USACE releases Mississippi River mainline levees Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

Vicksburg District
Published Aug. 28, 2020

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released its Draft Supplement II (Draft SEIS II) to the 1976 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) Project, Mississippi River Mainline Levees (MRL), today, Aug. 28.

Through evaluation of information and data obtained from levee inspections, seepage analyses, research, studies and engineering assessments, the USACE Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans districts have collectively identified a total of 143 additional Work Items along various reaches of the Mississippi River mainline levees (MRL) feature of the MR&T project. These Work Items are remedial measures to control seepage and/or raise and stabilize deficient sections of the existing levees and floodwalls to maintain the structural integrity and stability of the MRL system. The 143 Work Items constitute the proposed action for this Draft SEIS II and are located across portions of seven states: Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. This document is intended to supplement and, as necessary, augment the 1976 FEIS and 1998 Supplemental EIS (SEIS I) to achieve USACE’s primary goals for the MR&T: (1) providing flood risk reduction from the Project Design Flood; and (2) being an environmentally sustainable project.

The general public, interested parties and stakeholders are invited to comment on the Draft SEIS II. The draft report contains a description of the project, an evaluation of the alternatives under consideration and an analysis of potential environmental impacts. All public comments received will be addressed and considered as part of USACE’s decision-making process.

The Draft SEIS II is available online at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District website at: http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/MRLSEIS/.

Due to COVID-19, USACE will host virtual public meetings to provide information on the project and to receive verbal public comments; times and meeting details will be provided in subsequent media release and advertisements. USACE will accept written comments through Oct. 13. Comments on the Draft SEIS II should be sent by e-mail to MRL-SEIS-2@usace.army.mil or by mail to the following address:

 

District Engineer

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Vicksburg District

4155 Clay Street

Vicksburg, Mississippi 39138-3435


Contact
Jessica Dulaney
601-631-5818
Jessica.L.Dulaney@usace.army.mil

Release no. 20-062