April 19, 2016
Operations Division
SUBJECT: Baltimore
Harbor and Channels, Maryland ‑ Proposed Maintenance Dredging of the Craighill
Angle, Ferry Bar Channel, Brewerton Angle
PUBLIC
NOTICE – CENAB-OP‑N-16-01
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Pursuant to Sections 313 and
404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (33 USC 1323 and 1344), NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN THAT PENDING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS, the Baltimore District, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, proposes to perform maintenance dredging of the Baltimore
Harbor & Channels Federal navigation project during calendar years 2016 and
2017.
The plans and location of the proposed work are shown on the
enclosed map. The proposed work consists
of maintenance dredging the following channels to their respective authorized
dimensions: Ferry Bar Channel to a depth of 42 feet and
width of 600; Brewerton Angle to a depth of 51 feet and width of 700 to 1,500
feet; Craighill Angle to a depth of 51 feet and width of 700 to 1,870 feet. The dredging includes one foot of advanced
maintenance dredging in the Brewerton and Craighill Angles, two feet of
allowable over depth dredging in both angles, as well as one foot of over depth
in Ferry Bar. Due to the imprecise
nature of dredging operations, the dredging contractor may remove excess
material beyond the limits described above in some areas and may not remove all
material in other areas.
Approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of material consisting
primarily of mud, silt, sand, shell, and mixtures thereof would be dredged by
clamshell and scow. The State of
Maryland will provide the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at
Poplar Island, located on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay, northwest of
Tilghman Island, Talbot County, Maryland for the placement of an estimated 500,000
cubic yards of material. The material
placed at Poplar Island will be removed from the Craighill Angle. The State of Maryland will provide the
100‑acre Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility (DMCF), located in
Anne Arundel County, for the deposition of approximately 400,000 cubic yards of
material from the proposed dredging of the Ferry Bar and Brewerton Angle. The State of Maryland will also provide a
Confined Aquatic Disposal Cell located adjacent to the Masonville DMCF for the
deposition of approximately 100,000 cubic yards of material from the Ferry Bar
Channel and Brewerton Angle.
In order to maximize drying and
consolidation of the material at the placement sites, dredging will be
scheduled to take place between October 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. The use of the Confined Aquatic Disposal Cell
is contingent upon the acquisition of necessary permits by the State of
Maryland and the availability of the cell and its capacity at contract award.
CENAB-OP-NN
SUBJECT: Baltimore Harbor and Channels, Maryland ‑
Proposed Maintenance Dredging of the Craighill Angle, Ferry Bar Channel,
Brewerton Angle
The
sediment to be dredged from the above channels has been tested to ensure the
suitability of the Chesapeake Bay channels and Harbor Channels for placement at
their designated sites. The proposed methods of dredging and placement of material are
addressed in and consistent with the Final Environmental Impact Statement and
accompanying Supplemental Information to date.
A
preliminary review of this work and previous evaluations of historical dredging
and placement operations for the Baltimore Harbor project has been
completed. The review indicates that the
proposed work will not adversely affect listed species or their critical
habitat pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended.
The
proposed maintenance dredging will comply with and will be conducted in a
manner consistent with the approved Maryland Coastal Zone Management
Program. Any comments regarding the
consistency determination should be sent to the Maryland Department of the
Environment, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230-1708, within 30 days of
the date of this notice. The proposed
work is being coordinated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S.
Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Department of Commerce,
National Marine Fisheries Service; and the Maryland Departments of the
Environment, Natural Resources, Transportation, Maryland Port Administration,
Housing and Community Development, and Business and Economic Development.
Designation
of the proposed placement sites for the dredged material associated with this
Federal project shall be made through the application of guidelines promulgated
by the administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the
Secretary of the Army. If these
guidelines alone prohibit the designation of the proposed placement sites, any
potential impairment to the maintenance of navigation including any economic
impact on navigation and anchorage which would result from the failure to use
these placement sites will also be considered.
Previous cultural resources reconnaissance
surveys and intensive marine surveys have indicated that there are no
historically significant artifacts in the proposed work areas. A review of the latest published version of
the National Register of Historic Places indicates that there are no registered
properties or properties listed as eligible for inclusion therein located at
the proposed work sites. Currently
unknown archaeological, scientific, prehistoric, or historical data may be lost
or destroyed by the proposed work.
CENAB-OP-NN
SUBJECT: Baltimore Harbor
and Channels, Maryland ‑ Proposed Maintenance Dredging of the Craighill Angle, Ferry
Bar Channel, Brewerton Angle
The decision whether to accomplish the work proposed in this
public notice will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact, including
cumulative impacts, of the proposed work on the public interest. The decision will reflect the national
concern for the protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits which reasonably 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; among those are conservation,
economics, aesthetics, energy needs, general environmental concerns, fish and
wildlife values, wetlands, historic and cultural values, navigation, shoreline
erosion and accretion, water quality, flood hazards, flood plain values, land
use, recreation, safety, food production, and in general, the needs and the
welfare of the people. The work will not
be accomplished unless it is found to be in the public interest.
Any person who has an interest which may be affected by the
placement of this dredged material may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to
the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, 10 S.
Howard St. Baltimore, Maryland 21203‑1715 within 30 days of the date of this
notice and must clearly set forth the interest which may be affected and the
manner in which the interest may be affected by this activity. Please contact Ms. Tiffany Burroughs at (410)
962‑5677 if there are any questions regarding the proposed work.
Any written comments or questions regarding water
quality considerations involved with this project should be directed to the
Maryland Department of the Environment, Wetlands and Waterways Program, 1800
Washington Blvd., Suite 430, Baltimore, MD 21230-1708 within 30 days of the
date of this notice.
FOR THE COMMANDER:
DIANNE B. EDWARDSON
Chief, Operations Division