The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, has received an application for a Department of the Army (DA) permit (Corps number NAB- 2023-61200) for the Sparrows Point Container Terminal project from Tradepoint TiL Terminal, LLC, a joint venture between Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investments Limited to construct a new container terminal in the Port of Baltimore.

The USACE, as the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), has determined the proposed project may significantly affect the quality of the human environment and intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). The USACE action will be to issue, issue with modifications, or deny a DA permit for the proposed project. The EIS will assess the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposed project.

The proposed project requires authorization from USACE under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403) for the construction of any structure in or over navigable waters of the United States, and Section 408 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 USC 408) for taking possession of, use of, or injury to harbor or river improvements, and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (33 USC 1413) for ocean disposal of dredged material.

PROPOSED ACTION: The project involves construction of the proposed Sparrows Point Container Terminal which would consist of a +/- 3,000 foot-long wharf with cranes, a container yard, gate complex, Intermodal/Rail Yard and various support structures (see Figure 1 below). To provide vessel access to the wharf, the project includes dredging and placement of an anticipated 3.5 - 4.5 million cubic yards of dredged material for the required widening and deepening of the existing access channel and turning basin. The access channel will connect  into the Brewerton Federal Navigation channel. The proposed project plan also includes the construction of an offshore Dredged Material Containment Facility (DMCF) in the Patapsco River on the west side of Coke Point to provide placement capacity for dredged material. An offshore DMCF to provide capacity for the total anticipated dredged material volume would permanently fill approximately 100 acres of tidal waters of the United States. As part of the EIS process, USACE will consider minimization measures for dredging and a combination of alternatives for dredged material placement.

The project includes a proposed compensatory mitigation plan. The compensatory mitigation plan is under development and will be completed as part of the development of the EIS.

LOCATION: The project site is located within the Tradepoint Atlantic development on the Coke Point peninsula in the Patapsco River, Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, Maryland. [Latitude: 39.211222° and Longitude: -76.490349°]

Figure 1. Conceptual draft design of the SPCT project.

The USACE, as the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), has determined the SPCT project may significantly affect the quality of the human environment and intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). The USACE action will be to issue, issue with modifications, or deny a DA permit for the proposed project. The EIS will assess the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposed project. The USACE is requesting public/agency comments regarding the scope of the EIS and issues that should be evaluated in the document.

SCOPING MEETINGS: The USACE will conduct public scoping meetings during the scoping period in which agencies, organizations, and members of the general public are invited to present comments or suggestions with regard to the range of actions, alternatives, and potential impacts to be considered in the EIS. The USACE has scheduled two public scoping meetings, one in-person and one virtual as described below:

• In-person: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. Display material and staff will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Sollers Point Multi-Purpose Center; 323 Sollers Point Road, Dundalk, MD 21222; 
• Virtual: Thursday, January 25, 2024, beginning at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Access the virtual scoping meeting at this link: https://bit.ly/SparrowsPoint2024

SCOPING PROCESS: The scoping period will continue for 60 days from the date of the Notice of Intent. During the scoping period, USACE invites federal, state, and local agencies, Native American Tribes, other interested parties, and the general public to participate in the scoping process. The purpose of the scoping process is to provide information to the public, serve as a mechanism to solicit agency and public input on alternatives, identify significant issues to be analyzed in the EIS, and ensure full and open participation in scoping for the draft EIS. Scoping comments may be submitted by conventional mail or email. All comments must include the USACE number NAB-2023-61200. To be accepted, email comments must originate from the author’s email account. All comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act including any personally identifiable information such as names, phone numbers, and addresses. Additional information on the project and scoping process are available on the Corps’ website listed below.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Written comments regarding the proposed EIS scope should be submitted to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attn: Ms. Maria Teresi, 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201. Individuals who would like to provide comments electronically should submit comments by email to: NAB-SPCT@usace.army.mil