Subject: Establishment of Section 408 categorical permissions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District

CEMVR-EO December 27, 2023 MEMORANDUM OF RECORD SUBJECT: Establishment of Section 408 Categorical Permissions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District When the Rock Island District (District) receives a request to alter an USACE project, the District implements a process outlined in the 2018 Engineer Circular (EC) 1165-2­220, Policy and Procedural Guidance for Processing Requests to Alter US Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Projects Pursuant to 33 USC 408. These requests vary in complexity, scope, impacts to the USACE project, and environmental impacts. To expedite the review and approval process, EC 1165-2-220 states that USACE Districts can develop streamlined categorial permissions for modification requests that are alike in nature and impacts. Additionally, EC 1165-2-220 encourages USACE districts to develop new programmatic National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents to provide a way to efficiently review for or ensure environmental compliance for categories of activities that have similar and minor environmental effects. In order to address the potential environmental effects of future proposed requests, as required under NEPA, as amended [42 United states Code (U.S.C.) 4321 et seq.], the Rock Island District prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) in 2018. The PEA considers a suite of reasonably foreseeable categorical permissions that fall within the Rock Island District’s Civil Works boundaries. The District reviewed the 2018 PEA and the seven Categorical Permissions (CPs) in 2023 for environmental compliance updates and/or changes to the CPs as required in EC1165-2-220. The District determined the PEA’s Finding of No Significant Impact remains in environmental compliance. A minor modification to CP 5 (Section 1. D) did not warrant a new environmental assessment. The District’s Environmental Compliance Officer, Jodi Creswell, signed a Record of Environmental Consideration confirming the 2023 updates are in complian