Public Notice
U.S. Army Corps In Reply to Application Number
of
Engineers CENAB-OPR-M (NSF-INDIAN
HEAD/ BUILDING 459)
Baltimore
District 2016-60552
PN 16-31 Comment Period: May 18, 2016 to June 1, 2016
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO SOLICIT COMMENTS FROM THE
PUBLIC ABOUT THE WORK DESCRIBED BELOW.
AT THIS TIME, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT
WILL BE ISSUED.

The Baltimore District Corps of Engineers have 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: NSF-Indian Head
c/o Mr. Jeffrey Bossart
3972 Ward Road, Suite 101
Indian Head, Maryland 20640
LOCATION: In an unnamed tributary to
Mattawoman Creek between buildings 458 and 459 at NSF-Indian Head, Indian Head,
Charles County, Maryland
WORK: To stabilize a stream system by relocating
the stream channel and constructing a 10-foot wide by 50-foot long riffle grade
control structure; utilize two clay plugs to create a vernal pool within the
old bend; to remove fall tree log jams impacting approximately 554 square feet
of nontidal forested wetlands for access and approximately 2,310 square feet
along 3,330 linear feet of stream within an unnamed tributary to Mattawoman
Creek. All work is to be completed in
accordance with the proposed plan(s). If
you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Mrs. Erica
Schmidt at (410) 962-6029 or Erica.Schmidt@usace.army.mil.
Site
layout for this project was based upon existing stream conditions. Efforts were made to avoid, to the extent
possible, the long and short-term adverse impacts associated with the proposed
project. The applicant proposes to access
the site from the land from building 458.
Compensatory
mitigation is not being proposed by the applicant for permanent impacts to the
stream. The proposed project will reduce sedimentation downstream and the area
of the existing bend will be converted into habitat for aquatic wildlife with
specific attention to creating herp habitat.
The purpose of
the project is primarily to provide stream bank stabilization.
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an
evaluation of the probable impact 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 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
including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation,
economics, 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,
and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
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 are also used to determine the need
for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed
activity.
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, 1800 Washington Blvd. Suite 430,
Baltimore, Maryland 21230 within the comment period as specified above to
receive consideration. Written comments
concerning the work described above related to the factors listed above or
other pertinent factors must be received by the District Engineer, US Army
Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, 10 S. Howard Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21201, within the comment period as specified above to receive
consideration. The 401 certifying agency has a statutory limit of one year to
make its decision.
The applicant has certified in this application that the proposed
activity complies with and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the
Maryland Coastal Zone Program. This
certification statement is available for inspection in the District Office;
however, public comments relating to consistency must be received by the
Coastal Zone Division, Maryland Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington
Blvd. Suite 430, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, within the comment period as
specified above. It should be noted that
CZ Division has a statutory limit of 6 months in which to make its 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 will not affect listed 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 requested permit.
The evaluation of the impact of the work described above on the
public interest will include application of the guidelines promulgated by the
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under authority of Section
404 of the Clean Water Act. Any person who has an interest, which may be
adversely affected by the issuance of this permit, may request a public
hearing. The District Engineer must
receive the request, which must be in writing, US Army Corps of Engineers,
Baltimore District, 10 S. Howard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, within the
comment period as specified as above to receive consideration. Also, it must clearly state forth the
interest that may be adversely affected by this activity in the manner in which
the interest may be adversely affected.
It is requested that you communicate the foregoing 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:
Kathy
B. Anderson
Chief,
Maryland Section Southern