Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Evaluation of Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, MD

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the

Evaluation of Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104,

Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, MD

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sections 313 and 404 of the Clean Water Act of

1977 (33 USC 1323 and 1344), the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers will evaluate the placement of dredged material at Site 104,

Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Pursuant to Section 102

of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Baltimore District will

prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Evaluation of the

Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, Chesapeake Bay,

Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The dredged material to be placed at

Site 104 would be clean material from Federal navigation channels in

the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay leading to Baltimore Harbor and the

Port of Baltimore. Site 104 is located in the main stem of the

Chesapeake Bay, north of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge,

and west of Kent Island and encompasses approximately 1,800 acres. The

Section 404 Evaluation will investigate the use of alternative

placement equipment and methods for the placement of approximately 18

million cubic yards of additional dredged material in the deepest part

of the site. To facilitate the Evaluation, the Baltimore District will

also prepare and

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circulate an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the

suitability of Site 104 for placement of dredged material. The EIS will

include descriptions of the existing site conditions, dredged material

placement alternatives, probable impacts of dredged material placement,

public involvement, and the recommended determination and/or activity.

The scheduled completed date for the draft Section 404 Evaluation and

EIS for the Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 404,

Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, Maryland is early 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action

and EIS can be addressed to Mr. Mark Mendelsohn, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL-PC (104), P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, MD 21203-

1715, telephone 410-962-9499. E-Mail address: [email protected]

ccmail.nab.usace.army.mil

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Site 104 is located in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay,

north of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, and west of Kent

Island. The site was used for dredged material placement during a

period of approximately 50 years, beginning in 1924 and ending in 1975.

The original placement area extended 2.7 nautical miles, from its

northern boundary northwest of Love Point (Kent Island), in a south

southwestward direction along a natural deep channel of the Bay to a

position due east of the Sandy Point Light. The southern boundaries of

the site were extended twice to increase the length by about 1\1/2\

miles and the southern 1.1 nautical miles of the site were widened by

approximately 1,000 feet, increasing the total acreage to approximately

1,800 acres. Records for the period are not complete, but suggest that

during the thirty-year period ending in 1975 more than 70 million cubic

yards of dredged material were placed at the site. These dredged

sediments resulted from widening and deepening the project channels (at

least 44 million cubic yards) and from maintenance dredging of the

authorized channels (at least 26 million cubic yards).

2. The proposed open-water placement would use clean dredged

material removed from Federal navigation channels in the main stem of

the Chesapeake Bay leading to Baltimore Harbor and the Port of

Baltimore. The specific channels to be dredged are Craighill Entrance,

Craighill Channel, Craighill Upper Range, Cutoff Angle, Brewerton

Channel Eastern Extension, Swan Point Channel, Tolchester Channel, and

the Approach Channel to the C&D Canal. Placement of approximately 18

million cubic yards would fill the deepest parts of the site to a depth

of 45 feet MLLW.

3. Because different dredging and placement methods might carry

significantly different water quality impacts, the Baltimore District

will evaluate alternative dredged material placement equipment and

methods. Information on the alternatives will be analyzed, a

recommended placement plan formulated, and the results presented in the

Section 404 Evaluation and the EIS. The District will prepare and

circulate a draft EIS (DEIS) evaluating the suitability of Site 104 for

placement of dredged material. The EIS will include descriptions of the

existing site conditions, dredged material placement alternatives,

probable impacts of dredged material placement, public involvement, and

the recommended determination and/or activity.

4. The decision on the suitability of the proposed site for

placement of clean dredged material described in this public notice

will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact of the proposed

activity on the public interest. The decision will reflect the national

concern for the protection and utilization of important resources. The

benefit which may reasonably 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

these are conservation, economics, aesthetics, energy needs, general

environmental concerns, fish and wildlife values, historic values,

navigation, water quality, recreation, safety, food production, and in

general, the needs and welfare of the people. Site 104 will not be

found suitable for open-water placement of clean dredged material

unless it's found to be in the public interest.

5. As part of the EIS public involvement process, the Baltimore

District is conducting a scoping process to identify issues and areas

of concern. Any person who has interest in the proposed placement of

dredged material at Site 104, or who may be adversely affected by the

proposed placement activity, may make comments or suggestions or

request a public hearing. A series of three public meetings has been

scheduled whereat concerned persons may comment or make suggestions.

The time and dates for the three meetings are given below:

a. July 15, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Kent County Court House, Commissioners

Hearing Room--First Floor, 103 North Cross Street, Chestertown,

Maryland 21620.

b. July 17, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Queen Anne's County Office Building,

Second Floor Meeting Room, 208 North Commerce Street, Centreville,

Maryland 21617.

c. July 22, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Broadneck High School, 1265 Green

Holly Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.

6. Please communicate the foregoing information concerning the

proposed work to any person known by you to be interested and, not

being known to this office, does not receive a copy of this notice.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-17923 Filed 7-8-97; 8:45 am]

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