[Federal Register: June 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 126)]
[Notices]
[Page 37545]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn06-39]
[[Page 37545]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Availability of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Construction of a Dredged Material
Containment Facility in the Patapsco River, at Masonville, Baltimore
City, MD
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore
District, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the proposed construction of a dredged material containment
facility (DMCF) by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). This DEIS
was prepared as part of the submission of MPA's application for a
Department of the Army permit to construct the facility in the Patapsco
River, Baltimore City, MD. This application will be evaluated pursuant
to Section 10 or the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act.
The preferred alternative is for the construction of a stone, sand,
and cofferdam structure that would impact approximately 131 acres of
waters of the United States, including jurisdictional wetlands. The
structure would be initially constructed to 10 feet above the mean lowe
low water (MLLW) elevation, with a future temporary elevation to 42
feet above MLLW, and an ultimate elevation of 36 feet above MLLW. The
project would also include mechanical dredging of approximately 1.7
million cubic yards of overburden material within the footprint of the
proposed disposal site, and the placement of this material at the Hart
Miller Island disposal site, Baltimore County, MD. On-site and off-site
borrow material would be used for the construction of the containment
facility. This proposal was advertised in the Federal Register on May
19, 2006 (71 FR 29128). The need to prepare a Supplement is due to the
applicant's proposal to change the source of borrow material for the
proposed construction of the preferred alternative. The applicant
wishes to use suitable material dredged from the channel at the Seagirt
Marine Terminal for the construction of a portion of the containment
structure. Approximately 0.5 to 0.8 million cubic yards of sand and
gravel obtained from dredging to a maximum of 54 feet below mean low
water at Seagirt Marine Terminal would be used at the proposed
Masonville DMCF. Detailed description of the proposed modifications and
effects to the human environment are discussed in the supplement to the
DEIS for the Masonville DMCF.
DATES: The Baltimore District must receive comments on or before August
14, 2006 to ensure consideration in the final action. A public hearing
on the DEIS has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday July 31, 2006 at
the St. John Lutheran Church, 226 Washburn Ave., Baltimore, MD 21225.
Displays will be available and representatives of the project team will
be present at 6 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments concerning this proposed
project to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attn: Mr.
Jon Romeo, CENAB-OP-RMN, P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, MD 21203-1715. You
may submit electronic comments to jon.romeo@usace.army.mil. Your
comments must be contained in the body of your message; please do not
send attached files. Please include your name and address in your
message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jon Romeo, (410) 962-6079.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS and Supplement to the EIS integrate
analyses and consultation required by the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Section
401 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination
Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. All
appropriate documentation (i.e., Section 7 and Section 106 coordination
letters and public and agency comments) will be obtained and included
as part of the EIS. The decision on whether or not to issue a
Department of the Army permit for this project will reflect the
national concern for the protection and utilization of important
resources. The benefits which may reasonably be expected to accrue from
the proposal will be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable
detriments. All factors that may be relevant to the proposal will be
considered. Among these are wetlands, fish and wildlife resources,
cultural resources, land use, water and air quality, hazardous, toxic
and radioactive substances, threatened and endangered species, regional
geology, aesthetics, environmental justice, navigation, cumulative
impacts, and the general needs and welfare of the public.
Vance G. Hobbs,
Chief, Maryland Section Northern.
[FR Doc. 06-5918 Filed 6-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-41-M