Featured Project: Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Louisiana, and Lake Borgne – Wetland Creation and Shoreline Protection Environmental Impact Statement

OBJECTIVE OF SCOPE

BEM Systems, Inc. (BEM) led the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO), Louisiana, and Lake Borgne – Wetland Creation and Shoreline Protection project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New Orleans District, to analyze the effects of proposed restoration efforts on significant ecological and economic resources. The restoration project was funded by the Third Supplemental Appropriations Act (Public Law 109-148).

The goal of the selected plan was to protect and restore wetlands and other coastal features within the estuaries located east and southeast of New Orleans that were damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The implementation of the proposed restoration efforts was necessary to prevent the continued loss of wetlands and to re-establish natural areas of marsh for storm surge protection. The proposed action would create and nourish 3,345 acres of brackish and saline wetlands, and includes the installation of 13.7 miles of foreshore rock dike shoreline protection on the land bridge separating Lake Borgne from the MRGO.

METHODOLOGY

The MRGO is a 36-foot deep, 500-foot wide, 76-mile long navigation channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the city of New Orleans. Despite initial widespread federal, state, and local support for the construction of the MRGO, the MRGO had become controversial, and was deauthorized and closed in 2008. Wave wash from deep-draft navigation had been eroding the MRGO channel by up to 35 feet per year, and the Lake Borgne shoreline was eroding at an average rate of 10-15 feet per year, threatening to breach the land bridge separating these two water bodies.
In addition to researching and drafting many of the biological and socioeconomic sections of the EIS, BEM staff worked with the USACE and USFWS to develop the benefits analysis plan alternatives, using the Wetlands Value Assessment protocol developed for the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). BEM also developed the draft Coastal Zone Management Act consistency report.

Tasks included developing the description of the proposed action area (DOPAA), the formulation of measures and alternatives, documenting the “future with project” and “future without project” feature impacts and the evaluation of environmental consequences on important resources.
The complexity of the project not only involved the large-size of the project area, but also the different issues raised by a diverse group of community, business, environmental, congressional, and regulatory stakeholders. These multiple stakeholders included St. Bernard Parish leaders and residents, USFWS, National Marine Fisheries Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the oyster and other commercial fisheries, recreational users, and navigation interests associated with the use of the MRGO channel and the Port of New Orleans.

Scoping comments received from U.S. Senator David Vitter resulted in a significant change in the proposed action, which altered the direction of the document preparation. Due to this change, the project could have potentially impacted nearly 2,000 acres of critical foraging habitat for Gulf sturgeon. This change necessitated increased analysis of Lake Borgne as critical primary habitat for Gulf sturgeon foraging. BEM researched and drafted a Biological Assessment to document potential impacts to threatened and endangered species. This was provided to the USFWS to assist with their preparation of a Biological Opinion on the potential impacts to Gulf sturgeon. The Biological Opinion indicated that only 20 acres of critical foraging habitat for Gulf sturgeon would be impacted, and no remediation activities would be required.

Additionally, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was performed by BEM to evaluate the area for hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (HTRW). This included examination of historic records, interviews with local residents and agency representatives, and site inspections. The Phase I ESA identified a former military site at Shell Beach that was used in World War II as an anti-aircraft training facility. This indicated a high potential for unexploded ordnance in Lake Borgne. Upon the recommendation from BEM, one borrow area was relocated and redesigned as a risk-reduction measure to avoid the high probability areas.

RESULTS

Coordination with state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders identified nearly 500 stakeholders that were interested in the results of the investigations and recommendations. The draft EIS was provided to all interested stakeholders and agency representatives, including members of the Louisiana Congressional delegation. Only 11 comments were received and addressed for the development of the Final EIS, with broad acceptance of the recommended plan. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was submitted for public review in June 2009, and the Record of Decision was signed on March 18, 2010. Implementation of the selected plan will result in the creation and nourishment of 3,345 acres of brackish marsh, and the protection of 13.7 miles of Lake Borgne shoreline. Construction on some sections of the project began in 2010, and to date two shoreline protection reaches have been completed, with a third reach contracted for construction.