PN18-20 (AA DPW/Rockhold Creek/Maintenance Dredging) - 2018-60254 - AA Co.

Published April 23, 2018
Expiration date: 5/23/2018

                                                                                                 Public Notice

U.S. Army Corps              In Reply to Application Number

of Engineers                     CENAB-OPR-M (AA DPW/Rockhold Creek/Maintenance

Baltimore District             Dredging) 2018-60254

 

PN 18-20                            Comment Period: April 23, 2018 – May 23, 2018

                                     

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO SOLICIT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE WORK DESCRIBED BELOW.  NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME.

 

This District has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act as described below:

 

APPLICANT:          Anne Arundel County Dept. of Public Works

                                 Attn: Mr. Masoud Ghatineh, Project Manager

                                 2662 Riva Road

                                 Annapolis, Maryland 21401

 

WATERWAY AND LOCATION: In Rockhold Creek/Herring Bay Federal Navigation Channel, Deale, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

 

PROPOSED WORK: To mechanically or hydraulically maintenance dredge an approximately 60-feet to 100- feet wide by 2,165 feet long channel, in the Rockhold Creek Federal Navigation Channel, totaling approximately 149,957 square feet (3.44 acres) to a maximum depth of -8.0 feet mean low water (MLW) and to deposit the resulting approximately 6,000 cubic yards of dredged material at the County's approved South County dredged material placement (DMP) site or another approved upland (non-wetland) disposal site.

 

Project Purpose: To improve navigable access.

 

Avoidance/Minimization of Impacts: As part of the planning process for the proposed project, steps were taken to ensure avoidance and minimization of impacts to waters of the United States to the maximum extent practicable. The work is proposed within the existing Rockhold Creek Federal Navigation Channel. Compensatory mitigation is not being proposed by the applicant for impacts to open water. No wetland impacts are proposed.

 

All work would be completed in accordance with the enclosed plans dated February 2018.  If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Rich Kibby, US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attn: CENAB-OPR-M, 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201 or richard.kibby@usace.army.mil.

 

The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest.  That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources.  The benefit, which reasonable may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments.  All factors, which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economic, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, and consideration of property ownership and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

 

The evaluation of the impacts of the work described above on the public interest will include application of the Clean Water Act 404(b)(1) Guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

 

The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity.  Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal.  To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above.  Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.  Comments provided will become part of the public record for this action.  Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

 

Written comments concerning the work described above related to the factors listed above or other pertinent factors must be received by the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, [Attn: Mr. Richard Kibby, CENAB-OPR-M], 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201 or richard.kibby@usace.army.mil within the comment period specified above.

 

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 04-267), requires all Federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on all actions, or proposed actions, permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency that may adversely effect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH).

 

The project site lies in or adjacent to EFH as described under MSFCMA for black sea bass (Centropristis striata) juvenile and adult life stages; blue fish (Pomatomus saltatrix) all life stages; scup (Stenotomus chrysops) all life stages; and summer flounder (Paralicthys dentatus) all life stages; all managed species under the MSFCMA.

 

The project has the potential to adversely affect EFH or the species of concern by loss of spawning, nursery, forage and/or shelter habitat as described under the MSFCMA for the species and life stages identified above.  The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that site-specific impacts would not be substantial and an abbreviated consultation will be conducted with NMFS.  This determination may be modified if additional information indicates otherwise and would change the preliminary determination.

 

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: The applicant is required to obtain a water quality certification in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act from the Maryland Department of the Environment.  Any written comments concerning the work described above which relate to water quality certification must be received by the Wetlands and Waterways Program, Maryland Department of the Environment, Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 430, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708 within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration.  The Section 401 certifying agency has a statutory limit of one year from the date of this public notice to make its decision.

 

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS: The applicant has certified in this application

that the proposed activity complies with and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the approved Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program.  By this public notice, we are requesting the State concurrence or objection to the applicant’s consistency statement. Public comments relating to the consistency must be received by the Maryland Department of the Environment, Tidal Wetlands Division, Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 430, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708 within the comment period specified above to receive consideration. MDE has a statutory limit of 6 months to concur or object to the applicant’s consistency determination.

 

The applicant must obtain any State or local government permits which may be required.

A preliminary review of this application indicates that the proposed work may affect Federal listed threatened or endangered species or their critical habitat, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended.  As the evaluation of this application continues, additional information may become available which could modify this preliminary determination.

 

Review of the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places indicates that no registered properties listed as eligible for inclusion, therein, are located at the site of the proposed work.  Currently unknown archeological, scientific, prehistoric, or historical data may be lost or destroyed by the work to be accomplished under the request permit.

 

Any person who has an interest which may be adversely affected by the issuance of this permit may request a public hearing.  The request, which must be in writing, must be received by the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, [Attn: Mr. Richard Kibby, CENAB-OPR-M], 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration.  Also it must clearly set forth the interest which may be adversely affected by this activity and the manner in which the interest may be adversely affected.

 

It is requested that you communicate this information concerning the proposed work to any persons known by you to be interested and not being known to this office, who did not receive a copy of this notice.

 

FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER:

 

 

 

 

Joseph P. DaVia

Chief, Maryland Section Northern