PN 16-59 Comment period extended for MTA/Purple Line

Published Nov. 2, 2016
Expiration date: 12/2/2016

 

 

THE PURPOSE OF THIS JOINT PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO ANNOUNCE A 30-DAY EXTENSION TO THE COMMENT PERIOD TO SOLICIT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.  AT THIS TIME, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT PERMITS WILL BE ISSUED.

                                                                                      

THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE PROJECT EXTENDS TO DECEMBER 2, 2016. 

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District (COE) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) have received and are evaluating a joint permit application for Department of the Army authorization pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) and State authorization pursuant to Title 5, Subtitle 5 (Waterway Construction) and Title 5, Subtitle 9 (Nontidal Wetlands) of the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has received and is evaluating the Forest Conservation Plan (FCP) (S14-07) submitted to the State of Maryland Forest Conservation Program pursuant to the Forest Conservation Act (Natural Resources Article 5-1601 through 5-1613).

 

APPLICANT:    Maryland Transit Administration

                         Attn:  Mr. William Parks

                         6 Saint Paul Street

                         Baltimore, Maryland 21202-1614

 

LOCATION:  The proposed project is located in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties just inside the Washington DC area I-495/Capital Beltway. The 16.2-mile light-rail transit begins just west of Wisconsin Avenue and the Bethesda Metro Station (Montgomery County) and continues to its eastern terminus at the New Carrollton Metro Station (Prince George’s County).  Waterways that are to be impacted include: unnamed streams, five named perennial waterways (Rock Creek, Sligo Creek, Long Branch, Northwest Branch and Northeast Branch) and adjacent jurisdictional wetlands.  The named perennial streams are classified by the State of Maryland as Use I waterways (Water Contact Recreation and Protection of Non-tidal Warm Water Aquatic Life) with the exception of Northwest Branch, north of East West Highway which is designated as Use IV: Recreational Trout Waters. The project is occurring in the Anacostia, Potomac, and Rock Creek watersheds.  

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was the lead federal agency and approved the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project.  The FEIS can be found at www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/studies-reports/feis-document. Additional project documentation and reports can be found on the MTA Purple Line website at: www.purplelinemd.com/en/


All work will be completed in accordance with the plans submitted with the Joint Permit Application (JPA). Please note that PN# 16-59 and the FCP and supplemental FCP documents have been added to www.purplelinejpa.com, and are available at the following library locations.  Hard copies can also be requested from the COE, MDE and DNR reviewers.

 

Silver Spring Library                   Prince George’s Memorial Library, Hyattsville Branch 

900 Wayne Avenue                        6530 Adelphi Road

Silver Spring, MD 20910                Hyattsville, MD 20782

(240) 773-9420                              (301) 985-4690                                                                              

 

COMMENTS:  To be included in the official record, comments and information provided by interested parties will be accepted in the form of a hard copy written submission or email submission and must be received by the COE, MDE, and DNR by the closing date of this notice’s comment period, December 2, 2016, to receive consideration.  The mailing and email addresses for submission of written comments are:

 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers                                         

Baltimore District                                                               

Attn:  Ms. Maria Teresi, CENAB-OPR-M                         

10 S. Howard Street                                  

Baltimore, Maryland 21201                                                           

Maria.Teresi@usace.army.mil  

 

Maryland Department of the Environment

Wetlands and Waterways Program          

Attn:  Mr. Steve Hurt

1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 430

Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708

Steve.Hurt1@maryland.gov                                 

 

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Forest Service

Attn:  Ms. Marian Honeczy

Supervisor, Urban and Community Forestry

580 Taylor Avenue E-1

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Marian.Honeczy@maryland.gov

 

The original public notice for this project (PN# 16-54) can be accessed on the Corps Baltimore District website at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/.

 

If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Ms. Maria Teresi, COE, at (410) 962-4501 or by email at Maria.Teresi@usace.army.mil, Ms. Emily Dolbin, MDE, at (410) 662-7464 ext. 1653 or by email at Emily.Dolbin@maryland.gov, Mr. Steve Hurt, MDE at (410) 662-7400 or by email at Steve.Hurt1@maryland.gov, and/or Ms. Marian Honeczy, MD DNR, at (410) 260-8511 or by email at Marian.Honeczy@maryland.gov.   


It is requested that you communicate this information concerning the proposed work to any persons known by you to be interested, but may not have not received a copy of this public notice.