Introduction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Baltimore District, will conduct a study to evaluate the dredged material placement needs and opportunities for the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, and develop a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP). The study area encompasses Baltimore Harbor, Baltimore Harbor Approach Channels, and the Chesapeake Bay Approach Channels, which extend from the mouth of the Bay in Virginia to the southern approach channels to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal up to the Sassafrass River, in the upper Bay, Maryland/Delaware. The purpose of the plan is to develop a long-term strategy for providing viable placement alternatives that meet the dredging needs of the Port of Baltimore Federal channels and include consideration of state and local dredging needs.

The DMMP study is being evaluated through the preparation of a tiered Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The DMMP identifies the quantity of material to be dredged from the Federal, state, and local channels and how the dredged material can be managed in an economically and environmentally acceptable manner. Priority is given to beneficial uses of the material. The DMMP identifies, evaluates, screens, prioritizes, and ultimately optimizes placement alternatives resulting in the recommendation of a plan for the placement of dredged materials for at least the next 20 years.