation 5-2

5.2.2.1 Regional Conditions 5-2

5.2.2.2 Summary of District Use of Regional Conditions 5-2

5.2.2.3 Summary of Use of Regional Conditions Associated with State Water Quality and Coastal

Zone Management Consistency

Determinations 5-3